Patent Application
20160378878
The present disclosure relates to a method and system for selectably saving resource locations in a file system of a computer. A user can browse through file system resources on a computer or using a computer communicating with a network (e.g., a local area network or a wide area network) to reach a directory of interest or which contains a desired resource. In one example, the file locations can be stored so that a record of opened files can be displayed, for example, as a drop down menu. In another example, a user can use a web browser running on a computer to navigate the Internet, Many URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) can be recorded in the user's browser history. In one instance, these URLs can be displayed as a list.
The process of browsing through a file system can be repeated many time in a day while a user performs many tasks on a computer and can involve opening different resources from different directories. Further, a user may open a number of directories simultaneously at any given time to access resources of interest. A user may switch between different directories, or go forward and backward in open directories to access desired resources.
In one example, a user may need to access resources from many different directories. One option for the user is to open many different windows and switches between windows. This approach can become confusing and cumbersome. Another option is to use a history address bar (typically provided in a browser). This option requires the user to access the address bar and select a previously used address, which can also become cumbersome and confusing. Another option is for the user to use a directory program which provides a directory tree (typically offered with an operating system or by another program), or a hierarchical menu. The directory tree can show hard drives and other storage resources, and folders and files within a storage device. An address or location can be selected within the directory or menu. However, this option provides many directories, subdirectories and files, which can also become cumbersome and confusing for the user.
In one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer implemented method organizes file location bookmarks of navigations within corresponding applications. A plurality of navigation histories relating to an application are captured, in response to a user navigating a file system using an application and selecting resource locations within corresponding directories of the file system for saving. The selected locations of the navigation history are displayed on a user interface (UI) of the computer. The display of the selected locations of the navigation history are updated, responsive to the selections of the user.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer program product for organizing file location bookmarks of navigations within corresponding applications in provided. The computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method, comprising: capturing a plurality of navigation histories relating to an application, in response to a user navigating a file system using an application and selecting resource locations within corresponding directories of the file system for saving; displaying the selected resource locations of the navigation history on a user interface (UI) of the computer; and updating the display of the selected resource locations of the navigation history, responsive to the selections of the user.
In another aspect of the present disclosure, a computer system for organizing file location bookmarks of navigations within corresponding applications is provided, the computer system comprising: one or more computer processors, one or more computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on one or more of the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions, comprising: capturing a plurality of navigation histories relating to an application, in response to a user navigating a file system using an application and selecting resource locations within corresponding directories of the file system for saving; displaying the selected resource locations of the navigation history on a user interface (UI) of the computer; and updating the display of the selected resource locations of the navigation history, responsive to the selections of the user.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments thereof, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. The various features of the drawings are not to scale as the illustrations are for clarity in facilitating one skilled in the art in understanding the invention in conjunction with the detailed description. In the drawings:
Referring to
A user 60 can open an application 80 for searching file directories using a device 70 having a display 74. The application 80 enables the user to view a file system 84, directories 88, and resources 90 on the device 70.
For example, the device 70 includes a computer 20. The device 70 can be a mobile device, or another type of computer device. The device 70 includes a display 74 which is viewable by the user 60, and the display defines a display area. The display area refers to the area designated by the device which is viewable by the user. The device includes the application 80 which can access the communications network 94 (e.g., the Internet, a local network or wide area network) to communicate with a remote server 98.
A mobile device is one embodiment of a device having a computer or computer system 20, which is depicted generically in
Multiple directories can be open simultaneously in response to the user accessing resources 90 through the directories 88 of the file system 84. Such directories can be overlapping, minimized, and can require the user to toggles between dialog boxes.
A plurality of navigation histories relating to corresponding applications can be captured, in response to a user navigating a file system using a corresponding application and selecting resource locations within corresponding directories of the file system for saving. Referring to
The saved resource bar (or resource bar) 200 displays the selected locations of the navigation history on a user interface (UI) or display 74 of the device 70, as in block 112. For example, the location of resource A 204 is shown in the saved resource bar 200 as shown in
The display of the selected locations of the navigation history is updated as in block 120, responsive to the selections of the user, as in block 116. The selected locations can be dynamically added on the resource bar such that the list increases. The selected locations of the navigation history can be displayed to the user as the resource bar dynamically adjusts to the number of selected locations.
The selected locations of the navigation history can be from a plurality of applications, in response to the user navigating in the plurality of applications. Thus, the selected locations are displayed at one location, the resource bar, when the selected locations are from multiple applications. Thus, the user can directly access a location, regardless of the application, without going to multiple applications or dialog boxes to retrieve resource.
The selected locations of the navigation history can be part of the resource bar 200, as shown in
In one example, referring to
Thus, the present disclosure provides a resource bar which lists the saved resource locations, which can be directly selected and returned to. In contrast, a tree like depiction of a resource is not necessary, and the user can directly return to a resource by selecting from the save list in the resource bar. Once the user has selected a resource location to save in the resource bar, the resource location can be accessed in the resource bar, selected, and the user can directly return to a previous location. As shown in
The resource bar can be part of an existing application or an add-on application. The resource bar can be detached from the user current application and moved on the display of the device, and can be positioned in overlapping relation to another application. Thus, the user has the saved resource locations in the resource bar at their disposal no matter which application is currently viewed on the device.
The present disclosure provides a user selected history of a file system. The last saved resource location can be highlighted. Further, the resource bar can be automatically updated as the user saves new resource locations. Also, the resource bar can be detached from a current window or application being used to search a file system, and be moved as a separate window which captures all of the user's saved resource locations.
The method 100 can be part of an application and thus stand alone, or an add-on application working with an application used for searching file systems. The method can be run locally on a device such as the mobile device, or can be run a service, for instance, on a remote server 98 which can be accessed using a communications network 94.
Referring to
In the example shown in
The resource bar thus provides easy navigation over the complete path of stored history location using the sliding bar. The resource bar thus provides a user a direct mechanism to dynamically show a history of resource locations including directories and files simultaneously. That is, the full path or resource location is shown in a complete form without losing the display of the resource location, and one or more directories and files (as shown in the directory area 420 and file area 424 in
Further, other sorting embodiments can be used for display areas 420, 424, for example, a user can set or select rules for displaying a directory and files as shown in
The resource bar can be part of an existing file system window (provided by an application), or can be provided as a separate window (provided by a separate application or as part of an add-on application). As discussed above, the resource bar can be detached from a current application and moved on the display of the device, and can be positioned in overlapping relation to another application. Thus, a user has the saved resource locations in the resource bar displayed for reference and usable for retrieval of documents or to return to a URL without toggling between multiple applications or dialog boxes, or returning to a previous screen by selecting directories on a tree and losing a full display of a location. The present disclosure thus provides a dynamic display of resource location histories as discussed above.
In one embodiment according to the present disclosure, the method 100 may be embodied in a program 22 (
It is understood that a computer or a program running on the computer may communicate with a server computer via a communications network. The communications network may include transmission media and network links which include, for example, wireless, wired, or optical fiber, and routers, firewalls, switches, and gateway computers. The communications network may include connections, such as wire, wireless communication links, or fiber optic cables. A communications network may represent a worldwide collection of networks and gateways, such as the Internet, that use various protocols to communicate with one another, such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc. A network may also include a number of different types of networks, such as, for example, an intranet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN).
Referring to
The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted through a wire.
Computer readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing/processing device receives computer readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium within the respective computing/processing device.
Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions, instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. The computer readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present invention.
Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable program instructions.
These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
The embodiments, features, and instructive examples described above are illustrative, and should not be construed to limit the present disclosure to the particular embodiments or enumerated examples. Thus, various changes and modifications may be effected by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims.
