General purpose annotation service for portal-based applications

• US 20060282819A1
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Published: 12/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kontamsetty, Prasant K., Ramaswamy, Shankar, Graham, John S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,235,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method of providing annotations within a portal environment can include executing a portlet object having a tag, wherein the tag specifies an annotation service associated with an artifact presented by a graphical user interface of the portal environment. A visual identifier can be presented proximate to the artifact. The visual identifier can reference the annotation service. The method further can include creating an annotation using the annotation service responsive to the selection of the visual identifier.

Claims

1. A method of providing annotations within a portal environment, said method comprising:

executing a portlet object having a tag, wherein the tag specifies an annotation service associated with an artifact presented by a graphical user interface of the portal environment;

presenting a visual identifier proximate to the artifact, wherein the visual identifier references the annotation service; and

responsive to a selection of the visual identifier, creating an annotation using the annotation service.

2. The method of claim 1, said step of creating an annotation further comprising presenting a menu of annotation service options.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the annotation with an annotation type selected from a plurality of annotation types.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a programmatic action in relation to the annotation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the annotation or the annotation service is associated with a type, said step of performing a programmatic action further comprising selecting the programmatic action from a plurality of programmatic actions according to the type.

6. The method of claim 1, said step of creating an annotation further comprising:

receiving supplemental information relating to the artifact; and

storing the annotation, wherein the annotation references the supplemental information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a time-sensitive attribute with the annotation service; and

selectively making the annotation service available based upon the time-sensitive attribute.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating a time-sensitive attribute with the annotation; and

selectively making the annotation available based upon the time-sensitive attribute.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying an access type for the annotation; and

selectively restricting access to at least one data item referenced by the annotation according to the access type.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the artifact is a data object presented by the portlet object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the artifact is a graphical user interface element presented by the portlet object.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the annotation service is associated with an attribute indicating that the annotation service can be used only one time by a same user, said method further comprising making the annotation service unavailable for a subsequent use by a same user.

13. A method of providing annotations within a portal environment, said method comprising:

presenting a visual rendering of a portlet, wherein the visual rendering comprises a visual identifier and an associated artifact, wherein the visual identifier indicates the availability of at least one annotation service for annotating the artifact;

responsive to a selection of the visual identifier, presenting a menu for accessing the at least one annotation service; and

performing a programmatic action corresponding to an annotation service selected from the menu.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the artifact is a data object accessed by the portlet.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the artifact is a graphical user interface element specified by the portlet.

16. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

executing a portlet object having a tag, wherein the tag specifies an annotation service associated with an artifact presented by a graphical user interface of the portal environment;

presenting a visual identifier proximate to the artifact, wherein the visual identifier references the annotation service; and

responsive to a selection of the visual identifier, creating an annotation using the annotation service.

17. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising performing a programmatic action in relation to the annotation.

18. The machine readable storage of claim 17, wherein at least one of the annotation or the annotation service is associated with a type, said step of performing a programmatic action further comprising selecting the programmatic action from a plurality of programmatic actions according to the type.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising:

associating a time-sensitive attribute with the annotation service; and

selectively making the annotation service available based upon the time-sensitive attribute.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying an access type for the annotation; and

selectively restricting access to at least one data item referenced by the annotation according to the access type.