Method and device for providing easy access to pre-selected data resources
The present invention is directed toward a computer implemented method and device for providing a user with easy access to a plurality of frequently accessed resources. The invention provides a user agent (e.g., web browser) in which certain data resources (e.g., web pages) are displayed as thumbnail images within particular locations of a window. A user invocable instruction (e.g., mouse click or a particular keystroke combination) may be associated with each of the thumbnail images or locations in the window. Accordingly, the user may access a desired data resource by performing the user invocable instruction associated with the corresponding thumbnail image or location.
1. A method for providing access to data resources using a web browser, comprising:
maintaining a list of data resources;
associating each data resource in said list with one of a plurality of predefined locations in a content part of a browser window which is framed by the browser's chrome;
maintaining, in computer memory, graphical representations of each data resource in said list; and
when a user instructs a web browser to open an empty browser window:
opening a new browser window as instructed by the user, and displaying the opened browser window including the predefined locations in the content part, and
for each data resource in said list, displaying a corresponding thumbnail image in the associated predefined location in the content part of the opened browser window such that the thumbnail images that correspond to the data resources in said list are simultaneously displayed, wherein
wherein each displayed thumbnail image is generated based on the graphical representation of the corresponding data resource, and
each displayed thumbnail image is associated with a user invocable instruction for retrieving and displaying the corresponding data resource.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user input requesting a particular data resource;
retrieving said requested data resource;
storing a graphical representation of said requested data resource in said computer memory;
adding said requested data resource to said list; and
generating a thumbnail image based on said graphical representation of said requested data resource, said thumbnail image to be displayed in an associated one of the predefined locations of said browser window.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said list contains a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for each data resource in said list.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said graphical representation of said requested data source is an image file generated from a rendering of said requested data resource.
5. The method of claim 2 , wherein said graphical representation of said requested data resource is a cached version of said requested data resource and said thumbnail image is a reduced size rendering of said cached version.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said user invocable instruction is a mouse click.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said user invocable instruction is a keystroke combination uniquely associated with one of said predefined locations.
8. The method of claim 2 , wherein said user input is a user entry of a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).
9. The method of claim 2 , wherein said user input is drag and drop operation performed with a pointing device, the drag and drop operation being performed by dragging an icon representing said requested data resource and dropping the dragged icon at one of said defined predefined locations.
10. A non-transitory computer readable medium on which is embodied a computer program for providing access to data resources using a web browser, the computer program comprising computer executable instructions for:
maintaining a list of data resources;
associating each data resource in said list with one of a plurality of predefined locations in a content part of a browser window which is framed by the browser's chrome;
maintaining, in computer memory, graphical representations of each data resource in said list; and
when a user instructs said web browser to open an empty browser window:
opening a new browser window as instructed by the user, and displaying the opened browser window including the predefined locations in the content part, and
for each data resource in said list, displaying a corresponding thumbnail image in the associated predefined location in the content part of the opened browser window such that the thumbnail images that correspond to the data resources in said list are simultaneously displayed,
wherein each displayed thumbnail image is generated based on the graphical representation of the corresponding data resource, and
associating each displayed thumbnail image with a user invocable instruction for retrieving and displaying the corresponding data resource.
11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , the computer program further comprising computer executable instructions for:
receiving user input requesting a particular data resource;
retrieving said requested data resource;
storing a graphical representation of said requested data resource in said computer memory;
adding said requested data resource to said list; and
generating a thumbnail image based on said graphical representation of said requested data resource, said thumbnail image to be displayed in an associated one of the predefined locations of said browser window.
12. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said list contains a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) for each data resource in said list.
13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said graphical representation of said requested data resource is an image file generated from a rendering of said requested data resource.
14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said graphical representation of said requested data resource is a cached version of said requested data resource and said thumbnail image is a reduced size rendering of said cached version.
15. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said user invocable instruction is a mouse click.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein said user invocable instruction is a keystroke combination uniquely associated with one of said predefined locations.
17. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said user input is a user entry of a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).
18. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein said user input is drag and drop operation performed with a pointing device, the drag and drop operation being performed by dragging an icon representing said requested data resource and dropping the dragged icon at one of said defined predefined locations.