Patent decision

BL number
O/305/20
Concerning rights in
GB 1610337.6
Hearing Officer
Mrs C L Davies
Decision date
3 June 2020
Person(s) or Company(s) involved
Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
Provisions discussed
PA 1977 Section 1(2)(c)
Keywords
Excluded fields (refused)
Related Decisions
None

Summary

The invention relates to a method of modifying search results based on context characteristics. Due to the increase in storage space and storage location, a user may store vast amounts of information. However, users may find it difficult to remember exactly where a particular file is stored. To assist in finding particular files or information, many applications have search features which allow a user to input a search query to assist in finding the particular files or information. In order to find the desired information a user has to enter a search query with some level of specificity. However, it may be difficult for a user to provide a search query with unambiguous terms that the search feature can use to provide pertinent search results. To overcome such issues, the application considers it would be useful if the search interfaces could use context data to assist in performing a relevant search and also to assist in defining ambiguous terms. Therefore, in order to allow a user to return desired results from a search, the invention provides a method of returning search results narrowed by context characteristics relating to the user.

On applying the Aerotel/Macrossan test, the Hearing Officer found that the claimed invention was excluded as a computer program as such. The application was refused under section 18(3).

Full decision O/305/20 PDF document357Kb