Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data addressing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-28
2001-02-27
Harrell, Robert B (Department: 2154)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data addressing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195707
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates in general to data processing systems, and in particular, to web browser methodologies in data processing systems.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The worldwide network of computers commonly known as the “Internet” has seen explosive growth in the last several years. This growth has been typically fueled by the introduction and widespread use of “web” browsers that allow for simple graphical user interface-based access to network servers. Such network servers typically support documents formatted as “web pages.” The “World Wide Web” (WWW) is a hypertext information and communication system used on the Internet with data communications operating according to a client/server model using a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTTP is a known application protocol that provides users access to files using a standard page description language referred to as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). It should be noted that HTML is an application of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), an international standard (ISO 8879) for text information processing. Furthermore, the files that are accessed using HTML may be provided in different formats, such as text, graphics, images, sound, and video, among others. HTML provides basic document formatting and allows the developer to specify “links” to other servers and files. Links are then specified using a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) when an HTML-compliant client browser is used. Upon specification of a URL, a client may make a TCP/IP request to the server identified in the link and receive a “web page” in return, where the “web page” is a document formatted according to HTML.
Entering of a URL often requires the user to input long strings of characters. These may be difficult to remember and may also be prone to errors, requiring the user to find and correct the error in the long character string. One solution in the prior art to the problem of URL entry is the “bookmark.” A bookmark facility in a web browser allows the user to save the URL of a current web page to a bookmark file. The user may then later access the bookmark file and return to the web page by selecting the bookmark for the web page. Bookmark lists are often presented to the user in a graphical user interface (GUI) by means of a menu list. As bookmarks are added to the list, the list can become unwieldy, requiring the user to scroll through a long bookmark list to find the desired bookmark. This may be particularly cumbersome in a multi-user environment in which several users are adding bookmarks to the list. A particular user is then required to scroll through a list of bookmarks, many of which may be unfamiliar, in order to find the bookmark for the web page that user wishes to access. Thus, it would be desirable to have in the art an alternative mechanism by which the user might avoid having to repeatedly enter a long URL string to access web pages the user frequently visits.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The aforementioned needs are addressed by the present invention. Accordingly there is provided, in a first form, a method of universal resource locator (URL) alias implementation. The method includes the step of associating a user defined URL alias with a URL, wherein the URL alias is operable for accessing a web page corresponding to the URL, and storing the URL alias in an alias file, wherein the alias file is operable for accessing to obtain the associated URL.
There is also provided, in a second form a program product adaptable for storage on program storage media. The program product is operable for implementing a universal resource locator (URL) alias mechanism, which includes programming for associating a user defined URL alias with a URL, wherein the URL alias is operable for accessing a web page corresponding to the URL. Also included is programming for storing the URL alias in an alias file, wherein the alias file is operable for accessing to obtain the associated URL.
Additionally there is provided, in a third form, a data processing system for implementing a URL alias mechanism. The data processing system includes circuitry operable for associating a user defined URL alias with a URL, wherein the URL alias is operable for accessing a web page corresponding to the URL, and circuitry operable for storing the URL alias in an alias file, which alias file is operable for accessing to obtain the associated URL.
The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5706501 (1998-01-01), Horikiri et al.
patent: 5751961 (1998-05-01), Smyk
patent: 5764906 (1998-06-01), Edelstein et al.
patent: 5974455 (1999-10-01), Monier
patent: 10-78928 (1998-03-01), None
Harrell Robert B
International Business Machines - Corporation
LaBaw Jeffrey S.
Newberger Barry S.
Winstead Sechrest & Minick P.C.
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