System and method for automatically storing and recalling application states based on application contexts
First Claim
1. A method for automatically storing and restoring the state of an application and/or electronic document according to a context change in said application program or electronic document, comprising:
- determining a previous context for said application program and/or electronic document;
collecting a current state of said application and/or electronic document;
associating said current sate with said previous context and storing said current state;
determining a new context for said application program and/or electronic document;
recalling the previously stored state for said new context; and
restoring said previously stored state to said application and/or electronic document.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for automatically managing the storing and restoring of application or electronic document states based on the context of an application or electronic document. A state, in this case, refers to all possible settings of an application or electronic document, such as, for example, preference and option settings. A state also refers to the placement and appearance of all the elements that comprise a Graphical User Interface, including palettes, toolbars, menus and so on. When the user takes an action which causes the context of the application to change, the program module detects the change, stores the state of the application and/or electronic document for the context being exited, and restores the previous state of the application and/or electronic document for the context being entered. Thus, every time a user changes a setting in the application or electronic document, such as moving a palette or modifying a user preference, the present invention automatically stores that change and associates it with the current context without any further interaction needed from the user.
121 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method for automatically storing and restoring the state of an application and/or electronic document according to a context change in said application program or electronic document, comprising:
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determining a previous context for said application program and/or electronic document;
collecting a current state of said application and/or electronic document;
associating said current sate with said previous context and storing said current state;
determining a new context for said application program and/or electronic document;
recalling the previously stored state for said new context; and
restoring said previously stored state to said application and/or electronic document. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for automatically customizing a user interface in an application program according to changes in contexts of said application program or of an electronic document being modified by said application program, comprising:
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determining a previous context for said application program and/or electronic document;
collecting a current user interface state of said application and/or electronic document;
associating said current sate with said previous context and storing said current state;
determining a new context for said application program and/or electronic document;
recalling the previously stored user interface state for said new context; and
based upon said previously stored user interface state, invoking, resizing, resetting, moving and/or dismissing pre-existing windows, buttons, menus, text boxes, toolbars, palettes, icons, scrollbars and/or sliders. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A machine readable medium having a set of machine readable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method for automatically storing and restoring the state of an application and/or electronic document according to a context change in said application program or electronic document, the method comprising:
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determining a previous context for said application program and/or electronic document;
collecting a current state of said application and/or electronic document;
associating said current sate with said previous context and storing said current state;
determining a new context for said application program and/or electronic document;
recalling the previously stored state for said new context; and
restoring said previously stored state to said application and/or electronic document.
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Specification