Computer system and computer-implemented process for presenting document connectivity

• US 6,189,019 B1
• Filed: 08/14/1996
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mauceri, Robert J. Jr., Blumer, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/696,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 707/500, 707/507, 707/513, 707/514, 707/533, 707/100, 707/102, 345/356, 345/440, 345/334, 345/335, 345/357
• US Class Current: 715/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method for representing linked document connectivity that produces an easy to use, uncluttered screen display. An outline view shows a web of documents as a limited, hierarchical outline. A link view, operatively connected to the outline view, shows a small region of the web surrounding a focus document. The outline may be expanded or contracted to show documents at several levels of the hierarchy, at each branch. The links to and from the focus document may be expanded to show a plurality of levels of connection outward from the focus document. Links may be followed to change the focus document in the link view, and documents may be selected in outline view, thereby changing the focus document.

Claims

1. A method for representing relationships between elements that are linked together by hypertext links so as to form a web, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a first data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links to other elements of the web;

(b) creating a second data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links from other elements of the web; and

(c) in regard to at least one element of the web selected as a focus element, graphically displaying any hypertext links from said focus element to any other elements and any hypertext links from other elements to said focus element, using the first and the second data structures.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of producing a graphical outline view of the web in which relative hierarchical levels of the elements on the web are displayed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a homepage is displayed at a top level of the outline view, other elements that are subordinate in the hierarchical levels being shown in lower levels.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of including orphan elements in the first and the second data structure, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any hypertext link from a homepage element.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enabling a user to selectively graphically display hypertext links to and from at least one other element that is not the focus element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a hypertext link from a first element to a second element is graphically represented by an arrow extending from the first element and pointing to the second element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein neither the first nor the second data structure includes duplicate hypertext link entries.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the first data structure are graphically represented at one side of the focus element, and hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the second data structure are graphically represented on an opposite side of the focus element.

10. A method for representing relationships between elements that are linked together by hypertext links so as to form a web, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a master list of elements in the web, said master list storing for each element, a list of hypertext link references associated with elements that link from said element;

(b) creating an index of links for the elements in the web, said index of links associating with each element a list of elements that contain a hypertext link to said element;

(c) producing a graphical outline view of the web in which a homepage is displayed at a top level, said outline view showing hierarchical levels of other elements that are linked to the homepage in subordinate positions, based upon the master list and the index of links; and

(d) graphically expanding any selected element in the outline view, to produce a link view comprising a hypertext link map displaying hypertext linkages to the selected element from other elements and hypertext linkages to other elements from the selected element.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of creating a list of any orphan elements on the web, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any link from the homepage.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein each of the unique keys comprise a uniform resource locator for one of the elements of the web.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the hypertex link references each comprise a uniform resource locator.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the elements is disposed at a level zero, and wherein the link view includes graphic arrows representing hypertext linkages between other elements that are at non-zero levels and said one element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the elements displayed in the link view at a non-zero level is selectively expandable to display its linkage to the other elements.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein in the link view, the linkages between said selected element and the other elements are selectively contractible so that the linkages are not displayed.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said selected element in the object view is expanded to create the link view, without manually stepping through any intervening levels between the homepage and said selected element.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the master list comprises a primary dictionary, and wherein each element is assigned a unique key and is associated with a pointer to a document structure containing a list of hypertext link references to said element.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein each element is referenced by the unique key assigned to it and is associated with a secondary dictionary, said secondary dictionary containing a list of hypertext link references identifying elements that contain a hypertext link to the element with which said secondary dictionary is associated.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein duplicate pointers are not permitted within any secondary dictionary.

22. A media adapted for distribution of a computer program to enable the computer program to be executed on a computer, said computer program enabling a visual representation of relationships between elements that are linked together by hypertext links so as to form a web, the visual representation being displayed when the computer program is executed by a computer, comprising:

(a) a memory media; and

(b) a plurality of machine instructions comprising the computer program, which are stored on the memory media, said plurality of machine instructions when executed by a computer causing the computer to;

(i) create a first data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links to other elements of the web;

(ii) create a second data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links from other elements of the web; and

(iii) in regard to at least one element of the web selected as a focus element, graphically display any links from said focus element to any other elements and any hypertext links from other elements to said focus element, using the first and the second data structures.

23. The media of claim 22, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, further display a graphical outline view of the web in which relative hierarchical levels of the elements on the web are indicated.

24. The media of claim 23, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, display a homepage at a top level of the outline view, other elements that are subordinate in the hierarchical levels being shown in lower levels.

25. The media of claim 22, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, include orphan elements in the first and the second data structure for display, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any hypertext link from the homepage element.

26. The media of claim 22, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, enable a user to selectively graphically display hypertext links to and from at least one other element that is not a focus element.

27. The media of claim 23, wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

28. The media of claim 22, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, graphically display a hypertext link from a first element to a second element using an arrow extending from the first element and pointing to the second element.

29. The media of claim 22, wherein neither the first nor the second data structure includes duplicate hypertext link entries.

30. The media of claim 22, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by a computer, graphically represent hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the first data structure at one side of the focus element, and hypertext links between the focus element and any other elements included in the second data structure on an opposite side of the focus element.

31. A system for graphically representing and displaying relationships between elements that are linked together by hyperlinks so as to form a web, comprising:

(a) a memory in which a plurality of machine instructions are stored;

(b) a display; and

(c) a processor that is coupled to the memory to access the machine instructions and to the display, said processor executing said machine instructions to implement a plurality of functions, said functions including;

(i) creating a first data structure, which for each element of the web identifies any hyperlinks to other elements of the web;

(ii) creating a second data structure, which for each element of the web identifies any hyperlinks from other elements of the web; and

(iii) in regard to at least one element of the web selected as a focus element, graphically displaying any hyperlinks from said focus element to any other elements and any hyperlinks from other elements to said focus element on the display, using the first and the second data structures.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to present a graphical outline view of the web on the display based upon the first and second data structures, in which relative hierarchical levels of the elements on the web are indicated.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to represent a homepage at a top level of the outline view, other elements that are subordinate to the homepage being shown in lower levels on the display.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to include orphan elements in the first and the second data structure shown on the display, said orphan elements comprising elements that are not accessible by following any link from the homepage element.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to enable a user to selectively graphically display hyperlinks to and from at least one other element that is not a focus element.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the elements comprise a plurality of hypertext markup language documents.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to graphically display a hyperlink from a first element to a second element on the display, using an arrow extending from the first element and pointing to the second element.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein neither the first nor the second data structure includes duplicate hyperlink entries.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the machine instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to graphically represent hyperlinks between the focus element and any other elements included in the first data structure at one side of the focus element in the display, and hyperlinks between the focus element and any other elements included in the second data structure on an opposite side of the focus element in the display.

40. A method for representing relationships between elements that are linked together by hypertext links so as to form a web, comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a first data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links to other elements of the web;

(b) creating a second data structure, which for each element of the web, identifies any hypertext links from other elements of the web; and

(c) using information contained in the first and second data structures, producing a graphical outline view of the web in which relative hierarchical levels of the elements on the web are displayed.