WO2018176156A1

WO2018176156A1 - Computer system and corresponding method for managing content

Info

Publication number: WO2018176156A1
Application number: PCT/CA2018/050397
Authority: WO
Inventors: Daniel Alexandre FEBRERO MARTIN; Adi-Itzhak SOSSOVER
Original assignee: Addap's Technologies Inc.
Priority date: 2017-03-30
Filing date: 2018-03-29
Publication date: 2018-10-04
Also published as: FR3064767B1; FR3064767A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a computer system comprising a display screen (100), a processor, and a computer application configured to display, on the screen (100), a window (10) of the application which comprises a workspace. Said application allows, in said window of the application, content frames (30, 31, 32) to be opened in the same workspace (20). Each content frame allows an Internet site to be accessed and navigated through in the interior of said content frame. Said application allows a plurality (31, 32) of said content frames (30, 31, 32) to be viewed at the same time in said workspace (20). The invention also relates to an assembly comprising such a system and another system. The invention also relates to a method and to a corresponding computer-program product.

Description

Computer system and corresponding method for content management DOMAIN OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to computer systems and content management methods for displaying, reading or executing.

PRIOR ART

In particular, it is known from the state of the art Internet browsers that allow a user, via a computer system, such as a computer, to display on the screen a first Internet page associated with first tab.

The user who navigates on said first web page and wishes to access a second web page in parallel, must open a second tab of the Internet browser. However, the second newly displayed web page, which is associated with the second tab, hides the first web page previously displayed and associated with the first tab. The use of such an Internet browser is therefore tedious for the user who wishes to work or navigate in parallel on multiple windows since it must switch between the different tabs in which are open the different Internet pages. Not only does it have to switch from one tab to another to access the different web pages, it makes it difficult for the user to navigate and work, but the more tabs are open the longer the label length the tab, which identifies the web page associated with the tab, is reduced, until no longer indicate anything, which makes the navigation between the web pages associated with different tabs, even more tedious for the user. In addition, the user's workspace is limited by the size of the computer screen so that when the user wishes to work in parallel on an application, for example a word processing software line, and view Internet pages, it must reduce the size of the word processing window and the size of the Internet browser window, which does not allow him to work and / or navigate in good conditions, especially when the user uses a laptop whose screen usually has a size of 13 to 17 inches. It is also noted that if the user has to interrupt his work and stop his computer, he must, to resume his work, reopen the different working windows and / or navigation pages previously opened, which make him lose a lot of time and requires that he remembers the different tasks he was doing on the computer before he stopped.

Document US2016 / 0103793 discloses a system for grouping several windows of different applications in the same application window, such as a window resulting from a word processing application and a window resulting from a messaging application. However, it is desirable to improve such a system, in particular to provide greater freedom of navigation to users, associated with simplicity of use of the system.

The present invention aims to propose a new computer system and corresponding method to overcome all or part of the problems described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To this end, the subject of the invention is a computer system comprising:

- a display screen;

- a processor; a computer application executable by the processor,

said computer application being configured to display on the screen a window of the application, which includes a main display frame, called a work board,

characterized in that said application is also configured to allow, in said window of the application, to open content frames in the same workboard,

said application being configured to allow viewing of a plurality of said content frames at the same time in said workboard; and in that each content frame includes an input interface, such as a data entry field, allowing the user to enter an Internet address to access content corresponding to that Internet address, so that at least a portion of said content is displayed within said content frame.

Thus, each content frame includes navigation means for accessing and browsing an Internet (or Intranet) site within said content frame. Said content may be, for example, an Internet site, an audio and / or video player, a file or a program whose execution result is displayed and / or read in the content frame.

It can be provided that the data input field is retractable, that is to say that it is visible only under predefined conditions, for example when the user passes the pointer, for example from the mouse or touchpad, on a corresponding area of the content frame, for example the top bar of the content frame. Thus the user can, from any of the content frames, navigate freely by entering an internet address in the input field of this content frame. As explained below, it can also be provided that the input field allows to enter commands and / or that, when words are not recognized as an address or command, the content frame displays a search engine result page from these words .

The application thus makes it possible to open a plurality of content frames from which the user can freely navigate.

According to a particular aspect, said window of the application comprises an interface, such as a data input (or input) field, configured to enable the opening of a new content frame, in said board. working.

Advantageously, the new content frame is opened in an area of the workboard defined so as not to cover, even partially, another framework of already open content, while allowing to view the content displayed in this new content frame , unlike an opening of a new tab as it is customary in Internet browsers known from the state of the art.

The user can thus from the application window that includes the working board containing the content frames, open new content frames, without having to act outside of said application. In other words, the user opens a new content frame while remaining in the application environment.

According to a particular aspect, the application is configured to display in the new content frame, content loaded from an internet address (or intranet) corresponding to the data entered in said data entry field of the application window.

Thus, the user can from the application window, for example since the control bar of the application window, enter an address or keywords that will be interpreted as an access command to a given Internet address, for example for the consultation of a given site or the launch of a reader video, audio or online radio, or which will be interpreted as words to search in a predefined search engine.

The application thus makes it possible to open in parallel on the same workboard several content frames, which allows the user to be able to perform a multitude of Internet browsing in the same window of the application, and, as explained hereinafter, possibly to be able to perform a multitude of execution of modules of the application, in parallel and in a comfortable manner, without having to switch between different tabs and without having to open different applications called third parties, such as a treatment locally installed text and messaging that would be executed locally, independently of said main application whose application window makes it possible to generate said content frames.

It should be noted that the content frames as defined above are distinct from simple widgets, also called thumbnails, as known for example from document US2008 / 0034314. Indeed, the function of a widget is to provide the user with predefined simplified information, possibly in a configurable manner, but in a limited way, and which, in any case, does not offer freedom of internet navigation to the user. In particular, the widgets do not offer the user the possibility to directly access any website, and to navigate freely from this site. Conversely, thanks to the content frames managed by the application, the user can navigate freely by easily accessing any internet address available. According to one particular aspect, each content frame comprises means for executing a computer module of the application, for example a radio reader module. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said workboard has a surface on which the content frames can be opened, which is greater than the display surface of the display screen.

The ability to open content frames on a larger area than the screen can display at any given time, combined with the ability to open multiple content frames within a single board, allows the user to be able to act in parallel on multiple content frames, and preferably to be able to interact with the corresponding contents, without the need to switch from one tab to another, and without the need to reduce the size content frames.

According to a particular aspect, each content frame of a board remains accessible to the user, possibly simply by relative movement of the board relative to the display screen when one or more content frames are located, in any case or part, outside the display area of the screen.

The application allows the user to access the different areas of the workboard that are off the screen, that is to say, not displayed on the screen, at a given moment, preferably by scrolling of said board.

In addition, thanks to such a design of the system and method according to the invention, the user or a third party can recover a workboard in the state in which it was re-registered, that is to say find the content frames in the configuration corresponding to the configuration in which the corresponding board was saved. In particular, the user or third party finds the content frames in their respective positioning and sizing and contents of the content frames. The recovered content frame board may be searchable and / or modifiable at the choice of the one who made said board. As detailed below, such a system design and method according to the invention also offers many other features and advantages.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the board is movable, with the open content frames in said board, relative to the display screen to allow the user to view, and possibly interact with, one or content frames wholly or partly outside the screen display area. Advantageously, the application is configured such that, when a content frame of a board is located outside the display area of the screen, said content frame is accessible to the user by simple displacement relative to the board in relation to the display screen. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said workboard is scrollable relative to the screen.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application is configured so that the user can browse an Internet site (or Intranet) in one of the content frames of the board, along with a content audio and / or video is being played in another of said content frames of the board.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, each of the content frames is resizable and repositionable in the workboard.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said application is also configured for:

recording in a file, called a board file, parameters of the content frames of said workboard, said parameters of each content frame comprising:

the position and / or dimensions of said content frame; an address making it possible to access the content of said content frame or a command for executing said content;

said application being also configured to enable said board file to be loaded so as to automatically reopen the content frames of said workboard in accordance with their registered parameters.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application is configured to open the content frames during the same execution session of the application.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application is configured to trigger an action on a content frame according to a parameter, or datum, relating to another content frame, or according to the evolution in the time of a parameter, or data, relative to said other content frame.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application is configured for, during a user action on a content frame or according to the contents of the content frame, to display an area defined by the application which is a control area of said content and / or a data display area separate from said content and / or a data entry area.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said displayed area being a data entry zone, the application is configured to associate this data with the contents of the content frame, for example comments or notations, so that when another user opens, from another copy of the application executed on another computer system, another content frame containing this content, the data associated by the application to said content are visible or accessible by said other user. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application is configured such that, when an audio content of a content frame is being read and the user controls the playback of an audio content of another content frame, the playback of the audio content of the current content frame is paused or stopped, and the audio content of the other content frame is played.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application comprises means for accessing:

a library, called the user library, which contains the or each user-recorded board file,

said application being configured to allow the user to load at least one or said one of said board files or possibly share it with a third party;

a library, called a public library, which contains one or more board files, registered by a third party,

said application being configured to allow the user to load said one or more of said board files or possibly to save it in the user library.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, when opening an additional content frame, if the free display area on the screen is insufficient to display the additional content frame without overlap with another content frame, the application is configured to, preferably by scrolling the workboard, present on the screen a sufficient display area to open the additional content frame without overlap with the other content frame.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the content of at least one of the content frames is an Internet (or Intranet) page from which the user can navigate while remaining in the display area delimited by the content frame. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the content of at least one of the content frames is audio and / or video content. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the content of at least one of the content frames is the graphical user interface of a computer application executed locally or remotely, for example an audio and / or video conference application. and / or file exchange and / or instant messaging.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application is configured to:

displaying a banner comprising several thumbnails representative of the open content frames of the workboard, the organization of said thumbnails relative to the banner corresponding to that of the content frames with respect to the workboard;

when the user points to an area of the strip, preferably move the workboard with its content frames by scrolling to display the area of the working board corresponding to the pointed area of the strip.

allow selection of a portion of content displayed in a content frame, for example a portion of content of text or image type, accessible to a given address,

copying said portion of selected content by automatically associating it with the address to which said content is accessible, and

- Paste said portion of selected content into another content frame with said address.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, each content frame is provided with a control bar comprising action elements to act on the content frame and / or on the content of said frame, for example to close, reduce enlarge, and enable or disable the audio when the contents of the content frame includes audio content. According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application is configured to allow to open an additional work board, and the application window includes a tab area allowing the user to switch between said work boards . According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the application comprises sharing means for sharing a board file with one or more users, for example users of a given social network. The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a computer system, called the first computer system, as described above, and a second computer system, such as a smartphone or tablet, comprising a screen, characterized in that said second system includes an application configured to allow:

- load a board file generated from the first system;

displaying on the screen a content frame of the work sheet corresponding to said file, the other content frames not being displayed;

- Following a user action on the second system, display another frame of content of the board and hide the content frame previously displayed.

The invention also relates to a method implemented using a computer system which comprises a display screen, a processor, and a computer application executed by the processor,

said method comprising displaying on the screen an application window, which includes a main display frame, called a workboard,

characterized in that said method comprises at least the next step, set implemented in said window of the application:

- open content frames in the same workboard, each content frame including an input interface, such as a data entry field, allowing the user to enter an Internet address to access corresponding content at this Internet address, so that at least a portion of said content is displayed within said content frame;

a plurality of said content frames being arranged in said workboard so as to be viewable at the same time in said workboard;

- Display within one of the content frames of at least a portion of content corresponding to an Internet address entered in the input interface of said content frame.

The content corresponding to the Internet address may be a page of a website, audio and / or video content or file or program.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said content frames are open on a surface of said workboard which is greater than the display surface of the display screen

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said method comprises at least the following steps:

the position and / or dimensions of said content frame;

an address making it possible to access the content of said content frame or a command for executing said content,

- On another system provided with said application or on said system after closing and reopening the application, load said board file so as to automatically reopen the content frames of said workboard according to their registered parameters. The invention also relates to a non-transient computer program product comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method as described above, when said program is executed by a processor. The instructions may be recorded on a medium or non-transitory medium that can be read by a computer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, which is purely illustrative and nonlimiting and should be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic view of a computer system according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the screen of a computer system according to an embodiment of the invention, showing an open content frame in a workboard of the computer application executed by said system;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the screen of a computer system according to an embodiment of the invention, showing the opening of two content frames in addition to a content frame previously opened as illustrated in FIG. Figure 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the screen of FIG. 3 and showing a virtual map making it possible to locate the relative position of the part of the board being displayed on the screen with respect to the set of the board ;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a computer system according to an embodiment of the invention, which shows an open content frame in a part of a board being displayed on the screen, the rest of the board and other content frames that are outside the screen being schematized in dashed form;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the screen of a computer system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, showing an interface of the application allowing access to board files of a library of FIG. user and those of a public library;

- Figure 7 is a view of a mobile type computer system on which is installed an application for opening a board file generated by a computer system according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The concept of the invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the concept of the invention are shown. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes of the elements may be exaggerated for clarity. Similar numbers refer to similar items on all drawings. However, this concept of the invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided so that this description is complete, and communicate the scope of the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is therefore defined by the appended claims. The following embodiments are examined, for the sake of simplicity, in relation to the terminology and structure of a computer system and a computer application for displaying and managing content.

Reference throughout the description to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or feature described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrase "in one embodiment" at various locations throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, particular features, structures, or features may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In general, the invention relates to a computer system and a corresponding method for displaying and managing content frames.

In Figure 1 there is shown schematically a computer system 1 which comprises a display screen 100. The computer system 1 comprises a memory 104, for example of remanent type, and processing and calculation means. Advantageously, the processing and calculation means comprise a processor 102 and a random access memory.

The computer system 1 also includes a human-machine interface 101 allowing, for example, data entry and / or pointing on the screen. Said interface 101 may include peripherals such as a keyboard for entering data on the screen and a mouse, or touchpad, for pointing different parts of the screen. Said data entry and / or pointing interface may also include a tactile layer applied to the screen.

The computer system 1 is for example a computer, type desktop or laptop. The computer system 1 also comprises a computer program, usually called operating system, which is installed for example on the memory 104 of the computer system, and which controls the use of resources of the computer system 1. The operating system is for example Mac OS X (developed by Apple) or Windows (developed by Microsoft) or LINUX. The computer system 1 comprises a computer application 103 installed for example on said memory 104 or another memory, and executable by the processor 102. The computer application 103 is executed in the operating system environment.

When said computer application 103 is executed, an application window 10 is displayed on the screen 100. The window 10 defines the working environment within the application. The window 10 comprises a main display frame 20, called a board of work (or board English). As detailed below, the window 10 also includes a control bar 1 10. This window 10 corresponds to a graphical interface window of the application 103.

Advantageously, the window 10 also comprises a tab area 200 (see Figure 2), for example located under the control bar 1 10, which comprises for each open workboard, a tab associated with said board. This zone of tabs is in the form of a banner that allows the user to switch between said work boards by selecting one or the other of the tabs.

The application 103 allows, for example by clicking on a given portion of the tab panel, or by clicking the button 1 15 of the control bar 1 10, to open one or more new boards. As detailed below, this button 1 15 provides access to boards libraries. Each open board is associated with a tab in the tab area. The user can thus display on the screen an open board hitherto hidden by another board by clicking on its tab, so that the board corresponding to the selected tab is displayed in the window 10 in place of the previous board which remains however selectable by its associated tab of the zone of tabs.

For simplicity, the following description is made in connection with the opening of a single board 20, but this description applies of course to other boards that can be opened in the application 103 and which are selected by the user. using the corresponding tabs in the area of tabs 200.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the application opens in the board 20 a first content frame 30 that can browse the Internet or an Intranet. Advantageously, the application also makes it possible to execute a computer code whose result (or output) is displayed and / or read in the content frame. For example, the content frame may display the audio interface of an audio or radio player, which corresponds to a computer program executed by the application, and play associated audio content that may be located locally or at home. distance (on the Internet).

For simplicity, an open content frame in a board is in the continuation of the description called cube. As detailed below, the application allows to open in said board 20 several other cubes 31, 32.

The application thus makes it possible to open in parallel on the same workboard several cubes, which allows the user to be able to carry out a multitude of navigations in the same window of the application, and possibly to proceed to a multitude of execution of modules of the application, in parallel and in a comfortable way.

Each cube comprises navigation means or execution control means which comprise for example an input interface 301, 31 1, 321 for example in the form of a field, for entering a content address or a execution command. Thus a user can enter in the said field the address of a remote resource for example to access an Internet or Intranet site or enter a command interpreted by the application 103 for the execution of a given computer module, such as a radio player, defined in the application. It can also be provided that when the user enters in said input interface 301, 31 1, 321 terms which are not recognized as an address and which are not recognized as an execution command by the application, then the field behaves like a search engine by displaying the results of a search engine page that stand out when said terms are used as search terms. According to one embodiment, said input interface is included in the control bar of the corresponding cube presented hereinafter. It can be provided that said interface appears when the user clicks on a given area of said control bar. The user can browse the cube 30 on a given website or Intranet and then without having to change board, and without having to reduce or close the cube 30. The user can navigate to another open website in a another cube, for example the cube 33 presented below in connection with Figure 5 and without leaving the board.

The board 20 has a surface on which can be distributed the cubes, which is greater than the surface of the screen. The user can access each area of the surface of the board. The user can access an invisible part of the screen (located virtually off the screen) by a given action of the user, without having to use an additional screen.

Said action of the user can be, as explained below, a scrolling action or unwinding of the surface of the board relative to the screen, for example with the help of the mouse wheel, a key on the keyboard or a user gesture on a touch screen layer. In other words, the user can move within the board to display the parts of the board located off the screen and thus access the different open cubes.

According to a preferred embodiment, the board 20 is scrollable relative to the screen 100. At a given instant, the display screen, even in case of full screen display of the window 10 of the application, shows that part of the board 20 is active. The other part of active board 20 not displayed at the screen is accessible and therefore displayable by scrolling the board on the screen.

It is thus possible to open said cubes 30, 31, 32 without overlapping each other, by distributing them on a surface of the board greater than that displayed on the screen at a given moment. The cubes 30, 31, 32 can thus occupy a surface of the board 20 greater than the display surface of the screen 100. The user can thus distribute the cubes as he wishes in the space of the board without being constrained by the size of the screen. According to one embodiment, with reference to the graphical interface of the application 103, the board 20 is scrollable with respect to the control bar 1 10 of the application which remains fixed with respect to the screen 100 when the board 20 scrolls. Advantageously, each plate is thus in the form of a zone that can contain many cubes and through which one can move, for example by unwinding said zone, without being hampered by the restricted size of the screen, in order to to be able to open and handle in a fluid and comfortable way as many cubes as one wishes. It can be provided that the movement within said board, or the unwinding of said board, can be carried out without end or according to the positions occupied by the cubes.

Thus, when cubes extend on a surface of the board greater than that of the screen, the user can easily access these different cubes. Advantageously, the board is defilable up and down and vice versa. It is also possible that the board is scrollable in another direction for example from left to right and vice versa. According to one embodiment, the scrolling (or English scrolling) of the board is carried out fluidly or continuously, that is to say without saccade. Scrolling is controlled by the user. The user can easily go back and forth between the open cubes, without having to move relative to each other. Indeed, it is sufficient for the user to move for example with the mouse, the display area of the screen in the surface of the board. If we consider the screen as fixed, the user can move the board, in particular the area of the board displayed on the screen, relative to the screen.

The user can view in a cube, for example the cube 31, images while simultaneously listening to the radio via a radio player executed in another cube, for example the cube 32. Advantageously, the user can act in parallel on the content of each of these contents, for example to navigate on one or more Internet or Intranet sites (cube 30 or 33), control the viewing of images (cube 31) and control the listening of a station radio (cube 32), independently of the other cubes. In particular, the navigation on a website or intranet cube 30 leaves the cube 33 present on the board 20 (even if it is not displayed on the screen), so that at any time l user can move across the surface of the board to navigate in the cube 33. Indeed, the user can navigate through the different cubes and possibly benefit and / or interact with modules executed in cubes, without it is necessary to switch between tabs, or to switch between the contents by reduction / enlargement, since the cubes of a board remain accessible by simple relative movement of the part of the board displayed on the screen to access any cubes located in whole or in part off the screen.

Each cube makes it possible to display and / or read and / or interact with content located at a given address and / or executed following a given command. As explained below, it can be provided that the user and / or the application interact with said content. According to a particular aspect, the area occupied by a cube is smaller than that of the plate 20. Provided we can predict to control the display in full screen mode of the cube which then occupies the surface of the screen, which remains below that of the board. The cube can be displayed in two dimensions (width and height) or in three dimensions (width, height and depth).

The opening of a cube is performed for example following the selection of content by the user in a content library of the application 103, accessible for example by a button 1 13 of the application bar, or after an address or command entry, in an input field 1 12 included in the command bar 1 10 or again or following a search launched on a search engine, from the field 1 12. It is at note that each cube looks like a display window, but it should be noted that open cubes in a workboard are distinguished from known solutions of the state of the art in which several display windows, for example multiple windows of a browser, are open in an operating system, as explained below.

When the user starts the application 103, a window corresponding to a session or execution instance of the application 103 is opened. In the example illustrated in the figures, this window of the application is the window 10. The opening of a cube in a workboard is done within this execution session of the application and the opening additional cubes in this same workboard (or in another workboard) is also performed within this same execution session of the application, without the need to launch a new application window corresponding to a new session or instance of execution of the application. Conversely, when opening several browser windows of an internet browser known in the state of the art, several instances or execution session of the Internet browser are open. In other words, said Prior art Internet browser launches (or executes) multiple versions (or copies) of itself to open multiple browser windows.

The content of each cube can be opened, accessed, or played remotely, for example via the Internet or an Intranet. According to one particular aspect, each cube also makes it possible to open, access or play content from a local location. The contents of the different cubes can be of the same type or not - for example text, image, audio, video - as those displayed, read or executed by one or the other cubes.

Each cube is resizable and repositionable in the plate 20. In Figure 2, the dashed rectangle represents a previous position of the cube 30, for example at the time of its opening. As illustrated in Figure 2, the user can move the cube 30 in the board, for example to the middle, and can enlarge (or reduce) the height and width of said cube. As recalled above, the user can also completely reduce or make full screen said cube.

In the example illustrated more particularly in FIG. 3, the user has opened in the board 20 two other cubes 31, 32, after having opened, then resized and repositioned the cube 30 as illustrated in FIG. 2.

As shown by the dashed rectangle of FIG. 3, which corresponds to the position of the cube 30 of FIG. 2 before the opening of the other two cubes 31, 32, the position and the dimensions of the cube 30 in the configuration of FIG. allow, as is, to display simultaneously and in full on the screen, the cube 30 and the other two cubes 31, 32 without at least partial superimposition or resizing said cubes. However, thanks to the scrolling property of the board 20, the application 103 or the user scrolls the board 20 to release on the screen a display area of the board 20 sufficient to display the cubes 31, 32. The cubes 31, 32 are thus open below (without overlap) cube 30 which is moved upward relative to the screen. Alternatively, the cubes could have been opened above (without overlap) cube 30, the cube then being moved downward relative to the screen. According to one embodiment, it is also possible, in the case of lateral scrolling, that the open cubes are offset laterally with respect to the (x) cube (s) previously open (s).

It can thus be expected that when opening an additional cube, if the free display area on the screen is insufficient to display the additional cube without overlap with another cube, the application 103 is configured to scroll the board 20 by presenting on the screen a free area of the board sufficient to open the additional cube without overlapping with the other cubes.

The user can of course scroll the board to access the cube (s) at least partially from the screen.

Advantageously, the positioning of an additional cube is initially defined by the application 103 as a function of the position of the cube or cubes, being spaced apart, for example on the side or at the bottom or at the top, of said cubes or open.

The user can resize and reposition each cube using the human-machine interface 101, for example by grabbing a corner of the cube to reduce or enlarge it, or by keeping the active pointing on the control bar of the cube. cube and moving the mouse to move the cube within the board. Advantageously, the user can perform various actions on the cubes and in particular, if he wishes, the user can superimpose the cubes in whole or in part. The user can also define relative plans (for example, rear plan) in which the cubes are located in relation to each other.

According to one embodiment, each cube of a board is initially opened with predefined dimensions, which are modifiable after opening. It is also possible that the definition within a board of the initial opening dimensions is also modifiable, for example using the button 1 14 of the control bar 1 10 which provides access to a control interface Application parameters 103. In order to be able to locate and access quickly and easily a given area of the board that may be located outside the display area of the screen 100, the application 103 includes a strip 6 of tracking (see Figure 4) which the user can control the display, for example by pointing an area of the screen, for example the right edge of the screen.

In the example shown in Figure 4, the strip 6 includes several thumbnails

60, 61, 62 representative of the open cubes 30, 31, 32 of the board. Advantageously, the organization of said vignettes with each other and with respect to the strip 6 corresponds to that of the cubes with respect to each other and to the board 20. In other words, the positions of said labels relative to the strip correspond to the positions of the cubes relative to the board. .

Such a strip 6 forms a miniature map illustrating the locations of the cubes of the board and, preferably the current position of the display area of the screen relative to the board. Thus, in the example of FIG. 4, the dotted rectangle 600 symbolizes the position of the display screen with respect to the upper and lower parts of the board. Note that the cube 30, symbolized on the map by the dotted rectangle 60, extends partly outside the current display area of the screen, while the other two cubes 31, 32 symbolized on the map by the dotted rectangles

61, 62 are well contained in the current display area of the screen. When the user points to an area of the strip 6, the plate 20 scrolls with respect to the screen, with its cubes (namely the cubes whose positions are attached to the board 20, that is to say which the state is not "pined" as detailed below) to display on the screen the area of the board corresponding to the pointed area of the strip 6. In other words, as long as the cubes are not in the "pined" state The cubes placed on the board have a position linked to the board and then follow the movement of the board relative to the screen

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5, each cube 30, 31, 32 is provided with a control bar 300, 310, 320 making it possible to manipulate the cube, for example to close, reduce enlarge, and activate or inactivate the audio when the content of the cube includes audio content.

In Figure 5, there is shown the opening of the additional cube 33, for example of the Internet page type, which has a control bar 330 and an input interface 331. The dashed lines are used in FIG. 5 to schematize the extent of the board 20 and the positions, outside the screen of the cubes 30, 31, 32 with respect to this board 20. In the example of FIG. cube 33 occupies a large part of the area of the board 20 which is displayed on the screen so that cubes 30, 31, 32 previously opened are found outside the screen. It is understood that the user can move, for example using a mouse wheel, the display area of the screen relative to the board 20 to display the different areas of the board that are not visible in same time because of the limited size of the screen. It is thus understood that the user can access, for example by scrolling the board relative to the screen, to the different parts of the board, and in particular to the areas of the board at which the cubes 30, 31 are positioned. Advantageously, each cube can also be rotated on itself, for example 70 °. As detailed below, it is possible to freeze the display of a cube. The cubes can be active or selectively inhibit. It is also possible to fix the position of one or each cube relative to the board or relative to the screen.

In particular, a cube can be in a pinned state (or "pined" in English) when the user assigns a fixed and absolute position on the screen. Thus, if the user scrolls the corresponding board, the "pinned" cube will not move, while the rest of the board will scroll relative to the screen and the "pinned" cube with the other cubes associated with said board and not defined as "pinned".

When the content of a cube is of audio type, the user can control the sound from the cube control bar. In particular, the user can choose to cut or activate the audio of said content. According to one embodiment, the user can cut or enable the audio of each of the corresponding cubes individually. One can predict that activating the sound on a cube cuts the sound on the other cubes.

According to one embodiment, the application also allows the user to freeze a cube. In this state, you can no longer scroll or scroll ("scroll" in English) content inside a cube, either vertically or horizontally. The user can therefore display a specific area of a website in a cube, and then freeze the cube. The displayed area of the website will be frozen and insensitive to a content scrolling command within the cube. According to one embodiment, the application also allows the user to freeze the board. In this state, all the cubes present in the board are frozen. They can no longer be moved or resized. The user can, however, continue to interact with the content of each of the cubes, scroll the contents inside the cubes, and scroll the board.

According to one embodiment, each cube operates in real time simultaneously with the other cubes of the board, in the sense that the fact the user acting on a cube does not necessarily disable other cubes that can continue to read a file or update the data display. The content of a cube 30 is for example a content of one of the following types or a combination of all or some of the following types: text; data entry fields, image; audio; video ; computer application.

In particular, the content of a cube can be an Internet page from which the user can navigate while remaining in the display area delimited by the cube. The content of a cube can also be an audio and / or video file read in the cube. The read file can be located at a remote or local address. When the content is of "computer application" type, the cube displays the graphical user interface of a computer application executed locally or remotely, for example an audio and / or video conference application, and / or an exchange application file and / or instant messenger and / or an audio and / or video player, an image viewer, an application for managing decorative elements for the boards (images, buttons, texts, etc.) or games in line. Said application can also be a note-taking application, a text editor, a spreadsheet ... Such a computer application, also called "ln-app" opens directly into a cube of the application.

Said in-app application is executed and displayed in a cube within the application 103 according to the invention.

It should be noted that, whatever the content displayed, played or executed in the cube, the cube keeps, possibly masked, an input interface 301, 31 1, 321 by means of which the user can enter data, especially to navigate freely on the internet. The user can thus since any cube and regardless of the content being viewed or read, enter an address to access the website of its choice whose content will be displayed in the cube. The user can act on the contents of each cube independently of other cubes. However, the user can also create interactions between the contents of different cubes.

According to one embodiment, the application 103 is configured to trigger an action on a cube according to a parameter or data relating to another cube, or according to an event, that is to say say of revolution in time of a parameter or data relative to another cube. Said data relating to a cube may be the content of the cube. As examples, when an audio content of a cube is being played and the user controls the playback of audio content from another cube, the audio content of the current cube is played back. paused or stopped, and the audio content of the other cube is played. According to one embodiment, following a user's action on a cube, such as positioning the mouse on one side of the cube, or depending on the content of the cube, the application displays a specific zone linked to the cube . This field is defined by the application as opposed to an area that would be defined by the creator or provider of the content. This zone may be a control zone of said content and / or a data display area distinct from said content and / or a data entry zone.

According to one embodiment, said displayed zone is a data entry zone, for example to enter comments or notations related to the content of the cube. The application 103 is configured to associate this data with the content of the cube, so that when another user opens, from another system on which another copy of the application, another cube including this content, then the data associated by the application 103 to said content are visible or accessible by said other user. The other copy of the application that runs on the other user's system can in particular display a specific zone associated with said other cube that contains said data. However, it should be noted that the associated data are not part of the content, so that the display of content by an application other than that of the invention does not allow access to said data associated with the content. It can be provided that the application 103 controls or regulates the positioning of the cubes according to their respective positions to prevent them from being superimposed.

According to a particular aspect, the application makes it possible to open cubes that are configured to, depending on the content, for example textual, of one or more cubes, perform an action when a given content, for example a text, given appears or disappears.

It can thus be predicted that, via the application 103, the cubes communicate information to all or some of the other cubes, when performing a given event, which can then result in one or more actions performed by the user. 'application.

The application thus makes it possible to communicate data from one cube to another while maintaining the possibility of operating each cube autonomously with respect to the other cubes.

In other words, each cube can operate independently of other cubes but can also allow interaction with another cube, such as the audio management explained above. The application 103 makes it possible to generate an interaction between cubes and / or an opening of an additional cube according to predefined data. The board 20 thus corresponds to a workspace, within the application 103, which groups cubes in a given state. According to one embodiment, the plate 20 contains the information concerning each of its cubes, as well as information on its own state: wallpaper, as well as configuration and operation options.

Said application also makes it possible to record a board 20 in a file 51, called a board file, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The recording of a board comprises the recording of the parameters of the cubes of the board 20. Advantageously, the Recording a board also includes board state settings. The recording can be done automatically, for example at a given frequency, or on the user's command, locally and / or remotely, for example on the system 1, on the Internet or on an Intranet.

Said parameters of each cube 30, 31, 32 recorded in the board file include:

- the position and / or dimensions of said cube;

the address (or access path) or the command for executing the content of said cube: the address is for example a URL address when the content of the cube is a content coming from the Internet, or a local address of the cube; system when the contents of the cube are from a local file. In the case of a content to be executed by the application, the address of the content corresponds to a command designating the code to be executed by the application, for example the place where the code to be executed is located.

Advantageously, said recorded parameters of each cube also include additional parameters corresponding to user defined cube state parameters. Said state parameters include for example the pinned state ("pined") or not of the cube, the frozen state "freeze" or not of the cube, the mute state "mute" or not of the cube .... The cubes of the same board are preferably subject to common rules defined for the board. The rules of a board include, for example, the opening parameters (initial size, initial position) of the cubes.

Said parameters may also include one and / or a combination of the following parameters:

the position of the or each scrollbar of the cube, when the content of the cube extends over a surface greater than that defined by the dimensions of the cube;

- Cube state parameters, such as the audio state of the cube, the fixed state or not in the cube space;

- the title of the content of the cube (which is preferably displayed in the control bar of the cube).

The corresponding board file 51 is stored in a memory which may be common with the memory on which the application 103 or the operating system or other memory is installed, for example a memory on removable medium or a memory accessible from the Internet or Intranet.

Subsequently, said board file 51 can be loaded into the application 103 so as to automatically reopen the cubes 30, 31, 32 of the corresponding board 20 with their recorded parameters. In other words after loading the file 51 in the application, the user finds the open cubes in the board displayed on the screen in the same configuration (positions, dimensions ...) than that in which said board, and therefore its cubes , have been previously registered. The user can thus find the board 20 and therefore his working environment in the configuration in which he had left at the time of registration. The user can therefore perform various tasks, such as work on other boards, and close the application. He can then easily and quickly find the cubes of the board he previously recorded and resume his activity on this board. It can be expected that the recorded board can be reloaded by the user of the system or by a third party using another system on which the application is also installed. The board file can be saved with simple read permission, or read and write permission to edit.

In particular, the user can share a board file with one or more other users, for example by clicking the button 1 17 of the control bar 1 10. The sharing can be done according to different protocols, such as the sending by mail, on a social network, or on a server accessible to a third party.

According to an embodiment illustrated more particularly in FIG. 6, the board file can be recorded in one or more libraries. A library is a local or remote location that groups board files.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 6, the application 103 is configured to access (read and write) a library 5 called a user library to which the third parties do not have access, and a library 7 called a public library. to which third parties have access. The user can thus, if he wishes, copy a previously saved file from the library 5 to the library 7 to make it available to third parties. Conversely the user can tap into the public library 7 board files and copy them into the library 5 user (private). The creator of a board file can assign read and / or write permissions. One can thus provide that a board created by a user is shared with another user who uses it as a basis for work and modifies it in his way. Such an application design allows a simple, flexible and fast collaborative work.

The libraries 5 and 7 are accessible by the user from the button 1 15 of the control bar 1 10.

In a particular aspect, the application 103 is configured to:

allow to select a part of a content displayed in a cube 30, for example a part of content of text or image type, accessible to a given address,

copying said portion of selected content by automatically associating it with the address to which said portion of content is accessible, and

- Paste said portion of selected content in another cube, with said address, whose interior is for example in the form of a notebook.

According to a particular embodiment and as illustrated in FIG. 7, the user or a third party can open a board file, previously recorded using the first computer system, on a second computer system 1 ', such as a smartphone or tablet, which includes a screen 100 ', smaller than that of the screen of the first computer system 1 which is for example a computer type desktop or laptop as explained above. The second computer system V preferably comprises a so-called mobile operating system which is for example of the Android type (developed by the Google company) or iOS (developed by the Apple company).

For this purpose, said second system V comprises a so-called mobile application configured to enable a board file generated from the first system 1 to be loaded and to display on the screen the cube 30 of the board 20 corresponding to said board file. , the other cubes are not displayed. The cubes of the board are displayed one by one on the screen, by a user action on the second system 1 ', for example by a movement of the finger on the screen from left to right or vice versa. Following such an action, another cube, for example the cube 31 (the neighboring cube) is displayed on the screen and the previously displayed cube 30 is hidden. It is also possible to create a board file from the second system V and open it in the application 103 of the first system.

The user can thus find on a mobile device the cubes of a board recorded from a computer.

The process steps and functions of the application 103 or the mobile application described above can be implemented as a computer program (s). Such computer program (s), or computer instructions, may be contained in program storage devices, such as computer readable digital data storage media, or executable programs. Programs or instructions can also be run from program storage devices.

By way of example, the application 103 comprises a client part that can be developed using Electron, a derivative of the Chromium engine, and the interface of the application 103 can be designed in HTML5, Javascript. The background portion (or backend in English) of the application 103 can be designed from Node.js which is a software platform in JavaScript oriented to network applications. The client part of the application running on the mobile computer system V can be developed from the React Native application, or in Swift language (for iOS type systems) or in Java language (for Android type systems) .

The invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings. Accordingly, it should be understood that when the features mentioned in the appended claims are followed by reference signs, these signs are included solely for the purpose of improving the intelligibility of the claims and are in no way limiting to the scope of the claims. claims.

Moreover, the term "including" does not exclude other elements or steps. In addition, features or steps that have been described with reference to one of the embodiments set forth above may also be used in combination with other features or steps of other embodiments set forth above.

A workboard corresponds to a space in two dimensions and therefore forms a surface on which cubes can be distributed that the user can simultaneously view on the screen when they are located on a display area of the board. work less than or equal to the size of the screen or that the user can view successively by relative movement of the display area of the screen in this two-dimensional space. Thus a workboard is a two-dimensional (surface) space as opposed to a tabbed display or navigation system that can be considered as a two-dimensional larger space. Each tab in addition to the display area of the current tab can be viewed as an additional dimension. Thus, the surface of the workboard is the surface of the workboard to which the user can access without leaving the workboard and not the addition of the surfaces of a possible plurality of open board in different tabs .

Claims

1. Computer system (1) comprising:

a display (100);

a processor (102);

a computer application (103) executable by the processor (102), said computer application (103) being configured to display on the screen (100) a window (10) of the application, which includes a main display frame (20), called a work board,

characterized in that said application (103) is also configured to allow, in said window of the application, to open content frames (30, 31, 32) in the same workboard (20), said application ( 103) being configured to allow multiple (31, 32) of said content frames (30, 31, 32) to be viewed at the same time in said workboard (20), and in that each content frame includes an input interface (301, 31 1, 321), such as a data entry field, allowing the user to enter an Internet address to access content corresponding to that Internet address, so that at least a part of said content is displayed within the content frame.

The computer system (1) of claim 1, said application window (10) includes an interface (1 12), such as a data entry field, configured to allow the user to trigger the opening a new content frame in said workboard.

Computer system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said workboard (20) has a surface on which the content frames (30, 31, 32) can be opened, which is greater than the display surface of the display screen (100).

4. Computer system (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that said work board (20) is scrollable relative to the screen (100).

5. computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application is configured so that the user can browse a website in one (30) of the content frames of the board, while audio and / or video content is being played in another (32) of said board content frames.

6. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the content frames (30, 31, 32) is resizable and repositionable in the workboard (20).

Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said application (103) is also configured for:

recording in a file (51), called a board file, parameters of the content frames of said work board (20), said parameters of each content frame (30, 31, 32) comprising:

the position and / or dimensions of said content frame;

an address making it possible to access the content of said content frame or a command for executing said content;

said application being also configured to enable said board file (51) to be loaded so as to automatically reopen the content frames (30,31,32) of said workboard (20) in accordance with their registered parameters.

8. computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application (103) is configured to trigger an action on a content frame according to a parameter, or data, relating to another content frame, or according to the evolution over time of a parameter, or a datum, relating to said other content frame.

9. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application is configured for, during an action of the user on a content frame or according to the contents of the content frame, displaying an area defined by the application which is a control area of said content and / or a data display area separate from said content and / or a data entry area.

10. computer system (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that said displayed area being a data entry area, the application is configured to associate these data contents of the content frame, for example comments or comments. Notations, such that when another user opens another content frame containing another content from another copy of the application running on another computer system, the data associated by the application to said content is visible or accessible. by said other user.

1 1. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application (103) is configured so that when an audio content of a content frame is being read and the user controls the playback of audio content from another content frame, the playback of the audio content of the current content frame is paused or stopped, and the audio content of the other content frame is played.

12. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application (103) comprises means for accessing:

a library, called library (5) user, which contains the or each board file (51) recorded by the user,

a library, called public library (7), which contains one or more board files, registered by a third party,

said application being configured to allow the user to to load said one or more of said board files or possibly to save it in the user library.

13. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when opening an additional content frame, if the free display area on the screen is insufficient to allow display the additional content frame without overlapping with another content frame, the application (103) is configured to, preferably by scrolling the workboard (20), present on the screen a display area sufficient to open the additional content frame without overlay with the other content frame.

14. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the content of at least one of the content frames is the graphical user interface of a computer application executed locally or remotely, by example an audio and / or video conference application and / or exchange file and / or instant messaging.

Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application is configured for:

- Display a banner (6) comprising several thumbnails (60, 61, 62) representative of the open content frames (30, 31, 32) of the workboard (20), the organization of said thumbnails relative to the banner corresponding to that content frames relative to the workboard (20);

when the user points to an area of the strip (6), preferably move the workboard (20) with its content frames by scrolling to display the area of the workboard (20) corresponding to the pointed area of the strip (6).

Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application (103) is configured for: allow selection of a part of a content displayed in a content frame (30), for example a part of content of text or image type, accessible to a given address,

17. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each content frame (30, 31, 32) is provided with a control bar (300) comprising action elements allowing acting on the content frame and / or on the content of said frame, for example to close, reduce enlarge, and activate or inactivate the audio when the contents of the content frame includes audio content.

15

Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application (103) is configured to open an additional work board, and the window (10) of the application comprises a tab area (200) allowing the user to switch between

Said work boards.

19. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the application comprises sharing means (1 17) for sharing a board file (51) with one or more

25 users, for example users of a given social network.

20. Computer system (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each content frame is pivotable.

30 21. An assembly comprising a computer system (1), called the first computer system, according to one of the preceding claims, and a second computer system (1 '), such as a smartphone or tablet, comprising a screen (100 '), characterized in that said second system (1') comprises an application configured to allow:

- load a board file (51) generated from the first system (1);

displaying on the screen a content frame (30) of the workboard (20) corresponding to said file (51), the other content frames not being displayed;

- following a user action on the second system (1 '), display another content frame (31) of the board (20) and hide the content frame (30) previously displayed.

22. A method implemented using a computer system that includes a display screen (100), a processor (102), and a computer application (103) executed by the processor (102),

said method comprising displaying on the screen (100) a window (10) of the application, which includes a main display frame (20), called a workboard,

characterized in that said method comprises at least the following steps, implemented in said window (10) of the application:

- opening content frames (30, 31, 32) in the same workboard (20), each content frame including an input interface (301, 31 1,

321), such as a data entry field, allowing the user to enter an Internet address to access content corresponding to that Internet address, so that at least a portion of said content is displayed on the Internet. inside said content frame,

a plurality (31, 32) of said content frames (30, 31, 32) being arranged in said workboard (20) so as to be simultaneously viewable in said workboard (20);

displaying within one of the content frames at least part of a content corresponding to an Internet address entered in the input interface (301, 31 1, 321) of said content frame.

23. The method of claim 22, characterized in that said frames of content (30, 31, 32) are open on a surface of said workboard (20) which is greater than the display area of the display screen (100).

24. The method of claim 22 or 23, characterized in that said method comprises at least the following steps:

the position and / or dimensions of said content frame;

- on another system provided with said application or on said system after closing and reopening of the application, loading said file (51) board to automatically reopen the content frames (30, 31, 32) of said board (20) according to their registered parameters.

A non-transient computer program product comprising program code instructions for executing the steps of a method according to one of claims 22 to 24, when said program is executed by a processor.