Navigation bridge

Abstract

Described herein is a system that can link multiple electronic media production and/or publication applications. The linking of the multiple applications may be facilitated through a browser. Also, a toolbar included in the browser may facilitate the links between applications and assist a user in controlling one or more workflows that use the linked applications.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 displaying a first application interface in a web browser, where the first application interface is a first part of a first workflow;   displaying a first toolbar in the browser adjacent to the first application interface, where the first toolbar includes a first icon representing the first part of the first workflow;   displaying a second application interface in the browser, where the second application interface is part of the first workflow;   displaying in the first toolbar a second icon adjacent to the first icon, the second icon representing the second part of the first workflow;   displaying a third application interface in the browser, where the third application interface is a first part of a second workflow; and   displaying a second toolbar adjacent to or instead of the first toolbar, the second toolbar including a third icon representing the first part of the second workflow.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a user authentication information from a user to access one or more application interfaces, prior to the displaying a first application interface.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining whether the received authentication information is valid for the user, prior to the displaying a first application interface.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , where the second toolbar is operable to supersede the first toolbar. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , where the displaying a first toolbar in the browser adjacent to the first application interface comprises displaying the first toolbar above and abutting the first application interface. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , where the second workflow includes the first workflow or the first workflow includes the second workflow. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , where the second toolbar includes the first toolbar or the first toolbar includes the second toolbar. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , where the second application interface includes the first application interface or the first application interface includes the second application interface. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , where the first and second toolbars include an expandable favorites menu, and where the favorites menu includes preferred application interfaces. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , where the first and second toolbars include an expandable application interface log. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying a first object interface in a browser, where the first object interface is part of the first workflow.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 displaying a second object interface in the browser, where the second object interface is also part of the first workflow.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 displaying a third object interface in the browser, where the third object interface is part of the second workflow.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , where the first, the second, and the third object interfaces interface one or more objects associated with advertisement production or publication applications. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 receiving user authentication information from a user to access one or more application interfaces;   determining whether the received authentication information is valid for the user;   displaying a first application interface in a web browser, due to the received authentication information being valid, where the first application interface is first part of a first workflow;   displaying a first toolbar in the browser adjacent to the first application interface, due to the received authentication information being valid, where the first toolbar includes a first icon representing the first part of the first workflow;   displaying a second application interface in the browser, where the second application interface is a second part of the first workflow; and   displaying in the first toolbar a second icon adjacent to the first icon, the second icon representing the second part of the first workflow;   displaying a third application interface in the browser, due to the received authentication information being valid, where the third application interface is a first part of a second workflow; and   displaying a second toolbar adjacent to or instead of the first toolbar, the second toolbar including a third icon representing the first part of the second workflow.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , where the second toolbar is operable to supersede the first toolbar. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , where the first and second toolbars include an expandable application interface log, where the first and the second toolbars include an expandable favorites menu, and where the favorites menu includes preferred application interfaces. 
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:
 instructions executable by a processor to receive user authentication information from a user to access one or more application interfaces;   instructions executable by a processor to determine whether the received authentication information is valid for the user;   instructions executable by a processor to display a first application interface in a web browser, due to the received authentication information being valid, where the first application interface is a first part of a first workflow;   instructions executable by a processor to display a first toolbar in the browser adjacent to the first application interface, due to the received authentication information being valid, where the first toolbar includes a first icon representing the first part of the first workflow;   instructions executable by a processor to display a second application interface in the browser, where the second application interface is a second part of a second workflow;   instructions executable by a processor to display in the first toolbar a second icon adjacent to the first icon, the second icon representing the second part of the first workflow;   instructions executable by a processor to display a third application interface in the browser were displayed, due to the received authentication information being valid, where the third application interface is a first part of a second workflow; and   instructions executable by a processor to display a second toolbar adjacent to or instead of the first toolbar, the second toolbar including a third icon representing the first part of the second workflow.   
     
     
         19 . The medium of  claim 18 , where the second toolbar is operable to supersede the first toolbar. 
     
     
         20 . The medium of  claim 18 , where the first and second toolbars include an expandable application interface log, where the first and the second toolbars include an expandable favorites menu, and where the favorites menu includes preferred application interfaces.