Method and apparatus for displaying miniaturized graphical representations of documents for alternative viewing selection
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- displaying a current document in a center portion of a display panel of a graphical user interface;
determining if other documents are relevant to the current document based on one or more predetermined criteria having a relationship to the current document;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a first relationship to the current document in a first panel of a plurality of selection panels of the graphical user interface;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a second relationship, different from the first relationship, to the current document in a second panel of the plurality of selection panels;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a third relationship, different from the first and second relationships, to the current document in a third panel of the plurality of selection panels;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a fourth relationship, different from the first, second and third relationships, to the current document in a fourth panel of the plurality of selection panels; and
the graphical thumbnail representations being displayed in corresponding panels located as a border about the current document on the graphical user interface and in which the graphical thumbnail representations are minuscule pictures of actual documents that the graphical thumbnail representations represent.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for displaying miniaturized graphical representations (i.e., thumbnails) of documents for alternative viewing selection by a user. A current document is displayed on a display panel of a graphical user interface (GUI) for viewing and/or manipulation by a user. The GUI further includes a plurality of selection panels that collectively form a border around the current document of the display panel. Disposed on these selection panels are a plurality of thumbnails of other documents that are deemed relevant to the current document by a predetermined, user-defined criterion. Selection of one of these thumbnails conveniently displays the document represented by such thumbnail to be displayed on the display panel in lieu of the current document. Advantageously, documents deemed relevant to a currently displayed document are easily accessible to the user.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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displaying a current document in a center portion of a display panel of a graphical user interface;
determining if other documents are relevant to the current document based on one or more predetermined criteria having a relationship to the current document;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a first relationship to the current document in a first panel of a plurality of selection panels of the graphical user interface;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a second relationship, different from the first relationship, to the current document in a second panel of the plurality of selection panels;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a third relationship, different from the first and second relationships, to the current document in a third panel of the plurality of selection panels;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a fourth relationship, different from the first, second and third relationships, to the current document in a fourth panel of the plurality of selection panels; and
the graphical thumbnail representations being displayed in corresponding panels located as a border about the current document on the graphical user interface and in which the graphical thumbnail representations are minuscule pictures of actual documents that the graphical thumbnail representations represent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 40, 41)
displaying a new current document in the display panel;
determining if one or more documents are relevant to the new current document based on the one or more predetermined criteria;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the first relationship to the new current document in the first selection panel;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the second relationship to the new current document in the second selection panel;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the third relationship to the new current document in the third selection panel; and
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the fourth relationship to the new current document in the fourth selection panel.
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41. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying a first label corresponding to the first relationship at the first selection panel, a second label corresponding to the second relationship at the second selection panel, a third label corresponding to the third relationship at the third one selection panel and a fourth label corresponding to the fourth relationship at the fourth selection panel.
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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a display; and
a processor coupled to display on the display a graphical user interface having a display panel and a plurality of selection panels, to display a current document in a center portion of the display panel, to determine if other documents are relevant to the current document based on one or more predetermined criteria having a relationship to the current document, to display a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a first relationship to the current document in a first panel of the plurality of selection panels, to display a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a second relationship, different from the first relationship, to the current document in a second panel of the plurality of selection panels, to display a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a third relationship, different from the first and second relationships, to the current document in a third panel of the plurality of selection panels, to display a graphic thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a fourth relationship, different from the first, second and third relationships, to the current document in a fourth panel of the plurality of selection panels, the graphical thumbnail representations being displayed in corresponding panels which are to be located as a border about the current document and the graphical thumbnail representations are to be minuscule pictures of actual documents that the graphical thumbnail representations represent. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 42, 43)
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28. A program storage device programmed with instructions that, if executed by a machine, perform a method comprising:
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displaying a current document in a center portion of a display panel of a graphical user interface;
determining if other documents are relevant to the current document based on one or more predetermined criteria having a relationship to the current document;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a first relationship to the current document in a first panel of a plurality of selection panels of the graphical user interface;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a second relationship, different from the first relationship, to the current document in a second panel of the plurality of selection panels;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a third relationship, different from the first and second relationships, to the current document in a third panel of the plurality of selection panels;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a fourth relationship, different from the first, second and third relationships, to the current document in a fourth panel of the plurality of selection panels; and
the graphical thumbnail representations being displayed in corresponding selection panels located as a border about the current document on the graphical user interface and in which the graphical thumbnail representations are minuscule pictures of actual documents that the graphical thumbnail representations represent. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 44, 45)
displaying a new current document in the display panel;
determining if one or more documents are relevant to the new current document based on the one or more predetermined criteria;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the first relationship to the new current document in the first selection panel;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the second relationship to the new current document in the second selection panel;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the third relationship to the new current document in the third selection panel; and
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having the fourth relationship to the new current document in the fourth selection panel.
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45. The program storage device of claim 28, wherein the method comprises displaying a first label corresponding to the first relationship at the first selection panel, a second label corresponding to the second relationship at the second selection panel, a third label corresponding to the third relationship at the third selection panel and a fourth label corresponding to the fourth relationship at the fourth selection panel.
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46. A method comprising:
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displaying a current document in a center portion of a display panel of a graphical user interface;
determining if documents are relevant to the current document based on one or more predetermined criteria having a relationship to the current document;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a first relationship to the current document in a first panel of a plurality of selection panels of the graphical user interface contemporaneously with the displayed current document along a top border of the current document;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a second relationship, different from the first relationship, to the current document in a second panel of the plurality of selection panels contemporaneously with the displayed current document along a right-side border of the current document;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a third relationship, different from the first and second relationship, to the current document in a third panel of the plurality of selection panels contemporaneously with the displayed current document along a bottom border of the current document;
displaying a graphical thumbnail representation of one or more documents having a fourth relationship, different from the first, second and third relationships, to the current document in a fourth panel of the plurality of selection panels contemporaneously with the displayed current document along a left-side border of the current document; and
wherein the graphical thumbnail representations are minuscule pictures of actual documents that the graphical thumbnail representations represent. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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Specification