Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-08
2001-07-24
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266058
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computers and software, and more particularly, to linking browser bars and active documents within a browser.
2. Description of Related Art
As known in the art, the Internet is a world-wide collection of networks and gateways that use the TCP/IP suite of protocols to communicate with one another. At the heart of the Internet is a backbone of high speed data communication lines between major nodes or host computers consisting of thousands of commercial government educational and other computer systems that route data and messages.
The World Wide Web (WWW) refers to the total set of interlinked hypertext documents residing on hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) servers all around the world. Documents on the WWW, called pages or web pages, are written in hypertext mark-up language (HTML) identified by uniform resource locators (URL) that specify the particular machine and pathname by which a file can be accessed and transmitted from node to node to the end user under HTTP. A web site is a related group of these documents and associated files, scripts, subprocedures, and databases that are served up by an HTTP server on the WWW.
Users need a browser program and an Internet connection to access a web site. Browser programs, also called “web browsers,” are client applications that enable a user to navigate the Internet and view HTML documents on the WWW, another network, or the user's computer. Web Browsers also allow users to follow codes called “tags” imbedded in an HTML document, which associate particular words and images in the document with URLs so that a user can access another file that may be half way around the world, at the press of a key or the click of a mouse.
Browser bars are an Internet Explorer technology called Explorer Bars. Currently, the browser bar is visible on the left side of the Internet Explorer window. The standard browser bars that ship with Internet Explorer are search, channels, history, and favorites. Currently, for Internet Explorer Microsoft provides an application program interface (API) to allow third parties to write their own browser bar programs. An API is a set of routines used by an application program to direct a performance of the procedures by the computer's operating system.
Active documents are technology that allow a document, for example, a Word document, to be contained by any application that supports active documents. Internet Explorer is one of the few applications that behaves as an active document container. This allows any active document to be contained by Internet Explorer. You load a Word document into Internet Explorer and display it inside its window because Word documents are active documents.
ActiveX is a set of technology that enables software components to interact with one another in a networked environment regardless of the language in which the components are created. Currently, ActiveX is used primarily to develop interactive content for the World Wide Web, although it can be used in other desktop applications. ActiveX controls are reusable software components that incorporate ActiveX technology. These components can be used to add specialized functionality, such as animation or pop-up menus, to web pages, desktop applications, and software development tools. ActiveX control components can be used in place of active documents.
Heretofore, however, active documents or ActiveX, and browser bar technologies have not been linked together to allow an active document to actually act as a container that encapsulates other Windows programs. This would allow Internet Explorer to contain active documents and active documents to contain other Windows programs. This linking of browser bar and active Windows technologies will allow for an interaction that will look and feel like an integrated application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Certain objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the advantages and novel features, the present invention is generally directed to an apparatus and method for providing linkage between active documents and a browser bar.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a user interface (browser) provides for active documents to be linked with the standard browser bar. This linkage enables applications to appear like integrated applications. The integrated applications enables for a user to click on an item within the browser bar and see the related contents in the active document window. The user can also work inside of an active document containing a program and have the linking be reflected in the browser bar. Changes input to the active document can update information in the browser bar, that can also cause further changes to data in the active document.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a user can bring up an active document within Internet Explorer in any way such as typing its path to an Internet Explorer address field, pulling down the document from an Internet Explorer favorite menu, dragging an active document into the Internet Explorer main window, using the document as an Internet Explorer start page and then just access it by starting Internet Explorer.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the browser bar and active document linkage insures that every time an active document is displayed, the browser bar is also displayed.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, the active documents containing programs are permitted to direct the browser bar to appear and disappear.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the browser bar can be directed to make a document appear or disappear.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5630042 (1997-05-01), McIntosh et al.
patent: 5883626 (1999-03-01), Glaser et al.
patent: 5890172 (1999-03-01), Borman et al.
patent: 5914714 (1999-06-01), Brown
patent: 5937417 (1999-10-01), Nielsen
patent: 6072486 (2000-06-01), Sheldon et al.
Bayerl Raymond J.
Hewlett -Packard Company
Thai Cuong T.
LandOfFree
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