Methods and systems of providing information to computer users

• US 7,360,171 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Banks, Richard, Ruthfield, Scott L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US11/103,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 715/804, 715/805, 715/802, 715/749, 715/748, 715/760, 715/762, 715/763, 715/738, 715/781, 715/866, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/517, 705/213, 704/223, 704/217
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

Systems of providing information to computer users are described. In one embodiment, the system comprises means for displaying, in a navigable window of a display area of a user interface, a first contextual display associated with a first context that can enable a user to accomplish one or more tasks. The system further comprises means for, without changing the first context, presenting quick links to one or more contexts that are different from the user'"'"'s current context and that are provided by the single application program, each context being associated with a functionality that can enable the user to accomplish various tasks that are different from the one or more tasks that the user can accomplish using the first contextual display, the quick links being selectable to navigate the navigable window to a context associated with a selectable quick link.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

means for displaying, in a navigable window of a display area of a user interface, a first contextual display associated with a first context that can enable a user to accomplish one or more tasks, said displaying being accomplished using a single application program that is configured to provide multiple different contexts; and

means for, without changing the first context and using the single application program, presenting quick links to one or more contexts that are different from the user'"'"'s current context and that are provided by the single application program, each context being associated with a functionality that can enable the user to accomplish various tasks that are different from the one or more tasks that the user can accomplish using the first contextual display, the quick links being selectable to navigate the navigable window to a context associated with a selectable quick link, wherein said displaying is accomplished by the single application program using a navigable window comprising a single window, the application program being configured to navigate the single window between different contexts responsive to the user selecting a quick link;

means for displaying user-engagable indicia, each of which being associated with one or more quick links, said indicia being configured for engagement by a user so that the user can view the associated one or more quick links.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each functionality comprises a document-centric functionality.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the functionalities is different.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for automatically determining at least some of the quick links based, at least in part, on a user'"'"'s behavior within the single application program.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising means for automatically determining at least some of the quick links based, at least in part, on a user'"'"'s history within the single application program.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the single application program is configured with navigation instrumentalities that enable a user to navigate back and forth between the multiple different contexts.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the single application program is configured with a navigation model to manage navigation activities of the user, the navigation model comprising a navigation stack.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for presenting the user with a choice of multiple different algorithms, each algorithm being configured to provide a different collection of quick links; and

said means for presenting of the quick links presenting said quick links responsive to a user selecting one of the multiple different algorithms.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the multiple different algorithms comprises an algorithm that presents quick links on a favorites list based on items visited most often by a user in combination with items that have been recently added by a user to a favorites list.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein one of the multiple different algorithms comprises an algorithm that presents quick links based on items visited most often by a user in combination with items that have been recently visited by a user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein one of the algorithms comprises an algorithm that presents multiple quick links each of which representing a different document type that was the last item of a particular document type that was visited by a user.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein some of the algorithms are employable across multiple different content types.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by said one or more processors, cause said one or more processors to;

provide multiple different functionalities within the confines of a single application program, the multiple different functionalities being associated with individual different document-centric tasks that can be accomplished by a user, individual document-centric tasks being associated with different document types and different contexts;

define a single navigable window associated with a first context within which the different functionalities can be presented to a user so that they can accomplish a task associated with a particular functionality, the single navigable window being configured to navigate back and forth between the different functionalities;

define individual user-engagable indicia and associate those indicia with one or more of the multiple different functionalities, each indicia being engagable by a user to display quick links that are associated with a functionality, individual quick links being associated with a document that can enable a user to accomplish a task each in a context separate from each other; and

display one or more of the quick links associated with one functionality and context while a user is engaged in a task associated with another of the functionalities and contexts without requiring the user to change the functionality or context within which they are working.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions cause the computer to display a selection of multiple different algorithms from which a user can choose and which affect the quick links that are displayed.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the multiple different algorithms comprises an algorithm that presents quick links on a favorites list based on items visited most often by a user in combination with items that have been recently added by a user to a favorites list.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the multiple different algorithms comprises an algorithm that presents quick links based on items visited most often by a user in combination with items that have been recently visited by a user.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein one of the algorithms comprises an algorithm that presents multiple quick links each of which representing a different document type that was the last item of a particular document type that was visited by a user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said algorithm that presents multiple quick links is extendable to include newly created document types.

19. A system comprising:

means for receiving information that pertains to multiple different user contexts within an application program;

means for presenting a display comprising a navigable window to a user, the display pertaining to a first user context within the application program, the first user context permitting the user to accomplish tasks pertaining to a first content type; and

means for, without changing the first context and using the single application program, displaying multiple quick links that are associated with multiple contexts that are different from the first user context, the displayed quick links being associated with said information and being associated with a different content type, the quick links being selectable to navigate the navigable window to the different contexts, wherein each context is associated with a functionality that enables a user to accomplish various tasks that are different from the one or more tasks that the user can accomplish using the first contextual display;

means for displaying user-engagable indicia, each of which being associated with one or more quick links, said indicia being configured for engagement by a user so that the user can view the associated one or more quick links.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the multiple different user contexts are each associated with a different content type.