Method and system of providing customizable buttons

• US 7,793,227 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2004
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fan, Duke Tsao-Ming, Wada, Alan, Burke, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): KE, PENG
• Application Number:
  US10/794,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 715/779, 715/780, 715764-768, 715/717, 715/700, 715709-712
• US Class Current: 715/779
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides for one or more customizable buttons, used with a downloadable toolbar for an Internet browser. The method may comprise directing an Internet browser user, using a computer, to a button modification medium, receiving modification information from the Internet browser user and loading the modified buttons on the computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer, an indication from a client user that the client user desires to configure a user customizable button of a graphical user interface of a browser toolbar of a browser;

directing, by the server computer, the client user to a configuration medium, the configuration medium comprising a web page that comprises a plurality of client user selectable button options,

the button options comprising a uniform resource identifier to associate with the user-customizable button, a title to associate with the user-customizable button, and an icon to associate with the user-customizable button,

the uniform resource identifier associated with the user-customizable button representing a site to which the browser navigates when said client user selects said user customizable button;

receiving at the server computer a selected button option that configures the user-customizable button of said graphical user interface into a user-customized button; and

causing, by the server computer, a display of the user-customized button as part of the downloadable toolbar.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the title and the uniform resource locator associated with the user customizable button with an account of the client user;

receiving information to enable the client user to log into the account; and

logging the client user into the account such that the customized button appears in response to logging the client user into the account.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the title and the uniform resource locator to the client user along with non-user-defined button characteristics of buttons for a downloadable toolbar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-customizable button is part of a downloadable toolbar and provides a function of the downloadable toolbar.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the uniform resource identifier is associated with a browser extension which, when loaded on a computer of the client user, adds functionality to the browser.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-customizable button is associated with a search field of the downloadable toolbar, the method further comprising:

causing a search query entered in the search field to be directed to the site associated with the uniform resource identifier for a search to be performed by a search provider at the site.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an instruction from the client user to cause the icon to be displayed at least in part within the boundaries of the customized button.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-customizable button defines a first region and a second region, wherein by selecting the first region, the client user initiates a functionality associated with the user-customizable button, and wherein by selecting the second region, the client user initiates a menu including at least one menu item, wherein the at least one menu item is defined at least in part by the title of the user-customizable button of the graphical user interface and the uniform resource locator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one of the at least one menu items comprises a button modification option.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon is selected from a plurality of predefined icon choices provided by a user-customizable button provider.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon is an image provided by the client user.

12. A method comprising:

receiving at a server an indication from a first client user that the first client user desires to configure a first user-customizable button of a first graphical user interface of a first browser toolbar of a first browser;

receiving at the server an indication from a second client user that the second client user desires to configure a second user-customizable button of a second graphical user interface of a second browser toolbar of a second browser;

directing the first client user to a configuration medium, the configuration medium comprising a web page that comprises a plurality of first client user selectable button options,

the first client user selectable button options comprising a uniform resource identifier to associate with the first user-customizable button, a title to associate with the first user-customizable button, and an icon to associate with the first user-customizable button,

the uniform resource identifier associated with the first user-customizable button representing a site to which the first browser navigates when said first client user selects said first user customizable button;

directing the second client user to the configuration medium, the configuration medium comprising a web page that comprises a plurality of second client user selectable button options,

the second client user selectable button options comprising a uniform resource identifier to associate with the second user-customizable button, a title to associate with the second user-customizable button, and an icon to associate with the second user-customizable button;

the uniform resource identifier associated with the second user-customizable button representing a site to which the second browser navigates when said second client user selects said second user customizable button;

in response to the first client user utilizing a shared computer, providing by said server the title of said first user-customizable button and said icon of said first user-customizable button to the shared computer to enable the shared computer to display one or more first user-customized buttons for the first client user, resulting in the shared computer having first user-customized buttons for the first graphical user interface of said first browser toolbar customized to the first client user when the shared computer is utilized by the first client user; and

in response to the second client user utilizing the shared computer, providing by said server the title of said second user-customizable button and said icon of said second user-customizable button to the shared computer to enable the shared computer to display one or more second user-customized buttons for the second client user, resulting in the shared computer having second user-customized buttons for the second graphical user interface of said second browser toolbar customized to the second client user when the shared computer is utilized by the second client user.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving information to enable the first client user to log into a first client user account; and

logging the first client user into the first client user account such that the providing of the first customized button occurs in response to logging the first client user into the first client user account.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request from the second client user to log into a second client user account; and

logging the second client user into the second client user account, wherein the providing of the second customized button occurs in response to logging the second client user into the second client user account.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

logging the first client user out of the first client user account prior to logging the second client user into the second client user account.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the first customized button and providing the second customized button to the computer further comprise providing the first customized button and the second customized button along with non-customized buttons for a downloadable toolbar.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the user-customizable buttons are part of a downloadable toolbar for adding user-defined functionality to the downloadable toolbar.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the uniform resource identifier is associated with a browser extension which, when loaded on the shared computer, adds functionality to the browser.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the browser navigates to the site associated with one of the user-customizable buttons when selected by the first client user.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein one of the user-customizable buttons is associated with a search field of the downloadable toolbar, the method further comprising:

causing a search query entered in the search field to be directed to the site associated with the uniform resource identifier for a search to be performed by a search provider at the site.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving an instruction from the first client user to cause an icon to be displayed at least in part within the boundaries of one of the customized buttons.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the user-customizable buttons defines a first region and a second region, wherein by selecting the first region, the first client user initiates a functionality associated with the one user-customizable button, and wherein by selecting the second region, the first client user initiates a menu including at least one menu item, wherein the at least one menu item is defined at least in part by the title of the first a user-customizable button of the graphical user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein one of the at least one menu items comprises a button modification option.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the icon is selected from a plurality of predefined icon choices provided by a user-customizable button provider.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the icon is an image provided by the first client user.

37. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the user-customizable buttons defines a first region and a second region, wherein by selecting the first region, the first user initiates a functionality associated with the one user-customizable button, and wherein by selecting the second region, the first user initiates a menu including at least one menu item, wherein the at least one menu item is defined at least in part by the first data identifying a first uniform resource locator.

26. A system comprising:

at least one server configured for;

receiving an indication from a client user that the client user desires to configure a user customizable button of a graphical user interface of a browser toolbar of a browser;

directing the client user to a configuration medium, the configuration medium comprising a web page that comprises a plurality of client user selectable button options,

the button options comprising a uniform resource identifier to associate with the user-customizable button, a title to associate with the user-customizable button, and an icon to associate with the user-customizable button,

the uniform resource identifier associated with the user-customizable button representing a site to which the browser navigates when said client user selects said user customizable button;

receiving at said server a selected button option that configures the user-customizable button of said graphical user interface into a user-customized button; and

causing a display of the user-customized button as part of the downloadable toolbar.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the server is further configured for:

associating the title of the user-customizable button of a graphical user interface with an account of the client user;

associating the uniform resource locator with the account of the user;

receiving information to enable the client user to log into the account; and

logging the client user into the account such that the customized button appears in response to logging the client user into the account.

28. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a server computer, causes the server computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving, at said server computer, an indication from a user that the user desires to configure a user customizable button of a graphical user interface of a browser toolbar of a browser;

directing, by the server computer, the client user to a configuration medium, the configuration medium comprising a web page that comprises a plurality of client user selectable button options,

the button options comprising a uniform resource identifier to associate with the user-customizable button, a title to associate with the user-customizable button, and an icon to associate with the user-customizable button,

the uniform resource identifier associated with the user-customizable button representing a site to which the browser navigates when said client user selects said user customizable button;

receiving at said server computer a selected button option that configures the user-customizable button of said graphical user interface into a user customized button; and

causing, by the server computer, a display of a user customized button as part of the downloadable toolbar.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the client user has an account with a user-customizable button provider, the method performed by the computer further comprising:

sending information to enable the client user to log into the client user account at the provider; and

receiving customized button characteristics from the provider after the client user is logged into the account.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the text for naming a user-customizable button of a graphical user interface along with non-user-defined button characteristics of buttons for a downloadable toolbar.

31. A method comprising:

receiving at a server text from a client user for naming a user-customizable button of a graphical user interface and data identifying a uniform resource locator, said uniform resource locator representing a site to which a browser navigates when said client user selects said user-customizable button;

associating the text for naming said user-customizable button of said graphical user interface and data identifying a uniform resource locator with the user-customizable button;

transmitting from said server user-defined button characteristics comprising said text to the client user so that said user-customizable button appears in said graphical user interface for use with a downloadable toolbar for the browser as a client user customized button;

receiving at said server a button modification request;

directing the client user to a modification medium, the modification medium comprising a modification web page that comprises a plurality of client user selectable button modification options;

wherein the modification options comprise a uniform resource identifier to associate with the user-customizable button, a title to associate with the user-customizable button, and an icon to associate with the user-customizable button;

receiving at said server a selected modification option that modifies the user-customizable button of a graphical user interface into a user-customized button;

causing the display of the user-customized button as part of the downloadable toolbar.

32. A method comprising:

receiving at a server a modification request for modifying a button of a graphical user interface, for use with a downloadable toolbar for a browser, the button being capable of being customized by a client user;

directing by the server the client user to a configuration medium, the configuration medium comprising a configuration web page that comprises a plurality of client user selectable button configuration options,

the button configuration options comprising a uniform resource identifier to associate with the button, a title to associate with the button, and an icon to associate with the button;

receiving by the server configuration modification information including data identifying the uniform resource identifier, the uniform resource identifier representing a site to which said browser navigates when said client user selects said user-customized button; and

causing display of the user-customized button.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the modification information comprises information from the user that results in an icon being associated with the button.

34. The method of claim 32, the method further comprising:

determining a particular uniform resource identifier to which the browser has been navigated at times at which said modification request is received; and

applying the modification information so as to automatically modify the user-defined button characteristics to associate the button with the particular determined uniform resource identifier.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the modification is implemented by initiating a modification of the toolbar.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising displaying at least the uniform resource identifier associated with the button and the particular determined uniform resource identifier prior to modification.