Visual presentation of multiple internet pages

• US 10,296,175 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2012
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Decker, Kevin, Sullivan, John William
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork, Kyle R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orr, Henry
• Application Number:
  US13/729,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20130191709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,335 Days
• Field of Search: 715830
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A novel method for graphically organizing and displaying multiple pages of internet content based on how the page was accessed. Pages are determined to be indirectly accessed if they were accessed via a hypertext link or a trail of hypertext links. Pages are determined to be directly accessed if accessed via other means, such as a bookmark or via Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Page groupings are created for each directly accessed page, and each indirectly accessed page is categorized into a grouping associated with a directly accessed page containing a link through which the indirectly accessed page was accessed. The web pages are presented to the user in an interface that is a graphical representation of the page groupings, wherein a user selects a page to view by first selecting the page'"'"'s page grouping and then selecting the page.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a first graphical user interface (GUI) generated by a browser, wherein the first GUI includes a plurality of tabs corresponding to a plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser;

while the plurality of web pages are concurrently open in the browser, detecting a user request to display a second GUI that corresponds to presentation of page groupings of the plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser; and

in response to detecting the user request;

determining whether web pages of the plurality of web pages were accessed directly or indirectly, wherein a web page is determined to have been accessed indirectly if accessed by clicking on one or more hyperlinks and a web page is determined to have been accessed directly if accessed without clicking on one or more hyperlinks, wherein the plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser include at least a first directly accessed page corresponding to a first tab of the plurality of tabs, a second directly accessed page corresponding to a second tab of the plurality of tabs, a first indirectly accessed page corresponding to a third tab of the plurality of tabs that was accessed via a link in the first directly accessed page, and a second indirectly accessed page corresponding to a fourth tab of the plurality of tabs that was accessed via a link in the second directly accessed page,

grouping the plurality of web pages into a plurality of page groups, including;

a first page group containing the first directly accessed page and the first indirectly accessed page that was accessed via a link in the first directly accessed page; and

a second page group containing the second directly accessed page and the second indirectly accessed page that was accessed via a link in the second directly accessed page, and

ceasing to display the first GUI,

displaying the second GUI that includes displaying a first region that includes a snapshot of the first directly accessed page and a snapshot of the second directly accessed page, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in a designated location that is visually distinct from other snapshots associated with other directly accessed web pages within the first region; and

in accordance with a determination that the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in the designated location;

displaying a snapshot of the first indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the first page group in a second region of the second GUI, wherein the second region is visually separated from the first region within the second GUI, and

forgoing display of a snapshot of the second indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the second page group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a page of the plurality of web pages is determined to be indirectly accessed if the page was accessed by clicking on a hypertext link or a series of hypertext links.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a page of the plurality of web pages is determined to be directly accessed if the page was accessed by requesting the page through direct entry of a uniform resource locator associated with the page or using a bookmark.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in a distinguishing manner relative to the snapshot of the second directly accessed page while displayed in the designated location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of web pages is actively open in tabs in a browser session.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to open a webpage from a second link in the first directly accessed webpage, and in response, opening the webpage and adding the webpage to the first page group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page and the snapshot of the second directly accessed page are displayed in a carousel within the first region of the second GUI.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the user request:

in accordance with a determination that the snapshot of the second directly accessed page is displayed in the designated location;

displaying the snapshot of the second indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the second page group in the second region of the second GUI; and

forgoing display of the snapshot of the first indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the first page group.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

while the snapshot of the first directly accessed page in displayed in the designated location, receiving a user input indicative of the snapshot of the second directly accessed page; and

in response to receiving the user input indicative of the snapshot of the second directly accessed page, displaying the snapshot of the second directly accessed page in the designated location.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a set of processors, cause said set of processors to perform operations comprising:

displaying a first graphical user interface (GUI) generated by a browser, wherein the first GUI includes a plurality of tabs corresponding to a plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser;

while the plurality of web pages are concurrently open in the browser, detecting a user request to display a second GUI that corresponds to presentation of page groupings of the plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser; and

in response to detecting the user request;

determining whether web pages of the plurality of web pages were accessed directly or indirectly, wherein a web page is determined to have been accessed indirectly if accessed by clicking on one or more hyperlinks and a web paqe is determined to have been accessed directly if accessed without clicking on one or more hyperlinks, wherein the plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser include at least a first directly accessed page corresponding to a first tab of the plurality of tabs, a second directly accessed page corresponding to a second tab of the plurality of tabs, a first indirectly accessed page corresponding to a third tab of the plurality of tabs that was accessed via a link in the first directly accessed page, and a second indirectly accessed page corresponding to a fourth tab of the plurality of tabs that was accessed via a link in the second directly accessed page,

grouping the plurality of web pages into a plurality of page groups, including;

a first page group containing the first directly accessed page and the first indirectly accessed page that was accessed via a link in the first directly accessed page; and

a second page group containing the second directly accessed page and the second indirectly accessed page that was accessed via a link in the second directly accessed page, and

ceasing to display the first GUI,

displaying the second GUI that includes displaying a first region that includes a snapshot of the first directly accessed page and a snapshot of the second directly accessed page, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in a designated location that is visually distinct from other snapshots associated with other directly accessed web pages within the first region; and

in accordance with a determination that the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in the designated location;

displaying a snapshot of the first indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the first page group in a second region of the second GUI, wherein the second region is visually separated from the first region within the second GUI, and

forgoing display of a snapshot of the second indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the second page group.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in a distinguishing manner relative to the snapshot of the second directly accessed page while displayed in the designated location.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the plurality of web pages is actively open in tabs in a browser session.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising the operation of receiving a request to open a webpage from a second link in the first directly accessed webpage, and in response, opening the webpage and adding the webpage to the first page group.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page and the snapshot of the second directly accessed page are displayed in a carousel within the first region of the second GUI.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the user request:

in accordance with a determination that the snapshot of the second directly accessed page is displayed in the designated location;

displaying the snapshot of the second indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the second page group in the second region of the second GUI; and

forgoing display of the snapshot of the first indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the first page group.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

while the snapshot of the first directly accessed page in displayed in the designated location, receiving a user input indicative of the snapshot of the second directly accessed page; and

in response to receiving the user input indicative of the second directly accessed page, displaying the snapshot of the second directly accessed page in the designated location.

17. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising;

displaying a first graphical user interface (GUI) generated by a browser, wherein the first GUI includes a plurality of tabs corresponding to a plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser;

while the plurality of web pages are concurrently open in the browser, detecting a user request to display a second GUI that corresponds to presentation of page groupings of the plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser; and

in response to detecting the user request;

determining whether web pages of the plurality of web pages were accessed directly or indirectly, wherein a web page is determined to have been accessed indirectly if accessed by clicking on one or more hyperlinks and a web page is determined to have been accessed directly if accessed without clicking on one or more hyperlinks, wherein the plurality of web pages that are concurrently open in the browser include at least a first directly accessed page corresponding to a first tab of the plurality of tabs, a second directly accessed page corresponding to a second tab of the plurality of tabs, a first indirectly accessed page corresponding to a third tab of the plurality of tabs that was accessed via a link in the first directly accessed page, and a second indirectly accessed page corresponding to a fourth tab of the plurality of tabs that was accessed via a link in the second directly accessed page,

grouping the plurality of web pages into a plurality of page groups, including;

a first page group containing the first directly accessed page and the first indirectly accessed page that was accessed via a link in the first directly accessed page; and

a second page group containing the second directly accessed page and the second indirectly accessed page that was accessed via a link in the second directly accessed page, and

ceasing to display the first GUI,

displaying the second GUI that includes displaying a first region that includes a snapshot of the first directly accessed page and a snapshot of the second directly accessed page, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in a designated location that is visually distinct from other snapshots associated with other directly accessed web pages within the first region; and

in accordance with a determination that the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in the designated location;

displaying a snapshot of the first indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the first page group in a second region of the second GUI, wherein the second region is visually separated from the first region within the second GUI, and

forgoing display of a snapshot of the second indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the second page group.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a page of the plurality of web pages is determined to be indirectly accessed if the page was accessed by clicking on a hypertext link, and is determined to be directly accessed if the page was accessed by requesting the page through direct entry of a uniform resource locator associated with the page or using a bookmark.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page is displayed in a distinguishing manner relative to the snapshot of the second directly accessed page while displayed in the designated location.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of web pages is actively open in tabs in a browser session.

21. The system of claim 17, the operations further comprising receiving a request to open a webpage from a second link in the first directly accessed webpage, and in response, opening the webpage and adding the webpage to the first page group.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the snapshot of the first directly accessed page and the snapshot of the second directly accessed page are displayed in a carousel within the first region of the second GUI.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the user request:

in accordance with a determination that the snapshot of the second directly accessed page is displayed in the designated location;

displaying the snapshot of the second indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the second page group in the second region of the second GUI; and

forgoing display of the snapshot of the first indirectly accessed page that is assigned to the first page group.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

while the snapshot of the first directly accessed page in displayed in the designated location, receiving a user input indicative of the snapshot of the second directly accessed page; and

in response to receiving the user input indicative of the snapshot of the second directly accessed page, displaying the snapshot of the second directly accessed page in the designated location.