Navigation Placemarks for Web Browsing Context Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current web browsing methods require users to manually manage and remember the sequence of visited web sites and the location of desired information across multiple tabs and windows, leading to inefficiency and clutter, with no effective way to save or recall specific web page locations.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of navigation placemarks within a web browser that allow users to mark specific locations of information on web pages, create profiles for managing tabs and windows, and specify interactions between them, enabling efficient navigation and contextual relationship management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If users manually manage and remember the sequence of visited web sites and information locations across multiple tabs and windows, then users can navigate and find information, but the effort and time required increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime to find informationVSAvoidease of navigation
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically creates placemarks at specific locations on web pages before users need to return to them. These placemarks are generated in advance as users navigate, storing the sequence of visited sites and information locations automatically, eliminating the need for users to manually remember or record navigation paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary system (the placemark management mechanism) that mediates between the user and the complex web browsing environment. This intermediary automatically tracks, stores, and manages navigation sequences and information locations, allowing users to retrieve previously visited locations without manual effort.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If users open multiple web sites in separate tabs or windows to gather information, then users can access diverse information sources, but on-screen clutter increases and management becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to access multiple information sourcesVSAvoidcomplexity of tab and window management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the complex task of managing multiple tabs and windows into a simplified placemark system. Instead of requiring users to manually organize numerous tabs and windows, the system divides navigation into discrete, manageable placemarks that represent specific information locations, making it easier to track and return to relevant content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates copies of web page locations in the form of placemarks. These placemark copies store essential information about visited pages and their content locations, allowing users to reference and return to these locations without actually maintaining multiple open tabs or windows, thus reducing on-screen clutter while preserving access to diverse information sources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Loss of information

If users bookmark web pages to save information locations, then users can store web page URLs, but the precision of locating specific information within pages is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocation of desired informationVSAvoidprecision of information location
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating placemarks that specifically mark precise locations within web pages rather than just bookmarking entire pages. Each placemark contains detailed information about the specific section or element on the page, enabling users to return to exact information locations with high precision rather than having to manually search through entire pages again.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS9251281B2Web browsing using placemarks and contextual relationships in a data processing system
Publication Date: 2016.02.02 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD

AI summary

A system and method for web browsing using placemarks and contextual relationships in a data processing system. A navigation placemark is provided within a web browser. The web browser comprises a first web page and a second web page. A piece of information is located at a specific location within each of the first and second web pages. A first individual placemark is added to the navigation placemark, and a second individual placemark is added to the navigation placemark. Web page content is extracted from the first web page and can be used to control information shown within the second web page. An interaction between the first individual placemark and the second individual placemark is specified. A trigger criteria for the first individual placemark and the second individual placemark is also specified. A first profile and a second profile are created. The first profile is run as a background process that can be driven by the second profile, and a user may switch between the first and second profiles. The web browser may further comprise a first browser window comprising the first web page and a second browser window comprising the second web page, and/or the web browser may further comprise a browser window comprising a first tab and a second tab, where the first tab comprises the first web page and the second tab comprises the second web page.