SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR OBJECTS IN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

• US 20080229218A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 09/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Joon Maeng
• Original Assignee: Joon Maeng
• Inventors: Maeng, Aaron K.
• Application Number:
  US12/047,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20080229218A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

This invention relates generally to software, and more specifically, to systems and methods for providing additional information for objects in electronic documents. In one embodiment, the invention includes a method for providing additional information for objects in a document including the steps of presenting an active object in a document, the active object being activatable upon selection; on activation of the active object, presenting a balloon having any combination of a selector and an operator, the selector and the operator being selectable, the operator being associated with an operation; when the balloon has a selector, on selection of the selector, presenting a second balloon having any combination of an additional selector and operator; and when the balloon has an operator, on selection of the operator, performing the operation associated with the operator with respect to the active object in the document. In one particular embodiment, the document is a web page.

Claims

1. A method for providing additional information for objects in a document, the method comprising the steps of:

presenting an active object in a document, the active object being activatable upon selection;

on activation of the active object, presenting a balloon having any combination of a selector and an operator, the selector and the operator being selectable, the operator being associated with an operation;

when the balloon has a selector, on selection of the selector, presenting a second balloon having any combination of an additional selector and operator; and

when the balloon has an operator, on selection of the operator, performing the operation associated with the operator with respect to the active object in the document.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the document is a web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the active object is defined by a document provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the active object is chosen by a document visitor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises translating the active object into a foreign language.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation comprises presenting at least one advertisement relating to the active object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the selector and the operator presented with the balloon are configured by a document provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the selector and the operator presented with the balloon are configured by a document visitor.

9. A computer system programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A wireless mobile device programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A computer program embodied in a computer-readable medium and executable by a computer processor for providing additional information for objects in a document, the computer program comprising instructions for:

presenting an active object in a document, the active object being activatable upon selection;

on activation of the active object, presenting a balloon having any combination of a selector and an operator, the selector and the operator being selectable, the operator being associated with an operation;

when the balloon has a selector, on selection of the selector, presenting a second balloon having any combination of an additional selector and operator; and

when the balloon has an operator, on selection of the operator, performing the operation associated with the operator with respect to the active object in the document.

12. The computer program of claim 11 wherein the document is a web page.

13. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the active object is defined by a document provider.

14. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the active object is chosen by a document visitor.

15. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the operation comprises translating the active object into a foreign language.

16. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the operation comprises presenting at least one advertisement relating to the active object.

17. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the selector and the operator presented with the balloon are configured by a document provider.

18. The computer program of claim 11, wherein the at least one of the selector and the operator presented with the balloon are configured by a document visitor.

19. A web server programmed with the computer program of claim 11.

20. A web browser programmed with the computer program of claim 11.