System and method for navigating documents

• US 8,589,421 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• 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:
  US13/249,198
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• Field of Search: 707/758, 707/751
• 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, comprising:

receiving a document identifier associated with a first resource;

storing, in a data collection for storage of document identifiers and navigation information associated with the document identifiers, the document identifier for the first resource;

receiving navigation information identifying one or more other resources accessed after the first accessed resource is accessed;

storing, in the data collection, the received navigation information in association with the document identifier;

after storing the received navigation information, receiving a document identifier for a second resource, wherein the document identifier for the second resource matches the document identifier for the first resource;

in response to receiving the document identifier for the second resource, retrieving, from the data collection, the navigation information associated with the document identifier for the first resource; and

transmitting the retrieved navigation information associated with the document identifier for the first resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information indicates a length of time that each of the one or more other resources is displayed in a user interface window of a client device, and wherein the method further comprises:

ordering the navigation information in accordance with the length of time that each of the one or more other resources is displayed in the user interface window of the client device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the navigation information comprises information specifying a sequence in which each of the one or more other resources is accessed by a client device, and wherein the method further comprises:

ordering the navigation information in accordance with the sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the document identifier for the second resource is identical to the document identifier for the first resource.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the data collection stores information indicative of the document identifier for the first resource.

6. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a server device; and

one or more machine-readable media configured to store instructions that are executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a document identifier associated with a first resource;

storing, in a data collection for storage of document identifiers and navigation information associated with the document identifiers, the document identifier for the first resource;

receiving navigation information identifying one or more other resources accessed after the first accessed resource is accessed;

storing, in the data collection, the received navigation information in association with the document identifier;

after storing the received navigation information, receiving a document identifier for a second resource, wherein the document identifier for the second resource matches the document identifier for the first resource;

in response to receiving the document identifier for the second resource, retrieving, from the data collection, the navigation information associated with the document identifier for the first resource; and

transmitting the retrieved navigation information associated with the document identifier for the first resource.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the navigation information indicates a length of time that each of the one or more other resources is displayed in a user interface window of a client device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

ordering the navigation information in accordance with the length of time that each of the one or more other resources is displayed in the user interface window of the client device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the navigation information comprises information specifying a sequence in which each of the one or more other resources is accessed by a client device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

ordering the navigation information in accordance with the sequence.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the document identifier for the second resource is identical to the document identifier for the first resource.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the data collection stores information indicative of the document identifier for the first resource.

11. One or more non-transitory machine-readable media configured to store instructions that are executable by one or more processors of a server device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a document identifier associated with a first resource;

storing, in a data collection for storage of document identifiers and navigation information associated with the document identifiers, the document identifier for the first resource;

receiving navigation information identifying one or more other resources accessed after the first accessed resource is accessed;

storing, in the data collection, the received navigation information in association with the document identifier;

after storing the received navigation information, receiving a document identifier for a second resource, wherein the document identifier for the second resource matches the document identifier for the first resource;

in response to receiving the second document identifier for the second resource, retrieving, from the data collection, the navigation information associated with the document identifier for the first resource; and

transmitting the retrieved navigation information associated with the document identifier for the first resource.

12. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the navigation information indicates a length of time that each of the one or more other resources is displayed in a user interface window of a client device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

ordering the navigation information in accordance with the length of time that each of the one or more other resources is displayed in the user interface window of the client device.

13. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the navigation information comprises information specifying a sequence in which each of the one or more other resources is accessed by a client device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

ordering the navigation information in accordance with the sequence.

14. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the document identifier for the second resource is identical to the document identifier for the first resource.

15. The one or more machine-readable media of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the data collection stores information indicative of the document identifier for the first resource.