CONTEXTUAL BREADCRUMBS DURING NAVIGATION

• US 20140181699A1
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Godsey, Sandra Lynn, Sundaresan, Neelakantan
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method of providing contextual breadcrumbs is disclosed. A current page may be caused to be displayed on a device. Contextual breadcrumbs may be caused to be displayed on the current page. The contextual breadcrumbs may comprise a simplified representation of a first different page. The first different page may be different from the current page. The simplified representation of the first different page may comprise context information regarding a function of the first different page. The context information regarding a function of the first different page may comprise a visual representation of functional options of the first different page. At least one of the contextual breadcrumbs may be configured to enable the user to act upon the functional options of the first different page from the current page.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one navigation application, executable by the at least one processor, configured to cause a current page to be displayed on a device; and

at least one contextual breadcrumb application, executable by the at least one processor, configured to cause contextual breadcrumbs to be displayed on the current page, the contextual breadcrumbs comprising a simplified representation of a first different page, the first different page being different from the current page, the simplified representation of the first different page comprising context information regarding a function of the first different page.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one navigation application is further configured to:

cause the first different page to be displayed on the device;

receive a user action on the first different page; and

cause the current page to be displayed on the device in response to the user action.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the first different page comprises a plurality of functional options, each functional option of the first different page being configured to be acted upon by a user;

the user action comprises a user action on one of the functional options of the first different page; and

the context information of the first different page comprises a visual representation of the plurality of functional options of the first different page.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the functional options of the first different page comprise actionable interface elements.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the contextual breadcrumbs is configured to enable the user to act upon the plurality of functional options of the first different page from the current page.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the contextual breadcrumbs further comprise a simplified representation of the current page and a visual representation of a flow from the simplified representation of the first different page to the simplified representation of the current page, the simplified representation of the current page comprising context information of the current page.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the current page comprises a plurality of functional options, each functional option of the current page being configured to be acted upon by the user, at least one functional option of the current page being configured to lead to a second different page in response to being acted upon by the user, the second different page being different from the current page and the first different page;

the context information regarding a function of the current page comprises a visual representation of the plurality of functional options of the current page; and

the contextual breadcrumbs further comprise a flow from the current page to the second different page.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the contextual breadcrumbs further comprise context information regarding a function of the second different page.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the context information regarding a function of the second different page comprises a visual representation of the plurality of functional options of the second different page.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the current page and the first different page are web pages.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

causing a current page to be displayed on a device; and

causing contextual breadcrumbs to be displayed on the current page, the contextual breadcrumbs comprising a simplified representation of a first different page, the first different page being different from the current page, and the simplified representation of the first different page comprising context information regarding a function of the first different page.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

causing the first different web page to be displayed on the device; and

receiving a user action on the first different web page, wherein causing the current web page to be displayed on the device is performed in response to the user action.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first different page comprises a plurality of functional options, each functional option of the first different page being configured to be acted upon by a user;

the user action comprises a user action on one of the functional options of the first different page; and

the context information of the first different page comprises a visual representation of the plurality of functional options of the first different page.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of functional options of the first different page comprise actionable interface elements.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the contextual breadcrumbs is configured to enable the user to act upon the plurality of functional options of the first different page from the current page.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the contextual breadcrumbs further comprise a simplified representation of the current page and a visual representation of a flow from the simplified representation of the first different page to the simplified representation of the current page, the simplified representation of the current page comprising context information regarding a function of the current page.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the current page comprises a plurality of functional options, each functional option of the current page being configured to be acted upon by the user, at least one functional option of the current page being configured to lead to a second different page in response to being acted upon by the user, the second different page being different from the current page and the first different page;

the context information regarding a function of the current page comprises a visual representation of the plurality of functional options of the current page; and

the contextual breadcrumbs further comprise a flow from the current page to the second different page.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the contextual breadcrumbs further comprise context information regarding a function of the second different page.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the context information regarding a function of the second different page comprises a visual representation of the plurality of functional options of the second different page.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the current page and the first different page are web pages.

21. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

causing a current page to be displayed on a device; and

causing contextual breadcrumbs to be displayed on the current page, the contextual breadcrumbs comprising a simplified representation of a first different page, the first different page being different from the current page, and the simplified representation of the first different page comprising context information regarding a function of the first different page.