Method and apparatus for providing contextual navigation to historical data
First Claim
1. A method of providing navigation in a multitasking windowing environment to display a window of an active object that contains data matching a specific, previously displayed user-specified search criteria, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
- forming a buffer holding historical data of previously displayed windows for for each active object in said multitasking windowing environment;
storing sequential in said historical data buffer for an active object, the data displayed in each said window of said active object as said data is displayed;
in response to entry of a search string, searching each said historical data buffer for data matching said search string; and
,providing focus to said specific, previously displayed window in an active object having a historical data buffer entry that matches said search string.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Automatic navigation to a window which contained a user specified search criteria at some time in history. A user may invoke a number of application programs which display various windows, panels, icons, full screen sessions, and other objects onto a multitasking windowing desktop environment. A service is provided which allows the user to specify a search criteria. The service searches desktop sessions and objects until finding an occurrence that satisfies the criteria in historical data associated with the desktop sessions and objects. Upon finding the occurrence, the service automatically pops the window or full screen session having historical data containing the search string into focus.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of providing navigation in a multitasking windowing environment to display a window of an active object that contains data matching a specific, previously displayed user-specified search criteria, said method comprising the computer implemented steps of:
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forming a buffer holding historical data of previously displayed windows for for each active object in said multitasking windowing environment; storing sequential in said historical data buffer for an active object, the data displayed in each said window of said active object as said data is displayed; in response to entry of a search string, searching each said historical data buffer for data matching said search string; and
,providing focus to said specific, previously displayed window in an active object having a historical data buffer entry that matches said search string. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for providing navigation in a multitasking windowing environment to a window of an active object that contained a user specified search criteria at some time, said system comprising:
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historical data buffer for each active object in said multitasking windowing environment; means for storing in the historical data buffer for an active object the data displayed in each window of said active object as said data is displayed; means responsive to entry of a search string for searching each historical data buffer for said search string; and
,means for providing focus to a window in an active object having a historical data buffer that contains said search string. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification