Global history view

• US 6,243,091 B1
• Filed: 11/21/1997
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berstis, Viktors
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US08/976,403
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 345/357, 345/356, 345/349, 345/348, 345/346, 345/350, 345/419, 345/355, 707/501
• US Class Current: 715/839
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object

Abstract

The history of browsing in a distributed database, such as the Internet, is presented in a global history window. Each document browsed is represented by a page icon selected as representative of content in the browsed document. Each link between browsed pages is represented by a roadway to connect the respective selected page icons. The user'"'"'s present position is indicated by an icon or other manner. Features proximate to the user'"'"'s present position may be enlarged. In the preferred embodiment, the global history map is presented on an apparently curved surface having a variety of features which serve to orient the user in the map. With each new request for retrieval of a new document, the global history map window is presented wherein the building of a new roadway serves as a progress indicator for retrieving the new document. A new page icon indicative of the content of the new document is selected. The new page icon is presented proximate to a terminus of the new roadway. An end of road icon at the terminus of the new roadway is presented once the new document is retrieved.

Claims

1. A method for portraying a history of browsing web pages in a distributed database, comprising the steps of:

in a browser window, presenting web pages from the distributed database in response to user input;

in a global history window, presenting a virtual reality display representative of a history of browsed web pages, wherein;

as each web page is browsed, creating and presenting a sign having an icon representative of content in the browsed page;

as each traversal is made between web pages, creating and presenting a roadway connecting points proximate to individual signs; and

presenting a current user position in the virtual reality display on a roadway proximate to a sign representative of the web page currently displayed in the browser window.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

in response to a request for retrieval of a new web page, in the virtual reality display, presenting building of a new roadway as a progress indicator for retrieving the new web page;

in the virtual reality display, creating and presenting a new sign having an icon indicative of the content of the new web page proximate to a terminus of the new roadway; and

changing the current user position to be at the terminus of the new roadway.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the step of presenting an end of road icon at the terminus of the new roadway once the new web page is retrieved.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

determining that placement of the new sign and the new roadway within the virtual reality display requires that existing signs and roadways be relocated;

while presenting the creation of the new sign and new roadway, calculating new positions for existing signs and roadways; and

when the user moves his current position in the virtual reality display proximate to one of the existing signs, presenting at least some of the existing signs and roadways at their new positions.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of creating and presenting a landmark icon in the virtual reality display, wherein the landmark icon is unrelated to data in the distributed database and serves to orient a user in the virtual reality display.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the virtual reality display is presented on an apparently curved surface to resemble a surface of a planet.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising presenting the deletion of a web page from the browsing history, wherein the sign associated with the deleted web page is removed from the virtual reality display while being presented to the user.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a surface of a roadway according to a session in which a web page was browsed; and

presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a surface of a roadway according to a traversal means used to retrieve a web page; and

presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

selecting a surface of a roadway according to a number of times a web page has been accessed; and

presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

automatically bringing the global history window on top of a user interface when a request for retrieval of a web page is detected; and

automatically bringing the browser window on top of a user interface after the retrieval of the web page is complete.

12. A system including memory, processor, user input device and display for portraying a history of browsing web pages in a distributed database, comprising:

means for presenting in a browser window web pages from the distributed database in response to user input;

means for presenting in a global history window a virtual reality display representative of a history of browsed web pages;

means for creating and presenting as each web page is browsed a sign having an icon representative of content in the browsed page;

means for creating and presenting as each traversal is made between web pages a roadway connecting points proximate to individual signs; and

means for presenting a current user position in the virtual reality display on a roadway proximate to a sign representative of the web page currently displayed in the browser window.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

means responsive to a request for retrieval of a new web page for presenting building of a new roadway in the virtual reality display as a progress indicator for retrieving the new web page;

means for creating and presenting a new sign having an icon indicative of the content of the new web page proximate to a terminus of the new roadway in the virtual reality display; and

means for changing the current user position to be at the terminus of the new roadway.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising means for presenting an end of road icon at the terminus of the new roadway once the new web page is retrieved.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 further comprising:

means for determining that placement of the new sign and the new roadway within the virtual reality display requires that existing signs and roadways be relocated;

means calculating new positions for existing signs and roadways while presenting the creation of the new sign and new roadway; and

so that when the user moves his current position in the virtual reality display proximate to one of the existing signs at least some of the existing signs and roadways are presented at their new positions.

16. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising means for creating and presenting a landmark icon in the virtual reality display, wherein the landmark icon is unrelated to data in the distributed database and serves to orient a user in the virtual reality display.

17. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein the virtual reality display is presented on an apparently curved surface to resemble a surface of a planet.

18. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising means for presenting the deletion of a web page from the browsing history, wherein the sign associated with the deleted web page is removed from the virtual reality display while being presented to the user.

19. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

means for selecting a surface of a roadway according to a session in which a web page was browsed; and

means for presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

20. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

means for selecting a surface of a roadway according to a traversal means used to retrieve a web page; and

means for presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

21. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

means for selecting a surface of a roadway according to a number of times a web page has been accessed; and

means for presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

22. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

means for automatically bringing the global history window on top of a user interface when a request for retrieval of a web page is detected; and

means for automatically bringing the browser window on top of a user interface after the retrieval of the web page is complete.

23. A computer program product in a computer memory for portraying a history of browsing web pages in a distributed database, comprising:

means for presenting in a browser window web pages from the distributed database in response to user input;

means for presenting in a global history window a virtual reality display representative of a history of browsed web pages;

means for creating and presenting as each web page is browsed a sign having an icon representative of content in the browsed page;

means for creating and presenting as each traversal is made between web pages a roadway connecting points proximate to individual signs; and

means for presenting a current user position in the virtual reality display on a roadway proximate to a sign representative of the web page currently displayed in the browser window.

24. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

means responsive to a request for retrieval of a new web page for presenting building of a new roadway in the virtual reality display as a progress indicator for retrieving the new web page;

means for creating and presenting a new sign having an icon indicative of the content of the new web page proximate to a terminus of the new roadway in the virtual reality display; and

means for changing the current user position to be at the terminus of the new roadway.

25. The product as recited in claim 24, further comprising means for presenting an end of road icon at the terminus of the new roadway once the new web page is retrieved.

26. The product as recited in claim 24 further comprising:

means for determining that placement of the new sign and the new roadway within the virtual reality display requires that existing signs and roadways be relocated;

means calculating new positions for existing signs and roadways while presenting the creation of the new sign and new roadway; and

so that when the user moves his current position in the virtual reality display proximate to one of the existing signs at least some of the existing signs and roadways are presented at their new positions.

27. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising means for creating and presenting a landmark icon in the virtual reality display, wherein the landmark icon is unrelated to data in the distributed database and serves to orient a user in the virtual reality display.

28. The product as recited in claim 23 wherein the virtual reality display is presented on an apparently curved surface to resemble a surface of a planet.

29. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising means for presenting the deletion of a web page from the browsing history, wherein the sign associated with the deleted web page is removed from the virtual reality display while being presented to the user.

30. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

means for selecting a surface of a roadway according to a session in which a web page was browsed; and

means for presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

31. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

means for selecting a surface of a roadway according to a traversal means used to retrieve a web page; and

means for presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

32. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

means for selecting a surface of a roadway according to a number of times a web page has been accessed; and

means for presenting the roadway according to the selected surface.

33. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

means for automatically bringing the global history window on top of a user interface when a request for retrieval of a web page is detected; and

means for automatically bringing the browser window on top of a user interface after the retrieval of the web page is complete.