Facsimile and static presentation processing – Static presentation processing – Communication
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-11
2001-04-24
Mancuso, Joseph (Department: 2624)
Facsimile and static presentation processing
Static presentation processing
Communication
C358S001150
Reexamination Certificate
active
06222634
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to computer networks, such as the Internet. More specifically, this invention relates to an apparatus and method for printing web pages.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely sophisticated devices, and computer systems may be found in many different settings. The widespread proliferation of computers prompted the development of computer networks that allow computers to communicate with each other. With the introduction of the personal computer (PC), computing became accessible to large numbers of people. Networks for personal computers were developed that allow individual users to communicate with each other.
One significant computer network that has recently become very popular is the Internet. The Internet grew out of this proliferation of computers and networks, and has evolved into a sophisticated worldwide network of computer systems. A user at an individual PC (i.e., workstation) that wishes to access the Internet typically does so using a software application known as a web browser. A web browser makes a connection via the Internet to other computers known as web servers, and receives information from the web servers that is displayed on the user's workstation. Information displayed to the user is typically organized into pages (known as web pages) that are constructed using a specialized language called Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Many web pages include one or more special reference locations known as “links” that invoke other web pages. Links allow a web user to easily navigate to other web sites of interest by clicking on the appropriate link with a mouse or other pointing device.
Often a web user will want to print a web page being currently viewed. Web browsers typically have a print function that allows a user to print the current page. However, as the complexity of web sites increases, it becomes increasingly difficult to locate needed information, and the process of printing several related web pages becomes a tedious exercise that involves: invoking the web page, printing the web page, invoking the next web page, printing, invoking, printing, etc. In other words, prior art browsers require a user to invoke a page before printing it. With these prior art browsers, if a user needs to print 40 related web pages, the user must manually invoke and print each of the 40 web pages. Needless to say, this process becomes very time-consuming.
As the number of Internet users, providers, and web servers continues to rapidly expand, it will become increasingly important for a web user to be able to print related web pages without manually invoking and printing each page. Without improvements in the manner web pages are printed, the printing of web pages will continue to be an impediment to the effective usage of resources available on the Internet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, an apparatus and method for printing related web pages allows a web user to select a web page, then print all of the related web pages based on a predetermined criteria. In a first embodiment, each web page includes an applet that is run on the web client system when a print button on the page is pressed. The client applet communicates with a print tool running on the server that parses the selected page and builds a list of related pages and allows the user to select which of the related pages will be printed. Once the user selects the pages to be printed, the print tool constructs a temporary web page that contains all the web pages the user selected. This temporary web page may then be printed using the standard print function supplied with the browser. In a second embodiment, a print utility in the web client allows a user to print related web pages by parsing a selected web page and building a list of related pages. The user may then select from the list of related pages which pages to print. The selected pages are then printed.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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SlipKnot's New “Get All links” Retrieval Feature (pp. 1-3) in internet, Nov. 1996.*
Seybold Report on Internet Publishing vol. 2, No. 1, Sep. 1997, S Edwards et al., “Roll over, Gutenberg: how the Web is changing printing”, pp. 5-20 (see “Canon's WebRecord”, and also IAC Accession No. 19756197).
Dubbels Joel C.
Gibson Kevin P.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Mancuso Joseph
Martin Derek P.
Martin & Associates L.L.C.
Tran Douglas Q.
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