Flexible web page template building system and method

• US 8,225,198 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cimpress Schweiz GmbH (Cimpress Plc)
• Original Assignee: Vistaprint Technologies Limited (Cimpress Plc)
• Inventors: Hanechak, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stork, Kyle
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLOOMQUIST, KEITH D
• Application Number:
  US12/060,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 715/243, 715/272, 715/240, 715/801, 715/798, 715/815
• US Class Current: 715/243
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/26 Visual data mining; Browsing structured data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

Flexible web page template building systems, methods and applications using an auto-expanding user-editable content container(s) are presented. A web page template displayable on a user display is configured with at least one auto-expanding user-editable content container that includes a predefined top portion, a pre-defined bottom portion, and a repeatable middle portion, The auto-expanding user-editable content container is configured to monitor the size of user-provided content in the content container relative to the size of the content container upon entry or removal of content and automatically adjust the size of the content container to fit the user-provided content by dynamically inserting or removing instance(s) of the middle portion of the content container to vertically expand or contract the size of the content container to fit the user-provided content.

Claims

1. A web page building system, comprising:

one or more processors providing an editable web page template on a user'"'"'s display, the web page template comprising an auto-expanding navigation area comprising a first navigation area portion comprising a first half of a button, a second navigation area portion comprising a second half of a button, and zero or more repeatable middle navigation area portions, each repeatable middle navigation area comprising a first half of a button and a second half of a button wherein the second half of the button is configured to seamlessly align with the first half of a button of either the first navigation area portion or another instance of the middle navigation area portion, and wherein the first half of the button is configured to seamlessly align with a second half of a button of either the second navigation area portion or another instance of the middle navigation area portion; and

a navigation area control associated with the auto-expanding navigation area, which receives from the user an indication of a number of buttons to be displayed in the navigation area, and which causes the one or more processors to render the first navigation area portion, an instance of the middle navigation area portion once for each button greater than two buttons, and the second navigation area portion such that each first half of a button in the navigation area seamlessly aligns with a matching second half of a button in the navigation area.

2. The web page building system of claim 1, wherein the navigation area control monitors the selected number of buttons, and if a change in the selected number of buttons is detected, causes the one or more processors to re-render the navigation area, including rendering the first navigation area portion, rendering an instance of the middle navigation area portion once for each button greater than two buttons, and rendering the second navigation area portion such that each first half of a button in the navigation area seamlessly aligns with a matching second half of a button in the navigation area.

3. The web page building system of claim 1, wherein the navigation area control allows an end user of the template to select and edit names of the navigation buttons, and automatically determines and sizes the navigation names with identically sized font so that each name fits within its respective identically sized navigation button.

4. The web page building system of claim 1, wherein the auto-expanding navigation area comprises at least one repeatable middle navigation area portion.

5. The web page building system of claim 1, wherein the auto-expanding navigation area comprises a plurality of repeatable middle navigation area portions.

6. The web page building system of claim 1, wherein the navigation area control allows an end user of the template to select between a horizontal or vertical navigation menu orientation, and wherein

if the user selects the vertical navigation menu orientation, the first navigation area portion is a top navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the top navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a top half of a button, the second navigation area portion is a bottom navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the bottom navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a bottom half of a button, and

if the user selects the horizontal navigation menu orientation, the first navigation area portion is a left navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the left navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a left half of a button, the second navigation area portion is a right navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the right navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a right half of a button.

7. The web page building system of claim 1, wherein the first navigation area portion is a top navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the top navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a top half of a button, the second navigation area portion is a bottom navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the bottom navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a bottom half of a button.

8. The web page building system of claim 1, wherein the first navigation area portion is a left navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the left navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a left half of a button, the second navigation area portion is a right navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the right navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion is a right half of a button.

9. A method for allowing a user to customize a web page, comprising:

displaying, by one or more processors, an editable web page template on a user display,

providing within the editable web page template, by one or more processors, an auto-expanding navigation area comprising a first navigation area portion comprising a first half of a button, a second navigation area portion comprising a second half of a button, and zero or more repeatable middle navigation area portions, each repeatable middle navigation area comprising a first half of a button and a second half of a button wherein the second half of the button is configured to seamlessly aligns with the first half of a button of either the first navigation area portion or another instance of the middle navigation area portion, and wherein the first half of the button is configured to seamlessly aligns with a second half of a button of either the second navigation area portion or another instance of the middle navigation area portion,

receiving, by one or more processors, a number of buttons to be displayed in the navigation area,

rendering, by one or more processors, the first navigation area portion, an instance of the middle navigation area portion once for each button greater than two buttons, and the second navigation area portion such that each first half of a button in the navigation area seamlessly aligns with a matching second half of a button in the navigation.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing within the editable web page template, by one or more processors, a navigation area control associated with the auto-expanding navigation area configured to receive from a user the number of buttons to be displayed in the navigation area.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the auto-expanding navigation area comprises at least one repeatable middle navigation area portion.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the auto-expanding navigation area comprises a plurality of repeatable middle navigation area portions.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a navigation menu orientation selection of one of a horizontal or vertical navigation menu orientation, and wherein

if the navigation menu orientation selection corresponds to the vertical navigation menu orientation, rendering the first navigation area portion as a top navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the top navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a top half of a button, the second navigation area portion as a bottom navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the bottom navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a bottom half of a button, and

if the navigation menu orientation selection corresponds to the horizontal navigation menu orientation, rendering the first navigation area portion as a left navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the left navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a left half of a button, the second navigation area portion as a right navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the right navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a right half of a button.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

rendering the first navigation area portion as a top navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the top navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a top half of a button, the second navigation area portion as a bottom navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the bottom navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a bottom half of a button.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

rendering the first navigation area portion as a left navigation area portion, the first half of each button in the left navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a left half of a button, the second navigation area portion as a right navigation area portion, and the second half of each button in the right navigation area portion and each instance of the middle navigation area portion as a right half of a button.