Intelligent taskbar shortcut menu for webpage control

• US 10,489,013 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Hsiao-Yung, Wu, Andy Min-Tsung
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitaro, Ryan F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stanley, Jeremy L
• Application Number:
  US14/659,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20160274777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A method for controlling a plurality of application content based on a taskbar shortcut menu is provided. The method may include defining control component tags in a plurality of applications. The method may also include identifying first and second portions of the applications based on the defined control component tags. The method may further include extracting the first and second portions of the applications. Additionally, the method may include generating control menus, and adding the first and second portions of the applications to the control menus. The method may also include displaying a taskbar shortcut menu, including the control menus, whereby the displaying is responsive to detecting a first user action. The method may further include detecting at least one second user action on the second portions of the control menus, whereby the detecting at least one second user action manipulates and controls content associated with the applications.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a plurality of application content on a single web browser based on a taskbar shortcut menu associated with the single web browser, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of control component tags in a plurality of applications associated with the single web browser, wherein the plurality of applications are webpages currently executing on the single web browser;

automatically identifying a first portion for each application associated with the plurality of applications based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein the first portion comprises display components that are identical to one or more display components represented on one of the webpages;

automatically identifying a second portion for each application associated with the plurality of applications based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein the second portion comprises control components that are identical to one or more control components represented on one of the webpages;

extracting each identified first portion from each application associated with the plurality of applications and each identified second portion from each application associated with the plurality of applications;

generating a plurality of control menus, and adding each identified and extracted first portion and each identified and extracted second portion to a corresponding control menu associated with the plurality of control menus;

generating the taskbar shortcut menu and integrating the generated plurality of control menus on the taskbar shortcut menu based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein one or more of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus controls content on a webpage associated with the plurality of applications and enables a user to enter text on one or more of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus based on a first text box that is derived from and connected to a corresponding text box on one of the webpages, and wherein the taskbar shortcut menu comprises a single interface menu, wherein integrating the generated plurality of control menus comprises consolidating the generated plurality of control menus that corresponds to a web browser icon associated with the single web browser by consolidating the display components and the control components associated with each of the control menus onto the single interface menu, and wherein each of the generated plurality of control menus correspond to a different webpage associated with the single web browser;

displaying the taskbar shortcut menu comprising each of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus for each application associated with the plurality of applications, wherein the displaying is responsive to detecting a first user action; and

detecting at least one second user action on at least one second portion associated with an identified and extracted second portion of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus, wherein the detecting at least one second user action comprises detecting a user using the second portion to control content on one of the webpages and to enter text based on the first text box associated with one of the webpages, wherein the at least one second user action on the second portion is forwarded to the single web browser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control component tags define at least one display component and at least one control component on the webpages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified and extracted first portion comprises display components, and the identified and extracted second portion comprises control components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of control menus control at least one of the plurality of applications.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the first user action comprises detecting a right-click on a taskbar application icon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting the at least one second user action comprises determining at least one of a control of sound volume on a webpage, a purchase made on a webpage, and a message sent on a webpage.

7. A computer system for controlling a plurality of application content on a single web browser based on a taskbar shortcut menu associated with the single web browser, comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, wherein the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising;

defining a plurality of control component tags in a plurality of applications associated with the single web browser, wherein the plurality of applications are webpages currently executing on the single web browser;

automatically identifying a first portion for each application associated with the plurality of applications based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein the first portion comprises display components that are identical to one or more display components represented on one of the webpages;

automatically identifying a second portion for each application associated with the plurality of applications based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein the second portion comprises control components that are identical to one or more control components represented on one of the webpages;

extracting each identified first portion from each application associated with the plurality of applications and each identified second portion from each application associated with the plurality of applications;

generating a plurality of control menus, and adding each identified and extracted first portion and each identified and extracted second portion to a corresponding control menu associated with the plurality of control menus;

generating the taskbar shortcut menu and integrating the generated plurality of control menus on the taskbar shortcut menu based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein one or more of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus controls content on a webpage associated with the plurality of applications and enables a user to enter text on one or more of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus based on a first text box that is derived from and connected to a corresponding text box on one of the webpages, and wherein the taskbar shortcut menu comprises a single interface menu, wherein integrating the generated plurality of control menus comprises consolidating the generated plurality of control menus that corresponds to a web browser icon associated with the single web browser by consolidating the display components and the control components associated with each of the control menus onto the single interface menu, and wherein each of the generated plurality of control menus correspond to a different webpage associated with the single web browser;

displaying the taskbar shortcut menu comprising each of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus for each application associated with the plurality of applications, wherein the displaying is responsive to detecting a first user action; and

detecting at least one second user action on at least one second portion associated with an identified and extracted second portion of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus, wherein the detecting at least one second user action comprises detecting a user using the second portion to control content on one of the webpages and to enter text based on the text box associated with one of the webpages, wherein the at least one second user action on the second portion is forwarded to the single web browser.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the control component tags define at least one display component and at least one control component on the webpages.

9. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the identified and extracted first portion comprises display components, and the identified and extracted second portion comprises control components.

10. The computer system of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of control menus control at least one of the plurality of applications.

11. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the detecting the first user action comprises detecting a right-click on a taskbar application icon.

12. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the detecting the at least one second user action comprises determining at least one of a control of sound volume on a webpage, a purchase made on a webpage, and a message sent on a webpage.

13. A computer program product for controlling a plurality of application content on a single web browser based on a taskbar shortcut menu associated with the single web browser, comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices, the program instructions executable by a processor, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to define a plurality of control component tags in a plurality of applications associated with the single web browser, wherein the plurality of applications are webpages currently executing on the single web browser;

program instructions to automatically identify a first portion for each application associated with the plurality of applications based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein the first portion comprises display components that are identical to one or more display components represented on one of the webpages;

program instructions to automatically identify a second portion for each application associated with the plurality of applications based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein the second portion comprises control components that are identical to one or more control components represented on one of the webpages;

program instructions to extract each identified first portion from each application associated with the plurality of applications and each identified second portion from each application associated with the plurality of applications;

program instructions to generate a plurality of control menus, and adding each identified and extracted first portion and each identified extracted second portion to a corresponding control menu associated with the plurality of control menus;

program instructions to generate the taskbar shortcut menu and integrating the generated plurality of control menus on the taskbar shortcut menu based on the plurality of defined control component tags, wherein one or more of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus controls content on a webpage associated with the plurality of applications and enables a user to enter text on one or more of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus based on a first text box that is derived from and connected to a corresponding text box on one of the webpages, and wherein the taskbar shortcut menu comprises a single interface menu, wherein the program instructions to integrate the generated plurality of control menus comprises consolidating the generated plurality of control menus that corresponds to a web browser icon associated with the single web browser by consolidating the display components and the control components associated with each of the control menus onto the single interface menu, and wherein each of the generated plurality of control menus correspond to a different webpage associated with the single web browser;

program instructions to display the taskbar shortcut menu comprising each of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus for each application associated with the plurality of applications, wherein the displaying is responsive to detecting a first user action; and

program instructions to detect at least one second user action on at least one second portion associated with an identified and extracted second portion of the generated and integrated plurality of control menus, wherein the detecting at least one second user action comprises detecting a user using the second portion to control content on one of the webpages and to enter text based on the text box associated with one of the webpages, wherein the at least one second user action on the second portion is forwarded to the single web browser.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the identified and extracted first portion comprises display components, and the identified and extracted second portion comprises control components.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of control menus control at least one of the plurality of applications.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program instructions to detect the first user action comprises detecting a right-click on a taskbar application icon.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the program instructions to detect the at least one second user action comprises determining at least one of a control of sound volume on a webpage, a purchase made on a webpage, and a message sent on a webpage.