Visual presentation of multiple internet pages

• US 8,347,230 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Decker, Kevin, Sullivan, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORR, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US12/242,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,554 Days
• Field of Search: 715/830
• US Class Current: 715/830
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A novel method for graphically organizing and displaying multiple pages of internet content based on how the page was accessed. Pages are determined to be indirectly accessed if they were accessed via a hypertext link or a trail of hypertext links. Pages are determined to be directly accessed if accessed via other means, such as a bookmark or via Uniform Resource Locator (URL). Page groupings are created for each directly accessed page, and each indirectly accessed page is categorized into a grouping associated with a directly accessed page containing a link through which the indirectly accessed page was accessed. The web pages are presented to the user in an interface that is a graphical representation of the page groupings, wherein a user selects a page to view by first selecting the page'"'"'s page grouping and then selecting the page.

Claims

1. A method for displaying multiple pages of internet content comprising:

determining whether each of multiple pages was accessed directly or indirectly by a user, wherein each directly accessed page was accessed by the user in a manner other than by selecting hypertext links, wherein each indirectly accessed page was accessed by the user selecting hypertext links, and wherein the multiple pages comprise a directly accessed page and an indirectly accessed page;

creating a page grouping for the directly accessed page;

categorizing the indirectly accessed page into the page grouping, wherein the categorizing is based on the page grouping being associated with the directly accessed page through which the indirectly accessed page was accessed by the user selecting a hypertext link or a trail of hypertext links;

receiving a request by the user to display the page grouping, the page grouping having a selected status;

presenting, through a graphical user interface (GUI), the user with a visual representation of the page grouping and the pages contained in the page grouping;

transitioning the selected status from the page grouping to another page grouping within the GUI in response to user input; and

enabling the user to select from the page grouping having the selected status, a page to view within the GUI.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each new page that the user requests is categorized into

an existing page grouping if the new page is accessed indirectly;

and

a new page grouping if the new page is accessed directly, such that there is a one-to-one relationship between page groupings and directly accessed pages.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the request to display the page grouping comprises user input including at least one of

a keyboard command;

a GUI toolbar item selection;

or

a specific gesture created with a pointing device.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the visual representation of the page grouping comprises a carousel-style representation of the page groupings, each grouping displayed as a selectable snapshot of the directly accessed page associated with the page grouping, wherein the carousel-style representation has a distinct front position.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein user selection of a snapshot within the carousel-style representation of the page groupings results in

display of the directly accessed page associated with the snapshot, if the selected snapshot is in the front position;

and otherwise

rotation of the carousel-style representation to place the selected snapshot in the front position.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the GUI further comprises a selectable thumbnail-style snapshot for each indirectly accessed page in a page grouping associated with the directly accessed page currently in the front position of the carousel, wherein user selection of a thumbnail-style snapshot results in display of the indirectly accessed page associated with the thumbnail-style snapshot.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein rotation of the carousel-style representation is animated.

8. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory machine accessible storage medium having content to provide instructions to result in a machine performing operations including:

determining whether each of multiple pages was accessed directly or indirectly by a user, wherein each directly accessed page was accessed by the user in a manner other than by selecting hypertext links, wherein each indirectly accessed page was accessed by the user selecting hypertext links, and wherein the multiple pages comprise a directly accessed page and an indirectly accessed page;

creating a page grouping for the directly accessed page;

categorizing the indirectly accessed page into the page grouping, wherein the categorizing is based on the-page grouping being associated with the directly accessed page through which the indirectly accessed page was accessed by the user selecting a hypertext link or a trail of hypertext links;

receiving a request by the user to display the page grouping, the page grouping having a selected status;

presenting, through a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display, the user with a visual representation of the page grouping and the pages contained in the page grouping;

transitioning the selected status from the page grouping to another page grouping within the GUI in response to user input; and

enabling the user to select from the page grouping having the selected status, a page to view within the GUI.

9. An article of manufacture according to claim 8, wherein the instructions to result in a machine performing operations include instructions to result in a machine categorizing each new page that the user requests into

an existing page grouping if the new page is accessed indirectly;

and

a new page grouping if the new page is accessed directly, such that there is a one-to-one relationship between page groupings and directly accessed pages.

10. An article of manufacture according to claim 8, wherein the instructions to result in a machine presenting the user with the visual representation of the page grouping includes instructions to accept user input comprising at least one of

a keyboard command;

a GUI toolbar item selection;

or

a specific gesture created with a pointing device.

11. An article of manufacture according to claim 8, wherein the visual representation of the page groupingcomprises a carousel-style representation of the page groupings, each grouping displayed as a selectable snapshot of the directly accessed page associated with the page grouping, wherein the carousel-style representation has a distinct front position.

12. An article of manufacture according to claim 11, further including instructions to result in a machine enabling user selection of a snapshot within the carousel-style representation of the page groupings that results in

display of the directly accessed page associated with the snapshot, if the selected snapshot is in the front position;

and otherwise

rotation of the carousel-style representation to place the selected snapshot in the front position.

13. An article of manufacture according to claim 12, wherein the GUI further comprises a selectable thumbnail-style snapshot for each indirectly accessed page in a page grouping associated with the directly accessed page currently in the front position of the carousel, further including instructions to result in a machine enabling user selection of a thumbnail-style snapshot to result in display of the indirectly accessed page associated with the thumbnail-style snapshot.

14. An article of manufacture according to claim 12, further including instructions to result in a machine animating the rotation of the carousel-style representation.

15. An apparatus for displaying multiple pages of internet content comprising:

a means for determining whether each of multiple pages was accessed directly or indirectly by a user, wherein each directly accessed page was accessed by the user in a manner other than by selecting hypertext links, wherein each indirectly accessed page was accessed by the user selecting hypertext links, and wherein the multiple pages comprise a directly accessed page and an indirectly accessed page;

a means for creating a page grouping for the directly accessed page;

a means for categorizing the indirectly accessed page into the page grouping, wherein the categorizing is based on the page grouping being associated with the directly accessed page through which the indirectly accessed page was accessed by the user selecting a hypertext link or a trail of hypertext links;

a means for receiving a request by the user to display the page grouping, the page grouping having a selected status;

a GUI for presenting the user with a visual representation of the page grouping and the pages contained in the page grouping;

a means for transitioning the selected status from the page grouping to another page grouping within the GUI in response to user input; and

a means for enabling the user to select from the page grouping having the selected status, a page to view within the GUI;

wherein at least one of the means for comprises a processor.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, further including a means, for each new page that the user requests, to categorize the page into

an existing page grouping if the new page is accessed indirectly;

or

a new page grouping if the new page is accessed directly, such that there is a one-to-one relationship between page groupings and directly accessed pages.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the visual representation of the page grouping is requested by user input including at least one of

a keyboard command;

a GUI toolbar item selection;

or

a specific gesture created with a pointing device.

18. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the visual representation of the page grouping comprises a carousel-style representation of the page groupings, each grouping displayed as a selectable snapshot of the directly accessed page associated with the page grouping, wherein the carousel-style representation has a distinct front position.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein user selection of a snapshot within the carousel-style representation of the page groupings results in

display of the directly accessed page associated with the snapshot, if the selected snapshot is in the front position;

and otherwise

rotation of the carousel-style representation to place the selected snapshot in the front position.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the GUI further comprises a selectable thumbnail-style snapshot for each indirectly accessed page in a page grouping associated with the directly accessed page currently in the front position of the carousel, wherein user selection of a thumbnail-style snapshot results in display of the indirectly accessed page associated with the thumbnail-style snapshot.

21. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the rotation of the carousel-style representation is animated.