Computer user interface architecture that saves a user's non-linear navigation history and intelligently maintains that history

• US 7,496,830 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cluts, Jonathan C., Baird, Andrew C., Rubin, Darryl E., Woolf, Susan D., Beezer, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ludwig; Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US10/875,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20040233235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/206, 715/205, 715/208, 715/240, 715/853
• US Class Current: 715/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A user interface architecture wherein user content and user interface are composed of documents with links is described. User content documents and user interface documents are both displayed in a single viewing frame. A non-linear navigation history is maintained such that a user can navigate along a first path, back up using a previous link, navigate along a second path, back up along the second path using the previous link, and re-navigate along the first path again using a next link. Every document page to which a user navigates is saved in the user'"'"'s navigation history. Users can query their navigation histories and view their navigation histories in various ways. Users can access, annotate, and customize the user interface in the same manner in which users access, annotate, and modify user content documents.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform steps of:

generating a computer user interface comprising a plurality of user interface documents having links and a plurality of user content documents having links, the user interface documents including user interface commands, wherein the generated user interface includes a unified navigational context for allowing a user to interface with at least one of the plurality of user interface documents and at least one of the plurality of user content documents within a single frame by activating the links of the user interface documents and the links of the user content documents;

in response to activation, by a user, of a first set of one or more links of the plurality of user interface documents having links and the user content documents having links, navigating forward from a first document page along a first navigational path of at least one document page, the first navigational path including one of the plurality of user interface documents and one of the plurality of user content documents;

then, in response to activation of a previous link at least once by the user, navigating back along the first navigational path to the first document page;

then, in response to activation, by the user, of a second set of one or more links of the plurality of user interface documents having links and the user content documents having links, navigating forward from the first document page along a second navigational path of at least one document page, the second navigational path being different than the first navigational path;

then, in response to activation of the previous link at least once by the user, navigating back along the second navigational path to the first document page; and

then, in response to activation of a next link by the user at least once, navigating forward along the first navigational path.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second navigational path includes one of the plurality of user interface documents and one of the plurality of user content documents.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one page of the first and second navigational paths is the same page.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the same page is one of the plurality of user interface documents.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the same page is one of the plurality of user content documents.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising a step of storing a navigational history of the first navigational path and the second navigational path.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the stored navigational history includes information about when the user navigated to each document page in the first navigational path.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the stored navigational history includes information about when the user navigated to each document page in the second navigational path.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, further comprising a step of generating a history view map for displaying the stored navigational history.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the history view map depicts the stored navigational history non-linearly.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the history view map depicts the stored navigational history restricted to a particular time frame.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the second navigational path includes one of the plurality of user interface documents and one of the plurality of user content documents.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein at least one page of the first and second navigational paths is the same page.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the same page is one of the plurality of user interface documents.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the same page is one of the plurality of user content documents.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes only one set of navigation controls to navigate the generated user interface, and wherein the single frame including at least one user content document and user command document is displayed in only one navigation space navigated by the only one set of navigation controls.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user command documents include information describing the user interface commands, the information describing the user interface commands including active command instances of the user interface commands.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the single frame includes at least one margin including at least one of a document or command shortcut, a bookmark associated with the single frame, a user annotation, and a clipping, wherein each of the at least one the document or command shortcut, the bookmark associated with the single frame, the user annotation, and the clipping having been customized by the user.