Integrated network access user interface for navigating with a hierarchical graph
First Claim
1. A method for displaying information from a variety of different sources on a computer network, the method comprising:
- generating a graphical structure which includes a first link to a first item originating from a first information source and a second link to a second item originating from a second information source, the first and second links being displayed in a hierarchical relationship to each other, the information in the first information source being accessible according to a first protocol and the second information source being accessible according to a second different protocol; and
displaying the hierarchical relationship of the first and second items so that a user may access a particular item using the access protocol associated with that particular item.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-protocol network client in which a single, integrated user-interface is provided for accessing information according to a number of network access protocols. The accessed information is represented in a hierarchical graph which provides an intuitive and convenient navigation tool for both the experienced and the novice user. The user accesses information according to a particular network access protocol by merely selecting a graphical representation of an item the user wishes to access from the hierarchical graph. Information pertaining to the particular item whose representation is selected by the user is retrieved and used to determine the network access protocol according to which the item is accessed. As an item is retrieved from the network, links contained within the item are parsed from the item and added to the hierarchical graph. In particular, links which are embedded in the substantive information of an item, as is the case with HTML documents, are parsed from the item and added to the hierarchical graph. The user can thereafter retrieve an item referenced by a link parsed from a previously retrieved item by selecting from the hierarchical graph a representation of the parsed link. The hierarchical graph representing the retrieved links is simplified by excluding from the hierarchical graph representations of links which reference the item containing the link and which are redundant in view of other links represented in the hierarchical graph.
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Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for displaying information from a variety of different sources on a computer network, the method comprising:
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generating a graphical structure which includes a first link to a first item originating from a first information source and a second link to a second item originating from a second information source, the first and second links being displayed in a hierarchical relationship to each other, the information in the first information source being accessible according to a first protocol and the second information source being accessible according to a second different protocol; and displaying the hierarchical relationship of the first and second items so that a user may access a particular item using the access protocol associated with that particular item. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 28)
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12. An apparatus for displaying information from a variety of different sources on a computer network, the apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a graphical structure which includes a first link to a first item originating from a first information source and a second link to a second item originating from a second information source, the first and second links being displayed in a hierarchical relationship to each other, the information in the first information source being accessible according to a first protocol and the second information source being accessible according to a second different protocol; and means for displaying the hierarchical relationship of the first and second items so that a user may access a particular item using the access protocol associated with that particular item. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for displaying a plurality of items to a user, the items being accessible using a variety of different network access protocols, the apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a representation of a first item which may be accessed using a first network access protocol from a first source; means for generating a representation of a second item which may be accessed using a second network access protocol from a second source; and means for generating a hierarchical graphical structure including the first and second items so that a user may access the first and second items from the hierarchical graphical structure.
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25. An apparatus for displaying a plurality of items to a user, the items being accessible using a variety of different network access protocols, the apparatus comprising:
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one or more filters for receiving data from one or more sources using one or more network access protocols and for converting the data from the one or more network access protocols into a navigation format; and a navigation graph comprising a hierarchical display of items representing one or more items from the one or more sources which are accessed using one or more different network access protocols and means for displaying an item selected by the user in the navigation format.
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26. A method for displaying information from a variety of different sources stored in a computer network, the method comprising:
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generating a graphical structure which includes a news item being accessible using a news information protocol and an electronic mail item being accessible using a electronic mail message protocol; and displaying the news item and the electronic message item in a single hierarchical structure which permits the user to access the news item and the electronic message item from the same application.
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27. An apparatus for displaying and accessing information about items from a variety of different sources stored in a computer network, the apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a graphical structure which includes a news item being accessed using a news information protocol and an electronic mail item being accessible using a electronic mail message protocol; means for displaying the news item and the electronic message item in a single hierarchical structure; and means for accessing the news item and the electronic message item which permits the user to access the news item and the electronic message item from the same application.
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Specification