System and method for improved navigation using bookmarks for movement between locations in a windows environment

• US 6,966,038 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 11/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shaver, Robert, Conmy, Douglas Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Mylinh
• Application Number:
  US09/337,539
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 345/854, 345/738, 345/739, 707/501.1, 709/217, 715/854, 715/738, 715/739, 715/762, 715/835, 715/781, 715/716
• US Class Current: 715/854
• 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

A system and method for providing a bookmark section within each program GUI. The bookmark section contains one or more selectable portions that enable a user to select one or more bookmarks corresponding to programs, files within programs, views within programs or files, or any other graphical presentation that is accessible within the system. The user selects a bookmark and proceeds directly to the desired location in the system corresponding to that bookmark with a single step. The user may create bookmarks so that locations within the system may be quickly accessed.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a user to navigate within a computer system through the use of bookmarks comprising:

a bookmark presentation module that presents one or more bookmarks in a graphical user interface, the one or more bookmarks corresponding to at least one link to any location within the computer system;

a bookmark selection module comprising one or more selection portions, the selection portion enabling the user to select one or more bookmarks corresponding to one or more programs and one or more views with in the programs, wherein the bookmarks are presented in the graphical user interface; and

a bookmark execution module that responds to the bookmark selection module to resolve the link and present information to which the link refers, wherein the link is capable of referring to a Uniform Resource Locator and is also capable of referring to other location identifying information within the computer system.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a bookmark database containing entries for each bookmark on the system, each entry containing an identification of the bookmark and the link associated with that bookmark.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a bookmark creation module that enables a user to create a bookmark button to any location within the computer system;

wherein the bookmark presentation module is responsive to present the bookmark button that has been created.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on a hard drive of a user'"'"'s computer.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on the Internet.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on an intranet server to which a user'"'"'s terminal is attached.

7. A method for enabling a user to navigate within a computer system through the use of bookmarks comprising the steps of:

presenting one or more bookmarks in a graphical user interface, the one or more bookmarks corresponding to at least one link to any location within the computer system;

enabling the user to select one or more bookmarks corresponding to one or more programs and one or more views with in the programs, wherein the bookmarks are presented in the graphical user interface; and

responding to the bookmark selection means to resolve the link and present information to which the link refers, wherein the link is capable of referring to a Uniform Resource Locator and is also capable of referring other location identifying information within the computer system.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of storing entries for each bookmark on the system, each entry containing an identification of the bookmark and the link associated with that bookmark.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of enabling the user to create a bookmark button to a location within the computer system;

responding to the bookmark creation means for presenting the bookmark button that has been created.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on a hard drive of the user'"'"'s computer.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on the Internet.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on an intranet server to which a user'"'"'s terminal is attached.

13. A system for enabling a user to navigate within a computer system through the use of bookmarks comprising:

bookmark presentation means for presenting one or more bookmarks in a graphical user interface, the one or more bookmarks corresponding to at least one link to any location within the computer system;

a bookmark selection means comprising one or more selection portions, the selection portion enabling the user to select one or more bookmarks corresponding to one or more programs and one or more views with in the programs, wherein the bookmarks are presented in the graphical user interface; and

bookmark execution means for responding to the bookmark selection means to resolve the link and present information to which the link refers, wherein the link is capable of referring to a Uniform Resource Locator and is also capable of referring to other location identifying information within the computer system.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising bookmark database means for containing entries for each bookmark on the system, each entry containing an identification of the bookmark and the link associated with that bookmark.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising bookmark creation means for enabling the user to create a bookmark button to any location within the computer system;

wherein the bookmark presentation means responds to the bookmark creation means for presenting the bookmark button that has been created.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on a hard drive of the user'"'"'s computer.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on the Internet.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on an intranet server to which a user'"'"'s terminal is attached.

19. A processor readable medium having processor readable code embodied therein for enabling a user to navigate within a computer system comprising:

processor readable code for causing a processor to present one or more bookmarks in a graphical user interface, the one or more bookmarks corresponding to at least one link to any location within the computer system;

processor readable code for causing a processor to enable the user to select one or more bookmarks corresponding to one or more programs and one or more views with in the programs, wherein the bookmarks are presented in the graphical user interface; and

processor readable code for causing a processor to respond to the bookmark selection means to present information to which the link refers, wherein the link is capable of referring to a Uniform Resource Locator and is also capable of referring to other location identifying information within the computer system.

20. The medium of claim 19 further comprising processor readable code means for causing a processor to store entries for each bookmark on the system, each entry containing an identification of the bookmark and the link associated with that bookmark.

21. The medium of claim 19 further comprising:

processor readable code for causing a processor to enable the user to create a bookmark to a location within the computer system;

processor readable code for causing a processor to respond to the bookmark creation means for resolving the link and presenting information to which the link refers, wherein the link is capable of referring to a Uniform Resource Locator and is also capable of referring to other location identifying information within the computer system.

22. The medium of claim 19 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on a hard drive of the user'"'"'s computer.

23. The medium of claim 19 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on the Internet.

24. The medium of claim 19 wherein the one or more bookmarks correspond to locations on an intranet server to which a user'"'"'s terminal is attached.

25. A system for enabling a user to navigate within a computer system through the use of bookmarks comprising:

a bookmark presentation module that presents one or more bookmarks in a graphical user interface, the one or more bookmarks corresponding to links to any file, page, view, portion of a file, portion of a page, portion of a view, program or action available within the computer system;

a bookmark selection module comprising one or more selection portions, the selection portion enabling the user to select one or more bookmarks corresponding to one or more programs and one or more views with in the programs, wherein the bookmarks are presented in the graphical user interface; and

bookmark execution module for responding to the bookmark selection module to resolve the link and present information to which the link refers, wherein the link is capable of referring to a Uniform Resource Locator and is also capable of referring to other location identifying information within the computer system.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the file, page, view, portion of a file, portion of a page, portion of a view, program or action available within the computer system are located on a hard drive of the user'"'"'s computer.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the file, page, view, portion of a file, portion of a page, portion of a view, program or action available within the computer system are located on the Internet.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the file, page, view, portion of a file, portion of a page, portion of a view, program or action available within the computer system are located on an intranet server to which a user'"'"'s terminal is attached.

29. A method of navigating among application programs on a system comprising:

from a first application program, providing a bookmark to a user, said bookmark including a reference to a second application program and an object within the second application program;

in response to the user selecting the bookmark, invoking the second application program; and

presenting the user with the object within the second application program.

30. A method of navigating among application programs on a system comprising:

presenting one or more bookmarks to a user, wherein at least one bookmark corresponds to a reference to at least one object accessed within an application program;

upon the user selecting the at least one bookmark, invoking the application program; and

presenting the at least one object to the user.