Previewing documents on a computer system

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for previewing documents on a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:—displaying a main document ( 102 ) which contains a hyperlink ( 104 ); and—in response to an indication ( 106 ) of the hyperlink being received by the computer system, displaying a preview document ( 108 ) which document being that referred to by the hyperlink whilst retaining the display of the main document, so that the document referred to by the hyperlink may be previewed.

1. A method for previewing documents on a display of a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
 displaying a main document which contains a first hyperlink; 
 displaying a first preview document, which is referred to by said first hyperlink, in response to an indication of said first hyperlink, whilst retaining said display of the main document, wherein said first preview document contains a second hyperlink; 
 displaying a second preview document, which is referred to by said second hyperlink, in response to an indication of said second hyperlink whilst retaining said display of said first preview document and said display of said main document, wherein indicating each hyperlink to the computer system by positioning a pointer over the hyperlink; 
 wherein each preview document is opened in a corresponding preview window, wherein when each preview document is opened, the pointer automatically moves to within the newly opened preview window, wherein said first preview document window remains open as long as the pointer remains in said second preview document window or a window corresponding to a subsequent preview document derived via a subsequent hyperlink in said second preview document, wherein when the pointer is moved from the second preview document window to the first preview document window, the second preview document window closes, wherein when the pointer is moved to a region not in said first preview document window or said second preview document window, or a window corresponding to a subsequent preview document derived via a subsequent hyperlink in said second preview document, both the first and second preview document windows close. 
 
     
     
       2. A The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
 in response to an indication of a the displayed document being received by the computer system, removing from the display any and all displayed preview documents deriving from the indicated document. 
 
     
     
       3. A The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising the step of: caching a preview document which has been removed from display. 
     
     
       4. A The method according to  claim 2 , wherein the document is indicated by positioning the pointer at a location in the displayed document where there is not without a hyperlink. 
     
     
       5. A The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 in response to a selection of a displayed preview document being received by the computer system, substituting the selected preview document for the main document; 
 and removing from display all preview documents. 
 
     
     
       6. A The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the preview document is selected by clicking a pointer at a location in the displayed preview document where there is not a hyperlink. 
     
     
       7. A The method according to any preceding claim 1, wherein the documents are displayed in windows according to Microsoft.RTM Windows.RTM. an industry format. 
     
     
       8. A The method according to  claim 5 , further comprising the step of: caching a preview document which has been removed from display. 
     
     
       9. A The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second hyperlink is indicated to the computer system by positioning the pointer over the second hyperlink. 
     
     
       10. A workstation comprising a display, data processing unit and user interface, operable according to the method of  claim 1  to display preview documents. 
     
     
       11. A The workstation as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a local document store, the workstation being operable to access a preview document from said document store. 
     
     
       12. A The workstation as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a data store operable to cache the content and data associated with a preview document which has been removed from display. 
     
     
       13. A Web browser application running on a computer system and displaying a main document, the application configured to be operable according to the method of  claim 1  to display preview documents whilst also displaying the main document. 
     
     
       14. A The Web browser application as claimed in  claim 13  wherein the main document is controllable using at least one tool provided by the application. 
     
     
       15. A system for displaying preview text and spreadsheet documents referred to by a link in a main document, the system comprising:
 a local network containing one or more document stores; wherein, said one or more document stores contains includes said preview text and said spreadsheet documents; and 
 a plurality of workstations connected to the local network, wherein each workstation being operable to store the preview text and the spreadsheet documents in said one or more document stores;, 
 wherein each workstation being operable to access the preview text and the spreadsheet documents that are stored within said one or more document stores, in response to the link referred to said preview text or said spreadsheet document being indicated in the main text or the spreadsheet document currently displayed on the workstation;, 
 wherein each workstation being operable to display a preview of said text or said spreadsheet document referred to by the link indicated in the main text or the spreadsheet document in whilst displaying the main text or the spreadsheet document;, 
 wherein the link referring to said text or said spreadsheet document is indicated to the workstation by positioning a pointer over the link; wherein,when each preview document is opened, the pointer automatically moves to within the newly opened preview window. 
 
     
     
       16. A The system as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a local server coupled to the one or more document stores. 
     
     
       17. A method of browsing internet websites comprising:
 (a) in response to placing a pointer over a URL reference or symbol of a current web page, displaying a pop-up preview-window also having a URL reference or symbol; 
 (b) in response to placing the pointer over the URL reference or symbol of said pop-up preview-window, displaying a child pop-up preview-window, whilst retaining display of said current web page; 
 (c) repeating step (b) to generate a plurality of child preview windows; and 
 wherein when a new preview window is displayed, the pointer is automatically repositioned within the new preview window. 
 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 17 , further including in response to moving the pointer out of the new preview window back to a previous preview window, removing the new preview window. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 17 , further including in response to moving the pointer out of the new preview window to a previous preview window, removing all preview windows that are subsequent to the previous preview window. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 17  wherein step (c) further includes:
 after displaying the child pop-up preview window, placing the pointer over a URL reference or symbol in the child preview window to generate a second generation child preview window, the pointer being automatically repositioned within the second generation preview window; 
 placing the pointer over a URL reference or symbol in the second generation child preview window to generate a third generation child preview window, wherein the pointer being automatically repositioned within the third generation preview window, whilst the first preview window, the child preview window, the second generation child preview window and the third generation child preview window all continuing to be at least partially displayed. 
 
     
     
       21. The method according to  claim 20  further including:
 a) in response to moving the pointer from within the third generation child preview window to the second generation child preview window, closing the third generation child preview window; 
 b) in response to moving the pointer to within the child preview window, closing the second and third generation preview windows; 
 c) in response to moving the pointer to within the first preview window, closing the child, second generation child, and third generation child preview windows; 
 d) in response to moving the pointer to a location in none of the preview windows, closing all of the preview windows. 
 
     
     
       22. The method according to  claim 17 , further including displaying one of the preview windows as a current page in response to clicking on the specific preview window and removing all other preview windows from the display. 
     
     
       23. A method for controlling selection of an active document from a plurality of documents having one or more hyperlinks referring to other documents of the plurality of documents, by a computer system having a screen display and at least one input device, the method comprising acts of:
 displaying on the screen display only a plurality of preview windows including an active preview window, each displayed preview window respectively associated with each of the plurality of documents referred to by hyperlinks of the document included in the active preview window, each preview window occupying a part of the screen display such that the user has an overview of at least a portion of each preview window;   recording details of each preview window;   selecting one of the displayed preview windows using the input device; and   designating the document associated with the selected preview window to be the active document   wherein a pointer of the at least one input device provided by the computer system automatically moves to within the preview window opened last, the preview window opened last and all preceding preview windows remain open while the pointer remains within the preview window opened last.   
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23, wherein the input device is selected from a keyboard, mouse, or touch screen. 
     
     
       25. The method of claim 23, further comprising an act of caching unselected preview windows in case the user decides to preview the documents associated with the unselected preview windows. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 23, wherein the preview windows reside on storage means selected from at least one of solid state memory, FDD, HDD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, networked servers. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 26, wherein the details of preview windows are selected from at least one of window ID, window size, window screen location, and associated document file location. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 27, wherein the location of the documents file is provided by its disk path and network URL. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 23, wherein all displayed preview windows are linked together in a list with a first displayed preview window starting the list and a last displayed preview window ending the list. 
     
     
       30. A method for controlling selection of an active document from a plurality of documents, each document having one or more hyperlinks referring to other documents, by a computer system having a screen display and at least one input device, the method comprising acts of:
 displaying on the screen a plurality of preview windows including an active preview window, each displayed preview window associated with one or more hyperlinks referring to other documents, each preview window occupying a part of the screen display such that the user has an overview of at least a portion of each preview window;   selecting one of the displayed preview windows using the input device; and   designating the selected preview window or a document related to a hyperlink in the selected preview window to be the active document,   wherein a pointer of the at least one input device provided by the computer system automatically moves to within the preview window opened last, the preview window opened last and all preceding preview windows remain open while the pointer remains within the preview window opened last.