Navigating through cross-referenced documents

• US 8,527,863 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Duquene, Joel, Johnson, Morris S. Jr., Meli, Henri F., Thrasybule, Jacques-Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Mills, Frank D
• Application Number:
  US13/155,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20120317468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 818 Days
• Field of Search: 715/207
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes

Abstract

An instruction is received to display a section of a referencing document on a screen. The section has at least one referencing link referencing a different section. The section of the referencing document is displayed on the screen. A selection of a referencing link is received. The different section referenced by the referencing link is displayed on the screen, at least partially at a same time of the displaying of the section of the referencing document. A visual indicator that associates the referencing link with the different section is displayed. Also in response to receiving the selection and in response to determining that the section of the referencing document includes multiple reference links of the at least one reference link to different section, other visual indicators that associate the multiple referencing links with the different section are displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an instruction to display a section of a referencing document on a screen, the section having at least one referencing link referencing a different section, wherein the different section comprises at least one of a different section of the referencing document and a different section of a referenced document;

displaying the section of the referencing document on the screen;

receiving a selection of a referencing link of the at least one referencing link;

responsive to receiving the selection,

displaying, at least partially at a same time of the displaying of the section of the referencing document, the different section referenced by the referencing link on the screen;

displaying a visual indicator that associates the referencing link with the different section; and

responsive to determining that the section of the referencing document includes multiple reference links of the at least one reference link to the different section, displaying other visual indicators that associate the multiple referencing links with the different section, wherein the referencing document comprises a previous section that is previous to the section of the referencing document on the screen;

responsive to determining that the previous section of the referencing document that is not currently being viewed on the screen has at least one other referencing link that references the different section, displaying a previous visual indicator that identifies the at least one other referencing link in the previous section, the previous visual indicator comprising a total number of the at least one other referencing links that are within the previous section;

wherein the receiving of the instruction to display the section of the referencing document is in response to input from a user, wherein the user has previously viewed a different referencing document having at least one other referencing link to the different section; and

responsive to the user highlighting the previous visual indicator, displaying a window on or near the previous visual indicator that indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the referencing document and indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the different referencing document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the referencing document comprises a next section that is subsequent to the section of the referencing document on the screen, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to determining that the next section of the referencing document that is not currently being viewed on the screen has at least one other referencing link that references the different section, displaying a next visual indicator that identifies the at least one other referencing link in the next section, the next visual indicator comprising a total number of the at least one other referencing links that are within the next section.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of the instruction to display the section of the referencing document is in response to input from a user, wherein a different referencing document having at least one other referencing link to the different section has not been previously viewed by the user, wherein the method comprises:

responsive to the user highlighting the next visual indicator, displaying a window on or near the next visual indicator that indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the referencing document and indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the different referencing document.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising responsive to receiving an indicator that a user input is highlighting the at least one referencing link on the screen, displaying metadata associated with the different section in an area on or around the at least one referencing link.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata comprises comments added by users about content of the different section.

6. A computer program product for document referencing, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising a computer usable program code configured to;

receive an instruction to display a section of a referencing document on a screen, the section having at least one referencing link referencing a different section, wherein the different section comprises at least one of a different section of the referencing document and a different section of a referenced document;

display the section of the referencing document on the screen;

receive a selection of a referencing link of the at least one referencing link;

responsive to receipt of the selection,

display, at least partially at a same time of the display of the section of the referencing document, the different section referenced by the referencing link on the screen;

display a visual indicator that associates the referencing link with the different section; and

responsive to a determination that the section of the referencing document includes multiple reference links of the at least one reference link to the different section, display other visual indicators that associate the multiple referencing links with the different section, wherein the referencing document comprises a previous section that is previous to the section of the referencing document on the screen;

responsive to a determination that the previous section of the referencing document that is not currently being viewed on the screen has at least one other referencing link that references the different section, display a previous visual indicator that identifies the at least one other referencing link in the previous section, the previous visual indicator comprising a total number of the at least one other referencing links that are within the previous section, wherein receipt of the instruction to display the section of the referencing document is in response to input from a user, wherein the user has previously viewed a different referencing document having at least one other referencing link to the different section; and

responsive to the user highlighting the previous visual indicator, display a window on or near the previous visual indicator that indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the referencing document and indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the different referencing document.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the referencing document comprises a next section that is subsequent to the section of the referencing document on the screen, wherein the computer usable program code is configured to:

responsive to a determination that the next section of the referencing document that is not currently being viewed on the screen has at least one other referencing link that references the different section, display a next visual indicator that identifies the at least one other referencing link in the next section, the next visual indicator comprising a total number of the at least one other referencing links that are within the next section.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein receipt of the instruction to display the section of the referencing document is in response to input from a user, wherein a different referencing document having at least one other referencing link to the different section has not been previously viewed by the user, wherein the computer usable program code is configured to:

responsive to the user highlighting the next visual indicator, display a window on or near the next visual indicator that indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the referencing document and indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the different referencing document.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the computer usable program code is configured to:

responsive to receipt of an indicator that a user input is highlighting the at least one referencing link on the screen, display metadata associated with the different section in an area on or around the at least one referencing link.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the metadata comprises comments added by users about content of the different section.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a screen;

a processor communicatively coupled to the screen;

a reference module executable on the processor, the reference module configured to,

receive an instruction to display a section of a referencing document on the screen, the section having at least one referencing link referencing a different section, wherein the different section comprises at least one of a different section of the referencing document and a different section of a referenced document;

display the section of the referencing document on the screen;

receive a selection of a referencing link of the at least one referencing link;

responsive to receipt of the selection,

display, at least partially at a same time of the displaying of the section of the referencing document, the different section referenced by the referencing link on the screen;

display a visual indicator that associates the referencing link with the different section; and

responsive to a determination that the section of the referencing document includes multiple reference links of the at least one reference link to the different section, display other visual indicators that associate the multiple referencing links with the different section, wherein the referencing document comprises a next section that is subsequent to the section of the referencing document on the screen;

responsive to a determination that the next section of the referencing document that is not currently being viewed on the screen has at least one other referencing link that references the different section, display a next visual indicator that identifies the at least one other referencing link in the next section, the next visual indicator comprising a total number of the at least one other referencing links that are within the next section, wherein receipt of the instruction to display the section of the referencing document is in response to input from a user, wherein a different referencing document having at least one other referencing link to the different section has not been previously viewed by the user; and

responsive to the user highlighting the next visual indicator, display a window on or near the next visual indicator that indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the referencing document and indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the different referencing document.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the referencing document comprises a previous section that is previous to the section of the referencing document on the screen, wherein the reference module is configured to:

responsive to a determination that the previous section of the referencing document that is not currently being viewed on the screen has at least one other referencing link that references the different section, display a previous visual indicator that identifies the at least one other referencing link in the previous section, the previous visual indicator comprising a total number of the at least one other referencing links that are within the previous section.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein receipt of the instruction to display the section of the referencing document is in response to input from a user, wherein the user has previously viewed a different referencing document having at least one other referencing link to the different section, wherein the reference module is configured to:

responsive to the user highlighting the previous visual indicator, display a window on or near the previous visual indicator that indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the referencing document and indicates a number of the at least one other referencing link in the different referencing document.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the reference module is configured to:

responsive to receipt of an indicator that a user input is highlighting the at least one referencing link on the screen, display metadata associated with the different section in an area on or around the at least one referencing link.