Google patents Swipe Searching

Performing a Google-based search on your touchscreen mobile device could soon get a lot easier. Like “draw a G and circle the text in question” sort of easy.

Google has developed, and been granted patent protection for, a search function similar to the scribblings performed on an old Palm handheld. Users will simply draw a lowercase G on their touchscreen that tails into a circle encompassing the search term—essentially you’re writing “go” with the O surrounding what you want found.

And if you don’t want to use Google search but rather query Wikipedia or another site directly, a user can substitute the G for an S to pop a contextual menu with available search engines.

Really, this feature spotted inside some third-part applications, such as Dolphin Browser for Android or in LauncherPro: you can just define some gestures and then let the device perform some actions. 

In this case, as Apple copied some features from third-part applications (who said MiWi for Hotspot, Whatsapp for iMessage?), now Google goes in the same way.