Webview applications

• US 20060277460A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Chaudhri, Imran A.
• Application Number:
  US11/145,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277460A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

An implementation allows a user to select an area of interest in a content source and to clip content from the area of interest. A variety of content types may be clipped and presented to a user, and the clipped content may be refreshed from the selected area of interest. Various configuration parameters, as well as the clipped content, may be stored for future retrieval by a clipping application that presents the clipped content. Methods, computer program products, systems, and data structures are provided. One method for displaying web content in a user interface includes identifying a web content source, selecting a portion of the web content source to be included in a view, maintaining information associated with the web content source including a name and identifying information for designating the selected portion, and displaying the view of the selected portion of the web content source.

Claims

1. A method for displaying web content in a user interface comprising:

identifying a web content source;

selecting a portion of the web content source to be included in a view;

maintaining information associated with the web content source including a name and identifying information for designating the selected portion; and

displaying the view of the selected portion of the web content source.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the web content source includes determining a script for accessing the web content source, maintaining information includes maintaining the script, and displaying includes using the script to access current content associated with the selected portion.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting includes determining view characteristics including a dimension of a display area to display the selected portion.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting includes determining view characteristics including a location of the view in a display environment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting includes determining reference data for identifying a particular portion of the web content source to be displayed and the maintaining step includes storing the reference data.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising rendering the web content source and deriving reference data describing the selected portion using the rendered data.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprises detecting a trigger event for activating an overlay in the user interface and where displaying the view includes displaying the view in the overlay.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the overlay is a dashboard that includes one or more graphical user interface elements.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein one graphical user interface element is a widget, and the widget displays the view.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the one widget that displays the view also displays preferences associated with the view.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the widget includes an activation area for enabling display of the selected portion or alternatively the display of preferences associated with the selected portion.

12. The method of claim 7 further includes detecting a trigger event for dismissing the overlay and reactivating the user interface.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the overlay is transparent.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the overlay is opaque.

15. The method of claim 1 further includes detecting a trigger event for displaying preferences associated with the view.

16. The method of claim 15 further includes detecting a second trigger event for redisplaying the selected content.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a user interaction with the view and providing a response where the response is selected from the group consisting of returning a page request, updating the display, navigating in the view, and displaying received content.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising interacting with a user when provided an input there from.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively allowing for user interaction with the view.

20. A method for displaying content in a user interface comprising:

identifying a digital content source;

selecting a portion of the digital content source to be included in a view defined by a selection definition;

maintaining information associated with the digital content source including navigation information to the digital content source and the selection definition; and

displaying a view of the selected portion of the digital content source including retrieving current content associated with the selected portion including using the navigation information and the selection definition.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the digital content source is selected from the group consisting of a web page, a file, a document, or a spreadsheet.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein selecting a portion is performed by a user.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein selecting further includes identifying the navigation information including a script for accessing the selected portion.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein selecting further includes determining the selection definition, the selection definition including information describing the selected portion including reference information and view dimension information.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the reference information includes information defining geographic coordinates for locating the selected portion.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the reference information includes information defining a locator in the digital content source selected from the group comprising a frame, a view, or a widget.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting a trigger event for activating an overlay in the user interface and displaying the view in the overlay.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein identifying the digital content source includes determining a script for accessing the digital content source, maintaining information includes maintaining the script, and displaying includes using the script to access current content associated with the selected portion.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein selecting includes determining view characteristics including a dimension of a display area to display the selected portion.

30. The method of claim 20 wherein selecting includes determining view characteristics including a location of the view in a display environment.

31. The method of claim 20 wherein selecting includes determining reference data for identifying a particular portion of the digital content source to be displayed and the maintaining step includes storing the reference data.

32. The method of claim 20 further comprising rendering the digital content source and deriving reference data describing the selected portion using the rendered data.

33. The method of claim 20 further comprises detecting a trigger event for activating an overlay in the user interface and where displaying the view includes displaying the view in the overlay.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the overlay is a dashboard that includes one or more graphical user interface elements.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein one graphical user interface element is a widget, and the widget displays the view.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the one widget that displays the view also displays preferences associated with the view.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the widget includes an activation area for enabling display of the selected portion or alternatively the display of preferences associated with the selected portion.

38. The method of claim 33 further includes detecting a trigger event for dismissing the overlay and reactivating the user interface.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the overlay is transparent.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the overlay is opaque.

41. The method of claim 20 further includes detecting a trigger event for displaying preferences associated with the view.

42. The method of claim 41 further includes detecting a second trigger event for redisplaying the selected content.

43. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting a user interaction with the view and providing a response where the response is selected from the group consisting of returning a page request, updating the display, navigating in the view, and displaying received content.

44. The method of claim 20 further comprising interacting with a user when provided an input there from.

45. The method of claim 20 further comprising selectively allowing for user interaction with the view.

46. A method for viewing content in a user interface comprising:

detecting a trigger to display a view in the user interface;

retrieving a content definition including a description of a digital content source and a pre-selected portion of the digital content source; and

retrieving current content associated with the pre-selected portion including using the description and displaying a view of the pre-selected portion of the digital content source.

47. A method for viewing content in a user interface comprising:

determining when content in a view that is part of the user interface needs to be updated;

retrieving a content definition including a description of a digital content source and a pre-selected portion of the digital content source; and

retrieving current content associated with the pre-selected portion including using the description and displaying the current content in the view.

48. The method of claim 48 wherein the step of determining includes receiving an update request.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the step of determining includes automatically updating the content based on a trigger.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein the step of determining includes refreshing the pre-selected portion in accordance with the group consisting of automatically, continuously, intermittently, manually, selectively or as provided.

51. A method for displaying web content in a user interface comprising:

Maintaining information associated with a web content source including a name and identifying information for designating a selected portion of the web content source; and

Displaying a view of the selected portion of the web content source.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising

identifying a web content source;

and

selecting a portion of the web content source to be included in the view;

53. The method of claim 52 wherein identifying the web content source includes determining a script for accessing the web content source, maintaining information includes maintaining the script, and displaying includes using the script to access current content associated with the selected portion.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein selecting includes determining view characteristics including a dimension of a display area to display the selected portion.

55. The method of claim 52 wherein selecting includes determining view characteristics including a location of the view in a display environment.

56. The method of claim 51 further comprising rendering the web content source and deriving reference data describing the selected portion using the rendered data.

57. The method of claim 51 further comprises detecting a trigger event for activating an overlay in the user interface and where displaying the view includes displaying the view in the overlay.

58. The method of claim 57 wherein the overlay is a dashboard that includes one or more graphical user interface elements.

59. The method of claim 57 further includes detecting a trigger event for dismissing the overlay and reactivating the user interface.

60. The method of claim 51 further comprising detecting a user interaction with the view and providing a response where the response is selected from the group consisting of comprising returning a page request, updating the display, navigating in the view, and displaying received content.

61. The method of claim 51 further comprising interacting with a user when provided an input there from.

62. The method of claim 51 further comprising selectively allowing for user interaction with the view.

63. A data structure for content to be displayed in a user interface comprising:

metadata identifying a web content source;

metadata describing an area of interest in the web content source;

preference data describing at least refresh preferences to be used when displaying the area of interest in a user interface.

64. The data structure of claim 63 further comprising navigation metadata including a script for accessing the area of interest.

65. The data structure of claim 63 wherein the metadata describing an area of interest includes a selection definition including information describing a selected portion including reference information and view dimension information.

66. The data structure of claim 65 wherein the reference information includes information defining geographic coordinates for locating the selected portion.

67. The data structure of claim 66 wherein the reference information includes information defining a locator in the web content source selected from the group consisting of a frame, a view, or a widget.

68. The data structure of claim 63 further comprising a script for locating the area of interest, the script including one or more processes for authenticating a user for accessing the web content source.

69. The data structure of claim 63 wherein the metadata describing the area of interest includes information for identifying selected portions of a plurality of different web content sources.

70. The data structure of claim 63 wherein the metadata describing the area of interest includes information for identifying selected non-contiguous portions of a web content source.

71. The data structure of claim 64 wherein the refresh preferences are selected from the group consisting of automatically, continuously, intermittently, manually, selectively or as provided.

72. A computer program product including instructions for causing a computing device to:

identify a web content source;

select a portion of the web content source to be included in a view;

maintain information associated with the web content source including a name and identifying information for designating the selected portion; and

display the view of the selected portion of the web content source.

73. A computer program product including instructions for causing a computing device to:

identify a digital content source;

select a portion of the digital content source to be included in a view defined by a selection definition;

maintain information associated with the digital content source including navigation information to the digital content source and the selection definition; and

display a view of the selected portion of the digital content source including retrieving current content associated with the selected portion including using the navigation information and the selection definition.

74. A computer program product including instructions for causing a computing device to:

detect a trigger to display a view in the user interface;

retrieve a content definition including a description of a digital content source and a pre-selected portion of the digital content source; and

retrieve current content associated with the pre-selected portion including using the description and displaying a view of the pre-selected portion of the digital content source.

75. A computer program product including instructions for causing a computing device to:

Determine when content in a view that is part of the user interface needs to be updated;

Retrieve a content definition including a description of a digital content source and a pre-selected portion of the digital content source; and

Retrieve current content associated with the pre-selected portion including using the description and displaying the current content in the view.