Abstract:
A graphical user interface adapted to extend the functionality of, for instance, a web browser operating on a personal computing device in communication via a network connection to a remote computing resource, where the graphical user interface includes a glyph overlaying and visible over the browser and any content displayed by the browser wherein activation of the glyph by a user of the browser causes the browser to seek to open an overlaying window according to parameters and content specified by the remote computing resource at a network address associated with the glyph.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates generally to the field of computer user interfaces and particularly to facilitating rapid access to favored content or operations. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A variety of tools are available for distribution of electronic media and loyalty rewards to consumers on the world-wide-web. 
         [0003]    For example, U.S. Patent Application U.S. 2008/0097871 A1 (Williams, et al.) titled “Method and system for providing a widget usable in affiliate marketing” describes a system and computer implemented method for providing a widget are described. The method and system include rendering the widget on a site. The widget dynamically displays multimedia content associated with a campaign. The widget is also embeddable, copyable, and allows for at least one user action. The method and system also include receiving at least one input related to the at least one action and updating the widget based on a goal corresponding to the at least one action. 
         [0004]    Similarly, U.S. 2008/0195483 A1 (Moore) titled “Widget management systems and advertising systems related thereto” describes systems and methods supporting use, re-use, and recomposition of widgets and other web content, such as by providing a user interface for controlling the interrelationship and display of widgets and the like. In one aspect, an OPML-based system expresses relationships among discrete components of web content through an OPML outline. In another aspect, a URL-based service dynamically creates composite web content according to functional calls posted to a web-accessible URL. 
         [0005]    However, there remains a need for a friendly consumer participation tool that plugs into a consumer&#39;s browser to deliver, for instance, a live customized stream of relevant opt-in content. Specifically, interfaces could be better tailored to allow consumers to identify, register, and link into brands, content, institutions, or organizations with which they feel strong affinities. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    A graphical user interface is adapted to extend the functionality of, for instance, a web browser operating on a personal computing device in communication via a network connection to a remote computing resource. The graphical user interface includes a glyph overlaying and visible over the browser and any content displayed by the browser. Activation of the glyph by a user of the browser causes the browser to seek to open an overlaying window according to parameters and content specified by the remote computing resource at a network address associated with the glyph. 
         [0007]    Once the overlaying window opens according to parameters and content specified at the network address associated with the glyph, the user may for instance browse, view, or download content provided from a feed affiliated with the network address associated with the glyph. The feed could be a web site, RSS, XML, API, Twitter, Facebook, or other web feed or similar data channel. Through the overlaying window the user may also, for instance, upload data, post an entry, respond to a query, donate content, or answer a survey. 
         [0008]    The glyph may be an emblem of a consumer or industrial product, a consumer or industrial product producer, a sports team, an online service, or a governmental institution, non-profit institution, or educational institution. The personal computing device may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a television, or a game console. 
         [0009]    The graphical user interface is arranged to register a personal account for the user at the network address associated with the glyph using geolocation devices or network device data. The appearance of the glyph can vary with the status of the personal account, operational state, or selection by the user. The glyph may appear at different times as: a picture or evocative symbol; a small indicator; or a window, microsite, or portal. 
         [0010]    Glyphs may be moved singly or in combination by the user. The location of glyphs may be free-floating or anchored to some portion of the boundary of the display. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of a hardware platform on which the invention may be implemented. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a schematic representation of a screen being viewed by a user of an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic representation of a screen being viewed by the user of the embodiment of the invention depicted in  FIG. 2 , but during a different state of operation. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a schematic representation of a screen being viewed by a user of an alternative embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic representation of a hardware platform on which the invention may be implemented. The system  120  includes a personal computing device (PC)  100 , which may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, a television, a game console, or any equivalent thereof. PC  100  is connected to a network  104  via a link  102 . Network  104  could include any telecommunications network or digital computing local or wide area network. It could include the world-wide web or the Internet. Network  104  provides a connection to PC  100  via link  106  to a remote computing resource  108 , such as an application or data server or web site. Links  102  could include any conventional technologies such as wired, wireless, and optical data transmission and connection equipment. 
         [0016]    The software necessary to implement the invention is preferably obtained by a user on his PC  100  from the remote resource  108 . He installs it on his PC  100 , perhaps specifying a particular software application, such as a browser, into which the inventive features are to be integrated. Various development platforms are available such as ASP.NET AJAX, JavaScript, and C++ for implementing extensions to browsers and the like. 
         [0017]    Preferably, upon installation the inventive feature software registers its installation by providing the remote computing resource  108  with identifying information including geolocation data about the PC  100  for the purpose of registering a new user account with the remote computing resource  108 . The physical coordinates of PC  100  could be provided, for example, via Internet protocol network data, whereby parameters or identifiers of the various network equipment routing communications are used to determine the probable or approximate physical location of PC  100 . Alternatively, if PC  100  is provided with a global positioning system (GPS) device, latitude and longitude data could be provided. Other information that could be provided includes, for example: the serial number of PC  100 , or of its processor; the network address of PC  100 ; or software or data residing on PC  100 . These are but a few examples of many other possible ways to uniquely identify the user account. Alternatively, the user could be prompted to provide, for instance, an account identifier and password. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a schematic depiction of a user&#39;s view of an illustrative embodiment of the invention. The display screen of a graphical user interface operating on a personal computing device is shown. Not shown but assumed for purposes of this example a desktop personal computer equipped with a mouse, keyboard, and display screen serving as PC  100  of  FIG. 1 , along with the rest of the hardware depicted in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0019]    For brevity, the graphical user interface is described as an enhanced Internet web browser operation. It will be readily appreciated that the inventive concepts could easily be adapted to a wide variety of computing platforms and such applications as word processing or gaming, where rapid intermittent access to (potentially unrelated) remote data is desired by the user. 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 2 , a graphical user interface (GUI)  20  has a display  30  with a boundary  31 . Boundary  31  is either the physical limit of a user interface screen or a graphical boundary of a displayed window. Here GUI  20  is shown displaying the contents of an Internet web site which includes a title banner  32  and content  34 . 
         [0021]    Four glyphs  40 ,  41 ,  42 , and  44  are shown. Herein “glyph” refers to both a visual element of the GUI  20  (that can take a number of forms) and also the software and data associated with the visual element. In  FIG. 2  glyph  40  is depicted as an evocative symbol of a race car. The visual form of glyph  40  is suggestive of the content that the user may be able to access by activating the glyph, e.g., by clicking on it. Glyph  41  is depicted as an evocative symbol of a wedding cake. 
         [0022]    Examples of useful evocative symbol glyphs are emblems of: consumer or industrial products; consumer or industrial product producers; sports teams; online search, news, entertainment, media, or social networking service or provider; or governmental, non-profit, or educational institutions. 
         [0023]    Glyph  40  overlays display  30 , as do the other glyphs. “Overlays” means that glyph  40  remains visible over the other content even if the user navigates to a different web site with a different title banner and different content. Glyph  40  would still appear layered atop the new web site just where Glyph  40  was while the user viewed the first web site. Thus glyph  40  overlays all other content, rather than being, for example, an element of a particular web site being displayed by GUI  20 . 
         [0024]    Glyph  40  is preferably anchored to boundary  31 . “Anchored” means that glyph  40  remains in a similar position relative to boundary  31  even if boundary  31  is moved or altered in size. 
         [0025]    A glyph can be “hidden” by the user, e.g., by clicking on a particular portion of it. Preferably, “hidden” means being reduced to a very small and unobtrusive visual indicator, rather than being invisible to the user. Glyphs  42  and  44  are depicted as “hidden” in this way. In hidden form, these glyphs are not suggestive of any particular content. They are simply small reminders to the user of where to click to see certain information. However it is useful to the user that Glyphs  42  and  44  remain visually distinct. In  FIG. 2  they are differentiated from each other by their color. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  again depicts GUI  20 , but in a different state. Here the user has clicked on glyph  40 , triggering GUI  20  to seek to display content at a network address associated with the glyph  40 . Finding the content GUI  20  has opened overlaying window  50 . 
         [0027]    Information found at the network address associated with the glyph  40  controls the parameters of how GUI  20  opens an overlaying window  50  to provide content to the user from a web site at that address. Successfully retrieved data might include: another banner  54 ; content  56 ; advertisement  58 ; links  59 ; and another evocative symbol  52 , which may or may not be similar to the evocative symbol used for glyph  40 . 
         [0028]    A second left click could minimize or hide window  50 . This would allow the user to quickly switch between viewing primary content  34  and glyph-affiliated overlaying window  50 . 
         [0029]    The vertical dotted line on  FIG. 3  indicates that when window  50  is open it is layered over window  30 , and therefore occludes some content of window  30 , e.g., content  34 . 
         [0030]    The user may perform any normal browser operation in window  50 . For example, the user may browse, view, or download content provided from a feed affiliated with the network address associated with the glyph  40 . . The feed could be a web site, RSS, XML, API, Twitter, Facebook, or other web feed or similar data channel. Through overlaying window  50  the user may also, for instance, upload data, post an entry, respond to a query, donate content, or answer a survey. 
         [0031]    In  FIG. 3 , Glyph  40  is depicted as being visible on display  30 . Alternatively, as will be discussed below in reference to  FIG. 4 , overlaying window  50  could be another visual form of glyph  40 , such that when overlaying window  50  is open, no other representation of glyph  40  (i.e., no evocative symbol) is visible on display  30 . The appearance of a glyph can be altered to signify a change in the status of information available from the remote resource at the network address associated with the glyph. A glyph may change color, blink, or be highlighted with a halo, for instance, to signify that new, requested, or special content is now available from the remote resource. This is true whether the visual form of the glyph is that of an evocative symbol, overlaying window, or “hidden” glyph indicator. For example, in  FIG. 3 , minimized glyph  44  is depicted as having an associated halo  46 . Glyph  41  is also shown as having a conditional highlight  48 . 
         [0032]    The user may choose to leave glyphs unanchored or change where glyphs are anchored. To change where they are anchored, the user first selects one or more glyphs, and then drags the glyph or group of glyphs to the desired position on the GUI  20  display. Typically, glyphs are anchored at the right or left of boundary  31 , but they may also be anchored to the top or bottom. Glyphs may also be placed elsewhere without being anchored to any boundary. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows a slightly altered embodiment of GUI  20  seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Here, overlaying window  50  is anchored to the right side of boundary  31 . In this case, overlaying window  50  is the maximized form of glyph  40 , and so evocative symbol form of glyph  40  is not visible separately. 
         [0034]    In this alternative embodiment, the evocative symbol of glyph  40  could be said to be the “minimized” representation of overlaying window  50 , and a symbol like that of glyph  42  or  44  be said to be the “hidden” representation of overlaying window  50 . Overlaying window  50  would then be the “maximized” form of glyph  40 . 
         [0035]    Note also here that overlaying window  50  is depicted as smaller than in  FIG. 3 . Such overlaying windows preferably should not interfere overly with, for example, banner  32  and content  34  displayed beneath it. Rather, overlaying window  50  acts as a “microsite”—a small portal which the user may enjoy concurrently while exploring other content on display  30 . However, overlaying window  50  may impact the user&#39;s experience of other content on display  30 . In this example, as indicated by dashed lines  60  and  62 , some portion of the material beneath overlaying window  50  may be occluded by it.