On-widget data control

• US 8,286,086 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sampson, Todd, Marcoullier, Eric, Sampson, John, Ho, Steve, Rafer, Neil Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, TUYETLIEN T
• Application Number:
  US11/756,523
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244414A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/760, 709/217
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A system and method are directed towards enabling control of widgets using on-widget data controls. A visitor may enter selective personal information and determine what information is made available on a social networking webpage. A visitor to a social networking website may select to not have their information displayed at a social networking website, while still being displayed at another social networking website. A visitor'"'"'s information may be displayed within a reader roll, an association listing, a visitor comment page, or the like. An owner of a social networking website may also select not to have a visitor'"'"'s information displayed on the website. In one embodiment, selecting not to display information may be performed by ‘mousing’ over the information and selecting a display option. Social networking websites may look to a centralized registration system to determine whether to display the visitor information.

Claims

1. A system for managing a display of visitor information on a website over a network, comprising:

a central registration server that is configured to perform actions, including;

receiving visitor information including at least one of an alias, an avatar, or a comment; and

a social networking server configured to display contents of the website, and to perform actions, including;

requesting the visitor information from the central registration server for at least one visitor;

selectively displaying the visitor information within a widget, wherein the widget comprises the selectively displayed visitor information and a hidden data control; and

if a mouse pointer or screen cursor is relocated substantially within the widget, selectively automatically displaying the hidden data control, such that the displayed hidden data control is used to change at least some of the display of the visitor information, wherein selectively automatically displaying the hidden data control further comprises;

determining if relocating the mouse pointer or screen cursor is an action performed by the visitor, another visitor, or an owner of the social networking server website;

if the action is by the visitor for which the visitor information is about, enabling the visitor to modify at least some of the display of the visitor information, the visitor information being provided directly to the social networking server website by other than the visitor;

if the action is by another visitor, inhibiting displaying of the hidden data control for the visitor'"'"'s information such that the other visitor is inhibited from modifying the display of the visitor information; and

if the action is by the owner, enabling the display of the hidden data control such that the owner is enabled to modify the display of the visitor'"'"'s information or the other visitor'"'"'s information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein relocating the mouse pointer or screen cursor is performed by at least one of the visitor, or an owner of the social networking server website.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the social networking server is further configured to provide the central registration server with information associated with the modification of the display of the visitor information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein relocating within the widget includes at least one of selecting the widget, clicking on the widget, or mousing over the widget.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein modifying the display of at least some of the visitor information further comprises at least one of hiding all of the visitor information, displaying all visitor information, hiding the alias, displaying the alias, hiding the avatar, displaying the avatar, hiding the comment, or displaying the comment.

6. A computer readable storage medium in a computer system having a user interface for managing a display of data on a webpage, the computer readable storage medium comprising:

a widget displayed within the webpage wherein the widget comprises a display of a plurality of visitor information including at least one of an alias, an avatar, or a comment; and

a hidden data control within the widget that is selectably hidden from display within the widget; and

a set of computer instructions that are configured to perform actions, including;

detecting when a user interface input signal is relocated substantially within the displayed widget;

in response to detecting the relocation, selectively displaying the hidden data control;

receiving another user interface input signal; and

selectively hiding at least some of the plurality of visitor information from being displayed within the widget based on selectively displaying the hidden data control and using the selectively displayed hidden data control and the other user interface input signal, wherein selectively displaying the hidden data control further comprises;

determining a source of the user interface input signal, wherein the source is one of a visitor for which the plurality of visitor information is about, another visitor unassociated with the plurality of visitor information, or an owner of the webpage;

if the source is associated with the visitor, enabling the visitor to modify the display of at least some of the visitor information using the displayed hidden data control, the visitor information being provided for display by a central registration server;

if the source is associated with the other visitor, inhibiting displaying of the hidden data control for the visitor'"'"'s information; and

if the source is associated with the owner, enabling the display of the hidden data control such that the owner is enabled to modify the display of the visitor'"'"'s information or the other visitor'"'"'s information.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the user interface input signal is generated by at least one of a cursor, a mouse, or a touch screen pointer.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the set of computer instructions are configured to perform actions, further comprising:

sending to a central registration data store information associated with the selective hiding of at least some of the plurality of visitor information.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the user interface input signal is provided by at least one of selecting the widget, clicking on the widget, mousing over the widget, or a touch screen input.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the displayed data control is configured to display at least one of a pop-up, a pull-down menu, a display menu, or a floating window, in which the other user interface input signal may be employed to selectively hide or enable a display of at least some of the plurality of visitor information.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the user interface input signal is relocated substantially within the displayed widget further comprises relocating the user interface input signal within at least one of a defined region surrounding the widget or over the displayed widget.

12. A network device configured for managing display of information on a webpage comprising:

a memory component for storing instructions; and

a processing component for executing instructions that enables actions, including;

receiving a request for the webpage;

determining an identity of a requestor;

requesting information from a central registration server for the requestor;

selectively displaying the information within a widget, wherein the widget comprises the selectively displayed information and a hidden data control; and

if a user interface selection input device is relocated substantially within the widget, selectively automatically displaying the hidden data control, such that the displayed hidden data control is used to modify at least some of the display of the information, wherein selectively automatically displaying the hidden data control further comprises;

if the requestor is associated with the information, displaying the hidden data control and enabling the requestor to modify the display of at least some of the information, the information being provided for display by the central registration server; and

if the requestor is unassociated with the information, and not an owner of the webpage, then maintaining the data control as hidden from display such that the requestor is unable to modify the display of at least some of the information.

13. The network device of claim 12, wherein selectively displaying the information within a widget further comprises displaying the information within a reader roll.

14. The network device of claim 12, wherein the hidden data control is displayable as at least one of a selection ‘

X’

icon, a pull-down menu, or a pop-up window.

15. A method for managing a display of visitor information within a social networking webpage, the method comprising:

receiving visitor information from a visitor;

selectively displaying the visitor information within a widget on the webpage, wherein the widget comprises the selectively displayed visitor information and a hidden data control; and

if a user interface input signal is relocated substantially within the widget, selectively displaying the hidden data control, such that the displayed hidden data control is selectively used to modify at least some of the display of the visitor information, wherein selectively displaying the hidden data control further comprises;

displaying the hidden data control if the user interface input signal is associated with the visitor or an owner of the social networking webpage; and

maintaining the data control as hidden if the user interface input signal is associated with another visitor unassociated with the visitor information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface input signal is provided by at least one of selecting the widget, clicking on the widget, mousing over the widget, or a touch screen input.