MULTIDIMENSIONAL NAVIGATION

• US 20170060349A1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: MUNOZ, John Lee, O'MALLEY, Kevin, BARROS, Brett Aladdin
• Granted Patent: US 10,198,144 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

Systems and methods for multidimensional navigation are disclosed. An application presents an interface for displaying resources. The interface comprises a first control for navigating resources according to a first dimension and a second control for navigating resources according to a second dimension. The application presents a first resource. The application receives a user input for selecting a link to a second resource. The application determines whether to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension or via the second dimension. Upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension, the application provides for use of the first control to navigate back to the first resource. Upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the second dimension, the application provides for use of the second control to navigate back to the first resource.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instruction which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to implement a method, the method comprising:

presenting, within an application window, an interface for displaying resources, the interface comprising a first control for navigating resources according to a first dimension and a second control for navigating resources according to a second dimension, wherein each of the first dimension and the second dimension corresponds to an ordered list of two or more resources;

presenting, within the application window, a first resource;

receiving, from within the first resource, a user input for selecting a link to a second resource;

determining, based on at least one of the user input or metadata of the link, whether to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension or via the second dimension;

upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension;

navigating to the second resource and providing for use of the first control to navigate, within the application window, from the second resource back to the first resource; and

upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the second dimension;

navigating to the second resource and providing for use of the second control to navigate, within the application window, from the second resource back to the first resource.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first control comprises a back button and a forward button, wherein the first resource comprises a first page, and wherein the second resource comprises a second page.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second control comprises a portion of the first resource that continues to be presented while the second resource is presented, the method further comprising:

upon selection of the portion of the first resource, re-presenting the first resource within the window.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second control comprises a control, presented within the window, for accessing a stacking interface, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of the second control; and

presenting, responsive to the selection of the second control, a stack, the stack including two or more cards representing the two or more resources that are accessible, via the second dimension, from a resource previously displayed in the window, wherein the two or more resources include the first resource and the second resource.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein a card representing a resource comprises a portion of the represented resource or an address of the represented resource.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, the method further comprising:

receiving an input corresponding to dragging a card across the window; and

reordering the resources in the stack responsive to the input corresponding to dragging the card across the window.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, the method further comprising:

receiving an input corresponding to dragging a card to a predetermined position; and

deleting a resource in the stack responsive to the input corresponding to dragging the card to the predetermined position.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, the method further comprising:

receiving an input corresponding to dragging a card to a predetermined position; and

moving a resource in the stack to a new window or a new tab responsive to the input corresponding to dragging the card to the predetermined position.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein a stack of resources accessible via the second dimension is represented as a master uniform resource indicator (URI) address that includes a combination of uniform resource indicator (URI) addresses of resources in the stack, wherein the stack of resources includes the first resource and the second resource.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving a user input for sharing the master URI address via a messaging service; and

sharing the master URI address via the messaging service in response the a user input for sharing the master URI address via the messaging service.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein determining, based on the user input, whether to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension or via the second dimension comprises:

if the user input comprises a left click;

determining to navigate to the second resource via the second dimension; and

if the user input comprises a right click and a selection of the first dimension from a menu;

determining to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the metadata of the link is provided by an author of the first resource.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:

storing, in association with the first resource, information related to the first resource, the information comprising an amount of time a user spent viewing the first resource and a time when the first resource was last updated;

storing, in association with the second resource, information related to the second resource, the information comprising an amount of time a user spent viewing the second resource and a time when the second resource was last updated; and

presenting, to the user, the information related to the first resource or the information related to the second resource.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein navigation from the first resource to the second resource is via the first dimension, the method further comprising:

receiving, from within the second resource, an additional user input for selecting an additional link to a third resource;

determining, based on at least one of the additional user input or metadata of the additional link, to navigate to the third resource via the second dimension; and

responsive to determining to navigate to the third resource via the second dimension, navigating to the third resource and providing for use of the second control to navigate, within the application window, from the third resource back to the second resource.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, the method further comprising:

responsive to determining to navigate to the third resource via the second dimension, continuing to provide for use of the first control to navigate, within the application window, from the third resource back to the first resource.

16. A method comprising:

presenting, within an application window, an interface for displaying resources, the interface comprising a first control for navigating resources according to a first dimension and a second control for navigating resources according to a second dimension, wherein each of the first dimension and the second dimension corresponds to an ordered list of two or more resources;

presenting, within the application window, a first resource;

receiving, from within the first resource, a user input for selecting a link to a second resource;

determining, based on at least one of the user input or metadata of the link, whether to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension or via the second dimension;

upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension;

navigating to the second resource and providing for use of the first control to navigate, within the application window, from the second resource back to the first resource; and

upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the second dimension;

navigating to the second resource and providing for use of the second control to navigate, within the application window, from the second resource back to the first resource.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first control comprises a back button and a forward button, wherein the first resource comprises a first page, and wherein the second resource comprises a second page.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second control comprises a portion of the first resource that continues to be presented while the second resource is presented, the method further comprising:

upon selection of the portion of the first resource, re-presenting the first resource within the window.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the second control comprises a control, presented within the application window, for accessing a stacking interface, the method further comprising:

receiving a selection of the second control; and

presenting, responsive to the selection of the second control, a stack, the stack including two or more cards representing the two or more resources that are accessible, via the second dimension, from a resource previously displayed in the application window, wherein the two or more resources include the first resource and the second resource.

20. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

present, within an application window, an interface for displaying resources, the interface comprising a first control for navigating resources according to a first dimension and a second control for navigating resources according to a second dimension, wherein each of the first dimension and the second dimension corresponds to an ordered list of two or more resources, and wherein at least one of the first control and the second control comprises a control for accessing a stacking interface;

present, within the application window, a first resource;

receive, from within the first resource, a user input for selecting a link to a second resource;

determine, based on at least one of the user input or metadata of the link, whether to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension or via the second dimension;

upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the first dimension;

navigate to the second resource and provide for use of the first control to navigate, within the application window, from the second resource back to the first resource; and

upon determining to navigate to the second resource via the second dimension;

navigate to the second resource and provide for use of the second control to navigate, within the application window, from the second resource hack to the first resource.