CROSS TAXONOMY NAVIGATION FROM A BREAD CRUMB IN A GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20080282199A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leaf Group Ltd. (Graham Holdings Company)
• Original Assignee: Demand Media Incorporated (Graham Holdings Company)
• Inventors: Gherardi, Laurent
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to enabling a user to navigate to a web page or other resource in a taxonomy of resources using a crumb provided in a user interface. The crumb is associated with a category of web pages in the taxonomy. When a user indicates the crumb, such as hovering over the crumb, additional crumbs are displayed, so that the user may directly navigate to another web page in the taxonomy. The additional crumbs may be in the same, or a different category. The user can select a crumb from any category to navigate forward and backward in the taxonomy. The taxonomy may be independent of a storage structure for the web pages. The crumbs may be in a toolbar, script, or other module that interfaces with a local or remote taxonomy processor to access and dynamically manage the taxonomy of web pages.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to electronic resources, comprising:

receiving an indication to a first crumb through a user interface, wherein the first crumb indicates a category of a taxonomy of electronic resources and wherein the first crumb is linked to a first electronic resource in the taxonomy of electronic resources;

providing to the user interface a second crumb in response to receiving the indication to the first crumb, wherein the second crumb is linked to a second electronic resource in the taxonomy of electronic resource, wherein the second electronic resource is in the same category of the taxonomy as the first electronic resource;

receiving an indication of selection of the second crumb through the user interface;

accessing the second electronic resource in response to selection of the second crumb.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the taxonomy of electronic resources is independent of a storage arrangement of the electronic resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first crumb indicates a step in a navigation sequence to access at least one electronic resource of the taxonomy of electronic resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a browser that renders the first crumb with the first electronic resource and renders the second crumb upon receiving the indication of the first crumb.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication to the first crumb comprises receiving an indication that an input device cursor hovered over a display element associated with the first crumb.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the second resource through the user interface with the second crumb in place of the first crumb.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the user interface a third crumb in response to receiving the indication of the first crumb, wherein the third crumb is linked to a third electronic resource in the taxonomy of electronic resources, wherein the third electronic resource is in a different category of the taxonomy from the first electronic resource.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the user interface a third crumb in response to receiving the indication of the first crumb, wherein the third crumb is linked to a third electronic resource that is independent of the taxonomy of electronic resources.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the user interface a plurality of crumbs in response to receiving the indication of the first crumb, wherein the plurality of crumbs indicate the entire taxonomy of the electronic resources.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein either of the first electronic resource or the second electronic resource comprise one of the following;

a web page, content data, processor executable instructions, image data, and audio data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first crumb is implemented with one of the following;

a browser toolbar and a script within a web page.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the second crumb based in part on at least one of the following;

content of the first electronic resource, user profile data, user behavior data, and advertisement data.

13. A machine readable medium holding instructions that cause an electronic device to perform a plurality of operations, including the steps of claim 1.

14. A network device for providing access to electronic resources, comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor and with a network;

a memory in communication with the processor and storing data and instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

receiving an indication to a first crumb through a user interface, wherein the first crumb indicates a level of a taxonomy of electronic resources and wherein the first crumb is linked to a first electronic resource in the taxonomy of electronic resources;

providing to the user interface a second crumb in response to receiving the indication to the first crumb, wherein the second crumb is linked to a second electronic resource in the taxonomy of electronic resource, wherein the second electronic resource is at the same level of the taxonomy as the first electronic resource;

receiving an indication of selection of the second crumb through the user interface;

accessing the second electronic resource in response to selection of the second crumb.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the taxonomy of electronic resources is independent of a storage arrangement of the electronic resources.

16. The network device of claim 14, wherein at least one of the first electronic resource and the second electronic resource is stored at a remote network node coupled to the communication interface.

17. The network device of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the operation of providing to the user interface a third crumb in response to receiving the indication of the first crumb, wherein the third crumb is linked to a third electronic resource in the taxonomy of electronic resources, wherein the third electronic resource is at a different level of the taxonomy from the first electronic resource.

18. The network device of claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to perform the operation of modifying the taxonomy in response to an instruction provided through an administrator interface.

19. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network device receives the indication to the first crumb through the communication interface coupled through the network to a client device that runs the user interface.

20. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network device comprises a mobile device.