Computer implemented methods and apparatus for dynamic windowing in user interfaces

• US 8,732,606 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Naderi, Nadia, Beyries, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/280,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 715/247, 715/799, 715/776, 715/783, 715/781, 715/784, 715/752, 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Disclosed are implementations of methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for rendering information. In some implementations, user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page is received. A dynamic window including one or more links linked with respective identifiable portions of the content on the page can be generated. The page of content and the dynamic window can be displayed in a user interface on a display of a computing device. The user interface can have a first state in which a first view of the page of content is displayed and a second state in which a second view of the page is displayed, where the second view is different from the first view. The dynamic window is capable of remaining displayed independent of a change of the user interface from the first state to the second state.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of rendering information, the method comprising:

receiving user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page;

generating a dynamic window including a first link linked with a first identifiable portion of the content on the page and a second link linked with a second identifiable portion of the content on the page; and

displaying the page of content and the dynamic window in a user interface on a display of a computing device, each link in the dynamic window being selectable to cause a respective identifiable portion of the content on the page to be displayed in the user interface, the user interface having a first state in which a first view of the page of content is displayed and the dynamic window is displayed at a position of the user interface, the dynamic window remaining displayed at the position of the user interface independent of a change of the user interface from the first state to a second state in which a second view of the page of content is displayed, the second view being different from the first view.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein all of the links in the dynamic window are linearly situated with respect to each other along a horizontal axis of the user interface.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein one or more of the links in the dynamic window have an angled orientation with respect to the horizontal axis or a vertical axis of the user interface.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an update to the dynamic window; and

updating one or more of the links in the dynamic window to an updated setting based on the indication of the update.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein updating the one or more links includes removing the one or more links or adding an additional link to the one or more links.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4, wherein updating the one or more links includes an operation selected from the group consisting of:

changing the one or more links to link with a different one or more identifiable portions of the content on the page, changing a format of the one or more links, changing data of the one or more links, and restoring the one or more links to a previous setting.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing information indicative of the updated setting on a storage medium.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein displaying the page of content and the dynamic window includes:

displaying the page of content; and

displaying the dynamic window such that the dynamic window overlays at least a part of the displayed page of content.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic window is situated in a first region of the user interface when the user interface has the first state, and the dynamic window is situated in the first region of the user interface when the user interface has the second state.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first identifiable portion of the content on the page is an item selected from the group consisting of:

a section, a title, a heading, a sub-heading, a hyperlink, an image, and an audio source.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second identifiable portion of the content on the page is an item selected from the group consisting of:

a section, a title, a heading, a sub-heading, a hyperlink, an image, and an audio source.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first link and the second link are ones of a plurality of links included in the dynamic window, each link linked with a respective identifiable portion of the content on the page.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a selection of the first link; and

displaying, responsive to receiving the indication, at least a part of the first identifiable portion of the content.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein displaying the at least a part of the first identifiable portion of the content includes:

generating an overlaying window including the at least a part of the first identifiable portion of the content, the overlaying window overlaying at least a part of the displayed page of content.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first identifiable portion of the content on the page has a first location on the page, and the second identifiable portion of the content on the page has a second location on the page different from the first location.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first view of the page includes first content, and the second view of the page includes second content different from the first content.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first view of the page and the second view of the page share a part of the content.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is displayed in a web browser program running on the computing device.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is displayed in a software application running on the computing device.

20. A computer implemented method of rendering information, the method comprising:

generating user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page;

generating a dynamic window including a first link linked with a first identifiable portion of the content on the page and a second link linked with a second identifiable portion of the content on the page; and

providing the user interface data and the dynamic window over a network, the page of content and the dynamic window capable of being displayed in a user interface on a display of a computing device, each link in the dynamic window being selectable to cause a respective identifiable portion of the content on the page to be displayed in the user interface, the user interface having a first state in which a first view of the page of content is displayed and the dynamic window is displayed at a position of the user interface, the dynamic window remaining displayed at the position of the user interface independent of a change of the user interface from the first state to a second state in which a second view of the page of content is displayed, the second view being different from the first view.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an update to the dynamic window; and

updating one or more of the links in the dynamic window to an updated setting based on the indication of the update.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein updating the one or more links includes removing the one or more links or adding an additional link to the one or more links.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein updating the one or more links includes an operation selected from the group consisting of:

changing the one or more links to link with a different one or more identifiable portions of the content on the page, changing a format of the one or more links, changing data of the one or more links, and restoring the one or more links to a previous setting.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 21, further comprising:

storing information indicative of the updated setting on a storage medium.

25. One or more servers comprising:

one or more processors operable to execute one or more instructions to;

generate user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page,

generate a dynamic window including a first link linked with a first identifiable portion of the content on the page and a second link linked with a second identifiable portion of the content on the page, and

provide the user interface data and the dynamic window over a network, the page of content and the dynamic window capable of being displayed in a user interface on a display of a computing device in communication with the network, each link in the dynamic window being selectable to cause a respective identifiable portion of the content on the page to be displayed in the user interface, the user interface having a first state in which a first view of the page of content is displayed and the dynamic window is displayed at a position of the user interface, the dynamic window remaining displayed at the position of the user interface independent of a change of the user interface from the first state to a second state in which a second view of the page of content is displayed, the second view being different from the first view.

26. The one or more servers of claim 25, the one or more processors further operable to:

receive an indication of an update to the dynamic window, and

update one or more of the links in the dynamic window to an updated setting based on the indication of the update.

27. The one or more servers of claim 26, wherein updating the one or more links includes removing the one or more links or adding an additional link to the one or more links.

28. The one or more servers of claim 26, wherein updating the one or more links includes an operation selected from the group consisting of:

changing the one or more links to link with a different one or more identifiable portions of the content on the page, changing a format of the one or more links, changing data of the one or more links, and restoring the one or more links to a previous setting.

29. The one or more servers of claim 26, further comprising:

a storage medium capable of storing information indicative of the updated setting.

30. A computer implemented method of rendering information, the method comprising:

receiving a first request for user interface data, the first request associated with a first user profile having a first security permission, the user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page;

generating a first dynamic window including a first link linked with a first identifiable portion of the content, the first link and the first identifiable portion of the content accessible with the first security permission;

providing the first identifiable portion of the content and the first dynamic window over a network to a first computing device associated with the first user profile, the first identifiable portion of the content and the first dynamic window capable of being displayed in a first user interface on a first display of the first computing device;

receiving a second request for the user interface data, the second request associated with a second user profile having a second security permission different from the first security permission;

generating a second dynamic window including a second link linked with a second identifiable portion of the content, the second link and the second identifiable portion of the content accessible with the second security permission; and

providing the second identifiable portion of the content and the second dynamic window over the network to a second computing device associated with the second user profile, the second identifiable portion of the content and the second dynamic window capable of being displayed in a second user interface on a second display of the second computing device.

31. The computer implemented method of claim 30, wherein each displayed user interface is capable of having a first state in which a first view of a respective page is displayed, each dynamic window remaining displayed independent of any change of the respective displayed user interface from the first state to a second state in which a second view of the respective page is displayed, the second view being different from the first view.

32. One or more servers comprising:

one or more processors operable to execute one or more instructions to;

receive a first request for user interface data, the first request associated with a first user profile having a first security permission, the user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page,

generate a first dynamic window including a first link linked with a first identifiable portion of the content, the first link and the first identifiable portion of the content accessible with the first security permission,

provide the first identifiable portion of the content and the first dynamic window over a network to a first computing device associated with the first user profile, the first identifiable portion of the content and the first dynamic window capable of being displayed in a first user interface on a first display of the first computing device,

receive a second request for the user interface data, the second request associated with a second user profile having a second security permission different from the first security permission,

generate a second dynamic window including a second link linked with a second identifiable portion of the content, the second link and the second identifiable portion of the content accessible with the second security permission, and

provide the second identifiable portion of the content and the second dynamic window over the network to a second computing device associated with the second user profile, the second identifiable portion of the content and the second dynamic window capable of being displayed in a second user interface on a second display of the second computing device.

33. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving user interface data including content capable of being displayed on a page;

generating a dynamic window including a first link linked with a first identifiable portion of the content on the page and a second link linked with a second identifiable portion of the content on the page; and

displaying the page of content and the dynamic window in a user interface on a display of a computing device, each link in the dynamic window being selectable to cause a respective identifiable portion of the content on the page to be displayed in the user interface, the user interface having a first state in which a first view of the page of content is displayed and the dynamic window is displayed at a position of the user interface, the dynamic window remaining displayed at the position of the user interface independent of a change of the user interface from the first state to a second state in which a second view of the page of content is displayed, the second view being different from the first view.