User interface for accessing presentations

• US 20060265658A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Melton, Donald Dale, Sullivan, John William
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/730
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A user interface and methods for accessing document presentations are described herein. In one aspect of the invention, an exemplary method of the invention allows a user to directly snapback to a previous accessed document presentation without having to select from a menu of items or go through the intermediate pages. In this method, when a first document presentation is accessed, a first location of the first document presentation is recorded, automatically or manually. Subsequently, when a sequence of additional document presentations originated from the first document presentation is accessed, in response to a first input, without having to select from a menu of items, the first document presentation is directly retrieved from a recorded first location and displayed in a window. In one particular embodiment, a second document presentation is accessed and a second location of the second document presentation is recorded, where the recordation of the second location resets or supercedes the recordation of the first location. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing a first document presentation other than a default initial document presentation;

recording a first location of the first document presentation;

accessing a sequence of additional document presentations originated from the first document presentation; and

in response to a first input, without having to select from a menu of document presentations, directly retrieving the first document presentation from the first location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is recorded when the first document presentation is accessed in response to an action selected from the group consisting of:

typing an address in an address field;

accessing a link from a document; and

selecting an item from a favorite list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is recorded in response to a user request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a marker when the sequence of additional document presentations are accessed, wherein the first input is received via an activation of the marker.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising removing the marker from the display when the first document presentation is retrieved.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a second document presentation; and

recording a second location of the second document presentation,

wherein the recordation of the second location causes the first location to be unrecorded.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

accessing one or more third document presentations from the second document presentation; and

in response to the first input, without having to select from a menu of document presentations, directly retrieving the second document presentation from the recorded second location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first document presentation is accessed via a window, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a search result from a search engine in response to a search request, the search result including a first and a second result pages;

displaying the first search result page in the window; and

recording a second location of the first search result page.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing a second document presentation from the first search result page;

in response to a second input, without having to select from a menu of document presentations, directly retrieving the first search result page from the recorded second location; and

redisplaying the first search result page in the window.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein after the first search result is redisplayed, the method further comprises:

in response to the first input, without having to select from a menu of document presentations, directly retrieving the first document presentation from the recorded first location; and

displaying the first document presentation in the window.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accessing the second search result page; and

recording a third location of the second search result page, wherein the recordation of the third location causes the second location of the first search result page to be unrecorded.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

accessing a third document presentation other than the search result via the window;

in response to a second input, without having to select from a menu of document presentations, directly retrieving the second search result page from the recorded third location; and

displaying the second search result page in the window.

13. A method, comprising:

automatically recording a location of a first document presentation when the first document presentation is accessed via certain predetermined methods which includes entering an address into an address field;

accessing at least one second document presentation from the first document presentation; and

in response to an input, without having to select from a menu of document presentations, directly retrieving the first document presentation from the location.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the certain predetermined methods further includes accessing the first document presentation from a predefined favorite document list.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising displaying a marker when the at least one second document presentation is accessed, wherein the input is received via an activation of the marker.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising removing the marker when the first document presentation is retrieved.

17. A method, comprising:

accessing a first document presentation from a first location, the first location being recorded, the first document presentation being displayed within a window;

accessing a second document presentation which is displayed within the window; and

recording a second location of the second document presentation, wherein the recordation of the second location causes the first location to be unrecorded.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second location of the second document presentation is recorded when the second document presentation is accessed via typing an address into an address field or via a selection from a bookmark.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the second location of the second document presentation is recorded in response to a user request.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

accessing a third document presentation originated from the second document presentation; and

in response to an input, without having to select from a menu of document presentations, directly retrieving the second document presentation from the recorded second location.