System and method for communicating information over a network

• US 8,464,178 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Lynch, Kevin, Calaprice, David, Malasky, Ethan, Stampfli, Tracy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hope, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US13/225,275
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 715/805, 715/804, 715/781, 715/764, 715/700
• US Class Current: 715/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation

Abstract

A system and method displays information for a multiple programs, each containing zero or one agent, an application, and zero or more pods. The agent communicates with another device such as a network to retrieve or provide information. Information to or from the agent is displayed by an application in a window that is used by other applications, one application at a time. Information to or from the agent is also displayed in one or more windows, each window dedicated to a single pod, and such window being much smaller than the window displaying information from the application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying a console window on a display screen, wherein the console window is configured to display multiple pods each having a proper subset of display information from a user interface of an application;

displaying a user interface of a first application in an application shell window, the user interface of the first application including first display information;

displaying a user interface element with the user interface of the first application to trigger launching in the console window a first pod corresponding to the first application;

receiving a selection of the user interface element; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the user interface element, launching the first pod in the console window to display the first pod in the console window where the first pod was not displayed before the selection of the user interface element, the first pod including a proper subset of the first display information.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

displaying a second pod in the console window;

displaying a second user interface element with the second pod;

receiving a selection of the second user interface element; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the second user interface element, displaying a user interface of a second application, the user interface of the second application including second display information, wherein the second pod includes a proper subset of the second display information.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein the application shell window comprises a first application shell window;

and

wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in a second application shell window.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in the application shell window.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in place of the user interface of the first application.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving selection of a third user interface element displayed with the first pod;

responsive to receiving selection of the third user interface element displayed with the first pod, displaying the user interface of the first application in place of the user interface of the second application while the second application continues to run.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving configuration information corresponding to the first display information displayed in the user interface of the first application; and

altering the proper subset of the first display information in accordance with the received configuration information.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

displaying a second pod in the console window, the second pod comprising a proper subset of the first display information different from the proper subset of the first display information displayed in the first pod.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a data storage device storing instructions that, when run by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying a console window on a display screen, wherein the console window is configured to display multiple pods each having a proper subset of display information from a user interface of an application;

displaying a user interface of a first application in an application shell window the user interface of the first application including first display information;

displaying a user interface element with the user interface of the first application to trigger launching in the console window a first pod corresponding to the first application;

receiving a selection of the user interface element; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the user interface element, launching the first pod in the console window to display the first pod in the console window where the first pod was not displayed before the selection of the user interface element, the first pod including a proper subset of the first display information.

10. The system of claim 9, the operations comprising:

displaying a second pod in the console window;

displaying a second user interface element with the second pod;

receiving a selection of the second user interface element; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the second user interface element, displaying a user interface of a second application, the user interface of the second application including second display information, wherein the second pod includes a proper subset of the second display information.

11. The system of claim 10,

wherein the application shell window comprises a first application shell window;

and

wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in a second application shell window.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in the application shell window.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in place of the user interface of the first application.

14. The system of claim 13, the operations further comprising:

receiving selection of a third user interface element displayed with the first pod;

responsive to receiving selection of the third user interface element displayed with the first pod, displaying the user interface of the first application in place of the user interface of the second application while the second application continues to run.

15. The system of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

receiving configuration information corresponding to the first display information displayed in the user interface of the first application; and

altering the proper subset of the first display information in accordance with the received configuration information.

16. The system of claim 9, the operations comprising:

displaying a second pod in the console window, the second pod comprising a proper subset of the first display information different from the proper subset of the first display information displayed in the first pod.

17. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

displaying a console window on a display screen, wherein the console window is configured to display multiple pods each having a proper subset of display information from a user interface of an application;

displaying a user interface of a first application in an application shell window the user interface of the first application including first display information;

displaying a user interface element with the user interface of the first application to trigger launching in the console window a first pod corresponding to the first application;

receiving a selection of the user interface element; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the user interface element, launching the first pod in the console window to display the first pod in the console window where the first pod was not displayed before the selection of the user interface element, the first pod including a proper subset of the first display information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the operations comprising:

displaying a second pod in the console window;

displaying a second user interface element with the second pod;

receiving a selection of the second user interface element; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the second user interface element, displaying a user interface of a second application, the user interface of the second application including second display information, wherein the second pod includes a proper subset of the second display information.

19. The computer program product of claim 18,

wherein the application shell window comprises a first application shell window;

and

wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in a second application shell window.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in the application shell window.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein displaying the user interface of the second application comprises displaying the user interface of the second application in place of the user interface of the first application.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, the operations further comprising:

receiving selection of a third user interface element displayed with the first pod;

responsive to receiving selection of the third user interface element displayed with the first pod, displaying the user interface of the first application in place of the user interface of the second application while the second application continues to run.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, the operations further comprising:

receiving configuration information corresponding to the first display information displayed in the user interface of the first application; and

altering the proper subset of the first display information in accordance with the received configuration information.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, the operations comprising:

displaying a second pod in the console window, the second pod comprising a proper subset of the first display information different from the proper subset of the first display information displayed in the first pod.