Browsing web content using predictive navigation links

• US 7,810,035 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dominowska, Ewa, Ragno, Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): England, Sara
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEFFINGTON, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US10/965,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 715/512, 715/501.1, 715/514, 715/530, 715/786, 715/788, 715/531, 715/854, 715/540, 715/760, 715/716, 715/853, 715/739
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

A predictive travel log system using one or more ranking schemes to predict the location that a user would seek to navigate to through back and forward navigation in a web browser is provided. The navigation functionality can be exposed through traditional back and forward buttons with drop down travel log menus found in a browser user interface.

Claims

1. A method for providing navigational alternatives to a user viewing a web page comprising:

accessing the web page, wherein the accessed web page is displayed via a web browser user interface;

causing a search engine to run a search, transparent to the user, the search identifying out-links on the web page and identifying in-links on additional web pages that are configured to link to the web page;

determining whether one or more of the out-links is a same site out-link or an out-link that links to another site and determining whether one or more of the in-links is a same site in-link or an in-link from another site by parsing the address of the web page;

ranking same site out-links ahead of out-links that link to other sites and ranking same site in-links ahead of in-links from other sites;

causing items representing the out-links to be displayed in ranked order in response to a user clicking a button in a web browser user interface associated with forward functionality; and

causing items representing the in-links to be displayed in ranked order in response to a user clicking an additional button in the web browser user interface associated with backward functionality, wherein the items representing the in-links include at least one item representing a same site in-link and at least one item representing an in-link from another site.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that at least one same site out-link contains a keyword; and

ranking the at least one same-site out-link containing the keyword higher than at least one same site out-link that does not contain the keyword.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining that at least one same site out-link is a higher level out-link; and

ranking the at least one higher level same site out-link higher than at least one same site out-link which is not a higher level out-link.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising comparing the address of the at least one same site out-link to the address of the web page to determine whether a same site out-link is a higher level out-link.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said comparing comprises applying fuzzy prefix logic.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising

retrieving a plurality of predictive navigational alternatives for the web page;

displaying separate indicia for each of a plurality of ranking categories so that the user can select one of the ranking categories in order to access a list of predictive navigational alternatives, each ranking category having its own list of predictive navigational alternatives.

8. A method for providing navigational alternatives to a user viewing a web page comprising:

accessing the web page, wherein the accessed web page is displayed via a web browser user interface;

causing a search engine to run a search, transparent to the user, the search identifying out-links on the web page and identifying in-links on additional web pages that are configured to link to the web page;

ranking the out-links based on criteria associated with the content of each out-link page, wherein same site out-links are ranked ahead of out-links that link to other sites; and

causing items representing the out-links to be displayed in a listed ranked order responsive to clicking a forward button associated with the web browser user interface; and

causing items representing the in-links to be displayed in a listed ranked order responsive to clicking a back button associated with the web browser user interface, wherein the items representing the in-links include at least one item representing a same site in-link and at least one item representing an in-link from another site, wherein same site in-links are displayed in the listed ranked order ahead of in-links from other sites.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the criteria includes the number of in-links to each out-link page.

10. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 8.

11. A method for providing navigational alternatives to a user viewing a web page comprising:

accessing the web page, wherein the accessed web page is displayed via a web browser user interface;

causing a search engine to run a search, transparent to the user, the search identifying out-links on the web page and in-links for the web page;

ranking the out-links and the in-links, wherein same site out-links are ranked ahead of out-links that link to other sites and same site in-links are ranked ahead of in-links from other sites;

causing items representing the out-links to be displayed in a listed ranked order while displaying the web page responsive to clicking a forward button associated with the web browser user interface; and

causing items representing the in-links to be displayed in a listed ranked order while displaying the web page responsive to clicking a back button associated with the web browser user interface, wherein the items representing the in-links include at least one item representing a same site in-link and at least one item representing an in-link from another site.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the listed ranked order of in-links includes receiving the in-links from a search engine.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining that at least one same site out-link contains a keyword; and

ranking the at least one same-site out-link containing the keyword higher than at least one same site out-link that does not contain the keyword.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the listed ranked order of the in-links includes ranking same site in-links higher than in-links from another site.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

determining that at least one same site out-link is a higher level out-link; and

ranking the at least one higher level same site out-link higher than at least one same site out-link which is not a higher level out-link.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising comparing the address of the at least one same site in-link to the address of the web page to determine whether a same site in-link is a higher level in-link.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said comparing comprises applying fuzzy prefix logic.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 11.

19. A method for providing navigational alternatives to a user viewing a web page comprising:

accessing and displaying the web page via a web browser user interface;

causing a search engine to run a search, transparent to the user, the search identifying out-links and in-links for the web page;

ranking the out-links and in-links based on behavior of other users, wherein same site out-links are ranked ahead of out-links that link to other sites and same site in-links are ranked ahead of in-links from other sites;

displaying items representing the out-links in a listed ranked order responsive to clicking a forward button associated with the web browser user interface; and

displaying items representing the in-links in a listed ranked order responsive to clicking a back button associated with the web browser user interface, wherein the items representing the in-links include at least one item representing a same site in-link and at least one item representing an in-link from another site.

20. The method according to claim 19, where the behavior of other users includes a number of times other web pages have been navigated to from the web page.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein ranking further comprises ranking pages that are returned along with the web page responsive to search engine queries.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the search engine searches for the identified links based on a ranking category according to the content of the currently viewed page, the content of the currently viewed page selected from a group, the group comprising:

title;

major content of the page; and

content proximate to the current cursor location.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a storage memory; and

a processor,

wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions stored on the storage memory, and wherein the processor, when executing the instructions in response to a web page being displayed via a web browser user interface, causes the apparatus to provide a navigational toolbar for providing navigational alternatives in a listed ranked order during browsing responsive to clicking a back button or a forward button associated with the web browser user interface, the navigational toolbar including;

a first selectable region identifying in-links present in a currently viewed web page, wherein the first selectable region is configured to display items representing the in-links in ranked order responsive to clicking the back button, wherein the items representing the in-links include at least one item representing a same site in-link and at least one item representing an in-link from another site, wherein same site in-links are displayed in the ranked order ahead of in-links from other sites; and

a second selectable region identifying out-links present in the currently viewed web page, wherein the second selectable region is configured to display items representing the out-links in ranked order responsive to clicking the forward button, and wherein the in-links and out-links are identified by a search, the search being run transparent to a user, wherein same site out-links are displayed in the ranked order ahead of out-links that link to other sites.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the listed ranked order includes ranking same site in-links higher than in-links from another site.