Customizable, multi-function button

• US 20070157118A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wuttke, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A device includes a toolbar. The toolbar includes a button whose function changes based on context and whose visual interface changes based on the function the button is performing.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a toolbar comprising;

a button whose function changes based on context and whose visual interface changes based on the function the button is performing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the button is customizable by a user of the toolbar, the button being customized to perform a plurality of functions with regard to a particular document.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the context includes at least three different contexts.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the toolbar further includes a search box;

and

wherein when there is no term in the search box, the button is configured to cause a particular document associated with the button to be presented.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the button is configured to determine whether there is no recently focused term in the search box before causing the particular document to be presented.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the toolbar further includes a search box;

and

wherein when there is a term in the search box, the button is configured to cause a search based on the term to be performed on a particular document associated with the button.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the search is performed on a private database associated with the particular document using a search engine associated with the particular document.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein when causing the search to be performed on the particular document, the button is configured to cause the term to populate a submit form within the particular document.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the button is configured to determine whether there is a recently focused term in the search box before causing the search to be performed on the particular document.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein when there is the term in the search box, the button is further configured to modify the visual interface of the button.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the toolbar is configured to detect when content of a currently displayed document is selected;

and

wherein when the content of the currently displayed document is selected, the button is configured to cause the content from the currently displayed document to be sent to a particular document associated with the button.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein when causing the content from the currently displayed document to be sent to the particular document, the button is configured to cause the content to populate a form within the particular document or obtain an action from the particular document.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein when the content of the currently displayed document is selected, the button is further configured to modify the visual interface of the button.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the button includes an icon or a tooltip, the button is configured to receive a data feed and cause the icon or the tooltip to be set based on the data feed.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the data feed includes an RSS, Atom, or XML feed.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the button is configured to set the icon or the tooltip to a first state to indicate that a new data feed has been received and a second state to indicate that the data feed has already been accessed.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the button is configured to obtain data for the icon or the tooltip from the data feed.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the button is configured to periodically update the icon or the tooltip at user-configurable intervals.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the button includes a menu, the button is configured to receive a data feed and cause the menu to be set based on the data feed.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the data feed includes an RSS, Atom, or XML feed.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the menu includes a plurality of selectable objects relating to data in the data feed.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the button is configured to cause a snippet to be presented for at least one of the selectable objects.

23. The device of claim 19, wherein the button is configured to periodically update the menu at user-configurable intervals.

24. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer-readable medium to store the button as a single XML file that includes all or substantially all code for defining the button.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the code for defining the button includes at least one of:

a title attribute that defines a title for the button,

a description attribute that defines a tooltip for the button,

a site attribute that includes an address associated with a particular document associated with the button,

a search attribute that includes an address associated with the particular document and a query variable to be used to search the particular document,

a send attribute that includes an address associated with the particular document and a selection variable to be used to send content selected from another document to the particular document,

an icon attribute that defines an icon for the button,

a feed attribute that includes an address to a data feed,

a feed icon attribute that defines an alternate icon for the button,

a feed description attribute that defines an alternate tooltip for the button, or

an update attribute that includes an address from where the XML file originated.

26. The device of claim 24, wherein the code for defining the button includes a plurality of attributes, where at least one of the attributes occurs more than once in the XML file, where each of the occurrences of the at least one of the attributes is associated with a different locale.

27. The device of claim 24, wherein the code for defining the button includes a parameter that is meaningful only to a particular document associated with the button.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein the context is based on activity of a user of the device.

29. A method, comprising:

providing a toolbar within a browser graphical user interface;

providing a button on the toolbar, the button being capable of performing a plurality of functions;

changing the function being performed by the button based on context;

providing a visual interface associated with the button; and

changing the visual interface based on the function the button is performing.

30. A device, comprising:

means for providing a user interface object within a browser graphical user interface;

means for providing a button within the user interface object, the button being capable of performing a plurality of functions;

means for changing the function being performed by the button based on context;

means for providing a visual interface associated with the button; and

means for changing the visual interface based on the function the button is performing.

31. A computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable code for implementing a custom button, consisting of a single XML file that includes all or substantially all code for defining the custom button.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the code for defining the button includes at least one of:

a title attribute that defines a title for the button,

a description attribute that defines a tooltip for the button,

a site attribute that includes an address associated with a particular document associated with the button,

a search attribute that includes an address associated with the particular document and a query variable to be used to search the particular document,

a send attribute that includes an address associated with the particular document and a selection variable to be used to send content selected from another document to the particular document,

an icon attribute that defines an icon for the button,

a feed attribute that includes an address to a data feed,

a feed icon attribute that defines an alternate icon for the button,

a feed description attribute that defines an alternate tooltip for the button, or

an update attribute that includes an address from where the XML file originated.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the code for defining the button includes a plurality of attributes, where at least one of the attributes occurs more than once in the XML file, where each of the occurrences of the at least one of the attributes is associated with a different locale.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the code for defining the button includes a parameter that is meaningful only to a particular document associated with the button.

35. A method, comprising:

presenting a document that includes a submit form;

detecting a cursor being placed over the submit form;

detecting a click of a pointing device when the cursor is placed over the submit form;

presenting an option to download a custom button for performing a search of the document in response to the detected click of the pointing device when the cursor is placed over the submit form; and

downloading the custom button when the option is selected.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein detecting a click of a pointing device includes detecting a right-click of the pointing device.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the submit form includes a search box within the document.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein downloading the custom button includes downloading a single XML file that includes all or substantially all code for defining the custom button.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

causing the custom button to appear in a toolbar of a browser graphical user interface.

40. A system, comprising:

means for presenting a document that includes a search box;

means for detecting a cursor being placed over the search box;

means for detecting a selection by a pointing device when the cursor is placed over the search box;

means for downloading a custom button for performing a search of the document in response to the detected selection by the pointing device when the cursor is placed over the submit form; and

means for causing the custom button to appear on a toolbar within a browser graphical user interface.