System and method for navigating documents

• US 8,321,428 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Bay-Wei, Fredricksen, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Casanova, Jorge A
• Application Number:
  US13/299,746
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 707/751, 707/758
• US Class Current: 707/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing

Abstract

Embodiments of this invention allow a user to navigate through previously viewed documents. These documents may be associated with a key, e.g. a search or a document. In response to re-entering the search or detecting subsequent interaction with the document, the navigation may be provided. In certain embodiments, the navigation is provided through a button on a toolbar or through a menu listing.

Claims

1. A method performed by a client device, comprising:

receiving at the client device a first search key;

submitting, to a server device, a first search request comprising the first search key;

receiving at the client device a search results page comprising links to resources;

collecting navigation information at the client device, the navigation information identifying a plurality of the resources accessed by the client device through the search results page;

storing the first search key in a data collection;

receiving at the client device a second search key; and

displaying, in response to receipt of the second search key, a resource from the plurality of the resources identified in the navigation information;

wherein the displayed resource is selected, from the plurality of resources, at least partly based on;

a length of time specified by the navigation information that the displayed resource was accessed by the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first search key comprises:

submitting the first search key to the server device for storage in the data collection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first search key is similar to the second search key.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting, to the server device, the navigation information for storage in association with the first key in the data collection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

submitting, to the server device, the second search key for a determination of whether the second search key is stored in the data collection.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting the length of time that the displayed resource is accessed through a user interface window of the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the second search key is identical to the first search key.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying an earliest visited resource of the plurality of the resources; and

displaying a next-to-earliest visited resource of the plurality of the resources.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying a resource last visited by a user of the client device; and

displaying a resource next-to-last visited by the user of the client device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying one of the plurality of the resources displayed for a longest length of time by the client device; and

displaying one of the plurality of the resources displayed for a next-to-longest length of time by the client device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the navigation information.

12. A client device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving at the client device a first search key;

submitting, to a server device, a first search request comprising the first search key;

receiving at the client device a search results page comprising links to resources;

collecting navigation information at the client device, the navigation information identifying a plurality of the resources accessed by the client device through the search results page;

storing the first search key in a data collection;

receiving at the client device a second search key; and

displaying, in response to receipt of the second search key, a resource from the plurality of the resources identified in the navigation information;

wherein the displayed resource is selected, from the plurality of resources, at least partly based on;

a length of time specified by the navigation information that the displayed resource was accessed by the client device.

13. The client device of claim 12, wherein storing the first search key comprises:

submitting the first search key to the server device for storage in the data collection.

14. The client device of claim 12, wherein the first search key is similar to the second search key.

15. The client device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

submitting, to the server device, the navigation information for storage in association with the first key in the data collection.

16. The client device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

submitting, to the server device, the second search key for a determination of whether the second search key is stored in the data collection.

17. The client device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

collecting the length of time that the displayed resource is accessed through a user interface window of the client device.

18. The client device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second search key is identical to the first search key.

19. The client device of claim 12, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying an earliest visited resource of the plurality of the resources; and

displaying a next-to-earliest visited resource of the plurality of the resources.

20. The client device of claim 12, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying a resource last visited by a user of the client device; and

displaying a resource next-to-last visited by the user of the client device.

21. The client device of claim 12, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying one of the plurality of the resources displayed for a longest length of time by the client device; and

displaying one of the plurality of the resources displayed for a next-to-longest length of time by the client device.

22. The client device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying the navigation information.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a client device to perform operations comprising:

receiving at the client device a first search key;

submitting, to a server device, a first search request comprising the first search key;

receiving at the client device a search results page comprising links to resources;

collecting navigation information at the client device, the navigation information identifying a plurality of the resources accessed by the client device through the search results page;

storing the first search key in a data collection;

receiving at the client device a second search key; and

displaying, in response to receipt of the second search key, a resource from the plurality of the resources identified in the navigation information;

wherein the displayed resource is selected, from the plurality of resources, at least partly based on;

a length of time specified by the navigation information that the displayed resource was accessed by the client device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein storing the first search key comprises:

submitting the first search key to the server device for storage in the data collection.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the first search key is similar to the second search key.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

submitting, to the server device, the navigation information for storage in association with the first key in the data collection.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

submitting, to the server device, the second search key for a determination of whether the second search key is stored in the data collection.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

collecting the length of time that the displayed resource is accessed through a user interface window of the client device.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the second search key is identical to the first search key.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying an earliest visited resource of the plurality of the resources; and

displaying a next-to-earliest visited resource of the plurality of the resources.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying a resource last visited by a user of the client device; and

displaying a resource next-to-last visited by the user of the client device.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein displaying the resource comprises one or more of:

displaying one of the plurality of the resources accessed for a longest length of time by the client device; and

displaying one of the plurality of the resources accessed for a next-to-longest length of time by the client device.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying the navigation information.