System and method for computer system management using bookmarks

• US 6,549,217 B1
• Filed: 03/23/2000
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: De Greef, Bart, Moshfeghi, Mehran
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US09/533,486
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501, 707/501.1, 345/745, 345/778-779, 345/811
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Methods, computer systems, software and computer readable media containing the software for bookmarking, or saving, multiple profiles associated with a user of a computer system, and for activating saved user profiles. At a top operating system level, a bookmarked user profile indicates the arrangement of the user'"'"'s display devices available, including the type, position and size of open windows, as well as other of the user'"'"'s preference parameters. At lower application levels, a bookmarked user profile indicates the arrangement of an application window, as well as other application preference parameters. A bookmark, or a bookmarked user profile, is activated by selection from a menu that can be displayed in the top level operating system desktop or within an application window. Commands are also provided for creating and managing bookmarks associated with a user.

Claims

1. A method for user management of an interactive computer system having one or more attached display devices, the method comprising:

associating bookmark information with the user, wherein the bookmark information comprises one or more bookmarked user profiles, each user profile comprising indications describing an arrangement of display elements on the display devices,

displaying in a pre-selected toolbar area on the display devices a selectable bookmark-display indicia,

displaying on the display devices a bookmark menu up, on user selection of the bookmark-display indicia, the bookmark menu comprising at least one selectable user profile and providing for the display of all user profiles associated with the user, and

arranging display elements on the display devices upon user selection of a user profile from the bookmark menu, wherein the display elements are arranged according to the indications in the selected user profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the display elements comprise application program windows arranged on the display device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of arranging further comprises

closing application windows not indicated to be open in the user profile,

opening application windows indicated to be open in the user profile,

positioning open application windows according to indications in the user profile, and

sizing open application windows according to indications in the user profile.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the display elements further comprise elements displayed by a desktop manager of an operating system environment of the computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the display elements comprise application program sub-windows arranged within an application program window.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of arranging further comprises

closing application sub-windows not indicated to be open in the user profile,

opening application sub-windows indicated to be open in the user profile,

loading information contents into the application sub-windows as indicated in the user profile,

positioning open application sub-windows according to indications in the user profile, and

sizing open application sub-windows according to indications in the user profile.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the application window comprises a plurality of recursively arranged sub-windows, and wherein the display elements comprise application display elements arranged in any of the recursively arranged sub-windows.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the bookmark menu includes one or more selectable commands for managing bookmark information associated with a user, and wherein the method further comprises a step of updating the bookmark information associated with a user upon user selection of one or more of the selectable commands.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the updating comprises creating or editing or deleting or arranging the bookmark information associated with a user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the display elements comprise application program windows arranged on the display device and application program sub-windows arranged within at least one application program window, and wherein the method further comprises arranging the application program windows on the display device according to indications in the selected user profiles and arranging the application sub-windows within the application windows also according to the indications in the selected user profile.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising

selection of a pre-determined bookmarked user profile in the bookmark information associated with a user upon occurrence of a pre-determined event in an operating system environment of the computer system, and

arranging display elements on the display device according to the indications in the selected user profile.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a bookmarked user profile also comprises indications of further user preferences, and wherein the method further comprises a step of establishing the user preferences indicated in a selected user profile.

19. A computer readable media encoded with program instructions for causing a computer system to perform the method of claim 1.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

displaying in the pre-selected toolbar area on the display devices at least one selectable bookmark user profile, and

arranging display elements on the display devices upon user selection of the user profile in the pre-selected toolbar area, wherein the display elements are arranged according to the indications in the selected user profile.

13. A computer system comprising:

a processor with a CPU and CPU-accessible memory,

devices for input from a user, and

one or more display devices for output to a user,

wherein the memory is configured with encoded program, instructions for

associating bookmark information with the user, wherein the bookmark information comprises one or more bookmarked user profiles, each user profile comprising indications describing an arrangement of display elements on the display device,

displaying in a pre-selected toolbar area on the display devices a selectable bookmark-display indicia, displaying on the display devices a bookmark menu upon user selection of the bookmark-display indicia, the bookmark minu comprising at least one selectable user profile and providing for the display of all user profiles associated with the user, and

arranging display elements on the display devices upon user selection of a user profile from the bookmark menu, wherein the display elements are arranged according to the indications in the selected user profile.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer system is a laptop-type, or a desktop-type, or a server-type computer system.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the computer system is a personal digital assistant type system, a wireless telephone type system, or a system including television display capabilities.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the memory is further configured with the encoded program instructions to provide a bookmark manager for receiving requests for bookmark information associated with a user and returning responses including requested bookmark information.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the bookmark manager is further for receiving requests to activate a bookmarked user profile and for returning responses including instructions causing the arranging of the display elements on the display device as indicated in the user profile to be activated.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the bookmark manager provides separate interfaces for requests and responses to a desktop manager present in the computer system and for requests and responses to one or more applications present in the system.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the memory is further configured with the encoded program instructions to display in the pre-selected toolbar area on the display devices at least one selectable bookmark user profile and to arrange display elements on the display devices upon user selection of the user profile in the pre-selected toolbar area, wherein the display elements are arranged according to the indications in the selected user.