Indexing Native Application Data

Abstract

Methods, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for indexing native application data. In one aspect, a method includes: receiving, by a search engine and from a mobile device, a set of data that is generated by a native application on the mobile device, the set of data including (i) data that identifies the native application, (ii) a representation of viewed content, (iii) a link to the viewed content that, when selected, launches the viewed content in the native application; storing, by the search engine, (i) the data that identifies the native application, and (ii) the link to the viewed content in association with the viewed content; and using the stored set of data in generating a search result that (i) references the viewed content, and (ii) includes the link to the viewed content that, when selected, launches the viewed content in the native application.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors;   one or more non-transitory computer readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising: 
 receiving, on a mobile device associated with a particular user, a set of data that is obtained from a first application on the mobile device, the set of data including (i) data that identifies the first application, (ii) a representation of viewed content, (iii) a link to the viewed content, wherein the link is selectable to launch the viewed content in the first application; 
 storing (i) the data that identifies the first application, (ii) the representation of the viewed content, and (iii) the link to the viewed content; 
 obtaining, on the mobile device, a query via a user interface of a second application; and 
 generating, using the stored set of data and based on the query, a search result that comprises (i) the data that identifies the first application, (ii) the representation of the viewed content, and (iii) the link to the viewed content. 
   
     
     
         15 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein generating, using the stored set of data and based on the query, the search result comprises:
 identifying the viewed content as responsive to the query;   determining that the first application is installed on the mobile device; and   in response to determining that the first application is installed on the mobile device, generating a search result that (i) references the viewed content, and (ii) includes the link to the viewed content that, when selected, launches the viewed content in the first application.   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the link to the viewed content is selectable to launch the viewed content in the first application. 
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the mobile device comprises computer hardware, including a communication system, a processor system, and an input/output system. 
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the viewed content comprises at least a portion of an article. 
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 obtaining a selection of the search result; and   navigating to the viewed content of the first application based at least in part on the link.   
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the set of data comprises user activity data associated with the particular user, and wherein the user activity data comprises previously submitted search queries, content accessed through web browsers, and user responses to presented search results. 
     
     
         21 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing the search result for display in a search results interface with one or more other search results.   
     
     
         22 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein the representation of viewed content includes keywords from the viewed content, or an identifier associated with the viewed content. 
     
     
         23 . The computing system of  claim 14 , wherein obtaining, on the mobile device, the query via the user interface of a second application comprises receiving an input via a query input box of a user interface. 
     
     
         24 . The computing system of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
 storing metadata associated with the first application, wherein the metadata comprises a title of the first application; and   providing the title for display with the search result.   
     
     
         25 . A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:
 receiving, on a mobile device associated with a particular user and by a computing system comprising one or more processors, a set of data that is obtained from a first application on the mobile device, the set of data including (i) data that identifies the first application, (ii) a representation of viewed content, (iii) a link to the viewed content, wherein the link is selectable to launch the viewed content in the first application;   storing, by the computing system, (i) the data that identifies the first application, (ii) the representation of the viewed content, and (iii) the link to the viewed content;   obtaining, on the mobile device and by the computing system, a query via a user interface of a second application; and   generating, using the stored set of data and based on the query, a search result that comprises (i) the data that identifies the first application, (ii) the representation of the viewed content, and (iii) the link to the viewed content.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the second application operates independently from the first application. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first application comprises a native application. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the second application comprises a search engine. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 providing, by the mobile device, the search result for display, wherein the search result is provided via a search results page, wherein the search results page comprises the search result generated based on the set of data and one or more other search results associated with one or more web resources.   
     
     
         30 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media that collectively store instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving, on a mobile device associated with a particular user, a set of data that is obtained from a first application on the mobile device, the set of data including (i) data that identifies the first application, (ii) a representation of viewed content, (iii) a link to the viewed content, wherein the link is selectable to launch the viewed content in the first application;   storing (i) the data that identifies the first application, (ii) the representation of the viewed content, and (iii) the link to the viewed content;   obtaining, on the mobile device, a query via a user interface of a second application; and   generating, using the stored set of data and based on the query, a search result that comprises (i) the data that identifies the first application, (ii) the representation of the viewed content, and (iii) the link to the viewed content.   
     
     
         31 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 30 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing the search result via a search results page, wherein the search results page comprises the search result having been generated in response to the query by the particular user and the set of data generated by the first application and one or more other search results associated with one or more web resources.   
     
     
         32 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 30 , wherein the set of data further includes (iv) an access control list that specifies whether the viewed content is classified as private content or public content. 
     
     
         33 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 30 , wherein the representation of viewed content includes keywords from the viewed content, or an identifier associated with the viewed content.