System and method for customizing workspace

• US 7,117,452 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Andreas, William Stephen, Pavelski, Frank Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MYLINH T
• Application Number:
  US09/337,538
• Time in Patent Office: 2,660 Days
• Field of Search: 345/764, 345/792, 345/788, 345/798, 345/800, 345/799, 345/765, 345/762, 345/806, 345/783, 345/760, 345/744, 345/747, 715/764, 715/792, 715/788, 715/798, 715/800, 715/799, 715/765, 715/762, 715/806, 715/783, 715/760, 715/744, 715/747
• US Class Current: 715/792
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium creating a custom frameset within at least one non-based computer application. The system enables a user to customize a view containing a plurality of documents in frames, the documents may include web documents and non-web documents, using predefined framesets. A graphical user interface may be provided that presents a user with various options relating to predefined framesets. The user may select one or more options relating to various attributes of each frame within a predefined frameset including the number, size, and orientation, to customize the layout of the view. The user may then specify one or more attributes to be assigned to each frame. The predefined frameset may then be customized according to the user'"'"'s selection(s). The options may also include enabling users to divide the view into individual frames. The user may also be presented with one or more graphical user interfaces which present the user with various options that may be customized for a particular view.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a user to create a frameset arrangement for a view comprising:

a frameset arrangement presentation object that simultaneously displays a plurality of predefined frameset arrangements to the user through a graphical user interface, wherein the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements are displayed as objects to the user;

a frame number specification object that enables the user to specify at least a first number of frames or a second number of frames in the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements, the first number of frames being different than the second number of frames;

a frameset selection object that enables the user to select one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements through the graphical user interface; and

a view presentation object that presents the view to the user having the predefined frameset arrangement selected;

wherein in response to the user specifying the first number of frames, the frameset arrangement presentation object presents the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements, each having the first number of frames specified by the user, and

wherein in response to the user specifying the second number of frames, the frameset arrangement presentation object presents the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements, each having the second number of frames specified by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the frameset arrangement presentation object simultaneously displays a plurality of icons, each icon representing one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the frameset selection object comprises the plurality of icons displayed by the frameset arrangement presentation object so that the user may select an icon to select the predefined frameset arrangement that the icon represents.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the frameset arrangement comprises specification of a size of each frame.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the frameset arrangement comprises specification of a location of each frame within the view.

6. A system for enabling a user to create a frameset arrangement for a view comprising:

means for simultaneously displaying a plurality of predefined frameset arrangements to the user through a graphical user interface, wherein the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements are displayed as objects to the user;

means for enabling the user to specify at least a first number of frames or a second number of frames in the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements, the first number of frames being different than the second number of frames;

means for enabling the user to select one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements through the graphical user interface; and

means for presenting the view to the user having the selected predefined frameset arrangement;

wherein in response to the user specifying the first number of frames, the means for simultaneously displaying the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements presents each of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements with the first number of frames specified by the user, and

wherein in response to the user specifying the second number of frames, the means for simultaneously displaying the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements presents each of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements with the second number of frames specified by the user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for simultaneously displaying the plurality of predefined framesets simultaneously displays a plurality of icons, each icon representing one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for enabling the user to select one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements comprises the plurality of icons displayed by the means for simultaneously displaying the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements so that the user may select one of the plurality of icons to select the predefined frameset arrangement that the icon represents.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the predefined frameset arrangement comprises specification of a size of each frame.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the predefined frameset arrangement comprises specification of a location of each frame within the view.

11. A method for enabling a user to create a frameset arrangement for a view comprising the steps of:

simultaneously displaying a plurality of frameset arrangements to the user through a graphical user interface, wherein the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements are displayed as objects to the user;

enabling the user to specify at least a first number of frames or a second number of frames in the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements, the first number of frames being different than the second number of frames;

enabling the user to select one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements through the graphical user interface; and

presenting the view to the user having the selected predefined frameset arrangement;

wherein if the user specifies the first number of frames, the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements are each displayed with the first number of frames specified by the user, and

wherein if the user specifies the second number of frames, the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements are each displayed with the second number of frames specified by the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of simultaneously displaying a plurality of icons, wherein each icon represents one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of enabling the user to select one of the plurality of icons to select one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements that the icon represents.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the predefined frameset arrangement specifies a size of each frame.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the predefined frameset arrangement specifies a location of each frame within the view.

16. A processor readable medium having processor readable code embodied therein for causing a processor to enable a user to create a frameset arrangement for a view, the medium comprising:

processor readable code for causing the processor to simultaneously display a plurality of predefined frameset arrangements to the user through a graphical user interface, wherein the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements are displayed as objects to the user;

processor readable code for causing the processor to enable the user to specify at least a first number of frames or a second number of frames in the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements, the first number of frames being different than the second number of frames;

processor readable code for causing the processor to enable the user to select one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements through the graphical user interface; and

processor readable code for causing the processor to present the view to the user having the selected predefined frameset arrangement;

wherein in response to the user specifying the first number of frames the processor readable code further causes the processor to present each of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements with the first number of frames specified by the user, and

wherein in response to the user specifying the second number of frames the processor readable code further causes the processor to present each of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements with the second number of frames specified by the user.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein the processor readable code further causes the processor to simultaneously display a plurality of icons, each icon representing one of the plurality of predefined frameset arrangements.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the processor readable code further causes the processor to enable the user to select one of the plurality of icons and thereby select the predefined frameset arrangement that the selected icon represents.

19. The medium of claim 16, further comprising processor readable code for causing the processor to specify a size of each frame.

20. The medium of claim 16, further comprising processor readable code for causing the processor to specify a location of each frame within the view.

21. A method for enabling a user to customize a workspace, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of predefined framesets, wherein each of the plurality of predefined framesets includes a predefined number of frames and a predefined layout for the frames;

simultaneously displaying a plurality of user selectable graphical interface objects, wherein each user selectable graphical interface object includes a graphical representation of a corresponding one of the plurality of predefined framesets, wherein said graphical representation includes the corresponding predefined number of frames and the corresponding predefined layout for the frames, wherein the graphical representations of the plurality of user selectable graphical interface objects are displayed together in a user interface;

enabling the user to specify a number of frames that are displayed for the plurality of predefined framesets;

in response to the user specifying the number of frames, retrieving one or more of the plurality of predefined framesets, wherein each of the one or more of the plurality of predefined framesets includes the specified number of frames;

selecting one of the plurality of user selectable graphical interface objects thereby enabling the user to select said corresponding one of the plurality of predefined framesets; and

presenting the selected corresponding one of the plurality of predefined framesets.

22. The method claim 21, further comprising:

enabling the user to modify the selected predefined frameset.

23. The method claim 21, wherein at least one frame of said each frameset includes a non-web document.

24. The method claim 21, wherein said each frameset includes at least one frame for inputting a web document and at least one frame for inputting a non-web document.