System and method for visual history presentation and management

• US 7,251,775 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2000
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Davidsson, Marcus, Willstedt, Charlotta, Astala, Arto
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon; Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blackwell; James H
• Application Number:
  US09/708,093
• Time in Patent Office: 2,456 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/501, 715/512, 715/744, 715/781, 715/863, 715/530, 715/739, 715/526, 715/764, 707/10, 707/100, 725/37, 345/764, 709/203, 709/245
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method and computer program for managing and presenting a visual history of web pages accessed by a user. This method and computer program is able to create a screen of thumbnail snapshots of web pages for presentation to a user. These thumbnail snapshots are reduced images of the actual web pages themselves that the user has visited. Associated with each thumbnail snapshot is a universal resource locator for the web page. The history of the web pages visited may be displayed in a toolbar which is scrollable.

Claims

1. A method of presenting and managing a history of web pages accessed, comprising:

accessing a web page by a user;

reducing the size of the accessed web page to a thumbnail snapshot;

comparing the accessed web page content to a previously accessed web page content; and

displaying the thumbnail snapshot of the accessed web page to the user in an area of a screen if the accessed web page content and the previously accessed web page content are not the same, wherein the thumbnail snapshot provides one or more options that, when selected by a user, store the thumbnail snapshot as a bookmark.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein prior to the reducing the size of the accessed web page to a thumbnail snapshot, further comprising:

checking a history file to determine if the accessed web page is in the history file; and

reducing the size of the web page only when the accessed web page is not in the history file.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the thumbnail snapshot is displayed to the user in a toolbar.

4. The method recited in claim 3, wherein the toolbar is able to scroll and display a plurality of thumbnail snapshots from the most recent to the least recent.

5. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying one or more thumbnail snapshots of bookmarked web pages in a second area of the screen.

6. The method recited in claim 5, wherein the screen is embodied in a cellular phone the thumbnail snapshots of the bookmarked web pages being arranged in a polar spatial organizational scheme.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the area of a screen containing only history information displays a plurality of thumbnail snapshots of previously accessed web pages simultaneously.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the screen is embodied in a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant.

9. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium and executable by a computer for presenting and managing a history of web pages accessed, when executed performing the steps of:

accessing a web page by a user;

reducing the size of the accessed web page to a thumbnail snapshot;

comparing the accessed web page content to a previously accessed web page content; and

displaying the thumbnail snapshot of the accessed web page to the user in an area of a screen containing history information only if the accessed web page content and the previously accessed web page content are not the same.

10. The computer program recited in claim 9, wherein prior to the reducing the size of the accessed web page to a thumbnail snapshot, further comprising:

checking a history file to determine if the accessed web page is in the history file; and

reducing the size of the accessed web page only when the web page is not in the history file.

11. The computer program recited in claim 10, wherein the thumbnail snapshot is displayed to the user in a toolbar.

12. The computer program recited in claim 11, wherein the toolbar is able to scroll and display a plurality of thumbnail snapshots from the most recent to the least recent.

13. The computer program recited in claim 9, further comprising:

displaying one or more thumbnail snapshots of bookmarked web pages in a second area of the screen.

14. The computer program recited in claim 13, wherein the thumbnail snapshots of the bookmarked web pages are arranged in a polar spatial organizational scheme.

15. The computer program recited in claim 9, wherein the screen is embodied in a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant.

16. A terminal, comprising:

a processor;

a screen; and

a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium and executable by the processor for presenting and managing a history of web pages accessed, when executed performing the steps of;

accessing a web page by a user;

reducing the size of the accessed web page to a thumbnail snapshot;

comparing the accessed web page content to a previously accessed web page content; and

displaying the thumbnail snapshot of the accessed web page to the user in an area of the screen containing history information only if the accessed web page content and the previously accessed web page content are not the same.

17. The terminal recited in claim 16, wherein, when executed, the computer program, prior to the reducing the size of the accessed web page to a thumbnail snapshot, further performs the steps of:

checking a history file to determine if the accessed web page is in the history file; and

reducing the size of the accessed web page only when the web page is not in the history file.

18. The terminal recited in claim 16, wherein the thumbnail snapshot is displayed to the user in a toolbar.

19. The terminal recited in claim 18, wherein the toolbar is able to scroll and display a plurality of thumbnail snapshots from the most recent to the least recent.

20. The terminal recited in claim 16, wherein, when executed, the computer program further performs the step of:

displaying one or more thumbnail snapshots of bookmarked web pages in a second area of the screen.

21. The terminal recited in claim 20, wherein the thumbnail snapshots of the bookmarked web pages are arranged in a polar spatial organizational scheme.

22. The terminal recited in claim 16, wherein the area of a screen containing only history information displays a plurality of thumbnail snapshots of previously accessed web pages simultaneously.

23. The terminal recited in claim 16, wherein the terminal is a cellular phone or a personal digital assistant.