User-centric system for choosing networked services
First Claim
1. An interconnect system for creating logical interconnections between a user'"'"'s computer and service-providing devices disposed on a network to which the user'"'"'s computer is coupled, where said network has a first given plurality of service-providing devices disposed thereon and where the computer'"'"'s user is apt to utilize a first subset of said first given plurality of service-providing devices more frequently than a second subset of said first given plurality of service-providing devices, said system comprising:
- a service-category cache for storing a first plurality of service-type definitions corresponding to said first subset of the service-providing devices of the network, where each service-type definition of said first plurality of service-type definitions in the service-category cache defines a type of service that is provided on the network by the first subset of service-providing devices; and
a plurality of device-choosing caches each corresponding to a service-type definition found in the service-category cache;
wherein for each of said stored service-type definitions, the service-category cache further includes a corresponding pointer for linking the service-type definition to the corresponding device-choosing cache; and
wherein one or more of the device-choosing caches contains a machine-recognizable alias defining a location on the network where there is available a service-providing device that provides a service defined by the corresponding service-type definition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A personal computer or workstation on a network includes a quick-choice cache into which are collected the names and aliases of networked devices or services that are expected to be most routinely used by a particular user. The cache is initialized to contain the names and aliases of devices within a network zone assigned to the workstation. This collection of names/aliases is expanded each time the user makes a connection to a device not previously listed. The cache drives a graphic user interface (GUI) that shows the user what service categories are available within the cache, and then when a service category is selected, what specific devices are included within the cache under that service category. The GUI permits quick logical connection to devices whose aliases are stored in the user'"'"'s cache. A connection map later graphically shows the user what connections he or she has made.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. An interconnect system for creating logical interconnections between a user'"'"'s computer and service-providing devices disposed on a network to which the user'"'"'s computer is coupled, where said network has a first given plurality of service-providing devices disposed thereon and where the computer'"'"'s user is apt to utilize a first subset of said first given plurality of service-providing devices more frequently than a second subset of said first given plurality of service-providing devices, said system comprising:
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a service-category cache for storing a first plurality of service-type definitions corresponding to said first subset of the service-providing devices of the network, where each service-type definition of said first plurality of service-type definitions in the service-category cache defines a type of service that is provided on the network by the first subset of service-providing devices; and a plurality of device-choosing caches each corresponding to a service-type definition found in the service-category cache; wherein for each of said stored service-type definitions, the service-category cache further includes a corresponding pointer for linking the service-type definition to the corresponding device-choosing cache; and wherein one or more of the device-choosing caches contains a machine-recognizable alias defining a location on the network where there is available a service-providing device that provides a service defined by the corresponding service-type definition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A user interface system for use in a networked computer system having a display for displaying data items, a data processor in communication with the display, an interactive input device coupled to the processor for allowing a user to point to and select or to otherwise interact with data items shown on the display, a memory, and a network interface coupling the processor to a network of user accessible devices, said network having multiple zones, each zone being capable of containing one or more of the on-network devices, where each on-network device provides a predefined type of service, said user interface system comprising:
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user-centric, service availability presentation means, operatively coupled to the network and the display for defining in response to user choices made over time, a subset of the on-network devices as being user-centric devices that are to be perceived by the user as psychologically proximate to the user and for displaying to the user a first collection of data items representing services or service types available only from the subset of user-centric devices; and quick choice means, operatively coupled to the service availability presentation means and responsive to a user selection of one of the first collection of data items, for displaying to the user a second collection of data items representing a subset of user-centric devices that provide the service or service type selected by the user, said second collection not being limited to a specific zone. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A machine-implemented method for allowing a user of a networked computer system to selectively make logical connection to one or more of a plurality of on-network devices provided on a network having multiple zones, each zone containing one or more of the on-network devices, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) defining as user-centric, a subset of the on-network devices that are to be perceived by the user as being psychologically proximate to the user irrespective of the zone containing the user-centric subset, said step of defining being in response to user choices made over time; and (b) displaying to the user a first collection of data items representing services or service types available only from the defined subset of user-centric devices. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A machine-implemented method for allowing a user of a networked computer system to selectively make logical connection to one or more of a plurality of on-network devices provided on a network, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) defining as user-centric a subset of the on-network devices that are to be perceived by the user as being psychologically proximate to the user; and (b) displaying to the user a collection of data items representing the defined subset of user-centric devices; and (c) in response to selection by the user of an item in the displayed collection of data items, making a logical connection to the corresponding device. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification