LIVE ACTION ICONS FOR THE INTERNET

• US 20110041169A1
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: De Luca, G. Mercedes
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Liver action icons for the Internet which allow “functionality” and “actions” to occur wherever the user might intuitively think there is an “action” to be had or done. It may enable users to interact with various websites with a set of live action icons, each of which may be used to perform a certain function. One of the live action icons may be used to display the login interface of a website. Another live action icon may be used for online shopping. The live action icons may speed up the interaction between users and websites, saving users time for looking up a function button on a webpage or repeatedly inputting user information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

responsive to display of a Web page having a plurality of display areas, and responsive to actuation of an action icon, detecting whether the Web page supports a function which can be requested by actuating the action icon; and

causing the requested function to be performed if the Web page supports it.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the action icon to be actuated from a plurality of action icons requesting different respective functions.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising causing the action icon to be actuated when the action icon is dropped in one of the display areas of the Web page to actuate the action icon.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising causing the action icon to be actuated when it is clicked on.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising causing the action icon to be actuated when a cursor is pointed over the action icon.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

lighting up at least a part of the Web page if the Web page supports the requested function.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the respective functions are selected from the group consisting of:

displaying detailed information about an item shown on the Web page;

displaying a login user interface;

obtaining more information about content of the Web page;

looking for comments on the content of the Web page;

copying content of the Web page into a preference folder;

displaying a Blog page;

displaying a video clip;

or downloading a file.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an instruction for buying the item.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving shipping address information from the action icon.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving login information from the action icon.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

ending a login session when the action icon is moved out of the Web page.

17. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium containing program code for performing the method of claim 1.

12. A Web page comprising a plurality of display areas and performing a function requested by an action icon when the action icon is moved over a first display area, wherein the action icon can be used with different websites and different browsers.

13. The Web page of claim 12, wherein the requested function is displaying detailed information about an item shown on the Web page.

14. The Web page of claim 13, further receiving shipping address information from the action icon.

15. The Web page of claim 12, wherein the requested function is displaying a login user interface.

16. The Web page of claim 15, further receiving login information from the action icon.