Searching and browsing URLs and URL history

• US 9,141,716 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Epling, Jeremiah Seth, Huang, Li-Hsin, Van Dok, Cornelis K., Davis, Jeffrey M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo, Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US12/898,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20110022971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-899
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

System(s) and/or method(s) (“tools”) are described that present indicia for implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages of a network browser application. The tools can present these indicia in a single graphic user interface, in response to a user'"'"'s selection of a single unified access point, or in response to a search of the browser'"'"'s user-associated web pages.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media embodying computer-readable instructions that, when executed, implement a method comprising:

receiving a selection to present indicia for implicitly user-associated web pages and explicitly user-associated web pages of a network browser application, wherein the implicitly user-associated web pages are web pages implicitly associated with a user upon accessing the web pages, and wherein the explicitly user-associated web pages are web pages explicitly associated with the user; and

presenting, by the network browser application, the indicia in a navigable window within a graphical user interface of the network browser application, wherein the navigable window includes selectable controls for alternately displaying the indicia for the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages.

2. The media of claim 1, further comprising presenting a single unified access point and wherein receiving the selection comprises receiving selection of the single unified access point with a single received action.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein presenting the indicia comprises presenting the indicia arranged in two or more groups, each of the groups having a group indicia, and further comprising:

enabling selection of one of the group indicia with a single received action;

receiving selection of one of the group indicia to provide selected web pages associated with the group indicia; and

associating the selected web pages with a user.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein presenting the indicia further comprises ordering the indicia in a hierarchy determined by the network browser application.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein the navigable window further comprises a search entry field configured to enable a search of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein presenting the indicia further comprises:

determining a hierarchy of the indicia based, at least in part, on input in the search entry field; and

presenting the indicia in the determined hierarchy.

7. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving a selection to present indicia for implicitly user-associated web pages and explicitly user-associated web pages of a network browser application, wherein the implicitly user-associated web pages are web pages implicitly associated with a user upon accessing the web pages, and wherein the explicitly user-associated web pages are web pages explicitly associated with the user; and

presenting, by the network browser application, indicia for one of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages in a navigable window within a graphical user interface of the network browser application, wherein the navigable window includes a selectable control for alternately displaying the indicia for the other of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising presenting a single unified access point and wherein receiving the selection comprises receiving selection of the single unified access point with a single received action.

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

enabling selection of two or more of the indicia with a single received action;

receiving selection of two or more of the indicia to provide selected indicia; and

opening web pages associated with the selected indicia without a further received action.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein presenting the indicia for one of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages in a navigable window comprises presenting the indicia arranged in two or more groups, each of the groups having a group indicia, and further comprising:

enabling selection of one of the group indicia with a single received action;

receiving selection of one of the group indicia to provide selected web pages associated with the group indicia; and

associating the selected web pages with a user.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein presenting the indicia for one of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages in a navigable window further comprises ordering the indicia in a hierarchy determined by the network browser application.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the navigable window further comprises a search entry field configured to enable a search of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein presenting the indicia for one of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages in a navigable window further comprises:

determining a hierarchy of the indicia based, at least in part, on input in the search entry field; and

presenting the indicia in the determined hierarchy.

14. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory for storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, performs a method, the method comprising;

receiving a selection to present indicia for implicitly user-associated web pages and explicitly user-associated web pages of a network browser application, wherein the implicitly user-associated web pages are web pages implicitly associated with a user upon accessing the web pages, and wherein the explicitly user-associated web pages are web pages explicitly associated with the user; and

presenting indicia for one of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages in a navigable window within a graphical user interface of the network browser application, wherein the navigable window includes a selectable control for alternately displaying the indicia for the other of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the presenting the indicia for one of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages in a navigable window further comprises presenting the indicia in one or more groups sharing a similar feature.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the navigable window further comprises a search entry field configured to enable a search of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the indicia associated with the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages are determined, based at least in part, on input from the search entry field of the navigable window.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein presenting the indicia for one of the implicitly and explicitly user-associated web pages in a navigable window further comprises:

determining a hierarchy of the indicia based, at least in part, on input in the search entry field; and

presenting the indicia in the determined hierarchy.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the indicia of the implicitly user-associated web pages are presented in an order, determined by the network browser application, reflecting a number of times that the implicitly user-associated web pages have been viewed.

20. The system of claim 14, further comprising presenting a single unified access point, wherein receiving the selection comprises receiving selection of the single unified access point with a single received action.