Display method and apparatus for facilitating interaction with Web sites

• US 6,922,815 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2001
• Issued: 07/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James A. Nolen III
• Original Assignee: James A. Nolen III
• Inventors: Rosen, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/851,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20020135538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 715781-782, 715/759, 715/776, 715738-739, 715802-804, 715848-852, 705 26- 27, 345/759, 345/776, 345/738, 345/739, 345/781, 345/782, 345/802, 345/803, 345/804, 345848-852, 345/381, 345/382
• US Class Current: 715/782
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

The invention is a computer-implemented method and apparatus for organizing Web pages and other computer files relative to each other in a manner analogous to a three or four dimensional spatial relationship and displaying multiple Web pages simultaneously in multiple panels of a computer monitor in accordance with said spatial organization, whereby despite the organization, at least one of the Web pages or files can be made to stay in the same panel of the display while the user navigates through the virtual multidimensional space.

Claims

1. A method of browsing the World Wide Web comprising the steps of:

(1) relating Web pages on said World Wide Web to each other consistent with a spatial organization;

(2) simultaneously displaying multiple Web pages in multiple panels of a display in a manner consistent with said spatial organization;

(3) allowing a user surfing the World Wide Web to move a Web page between said panels of said display;

(4) designating at least one of said Web pages as an always there page “

responsive to data identifying said at least one Web page as an always there page, said data contained in said at least one Web page;

”

(5) responsive to a user moving a Web page between panels, automatically moving others of said Web pages among said panels, except said always there page and any page that, responsive to said movement would otherwise appear in said panel occupied by said always there page, in a manner that is consistent with said spatial organization; and

(6) causing said always there Web page to remain in a particular panel of said display regardless of movement of other Web pages.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (6) comprises, responsive to movement by said user of a page displayed in one of said panels to another panel, moving said pages displayed in other of said panels correspondingly, except for said always there page.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (4) is performed by said user.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (4) is performed automatically responsive to meta-data contained in said at least one Web page.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said meta-data is embedded within said at least one Web page.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (2) comprises displaying said multiple Web pages in a manner that emulates at least three dimensional space.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said spatial organization of Web pages corresponds to at least a three dimensional spatial interrelationship.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (5), said page that would otherwise appear in a panel within which said always there page is displayed, is not displayed.

9. A computer implemented method of organizing and displaying data on a computer display, said data comprised of separate computer files comprising data for display, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) relating said files to each other consistent with a spatial organization;

(2) simultaneously displaying multiple files in multiple panels of a display in a manner visually consistent with said spatial organization;

(3) allowing a user to move said files among said panels of said display;

(4) designating at least one of said files as an always there file responsive to data identifying said at least one of said files as an always there file, said data contained in at least one of said files;

(5) responsive to a user moving a file between panels, automatically moving other of said files among said panels, except said always there file and any page that, responsive to said movement would otherwise appear in said panel occupied by said always there page, in a manner that is consistent with said spatial organization; and

(6) causing said always there file to remain in a particular panel of said display regardless of movement of other Web pages.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein step (6) comprises, responsive to movement by said user of a file displayed in one of said panels to another panel, moving said files displayed in others of said panels correspondingly, except for said always there file.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein step (4) is performed by said user.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said data contained in at least one of said files is contained within said designated always there file.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein step (2) comprises displaying said multiple files in a manner that emulates at least three dimensional space.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said spatial organization of files corresponds to at least a three dimensional spatial interrelationship.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein, in step (5), a file that would otherwise appear in a panel within which said always there file is displayed, is not displayed.

16. A computer implemented Web browser comprising:

a first program for relating Web pages on said World Wide Web to each other consistent with a spatial organization;

a second program for simultaneously displaying multiple Web pages in multiple panels of a display in a manner visually consistent with said spatial organization;

a third program for allowing a user to move a Web page among said panels of said display;

a fourth program for designating at least one of said Web pages as an always there page responsive to data identifying said at least one of said Web pages as an always there page, said data contained in said at least one Web page;

a fifth program, responsive to a user moving a Web page among panels, for automatically moving others of said Web pages among said panels, except said always there page and any page that, responsive to said movement would otherwise appear in said panel occupied by said always there page, in a manner that is consistent with said spatial organization; and

a sixth program for causing said always there Web page to remain in a particular panel of said display regardless of movement of other Web pages.

17. The Web browser of claim 16 wherein said sixth program is responsive to movement by said user of a page displayed in one of said panels to another panel to move said pages displayed in other of said panels correspondingly, except for said always there page.

18. The Web browser of claim 16 wherein said fourth program is responsive to a user of said Web browser.

19. The Web browser of claim 16 wherein said fourth program is responsive to meta-data contained in said at least one Web page.

20. The Web browser of claim 19 wherein said fourth program is responsive to meta-data embedded within said at least one Web page.

21. The Web browser of claim 16 wherein said second program displays said multiple Web pages in a manner that emulates at least three dimensional space.

22. The Web browser of claim 21 wherein said spatial organization of Web pages corresponds to at least a three dimensional spatial interrelationship.

23. The Web browser of claim 16 wherein said fifth program causes said page that would otherwise appear in a panel within which said always there page is displayed, to not be displayed.

24. A method of browsing the World Wide Web comprising the steps of:

(1) relating Web pages on said World Wide Web to each other consistent with a spatial organization;

(2) simultaneously displaying multiple Web pages in multiple panels of a display in a manner consistent with said spatial organization;

(3) allowing a user surfing the World Wide Web to move a Web page between said panels of said display;

(4) designating at least one of said Web pages as an always there page;

(5) responsive to a user moving a Web page between panels, automatically moving others of said Web pages among said panels, except said always there page and any page that, responsive to said movement would otherwise appear in said panel occupied by said always there page, in a manner that is consistent with said spatial organization; and

(6) causing said always there Web page to remain in a particular panel of said display regardless of movement of other Web pages;

wherein step 4 comprises the steps of;

(4.1) said user positioning a cursor in one of said panels corresponding to said at least one Web page;

(4.2) said user right clicking on a mouse;

(4.3) responsive to performance of step (4.2), causing a menu to be displayed, said menu including an option to designate said at least one Web page as an always there page; and

(4.4) responsive to said user selecting said option from said menu, causing said at least one Web page to be designated as said always there page responsive to said selection.

25. A computer implemented method of organizing and displaying data on a computer display, said data comprised of separate computer files comprising data for display, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) relating said files to each other consistent with a spatial organization;

(2) simultaneously displaying multiple files in multiple panels of a display in a manner visually consistent with said spatial organization;

(3) allowing a user to move said files among said panels of said display;

(4) designating at least one of said files as an always there file responsive to data contained in at least one of said files;

(5) responsive to a user moving a file between panels, automatically moving other of said files among said panels, except said always there file and any page that, responsive to said movement would otherwise appear in said panel occupied by said always there page, in a manner that is consistent with said spatial organization; and

(6) causing said always there file to remain in a particular panel of said display regardless of movement of other Web pages,

wherein step (4) comprises the steps of;

(4.1) said user positioning a cursor in one of said panels;

(4.2) said user performing an operation indicating a desire that said at least one file be designated as an always there file;

(4.3) said user right clicking on a mouse;

(4.4) responsive to performance of step (4.3), causing a menu to be displayed, said menu including an option to designate said at least one file as an always there file; and

(4.5) responsive to said user selecting said option from said menu, causing said file displayed within said panel within which said cursor was positioned in step (4.1) to be designated as said always there file.

26. A computer implemented Web browser comprising:

a first program for relating Web pages on said World Wide Web to each other consistent with a spatial organization;

a second program for simultaneously displaying multiple Web pages in multiple panels of a display in a manner visually consistent with said spatial organization;

a third program for allowing a user to move a Web page among said panels of said display;

a fourth program for designating at least one of said Web pages as an always there page;

a fifth program, responsive to a user moving a Web page among panels, for automatically moving others of said Web pages among said panels, except said always there page and any page that, responsive to said movement would otherwise appear in said panel occupied by said always there page, in a manner that is consistent with said spatial organization; and

a sixth program for causing said always there Web page to remain in a particular panel of said display regardless of movement of other Web pages;

wherein said fourth program operates, responsive to said user positioning a cursor in one of said panels corresponding to said at least one Web page and right clicking on a mouse, to cause a menu to be displayed, said menu including an option to designate said at least one Web page as an always there page, and, responsive to said user selecting said option from said menu, designating said at least one Web page as an always there page.