Administrator configurable gadget directory for personalized start pages

• US 8,954,861 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Ryohei, Saha, Shoumen, Horowitz, Michael, Raman, Sanjay, Hjelmstad, John, Kobrin, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvesteffer, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US11/797,896
• Time in Patent Office: 2,835 Days
• Field of Search: 715/840
• US Class Current: 715/743
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

A method of facilitating the self-administration of a directory of available modules on a group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document or start page is presented. The method includes presenting an initial list of modules to an administrator of a group, enabling the administrator to identify module selection information that identifies criteria for inclusion and/or exclusion of one or more modules in a directory, and storing the module selection information identified by the administrator. When a user of the group accesses a customized content document, the user is presented with a modified list of available modules based on the module selection information. Using this method, the administrator is capable of excluding modules from a global list, including only a specific subset of modules, or a combination of both. A system of carrying out the method is also presented.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of facilitating the self-administration of a directory of available modules for a group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document, the method comprising:

providing an initial list of modules to an administrator of a group;

enabling the administrator to identify module selection information, wherein the module selection information identifies criteria for at least one of inclusion or exclusion of one or more modules from the initial list of modules in a directory;

storing the module selection information identified by the administrator, wherein storing comprises storing module indicators representing modules selected for inclusion or exclusion in one or more inclusion or exclusion lists, such that a user of the group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document is provided with a list of available modules based on the application of the one or more inclusion or exclusion lists depending on one or more of the user'"'"'s chosen interests for a particular user status and an administrator decision whether to allow a combination of inclusion lists to apply to the user;

providing, to a user of the group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document, a modified list of available modules based on the module selection information;

receiving selection of one or more user modules for the user from the modified list of available modules; and

providing a customized content document for the user to the user, the customized content document including both the selected user modules and content from the group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the initial list of modules comprises providing an unbounded list of available modules.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the initial list of modules comprises providing a bounded list of available modules.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the initial list of modules comprises providing modules based on a category chosen by the administrator.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the initial list of modules comprises providing modules based on a search conducted by the administrator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling comprises providing the administrator with, for each listed module, one or more of:

a corresponding toggle button to toggle between including and excluding the corresponding module;

a corresponding checkbox to indicate the inclusion or exclusion of the corresponding module; and

a corresponding radio button to indicate the inclusion or exclusion of the corresponding module.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling comprises providing a list of categories, each category representing a subset of modules, from which the administrator can choose to include or exclude.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing comprises storing module indicators representing modules selected for inclusion in an inclusion list, such that the list of available modules includes only modules listed in the inclusion list.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing comprises storing module indicators representing modules selected for inclusion in one or more inclusion lists, such that the list of available modules includes only modules listed in the one or more inclusion lists, depending on the particular status of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the administrator to create a custom category, wherein contents of the custom category is determined by the identified module selection information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a first list of modules to an administrator of a group includes providing, for a first module on the first list of modules, a suggested module that is similar to the first module, related to the first module, or popular with other users of the first module.

12. A system to facilitate the self-administration of a directory of available modules for a group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document, the system comprising:

a content document editor that presents an initial list of modules to an administrator of a group, and enables the administrator to identify module selection information, wherein the module selection information identifies criteria for at least one of inclusion or exclusion of one or more modules in a directory; and

a memory that stores the module selection information identified by the administrator,

wherein the system is configured to provide a user of the group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document with a modified list of available modules based on the module selection information such that the modified list includes or excludes modules identified for inclusion or exclusion by the module selection information based on the application of one or more inclusion or exclusion lists depending on one or more of the user'"'"'s chosen interests for a particular user status and an administrator decision whether to allow a combination of inclusion lists to apply to the user, receive a selection of one or more user modules for the user from the modified list of available modules, and provide a customized content document for the user to the user, the customized content document including both the selected user modules and content from the group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the content document editor is located on a server and is accessible by the administrator over a network.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the network is the Internet.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the content document editor provides the initial list of modules to the administrator based on a category chosen by the administrator.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the content document editor provides the initial list of modules to the administrator based on a search conducted by the administrator.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the content document editor enables, for each listed module, the administrator to identify module selection information using one or more of:

an add button;

a delete button;

a toggle button;

a checkbox;

or

a radio button.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the content document editor includes:

a submit button configured to submit the module selection information.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the content document editor is configured to provide, for a first module in the initial list of modules, a suggested module that is similar to the first module, related to the first module, or popular with other users of the first module.

20. A system to facilitate the self-administration of a directory of available modules on a group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document, the system comprising:

a server maintained including a content document editor;

a workstation that is configured to allow an administrator of a user group to access the content document editor, wherein the content document editor provides an initial list of modules to the administrator and enables the administrator to identify module selection information, wherein the module selection information identifies criteria for at least one of inclusion or exclusion of one or more modules in a directory, in which the criteria include including only modules relevant to a specific language; and

a memory, maintained by the content document provider or the user group, to store the module selection information identified by the administrator,

wherein the system is configured to provide a user of the group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document with a modified list of available modules based on the module selection information such that the modified list includes or excludes modules identified for inclusion or exclusion by the module selection information based on the application of one or more inclusion or exclusion lists depending on one or more of the user'"'"'s chosen interests for a particular user status and an administrator decision whether to allow a combination of inclusion lists to apply to the user, receive a selection of one or more user modules for the user from the modified list of available modules, and provide a customized content document for the user to the user, the customized content document including both the selected user modules and content from the group'"'"'s syndicated customizable content document.