Browser session overview

• US 20050132018A1
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Rachel, Milic-Frayling, Natasa, Blackwell, Alan Frank, Smyth, Samuel Gavin, Rodden, Kerry
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,843 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A method includes storing one or more resource identifiers identifying one or more associated resources visited using a browser application, and presenting the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of history presentation settings and resource navigation context specifications. The history presentation setting and navigation context can be selected by a user. Exemplary history presentation settings include chronological and domain-name grouped. Exemplary navigation context includes resource identifier, such as name, URI, or domain of the currently viewed resource. The method may further include presenting a thumbnail when a pointer icon is positioned over one of the resource identifiers. A system includes a navigation event capture module storing resource identifiers identifying associated visited resources in a navigation history and an overview module ordering the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of history presentation settings and resource navigation context specifications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing one or more resource identifiers identifying one or more associated resources visited using a browser application;

presenting the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of history presentation settings.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the presenting operation comprises presenting the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of context specifications.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a pointer icon hovering over one of the resource identifiers;

presenting a thumbnail of a resource associated with the one of the resource identifiers.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the presenting operation comprises presenting the resource identifiers in a chronological order.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the presenting operation comprises grouping the resource identifiers by domain name.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising presenting a target icon adjacent to one of the resource identifiers.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the storing operation comprises storing the resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the storing operation comprises storing the resource identifiers in a temporal sequence not including repeated resource identifiers more than once.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the storing operation comprises storing the resource identifiers in a temporal sequence including only a most recent occurrence of repeated resource identifiers.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising setting the one of the plurality of history presentation settings based on a user selection.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the storing operation comprises:

storing a first resource identifier associated with a resource visited in a first browser session;

storing a second resource identifier associated with a resource visited in a second browser session.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the storing operation comprises:

storing a first resource identifier associated with a resource visited using a first browser window of the browser application;

storing a second resource identifier associated with a resource visited using a second browser window of the browser application.

13. A computer program product encoding a computer program for executing on a computer system a computer process, the computer process comprising:

presenting in a first browser window a navigation history including one or more resource identifiers identifying one or more associated visited resources, wherein one of the one or more resource identifiers identifies a resource visited using a second browser window, wherein the resource visited using the second browser window was visited when the first browser window and the second browser window were open concurrently.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the presenting operation comprises presenting the one or more resource identifiers in a history presentation order selected by a user.

15. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising detecting a user selection of a history presentation order dictating an order in which the one or more resource identifiers are to be presented.

16. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising presenting the one or more resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

17. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising presenting only one occurrence of each of the one or more resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

18. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising presenting only a latest occurrence of each of the one or more resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

19. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising presenting only an earliest occurrence of each of the one or more resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

20. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising presenting a thumbnail of at least one of the one or more resource identifiers.

21. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising presenting a thumbnail of a selected one of the one or more resource identifiers in response to detecting a pointer icon positioned over the selected resource identifier.

22. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the presenting operation comprises presenting the one or more resource identifiers in a user-selected chronological order.

23. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the presenting operation comprises presenting the one or more resource identifiers in chronological order and grouped by domain name.

24. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising presenting a thumbnail of a selected resource associated with one of the one or more resource identifiers by retrieving the selected resource from a cache.

25. A system for navigating among resources comprising:

a navigation event capture module storing resource identifiers identifying associated visited resources in a navigation history;

an overview module ordering the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of history presentation settings.

26. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the navigation history is simultaneously accessible through more than one browser window.

27. A system as recited in claim 25 further comprising a configuration storing the plurality of history presentation settings.

28. A system as recited in claim 25 further comprising a presentation module presenting a browser session overview button enabling a user to view the resource identifiers in the order designated by the one of a plurality of history presentation settings.

29. A system as recited in claim 25 wherein the overview module performs the ordering in response to a user selecting an overview button.

30. A system as recited in claim 25 further comprising a presenting module presenting a configuration window having a history presentation setting field enabling a user to select one of the plurality of history presentation settings.

31. A system comprising:

a memory storing resource identifiers associated with resources visited through a browser application;

means for presenting the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of user-selectable history presentation settings and context specifications.

32. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein the means for presenting comprises a computer-readable medium storing a computer program comprising computer-executable instructions, the computer program comprising:

a navigation context module operable to detect and store the context specifications; and

an overview module operable to read the resource identifiers and present the resource identifiers according to the plurality of user-selectable history presentation settings and context specifications.

33. A system as recited in claim 32 wherein the context specifications include information related to a currently viewed resource.

34. A system as recited in claim 33 wherein the overview module presents the plurality of resource identifiers in a list and indicates the currently viewed resource in the list.

35. A system as recited in claim 32 wherein the computer program further comprises a user interface through which a user can select the user-selectable history presentation settings.