Document Navigation Method

• US 20100262908A1
• Filed: 04/14/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freedom Scientific Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Freedom Scientific Incorporated
• Inventors: Gordon, Glen, Gallo, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,209,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/704
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range

Abstract

A document navigation tool that automatically navigates a document based on previous input from the user. The document navigation tool is utilized each time a page loads. The method recognizes user behavior on pages using patterns, which are based on four criterion: location, frequency, consistency, and scope. If the user has visited the page previously and has established a pattern, the method automatically focuses on the portion of the page indicated by the pattern, e.g. the location on a web page of the link clicked by the user in the user'"'"'s last three visits to the page. If the user has not visited the page previously, the method logs the events that occur during this visit to the page.

Claims

1. A computer program product for enabling a computer to navigate a page in a document comprising:

a tangible computer readable storage medium bearing instructions for causing a computer to perform;

determining if a saved path has been set on the page, wherein the saved path indicates an area of interest on the page,

focusing on the area of interest indicated by the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path was present on the page,

receiving input of a memorable event,

comparing the location of the memorable event to the area of interest,

maintaining the saved path, responsive to the memorable event occurring in the area of interest,

determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and at least one memorable event saved in a memorable event log, responsive to the memorable event occurring outside the area of interest,

determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in a memorable event log, responsive to a determination that no saved path is present on the page, and

setting a new path in an area corresponding to the memorable event, responsive to a determination that the new path has been established,

wherein the computer navigates the page of the document to the area of interest for output to the end user.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the document is a web page.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the memorable event is chosen from the group consisting of clicking a link, clicking a button, entering data in an editable field, and performing a ‘

say all’

command.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in a memorable event log, comprises:

determining the frequency of the memorable event based on the at least one memorable event saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the frequency to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the new path has been established responsive to the frequency being greater than the predetermined criterion, and

indicating that the new path has not been established responsive to the frequency being less than the predetermined criterion.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in the memorable event log comprises:

determining the consistency of the memorable event based on the memorable events saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the consistency to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the new path has been established responsive to the consistency being greater than the predetermined criterion, and

indicating that the new path has not been established responsive to the consistency being less than the predetermined criterion.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein determining if the new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in the memorable event log comprises:

determining the scope of the memorable event based on the memorable events saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the scope to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the new path has been established responsive to the scope being greater than the predetermined criterion, and

indicating that the new path has not been established responsive to the scope being less than the predetermined criterion.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the tangible computer readable storage medium further bears instruction for causing the computer to perform:

determining if the saved path should be abandoned, responsive to the memorable event occurring outside the area of interest,

abandoning the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path should be abandoned, and

maintaining the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path should not be abandoned.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the tangible computer readable storage medium further bears instruction for causing the computer to perform:

determining the consistency of the memorable event based on the memorable events saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the consistency to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the saved path should not be abandoned, responsive to a determination that the consistency is less than the predetermined criterion,

comparing the location of the memorable event to the saved path,

indicating that the saved path should be abandoned, responsive to a determination that the consistency is greater than the predetermined criterion and the location of the memorable event does not match the saved path, and

indicating that the saved path should not be abandoned, responsive to a determination that the consistency is greater than the predetermined criterion and the location of the memorable event matches the saved path.

9. A computer program product for enabling a computer to navigate a page in a document comprising:

a tangible computer readable storage medium bearing instructions for causing a computer to perform;

determining if a saved path has been set on the page, wherein the saved path indicates an area of interest on the page,

focusing on the area of interest indicated by the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path was present on the page, and

performing an action according to the saved path,

wherein the computer navigates the page of the document along the saved path for output to the end user.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the tangible computer readable storage medium further bears instruction for causing the computer to perform:

saving the action performed as a memorable event to a log of memorable events.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the tangible computer readable storage medium further bears instruction for causing the computer to perform:

receiving input of a memorable event,

determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event, responsive to a determination that a saved path has not been set on the page, and

setting the new path in an area corresponding to the memorable event, responsive to a determination that the new path has been established.

12. A computer system adapted to navigate a page in a document, comprising:

a processor; and

a tangible memory storage including software instructions that cause the computer system to perform;

determining if a saved path has been set on the page, wherein the saved path indicates an area of interest on the page,

focusing on the area of interest indicated by the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path was present on the page,

receiving input of a memorable event,

comparing the location of the memorable event to the area of interest,

maintaining the saved path, responsive to the memorable event occurring in the area of interest,

determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and at least one memorable event saved in a memorable event log, responsive to the memorable event occurring outside the area of interest,

determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in a memorable event log, responsive to a determination that no saved path is present on the page, and

setting a new path in an area corresponding to the memorable event, responsive to a determination that the new path has been established,

wherein the computer navigates the page of the document to the area of interest for output to the end user.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the document is a web page.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the memorable event is chosen from the group consisting of clicking a link, clicking a button, entering data in an editable field, and performing a ‘

say all’

command.

15. The computer system of claim 12, wherein determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in a memorable event log, comprises:

determining the frequency of the memorable event based on the at least one memorable event saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the frequency to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the new path has been established responsive to the frequency being greater than the predetermined criterion, and

indicating that the new path has not been established responsive to the frequency being less than the predetermined criterion.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in the memorable event log comprises:

determining the consistency of the memorable event based on the memorable events saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the consistency to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the new path has been established responsive to the consistency being greater than the predetermined criterion, and

indicating that the new path has not been established responsive to the consistency being less than the predetermined criterion.

17. The computer system of claim 12, wherein determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event and the at least one memorable event saved in the memorable event log comprises:

determining the scope of the memorable event based on the memorable events saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the scope to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the new path has been established responsive to the scope being greater than the predetermined criterion, and

indicating that the new path has not been established responsive to the scope being less than the predetermined criterion.

18. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the tangible memory storage further includes software instructions that cause the computer system to perform:

determining if the saved path should be abandoned, responsive to the memorable event occurring outside the area of interest,

abandoning the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path should be abandoned, and

maintaining the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path should not be abandoned.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein determining if the saved path should be abandoned comprises:

determining the consistency of the memorable event based on the memorable events saved in the memorable events log,

comparing the consistency to a predetermined criterion,

indicating that the saved path should not be abandoned, responsive to a determination that the consistency is less than the predetermined criterion,

comparing the location of the memorable event to the saved path,

indicating that the saved path should be abandoned, responsive to a determination that the consistency is greater than the predetermined criterion and the location of the memorable event does not match the saved path, and

indicating that the saved path should not be abandoned, responsive to a determination that the consistency is greater than the predetermined criterion and the location of the memorable event matches the saved path.

20. A computer system adapted to navigate a page in a document, comprising:

a processor; and

a tangible memory storage including software instructions that cause the computer system to perform;

determining if a saved path has been set on the page, wherein the saved path indicates an area of interest on the page,

focusing on the area of interest indicated by the saved path, responsive to a determination that the saved path was present on the page, and

performing an action according to the saved path,

wherein the computer navigates the page in the document along the saved path for output to the end user.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the tangible memory storage further includes software instructions that cause the computer system to perform:

saving the action performed as a memorable event to a log of memorable events.

22. The computer system of claim 20, wherein the tangible memory storage further includes software instructions that cause the computer system to perform:

receiving input of a memorable event,

determining if a new path has been established using the memorable event, responsive to a determination that a saved path has not been set on the page, and

setting the new path in an area corresponding to the memorable event, responsive to a determination that the new path has been established.