Hypertext display system

• US 5,806,077 A
• Filed: 01/15/1993
• Issued: 09/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wecker, Alan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/004,016
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144, 395/145, 395/155, 395/159, 395/160, 395/161, 395/600, 364/419.07, 364/419.19, 707/501, 345/346, 345/347
• US Class Current: 715/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134

Abstract

A hypertext display system is described in which displayed hypertext links contain a marker indicating whether or not the unit of information to which the link leads has previously been visited by the user, the system being characterized in that the user can cause the display of further information regarding previous visits to that unit of information via a predetermined user input operation at a time when a display cursor is located within the boundaries of the marker. Active markers or footprints are employed associated with links leading to nodes the user has already visited. In one implementation using a graphical user interface, these markers are icons for timestamp windows. The user can activate the markers in order to decide whether or not to revisit the node.

Claims

1. A method of providing hypertext link services within a data processing system having a display, said method comprising the data processing implemented steps of:

displaying a hypertext document within said display;

graphically displaying at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document, said hypertext link indicator indicating an existence of an additional unit of information;

graphically displaying in association with said at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document a marker indicating a previous display of said additional unit of information;

selectively displaying said additional unit of information within said display in response to a selection of said hypertext link indicator by a user of said data processing system; and

selectively displaying utilization data indicating a date and time of a first utilization by said user with respect to said additional unit of information within an information window within said display in response to a selection of said marker by a user of said data processing system, wherein said utilization data may be visually accessed by a user without display of said additional unit of information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of reinitializing said utilization data within said information window in response to an input to said data processing system by said user.

3. A system for providing hypertext link services within a data processing system having a display, said system comprising:

means for displaying a hypertext document within said display;

means for graphically displaying at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document, said hypertext link indication indicating an existence of an additional unit of information;

means for graphically displaying in association with said at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document a marker indicating a previous display of said additional unit of information;

means for selectively displaying said additional unit of information within said display in response to a selection of said hypertext link indicator by a user of said data processing system; and

means for selectively displaying utilization data indicating a date and time of a first utilization by said user with respect to said additional unit of information within an information window within said display in response to a selection of said marker by a user of said data processing system, wherein said utilization data may be visually accessed by a user without display of said additional unit of information.

4. The system according to claim 3, further including means for reinitializing said utilization data within said information window in response to an input to said data processing system by said user.

5. A method of providing hypertext link services within a data processing system having a display, said method comprising the data processing implemented steps of:

displaying a hypertext document within said display;

graphically displaying at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document, said hypertext link indicator indicating an existence of an additional unit of information;

graphically displaying in association with said at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document a marker indicating a previous display of said additional unit of information;

selectively displaying said additional unit of information within said display in response to a selection of said hypertext link indicator by a user of said data processing system; and

selectively displaying utilization data indicating a date and time of a most recent utilization by said user with respect to said additional unit of information within an information window within said display in response to a selection of said marker by a user of said data processing system, wherein said utilization data may be visually accessed by a user without display of said additional unit of information.

6. A system for providing hypertext link services within a data processing system having a display, said system comprising:

means for displaying a hypertext document within said display;

means for graphically displaying at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document, said hypertext link indication indicating an existence of an additional unit of information;

means for graphically displaying in association with said at least one hypertext link indicator within said hypertext document a marker indicating a previous display of said additional unit of information;

means for selectively displaying said additional unit of information within said display in response to a selection of said hypertext link indicator by a user of said data processing system; and

means for selectively displaying utilization data indicating a date and time of a most recent utilization by said user with respect to said additional unit of information within an information window within said display in response to a selection of said marker by a user of said data processing system, wherein said utilization data may be visually accessed by a user without display of said additional unit of information.