Customizable, categorically organized graphical user interface for utilizing online and local content

• US 8,365,083 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Martin, Geoffrey, La Fetra, Frank E. Jr., Lim, Ruth Ann, Sailor, Janet L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Application Number:
  US10/877,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20050289475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,140 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715205-208
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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

A graphical user interface for accessing, managing, organizing and using local and online content from a personal computer. The graphical user interface is divided into several modules, displayed on the display screen of the computer. Some of these modules are categories, which contain links to content online and on the hard drive of the computer. The user can customize these categories and the links within them to suit his or her personal needs, interests, and tastes. One or more of the modules within the GUI are media players. The user can select content by dragging and dropping a link from the desktop, another application, or a category within the GUI onto the media player. Applications required to access content referred to by links within the categories of the graphical user interface are launched at the time that the GUI is launched.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface comprising:

a plurality of on-screen elements displayed on a display screen of a computer system;

a plurality of user-selectable, user customizable categories displaying user-customizable links to content on a network and content stored in the memory of said computer system and wherein an application required for accessing each instance of the content is automatically launched concurrently with initiating of said graphical user interface; and

a media player for launching said content automatically when one of said links is dragged and dropped onto said media player.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein said links can be created by dragging links from the desktop of said computer system and dropping them into a category within said graphical user interface.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the appearance of said links changes automatically when the content referred to changes.

4. A method for presenting content available on a computer system on a display screen of said computer system comprising:

rendering a graphical user interface on said display screen;

rendering a plurality of user-customizable categories within said graphical user interface;

rendering a plurality of user-customizable links to content on a network and content stored in a memory of said computer system within said categories;

automatically launching applications required for accessing said content concurrently with said rendering of said graphical user interface;

rendering a media player within said graphical user interface; and

automatically opening said content in response to the dragging of one of said links and dropping said link onto said media player.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said links can be created by dragging links from the desktop of said computer system and dropping them into a category within said graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said media player comprises a sensitive area for dragging and dropping links onto.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said graphical user interface automatically opens said content in response to the clicking of a mouse on one of said links.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein said graphical user interface determines the file type of content referred to by a user-selected link and selects the proper application with which to open said content.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein said categories within said graphical user interface comprise non-user customizable unique identifiers.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein a user change is recorded and stored in a data file and wherein said user change is selected from the group consisting of a change to at least one of said plurality of user-customizable categories and a change to at least one of said plurality of user-customizable links.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein data regarding said user change is used to tailor communication to the user via push technology.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein said links to said content are not visible within said graphical user interface if said content no longer exists.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein a category within the graphical user interface is a specialized category comprising links which are opened in a predetermined application.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the contents of more than one category are displayed simultaneously.

15. The method of claim 4, wherein the appearance of said links changes if said content referred to by said links changes.

16. The method of claim 4, wherein the appearance of said categories changes in response to input from a third party, via push technology through the internet.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein the appearance of said graphical user interface changes in response to input from a third party, via push technology through the internet.

18. The method of claim 4, wherein the appearance of said categories is user-customizable.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the appearance of said graphical user interface is user-customizable.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein the locations of said categories within the graphical user interface is user-customizable.