Rules for navigating to next content in a browser

• US 8,977,967 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jane T., Bravenec, John B., Chor, Anthony T., Mok, Yi Lang, Feyessa, Habtamu M., Bowers, Sarah J., Stevens, Warren G., Mauceri, Robert J. Jr., Patten, Michael J., Butcher, Aaron M., Rajvanshy, Vikas, Sanchez Lopez, Jaime Martin, Schmidt, Mark H., Flink, David B., Ke, Yan, Martinez, Louis A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kells, Asher
• Application Number:
  US13/558,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20130305136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

In one or more embodiments, a flip ahead input, such as a gesture, provides touch users with an ability to easily navigate various websites. The flip ahead input can be utilized to advance to the next portion of relevant content. In at least some embodiments, the flip ahead input resides in the form of a forward swipe. In one or more embodiments, the flip ahead input is configured to be utilized in association with an aggregated browsing history from multiple users. The aggregated browsing history is analyzed to generate rules that are then downloaded to a client device and used by a suitably-configured web browser to ascertain the next portion of content when a flip ahead input is received.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

receiving browsing history information from multiple users;

analyzing the browsing history information;

using analyzed browsing history information to develop rules for exposing next content across multiple client devices, at least some of the rules defining recommended areas on a webpage, rather than recommended links, as next content, wherein the rules include;

general rules that are globally applicable across multiple domains; and

specific rules that are domain specific; and

providing developed rules to the multiple client devices, wherein the developed rules are configured to be applied in an ordered manner in which;

website owner-specified rules, if any, are first applied;

the specific rules, if there are no website owner-specified rules, are next applied; and

the general rules, if there are no specific rules and no owner-specified rules, are next applied.

2. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 1, wherein said analyzing comprises building heat maps associated with content to which users have browsed.

3. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 1, wherein at least some of the rules define associations between DOM elements that appear on a webpage.

4. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 3, wherein said analyzing comprises building heat maps associated with content to which users have browsed.

5. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 1 further comprising enabling users to opt into browsing history collection.

6. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 1 further comprising updating the rules and providing updated rules to the multiple clients.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, using a computing device, browsing history information from multiple users;

analyzing, using the computing device, the browsing history information;

using analyzed browsing history information to develop rules, using the computing device, for exposing next content across multiple client devices, at least some of the rules defining recommended areas on a webpage, rather than recommended links, as next content, wherein the rules include;

general rules that are globally applicable across multiple domains; and

specific rules that are domain specific; and

providing, using the computing device, developed rules to the multiple client devices, wherein the developed rules are configured to be applied in an ordered manner in which;

website owner-specified rules, if any, are first applied;

the specific rules, if there are no website owner-specified rules, are next applied; and

the general rules, if there are no specific rules and no owner- specified rules, are next applied.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein said analyzing comprises building heat maps associated with content to which users have browsed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein at least some of the rules define associations between DOM elements that appear on a webpage.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising enabling users to opt into browsing history collection.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein said analyzing comprises building heat maps associated with content to which users have browsed.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising updating the rules and providing updated rules to the multiple clients.

13. A computing device comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising;

receiving browsing history information from multiple users;

analyzing the browsing history information;

using analyzed browsing history information to develop rules for exposing next content across multiple client devices, at least some of the rules defining recommended areas on a webpage, rather than recommended links, as next content, wherein the rules include;

general rules that are globally applicable across multiple domains; and

specific rules that are domain specific; and

providing developed rules to the multiple client devices, wherein the developed rules are configured to be applied in an ordered manner in which;

website owner-specified rules, if any, are first applied;

the specific rules, if there are no website owner-specified rules, are next applied; and

the general rules, if there are no specific rules and no owner- specified rules, are next applied.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein said analyzing comprises building heat maps associated with content to which users have browsed.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein at least some of the rules define associations between DOM elements that appear on a webpage.

16. The computing device of claim 13 further comprising enabling users to opt into browsing history collection.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein said analyzing comprises building heat maps associated with content to which users have browsed.

18. The computing device of claim 13 further comprising updating the rules and providing updated rules to the multiple clients.