APPLICATION NAVIGATION

• US 20090300552A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jaffe, Chris S., Cassano, Heather McIntosh, Shih, Nina F., Bollman, Eric, Su, Lin
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,429 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A method for operating a user interface for switching between computer applications is provided. The method may include displaying first, second and third navigation controls. The first navigation control may include entity selectors, the second navigation control may include application selectors, and the third navigation control may include sub-application selectors. The application selectors may be associated with the entities in the first navigation control and the sub-application selectors may be associated with the application selectors. An application associated with sub-application selector may be launched upon selecting the sub-application selector. The state of an application may be stored and retrieved upon switching between applications so as to enable fast switching between applications.

Claims

1. A method for switching between applications, the method comprising:

displaying a first navigation control, the first navigation control including entity selectors;

displaying a second navigation control, the second navigation control including application selectors associated with a selected entity in the first navigation control; and

displaying a third navigation control, the third navigation control including sub-application selectors associated with a selected application in the second navigation control.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

executing instructions for launching an application associated with a selected sub-application selector in the third navigation control.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising

receiving a second entity selection;

displaying application selectors associated with the second entity in the second navigation control;

displaying sub-application selectors associated with a second selected application in the third navigation control; and

executing instructions for launching a second application associated with a second selected sub-application selector in the third navigation control.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

storing a state of the application before launching the second application so as to enable returning to the application and restoring a state of the application.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

executing instructions for launching an application associated with a selected application in the second navigation control.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying additional sub-application selectors in the third navigation control in response to receiving a sub-application selection.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a popup menu including a list of sub-applications selectors in response to receiving a sub-application selection.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a popup menu selection corresponding to a selected sub-application in the list of sub-applications; and

displaying the selected sub-application in the third navigation control;

9. A machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon, a computer program comprising at least one code section for switching between applications, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform acts of:

displaying a first navigation control, the first navigation control including entity selectors;

displaying a second navigation control, the second navigation control including application selectors associated with a selected entity in the first navigation control; and

displaying a third navigation control, the third navigation control including sub-application selectors associated with a selected application in the second navigation control.

10. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables executing instructions for launching an application associated with a selected sub-application selector in the third navigation control.

11. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables

receiving a second entity selection;

displaying application selectors associated with the second entity in the second navigation control;

displaying sub-application selectors associated with a second selected application in the third navigation control; and

executing instructions for launching a second application associated with a second selected sub-application selector in the third navigation control.

12. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables storing a state of the application before launching the second application so as to enable returning to the application and restoring a state of the application.

13. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables executing instructions for launching an application associated with a selected application in the second navigation control.

14. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables displaying additional sub-application selectors in the third navigation control in response to receiving a sub-application selection.

15. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 9, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables displaying a popup menu including a list of sub-applications selectors in response to receiving a sub-application selection.

16. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the at least one code section comprises code that enables

receiving a popup menu selection corresponding to a selected sub-application in the list of sub-applications;

and

displaying the selected sub-application in the third navigation control;

17. A system for switching between applications, the system comprising:

circuitry that enables displaying a first navigation control, the first navigation control including entity selectors;

the circuitry also enables displaying a second navigation control, the second navigation control including application selectors associated with a selected entity in the first navigation control; and

displaying a third navigation control, the third navigation control including sub-application selectors associated with a selected application in the second navigation control.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the circuitry enables

executing instructions for launching an application associated with a selected sub-application selector in the third navigation control.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the circuitry enables receiving a second entity selection;

displaying application selectors associated with the second entity in the second navigation control;

displaying sub-application selectors associated with a second selected application in the third navigation control; and

executing instructions for launching a second application associated with a second selected sub-application selector in the third navigation control.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the circuitry enables storing a state of the application before launching the second application so as to enable returning to the application and restoring a state of the application.

21. The system according to claim 17, wherein the circuitry enables executing instructions for launching an application associated with a selected application in the second navigation control.

22. The system according to claim 17, wherein the circuitry enables displaying additional sub-application selectors in the third navigation control in response to receiving a sub-application selection.

23. The system according to claim 17, wherein the circuitry enables displaying a popup menu including a list of sub-applications selectors in response to receiving a sub-application selection.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the circuitry enables receiving a popup menu selection corresponding to a selected sub-application in the list of sub-applications;

and displaying the selected sub-application in the third navigation control.