Display of software notes indicating that content from a content provider site is available for display

• US 7,343,415 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Kenner, Martin A., Westover, Brian, Eisenberg, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung; Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/821,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,539 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709217-219, 715/759
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

First program code is executed at a content recipient so as to identify a content provider having posted content of interest to the content recipient. Second program code is executed at the content recipient so as to automatically access the content provider and initiate receipt by the content recipient of the posted content.

Claims

1. A method performed at a content recipient comprising:

executing first program code at the content recipient so as to receive content from a content provider;

executing second program code at the content recipient so as to display the content behind a session if the session is active; and

,

executing third program code so as to display a notifier indicating that the content is available for display, wherein the notifier is displayed so as to be viewable while the content is being displayed behind the active session.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing fourth program code at the content recipient so as to burn the content through the session in order to visibly display the content to a user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing fourth program code at the content recipient so as to display the notifier over the session even if the session is active, wherein the notifier indicates that the content is available for display.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing fourth program code at the content recipient so as to burn the content through the session in response to selection of the notifier in order to visibly display the content to a user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifier is an icon.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising electronically receiving the first and second program code at the content recipient from the content provider.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing fourth program code at the content recipient so as to visibly display the content to a user by automatically layering the content over the session.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the content is automatically layered over the session upon receipt of the content.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the content is automatically layered over the session dependent upon subject matter of the content.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the content is automatically layered over the session dependent upon an identity of the content provider.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the content is immediately layered over the session upon receipt of the content provider.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the content is layered over the session in response to a user action.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing fourth program code at the content recipient so as to attach the content to an attachment site automatically upon receipt of the content.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the attachment site is a calendar.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the attachment site is an address book.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the attachment site is a window.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the attachment site is a document.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the attachment site is a desktop.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing fourth program code at the content recipient so as to layer the content over the session in order to visibly display the content to a user.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the layering of the content over the session is in response to an action of the content recipient.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifier comprises a visual notifier.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the notifier comprises an audible notifier.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the executing of first program code comprises executing the first program code so as to transmit a world wide web address of the content provider and to receive the content from a content provider in response to the world wide web address.

24. A method performed at a content recipient comprising:

executing first program code at the content recipient so as to receive a note from a content provider, wherein the note contains content, and wherein the note has a property of automatic attachment to a window following dragging the note to and then dropping the note over the window; and

,

executing second program code at the content recipient so as to display the note behind a session if the session is active.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing of first program code at the content recipient so as to receive a note comprises executing the first program code so as to automatically initiate a request to receive the note.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the note has a property of automatic attachment such that the note automatically attaches to a window to which the note is dragged and then dropped.