Navigation history

• US 8,250,491 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Holmes, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): BONSHOCK, DENNIS G
• Application Number:
  US12/110,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,576 Days
• Field of Search: 715/855, 715/853, 715/854, 702/187
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment represent previously-accessed data items as nodes in a tree or trees and display the tree or trees with the access time on an axis. The root node of a tree represents a data item accessed via an address entered by a user while a child node of the tree represents a data item selected from a parent node of the child node. In an embodiment, data items that were displayed in the same window as their parents have different connectors between their associated nodes than do data items that were displayed in different windows from their parents.

Claims

1. A method for enabling access to a history of previously-accessed web-pages using a machine, comprising the acts of:

in response to a user input, using the machine to provide a hierarchical tree displaying a plurality of nodes representing a plurality of previously accessed web-pages, the hierarchical tree configured to include a plurality of alternate child nodes for at least one parent node;

determining if a first web-page associated with a first child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node;

upon determining that the first web-page associated with the child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node, displaying a connector in a first format between the parent node and the first child node;

determining if a second web-page associated with a second child node is displayed in a different window than the parent node;

upon determining that the second web-page associated with the second child node is displayed in the different window, displaying a connector in a second format between the second child node and the parent node;

providing for a user input to select the hierarchical level of nodes displayed; and

providing a reference time scale for such nodes displayed, including organizing the nodes in accordance with the reference time scale;

wherein each such web-page is displayed as a node of the hierarchical tree, and wherein each such node may be selected to retrieve the previously-accessed web-page; and

wherein the plurality of alternate child nodes and the respective parent node of the plurality of alternate child nodes each represents a respective-previously-accessed web-page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the user input, a plurality of hierarchical trees are provided, and wherein each hierarchical tree displays a plurality of previously-accessed web-pages.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously accessed by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously displayed to the user.

5. A machine readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions that when executed by at least one processor, cause the performing of operations comprising:

in response to a user input, providing a hierarchical tree displaying a plurality of nodes representing a plurality of previously accessed web-pages, the hierarchical tree configured to include a plurality of alternate child nodes for at least one parent node;

determining if a first web-page associated with a first child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node;

upon determining that the first web-page associated with the child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node, displaying a connector in a first format between the parent node and the first child node;

determining if a second web-page associated with a second child node is displayed in a different window than the parent node;

upon determining that the second web-page associated with the second child node is displayed in the different window, displaying a connector in a second format between the second child node and the parent node;

providing for a user input to select the hierarchical level of nodes displayed; and

providing a reference time scale for such nodes displayed, including organizing the nodes in accordance with the reference time scale,

wherein each such web-page is displayed as a node of the hierarchical tree, and wherein each such node may be selected to retrieve the previously-accessed web-page; and

wherein the plurality of alternate child nodes and the respective parent node of the plurality of alternate child nodes each represents a respective previously-accessed web-page.

6. The machine readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously accessed by the user.

7. The machine readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously displayed to the user.

8. A method of identifying web-pages previously accessed by a user, comprising the acts of:

determining a hierarchical order of a plurality of previously-accessed web-pages previously accessed by a user through use of a computer;

determining if a first web-page associated with a first child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node;

determining if a second web-page associated with a second child node is displayed in a different window than the parent node;

displaying a graphical representation of the hierarchical order as at least one tree, and wherein a plurality of alternate child node branches, originating from a parent node, of the at least one tree are displayed simultaneously,

wherein upon determining that the first web-page associated with the first child node is displayed in the same window, displaying a connector in a first format between the parent node and the first child node,

wherein upon determining that the second web-page associated with the second child node is displayed in the different window, displaying a connector in a second format between the second child node and the parent node;

wherein each of the nodes represents a respective previously accessed web-page in the at least one tree; and

wherein at least a portion of the nodes are selectable from the displayed tree, and wherein in response to selecting of a node the corresponding previously-accessed web-page is retrieved and displayed;

providing a reference time scale to the access of the web-pages, including organizing the nodes in accordance with the reference time scale; and

providing a control for the degree to which the at least one tree is displayed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously accessed by the user and each of the plurality of alternate child nodes may be selected to retrieve and display the corresponding previously-accessed web-page.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously displayed to the user and each of the plurality of alternate child nodes may be selected to retrieve and display the corresponding previously-accessed web-page.

11. A machine readable storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions that when executed by at least one processor, cause the performing of operations comprising:

determining a hierarchical order of a plurality of previously-accessed web-pages accessed by at least one user through use of a computer;

displaying a graphical representation of the hierarchical order as at least one tree, wherein each of the nodes of the displayed tree represents a respective previously accessed web-page, and wherein the displayed tree includes a plurality of alternate child node branches originating from a parent node, wherein each of the alternate child nodes also represents a respective previously-accessed web-page;

determining if a first web-page associated with a first child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node;

upon determining that the first web-page associated with the child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node, displaying a connector in a first format between the parent node and the first child node;

determining if a second web-page associated with a second child node is displayed in a different window than the parent node;

upon determining that the second web-page associated with the second child node is displayed in the different window, displaying a connector in a second format between the second child node and the parent node;

providing a reference time scale to the access of the web-pages, including organizing the nodes in accordance with the reference time scale; and

providing a control for the user to control the degree to which the at least one tree is displayed.

12. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously accessed by a user of the computer.

13. The machine readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously displayed to a user of the computer.

14. A method of navigating through at least one of a plurality of previously-accessed web-pages using a computer, comprising the acts of:

providing an input to view a display of at least one hierarchical tree wherein each of the nodes of the tree represents a respective previously-accessed web-page, the hierarchical tree displayed in combination with a reference time scale to the time of access of the web-pages, including organizing the nodes in accordance with the reference time scale;

determining if a first web-page associated with a first child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node;

upon determining that the first web-page associated with the child node is displayed in the same window as the parent node, displaying a connector in a first format between the parent node and the first child node;

determining if a second web-page associated with a second child node is displayed in a different window than the parent node;

upon determining that the second web-page associated with the second child node is displayed in the different window, displaying a connector in a second format between the second child node and the parent node;

actuating a control to control the number of alternate child nodes, originating from a parent node, displayed on the at least one hierarchical tree; and

selecting a node associated with a web-page to cause display of the associated web-page; and

wherein a plurality of alternate child nodes and a respective parent node of the plurality of alternate child nodes each represent a respective previously-accessed web-page.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the hierarchical tree comprises a plurality of nodes, with a connector extending between each pair of hierarchically related nodes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein in response to the input, a plurality of hierarchical trees are displayed.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously accessed by a user of the computer and each of the plurality of alternate child nodes may be selected to retrieve and display the corresponding previously-accessed web-page.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the previously-accessed web-pages represented by the plurality of alternate child nodes were previously displayed to a user of the computer and each of the plurality of alternate child nodes may be selected to retrieve and display the corresponding previously-accessed web-page.