PRESERVING A COMPLETE HISTORY OF A SET OF APPLICATION ACTIONS WHEN NON-LINEAR INTERACTIONS ARE PERMITTED
First Claim
1. A system for preserving interactive actions comprising:
- a software application comprising a user interface, said user interface comprising a back control and a forward control;
an interaction history object configured to maintain a plurality of ordered elements, each element representing a user interaction with the software application;
an interaction modification engine configured to automatically revoke a past interaction responsive to a user selection of the back control, wherein the revoked past interaction is an interaction denoted by an element ordered immediately before a current position reference maintained for the interaction history object, wherein each time the interaction modification engine revokes a past interaction the current position reference advances backward by one ordered element, wherein the interaction modification engine is configured to reapply a previously revoked interaction responsive to a user selection of the forward control, wherein the reapplied interaction is an interaction denoted by an element ordered immediately after the current position reference maintained for the interaction history object, wherein each time the interaction modification engine reapplies the previously revoked interaction the current position reference advances forward by one ordered element; and
an interaction recording engine configured to detect a user interaction with said software application and to responsively add an interaction element to the interaction history object for each detected user interaction, wherein when the interaction recording element adds a new element and when one or more ordered elements are positioned in the interaction history object after the current position reference, the interaction recording engine is configured to add the new element to the interaction history element at a point immediately after the current position reference, to order the one or more ordered elements to a position immediately following the added new element, and to advance the current position reference forward by one ordered element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An action history maintains a set of ordered application actions associated with a user. A user interface of a software application can include a back control and a forward control, which utilize the action history. Specifically, the back control revokes a most recent action and the forward control reapplies a previously revoked action. Thus, the forward and backward controls change which page is rendered in the software application. Unlike traditional implementations, the invention maintains a complete set of actions within the action history in a non-linear context. That is, when a new action is inserted into a history from a non-terminal state (i.e., actions able to be reapplied are available upon a selection of the forward control) then the new action is inserted immediately after the current action. The historic actions are maintained in order after the new action in the action history.
14 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system for preserving interactive actions comprising:
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a software application comprising a user interface, said user interface comprising a back control and a forward control; an interaction history object configured to maintain a plurality of ordered elements, each element representing a user interaction with the software application; an interaction modification engine configured to automatically revoke a past interaction responsive to a user selection of the back control, wherein the revoked past interaction is an interaction denoted by an element ordered immediately before a current position reference maintained for the interaction history object, wherein each time the interaction modification engine revokes a past interaction the current position reference advances backward by one ordered element, wherein the interaction modification engine is configured to reapply a previously revoked interaction responsive to a user selection of the forward control, wherein the reapplied interaction is an interaction denoted by an element ordered immediately after the current position reference maintained for the interaction history object, wherein each time the interaction modification engine reapplies the previously revoked interaction the current position reference advances forward by one ordered element; and an interaction recording engine configured to detect a user interaction with said software application and to responsively add an interaction element to the interaction history object for each detected user interaction, wherein when the interaction recording element adds a new element and when one or more ordered elements are positioned in the interaction history object after the current position reference, the interaction recording engine is configured to add the new element to the interaction history element at a point immediately after the current position reference, to order the one or more ordered elements to a position immediately following the added new element, and to advance the current position reference forward by one ordered element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for utilizing an action history comprising:
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performing an ActionA in a software application, which results in the software application being placed in an ApplicationStateA; adding an ElementA to an action history corresponding to ActionA; performing an ActionB in the software application, which results in the software application being placed in an ApplicationStateB; adding an ElementB to an action history corresponding to ActionB; receiving a selection of a back control; revoking Action B so that the software application is placed in ApplicationStateA; performing an ActionC so that the software application is placed in ApplicationStateC; receiving a selection of a forward control; determining ActionB is to be applied responsive to the selection of the forward control based upon elements in the action history; and applying ActionB so that the software application is placed in ApplicationStateB. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for utilizing action history comprising:
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maintaining a history of user driven actions for a software application interface, wherein the software application interface comprises a back control and a forward control that change application state based upon the history of user driven actions; receiving user input via the software application interface; adjusting a state of a software application associated with the software application interface such that a selection of the forward control would result in an ActionA being applied by the software application; performing an ActionB at the adjusted state of the software application; and adding and element for ActionB to the history of user driven actions in a position immediately before an element for ActionA, while retaining the element for ActionA in the history of user driven actions. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification