Method and system for facilitating selection of a portion of non-focusable object presented by a browser application

• US 7,149,981 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2003
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Blinn, Benjamin P., Miller, Robert H., Lundy, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US10/345,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/767, 715/802, 709/203
• US Class Current: 715/767
• 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

Abstract

A client terminal may present focusable objects and non-focusable objects on a display screen. The focusable objects are objects selectable by a user, while the non-focusable objects are objects not selectable by the user. A client terminal may receive web content that defines a non-focusable object and present the web content on a display screen. Additionally, the client terminal may execute computer instructions for converting the non-focusable object into focusable objects. The client terminal may present the focusable objects on the display screen so that a user can scroll through one or more of the focusable objects, select, and copy the one or more of the focusable objects.

Claims

1. A process for converting a non-focusable object into a focusable object, the process comprising:

receiving content that defines a given non-focusable object;

presenting the at least one given non-focusable object on the display screen;

parsing the given non-focusable object into a plurality of parts of a certain type;

establishing as at least one given focusable object, the parts that are of the certain type;

presenting the at least one given focusable object as a list on the display screen; and

determining user-selection of one or more of the at least one given focusable object from the list.

2. In a client terminal of a type comprising a processor, memory, and an input mechanism, the processor executing computer instructions stored in the memory, the computer instructions defining, in part, a browser application, the browser application being arranged to present focusable objects and non-focusable objects on the client terminal, and wherein actuation of the input mechanism enables a user to scroll to any focusable object presented by the browser application, but not to scroll to any non-focusable object, a method comprising:

receiving content that defines at least one given non-focusable object;

converting one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into at least one given focusable object, wherein converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object comprises parsing the at least one given non-focusable object into a plurality of parts of a certain type and establishing as the at least one given focusable object, the parts that are of the certain type;

presenting the at least one given focusable object on the display screen; and

detecting, by actuation of the input mechanism, user-selection of one or more of the at least one given focusable object.

3. The method of claim 2, fiber comprising copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected comprises copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected into a fixed medium.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected comprises copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected into a user-application.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user-application is selected from the group consisting of e-mail application, an instant messaging application, and an editor.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the user-selection of the one or more of the at least one given focusable object comprises detecting a start indication and a stop indication, the start indication defining a first focusable object of the at least one given focusable object and the stop indication defining a second focusable object of the at least one given focusable object, whereby the one or more of the at least one focusable object are focusable objects between the first focusable object and the second focusable object.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the certain type is selected from the group consisting of letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, tables, and cells.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object comprises:

presenting on the client terminal a user-selectable menu option for converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object; and

in response to the user-selection of the menu option, converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the client terminal is a wireless device.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the input mechanism is navigation keys.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein presenting the at least one given focusable object on the display screen comprises presenting a list of the at least one given focusable object on the display screen.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein detecting the user-selection of the one or more of the at least one given focusable object comprises detecting the user-selection of the one or more of the at least one given focusable object from the list of the at least one given focusable object.

14. In a client terminal of a type comprising a processor and memory, the processor executing computer instructions stored in the memory, the computer instructions defining, in part, a browser application, the browser application being arranged to present focusable objects and non-focusable objects on the client terminal, wherein the browser application enables user-selection of any focusable object, but does not allow user-selection of any non-focusable object, a method comprising:

receiving content that defines at least one given non-focusable object;

converting one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into at least one given focusable object, wherein converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object comprises parsing the at least one given non-focusable object into a plurality of parts of a certain type and establishing as the at least one given focusable object, the parts that are of the certain type;

displaying the at least one given focusable object on the terminal; and

receiving the user-selection of one or more of the at least one given focusable object.

15. A terminal comprising:

a processor;

memory;

an input mechanism;

a first set of computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the first set of computer instructions defining a browser application arranged to present focusable objects and non-focusable objects on the terminal, wherein action of the input mechanism enables a user to scroll to any focusable object presented by the browser application, but not to scroll to any non-focusable object;

a second set of computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform the functions of;

receiving content which defines at least one given non-focusable object;

converting one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into at least one given focusable object, wherein converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object comprises parsing the at least one given non-focusable object into a plurality of parts of a certain type and establishing as the at least one given focusable object the parts at are of the certain type;

presenting, on a display screen of the terminal, the at least one given focusable object; and

detecting, by actuation of the input mechanism, the user-selection of one or more of the at least one given focusable object.

16. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the second set of computer instructions further comprises computer instructions executable by the processor for performing the functions of copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected.

17. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the second set of computer instructions executable for copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected comprises computer instructions for copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object selected into a fixed medium selected from the group consisting of memory and file storage.

18. The terminal of claim 16, wherein the second set of computer instructions executable for copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object comprises computer instructions for copying the one or more of the at least one given focusable object into a user-application.

19. The terminal of claim 18, wherein the user-application is selected from the group consisting of e-mail application, an instant messaging application, and an editor.

20. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the input mechanism is defined by at least one navigation key.

21. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the certain type is selected from the group consisting of letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, pages, tables, cells, graphics and icons.

22. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the second set of computer instructions for converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object further comprises computer instructions executable by the processor for performing the functions of:

presenting, on a display screen of the client terminal, a user-selectable menu option for converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object; and

in response to the user-selection of the menu option, converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object.

23. The terminal of claim 15, wherein the content is defined by a card.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the second set of computer instructions executable for presenting the at least one given focusable object on the display screen comprises computer instructions for presenting a list of the at least one given focusable object on the display screen.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the second set of computer instructions executable for detecting the user-selection of the one or more of the at least one given focusable object comprises computer instructions for detecting the user-selection of the one or more of the at least one given focusable object from the list of the at least one given focusable object.

26. A terminal comprising:

a processor;

memory;

a first set of computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor, the first set of computer instructions defining a browser application arranged to present focusable objects and non-focusable objects on the terminal, wherein the browser application enables user-selection of any focusable object, but does not allow user-selection of any non-focusable object;

a second set of computer instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to perform the functions of;

receiving content which defines at least one given non-focusable object;

converting one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into at least one given focusable object, wherein converting the one or more of the at least one given non-focusable object into the at least one given focusable object comprises parsing the at least one given non-focusable object into a plurality of parts of a certain type and establishing as the at least one given focusable object, the parts that are of the certain type;

displaying, on a display screen of the terminal, the at least one given focusable object; and

receiving from an input mechanism, the user-selection of one or more of the at least one given focusable object.