Method, system, and program for providing pages of information with navigation and content areas

• US 6,549,220 B1
• Filed: 06/10/1999
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Peter Y., Lawton, William W., Hsu, Jimmy Ming-Der
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US09/329,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 345/853-855, 345/817, 345/802, 345/828, 345/835-839, 345/840-845, 345/751-753, 345/754-759, 345/763-764, 345/788, 345/792, 345/793, 345/798-801, 701/200, 701/213, 701/211, 701/208
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

Disclosed is a system, method, program, and electronic storage media for providing at least one content area of information and n different sized navigation areas. There are n addressable locations for each content area. Each of the n addressable locations for one content area comprises the same content area with a different sized navigation area. Further, each of the n navigation areas includes at least one link to another addressable location with the same content area and a different sized navigation area.

Claims

1. A method for presenting information on a display monitor under control of a computer, comprising:

providing at least one content area of information and n different sized navigation areas, wherein n comprises a number of the different sized navigation areas; and

providing n page locations for each content area, wherein the n page locations for one content area have the content area with a different sized navigation area, wherein each navigation area at the page locations for the content area includes at least one link to another page location with the content area mid a different sized navigation area, wherein each page location enables access to one content area and navigation area to be displayed, wherein the content area and navigation area are displayed in separate regions at the page location, and wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing each content area comprises providing m content areas, wherein each page location comprises a separate page, and further comprising providing n times m pages, wherein each page includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the content area comprises providing m content areas, and further comprising providing n times m page locations and at least one page including multiple page locations, wherein each page location includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing m content areas, wherein there are m times n page locations for each content area and navigation area pair; and

displaying the content area and navigation area at one of the page locations, wherein the displayed navigation areas display links to m−

1 page locations including different content areas and the same sized navigation area and links to n−

1 page locations including the same content area as at the displayed page location and one of the n−

1 navigation areas that has a different size than the navigation area at the displayed page location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content area includes content that is one of the content types comprising text, images, audio, movies, and three dimensional images.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein each page is implemented in an SGML document and wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed size of the navigation area is capable of being modified with a user input device.

4. A method for presenting information on a display monitor under control of a computer, comprising:

receiving a first request for a first page location comprising a content area and a first of n different sized navigation areas, wherein each page location enables access to one content area and navigation area to be displayed, wherein the content area and navigation area are displayed in separate regions at the page location, and wherein n comprises a number of the different sized navigation areas;

transmitting the content area and first navigation area at the requested first page location;

receiving a second request for a second page location comprising the same content area at the first addressable location and a second of n navigation areas having a different size than the first navigation area at the first addressable location; and

transmitting the content area and second navigation area at the second page location in response to the second request wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a third request for a third page location for a content area that is different from the content area at the first page location and the first navigation area at the first page location; and

transmitting the content area and first navigation area at the third page location in response to the second request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least two pages having distinct network addresses include the three page locations, wherein the request for one of the page locations comprises a request for the page and content area and navigation area therein at the distinctive network address.

11. A system for presenting information displayed in a page including a navigation area and a content area, comprising:

a computer; and

a storage area accessible to the computer including at least one content area of information and n different sized navigation areas, wherein n comprises a number of the different sized navigation areas, wherein there are n page locations for each content area, wherein the n page locations for one content area have the content area with a different sized navigation area, and wherein each navigation area at the page locations for the content area, includes at least one link to another page location with the content area and a different sized navigation area, wherein each page location enables access to one content area and navigation area to be displayed, wherein the content area and navigation area are displayed in separate regions at the page location, and wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each page location comprises a page, wherein the storage area includes m content areas and n times m pages, wherein each page includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage area includes m content areas, n times m page locations, wherein at least one page includes multiple page locations, and wherein each page location includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage area includes m content areas, wherein there are m times n page locations for each content area and navigation area pair, and wherein the program logic further comprises means for displaying the content area and navigation area at one of the page locations, wherein the displayed navigation areas displaying links to m−

1 page locations including different content areas and the same sized navigation area and links to n−

1 page locations including the same content area as at the displayed page location and one of the n−

1 navigation areas that has a different size than the navigation area at the displayed page location.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the content area includes content that is one of the content types comprising text, images, audio, movies, and three dimensional images.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein each page is implemented in an SGML document and wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the displayed size of the navigation area is capable of being modified with a user input device.

14. A system for presenting information displayed in a page including a navigation area and a content area, comprising:

a computer;

a network communication for communicating with a remote device;

program logic executed by the computer, including;

(i) means for receiving a first request from the remote device for a first page location comprising a content area and a first of n different sized navigation areas, wherein each page location enables access to one content area and navigation area to be displayed, wherein the content area and navigation area are displayed in separate regions at the page location, and wherein n comprises a number of the different sized navigation areas;

(ii) means for transmitting to the remote device the content area and first navigation area at the requested first page location;

(iii) means for receiving from the remote device a second request for a second page location comprising the same content area at the first page location and a second of n navigation areas having a different size than the first navigation area at the first page location; and

(iv) means for transmitting to the remote device the content area and second navigation area at the second page location in response to the second request wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the program logic further comprises:

means for receiving a third request from the remote device for a third page location for a content area that is different from the content area at the first page location and the first navigation area at the first page location; and

means for transmitting the content area and first navigation area at the third page location in response to the second request.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein at last two pages having distinct network addresses include the three page locations, wherein the request for one of the page locations comprises a request for the page and content area and navigation area therein at the distinctive network address.

21. An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer to present information, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium including at least one computer program that causes the computer to perform:

providing at least one content area of information and n different sized navigation areas wherein n comprises a number of the different sized navigation areas; and

providing n page locations for each content areas wherein the n page locations for one content area have the content area with a different sized navigation area, and wherein each navigation area at the page locations for the content area includes at least one link to another page location with the content area and a different sized navigation area, wherein each page location enables access to one content area and navigation area to be displayed, and wherein the content area and navigation area are displayed in separate regions at the page location wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein providing each content area comprises providing m content areas, wherein each page location comprises a page, and further comprising providing n times m pages, wherein each page includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein providing the content area comprises providing m content areas, and further comprising providing n times m page locations and at least one page including multiple page locations, wherein each page location includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 21, further causing the computer to perform:

providing m content areas, wherein there are m times n page locations for each content area and navigation area pair; and

displaying the content area and navigation area at one of the page locations, wherein the displayed navigation areas display links to m−

1 page locations including different content areas and the same sized navigation area and links to n−

1 page locations including the same content area as at the displayed page location and one of the n−

1 navigation areas that has a different size than the navigation area at the displayed page location.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the content area includes content that is one of the content types comprising text, images, audio, movies, and three dimensional images.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 22, wherein each page is implemented in an SGML document and wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the displayed size of the navigation area is capable of being modified with a user input device.

24. An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer to present information, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable medium including at least one computer program that causes the computer to perform:

receiving a first request for a first page location comprising a content area and a first of n different sized navigation areas, wherein each page location enables access to one content area and navigation area to be displayed, wherein n comprises a number of the different sized navigation areas, and wherein the content area and navigation area are displayed in separate regions at the page location;

transmitting the content area and first navigation area at the requested first page location;

receiving a second request for a second page location comprising the same content area at the first page location and a second of n navigation areas having a different size than the first navigation area at the first page location; and

transmitting the content area and second navigation area at the page addressable location in response to the second request wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, further causing the computer to perform:

receiving a third request for a third page location for a content area that is different from the content area at the first page location and the first navigation area at the first page location; and

transmitting the content area and first navigation area at the third page location in response to the second request.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 25, wherein at least two pages having distinct network addresses include the three page locations, wherein the request for one of the page locations comprises a request for the page and content area and navigation area therein at the distinctive network address.

31. A computer readable storage medium including:

at least one content area of information and n different sized navigation areas, wherein n comprises a number of the different sized navigation areas; and

n page locations for each content area, wherein the n page locations for one content area have the content area with a different sized navigation area, wherein each navigation area at the page locations for the content area includes at least one link to another page location with the content area and a different sized navigation area, wherein each page location enables access to one content area and navigation area to be displayed, wherein the content area and navigation area are displayed in separate regions at the page location, and wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 31, further including m content areas and n times m pages, wherein each page location comprises a page, and wherein each page includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 31, further including m content areas and n times m page locations and at least one page including multiple page locations, wherein each page location includes one of the m content areas and one of the n navigation areas.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the content area includes content that is one of the content types comprising text, images, audio, movies, and three dimensional images.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein each page is implemented in an SGML document and wherein the links comprise hypertext links.

36. The computer readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the size of the navigation area is capable of being altered with a user input device.