Browser session overview

• US 7,962,843 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2004
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Milic-Frayling, Natasa, Smyth, Samuel Gavin, Rodden, Kerry, Jones, Rachel, Blackwell, Alan Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, THU V
• Application Number:
  US10/839,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20050132018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,596 Days
• Field of Search: 715205-206, 715/738, 715/854, 715255-256
• US Class Current: 715/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A method includes storing one or more resource identifiers identifying one or more associated resources visited using a browser application, and presenting the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of history presentation settings and resource navigation context specifications. The history presentation setting and navigation context can be selected by a user. Exemplary history presentation settings include chronological and domain-name grouped. Exemplary navigation context includes resource identifier, such as name, URI, or domain of the currently viewed resource. The method may further include presenting a thumbnail when a pointer icon is positioned over one of the resource identifiers. A system includes a navigation event capture module storing resource identifiers identifying associated visited resources in a navigation history and an overview module ordering the resource identifiers in an order designated by one of a plurality of history presentation settings and resource navigation context specifications.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, perform:

storing, in a common navigation history, a first group of resource identifiers accessed by a user during a first browsing session using a first browser window;

storing, in the common navigation history, a second group of resource identifiers accessed by the user during a second browsing session using a second browser window, wherein the second group of resource identifiers are accessed by the user while the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously;

detecting selection of a browser session overview button in the first window;

responsive to the detecting, displaying in the first browser window at least part of the common navigation history, including;

the first group of resource identifiers;

the second group of resource identifiers that are accessed while both the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously; and

a graphic session divider, wherein the first group of resource identifiers are displayed together on a first side of the graphic session divider and the second group of resource identifiers are displayed together on a second side of the graphic session divider that is different from the first side of the graphic session divider; and

dynamically updating, without user intervention, the displaying of the common navigation history while the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously, the displaying being dynamically updated, without user intervention, in the first browser window to reflect further resource identifiers that are accessed using the second browser window during the simultaneously executing the first and the second browsing sessions, regardless of the order in which the further resource identifiers are accessed using the first and second browser windows, such that;

the further resource identifiers accessed using the second browser window are separated by the graphic session divider from the first group of resource identifiers, and displayed together with the second group of resource identifiers on the second side of the graphic session divider; and

the further resource identifiers accessed using the first browser window are displayed together with the first group of resource identifiers on the first side of the graphic session divider.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1 wherein the first group or the second group of resource identifiers are presented in a history presentation order selected by a user.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, perform:

detecting a user selection of a history presentation order dictating an order in which the first group or the second group of resource identifiers are to be presented.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more computing devices, perform:

presenting the first group or the second group of resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices perform:

presenting only one occurrence of each of the first group or the second group of resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices perform:

presenting only a latest occurrence of each of the first group or the second group of resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices perform:

presenting only an earliest occurrence of each of the first group or the second group of resource identifiers in a temporal sequence.

8. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices perform:

presenting a thumbnail of at least one of the first group or the second group of resource identifiers.

9. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices perform:

presenting a thumbnail of a selected one of the first group or the second group of resource identifiers in response to detecting a pointer icon positioned over the selected resource identifier.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1 wherein the first group or the second group of resource identifiers are presented in a user-selected chronological order.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1 wherein the first group or the second group of resource identifiers are presented in chronological order and grouped by domain name.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media as recited in claim 1, further comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices perform:

presenting a thumbnail of a selected resource associated with one of the first group or the second group of resource identifiers by retrieving the selected resource from a cache.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the part of the common navigation history presented in the first browser window comprises a graphic tree structure.

14. A system for navigating among resources comprising:

a processor; and

a memory operably connected to the processor, the memory including,

a navigation event capture module configured to store resource identifiers identifying associated visited resources in a navigation history, including a first group of resource identifiers accessed during a first browsing session and a second group of resources accessed during a second browsing session, wherein the second group of resource identifiers are accessed while the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously;

an overview module configured to;

display, in a browser window;

a presentation of at least some of the first group of resource identifiers and at least some of the second group of resource identifiers that are accessed while the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously;

a graphic session divider, wherein the first group of resource identifiers are displayed together on a first side of the graphic session divider and the second group of resource identifiers are displayed together on a second side of the graphic session divider that is different from the first side of the graphic session divider; and

dynamically update, without user intervention, the presentation of the common navigation history while the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously, the presentation being dynamically updated, without user intervention, in the browser window to reflect further resource identifiers that are accessed during the simultaneously executing the first and the second browsing sessions, regardless of the order in which the further resource identifiers are accessed using the first and second browser windows, such that;

the further resource identifiers accessed using the second browser window are separated from the first group of resource identifiers with the session divider, and displayed together with the second group of resource identifiers on the second side of the graphic session divider; and

the further resource identifiers accessed using the first browser window are displayed together with the first group of resource identifiers on the first side of the graphic session divider.

15. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the navigation history is simultaneously accessible through more than one browser window.

16. A system as recited in claim 14 further comprising a configuration storing one of a plurality of history presentation settings, the history presentation settings reflecting designated orders for presenting the resource identifiers stored in the navigation history.

17. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising a presentation module configured to present a browser session overview button enabling a user to view the resource identifiers in the order designated by the one of a plurality of history presentation settings.

18. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising a presenting module configured to present a configuration window having a history presentation setting field enabling a user to select one of the plurality of history presentation settings.

19. A system as recited in claim 14 wherein the overview module is configured to present the browser window in response to a user selecting an overview button.

20. A method comprising:

storing, in a common navigation history on a storage device, a first group of resource identifiers accessed by a user during a first browsing session using a first browser window;

storing, in the common navigation history, a second group of resource identifiers accessed by the user during a second browsing session using a second browser window, wherein the second group of resource identifiers are accessed by the user while the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously;

detecting the selection of a browser session overview button in the first browsing window;

responsive to the detecting, displaying in the first browser window at least part of the common navigation history, including;

the first group of resource identifiers;

the second group of resource identifiers that are accessed while both the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously; and

a graphic session divider, wherein the first group of resource identifiers are displayed together on a first side of the graphic session divider and the second group of resource identifiers are displayed together on a second side of the graphic session divider that is different from the first side of the graphic session divider; and

dynamically updating, without user intervention, the displaying of the common navigation history while the first browsing session and the second browsing session are executing simultaneously, the displaying being dynamically updated, without user intervention, in the first browser window to reflect further resource identifiers that are accessed using the second browser window during the simultaneously executing the first and the second browsing sessions, regardless of the order in which the further resource identifiers are accessed using the first and second browser windows, such that;

the further resource identifiers accessed using the second browser window are separated by the graphic session divider from the first group of resource identifiers, and displayed together with the second group of resource identifiers on the second side of the graphic session divider; and

the further resource identifiers accessed using the first browser window are displayed together with the first group of resource identifiers on the first side of the graphic session divider.