Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-18
2003-07-15
Huynh, Ba (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06593944
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of accessing information via a network. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of browsing the Internet with an electronic display device having a limited display area.
2. Related Art
Computers and other electronic devices (e.g., personal digital assistants) have become integral tools used in a wide variety of different applications, such as in finance and commercial transactions, computer-aided design and manufacturing, health care, telecommunication, education, etc. Computers along with other electronic devices are finding new applications as a result of advances in hardware technology and rapid development in software technology. Furthermore, the functionality of a computer system or other type of electronic device is dramatically enhanced by coupling these stand-alone devices together in order to form a networking environment. Within a networking environment, users may readily exchange files, share information stored on a common database, pool resources, and communicate via electronic mail (e-mail) and via video teleconferencing. Furthermore, computers or other types of electronic devices which are coupled to the Internet provide their users access to data and information from all over the world.
A personal digital assistant (commonly referred to as a PDA) is a palmtop computer system. It is appreciated that the personal digital assistant is a portable hand-held device that is used as an electronic organizer which has the capability to store a wide range of information that includes daily appointments, numerous telephone numbers of business and personal acquaintances, and various other information. Moreover, the personal digital assistant can also access information from the Internet, as mentioned above. In particular, the personal digital assistant can browse Web pages located on the Internet. Typically, the personal digital assistant includes an electronic display device having a display area (e.g., a screen) that is smaller in size relative to a display area associated with a standard-sized electronic display device (e.g., 15 inch monitor, 17 inch monitor, etc.) which is part of a desktop computer system or a laptop computer system. In addition, other small-sized electronic display devices which are coupled to other electronic systems or electronic devices such as cellular phones, pagers, and other hand-held electronic devices, are also capable of browsing Web pages located on the Internet. It should be appreciated that there are disadvantages associated with displaying Web pages from the Internet on the electronic display device having a small display area relative to the standard-sized electronic display device.
A typical Web page on the Internet is coded in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and configured with sufficient content (e.g., text, graphics, multi-media, etc.) to occupy the entire screen of the standard-sized electronic display device when the typical Web page is displayed. The typical Web page is accessed and read via a Web browser such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. Moreover, the typical Web page is formatted into several frames by a parent Web page, whereas each frame is a separate Web page from the rest of the parent Web page. Unfortunately, a user utilizing the electronic display device which is coupled to a hand-held electronic device to browse the Internet experiences difficulty in viewing and navigating Web pages because the user is unable to see as much of the Web page content as possible with the standard-sized electronic display device. Moreover, a user of some wireless Internet connection services gets charged for the information sent to the user via the wireless Internet connection. Thus, sending an entire Web page at once via the wireless Internet connection is expensive to the user. In general, the user has several deficient options for browsing the Internet on a small-sized electronic display device. All of these deficient options reduce the Web browsing experience from the user's perspective.
A first option entails displaying only the text content of the Web page. The first option prevents the user from enjoying a substantial portion of the Web pages on the Internet since a substantial portion of the Web pages are designed and oriented with a considerable amount of graphics content. A second option entails reducing the scale size of the Web page prior to displaying it on the small-sized electronic display device. Unfortunately, the user may not be able to see, to read, or to use comfortably the reduced-scale-size version of the Web page. Lastly, a third option entails designing Web pages with a markup programming language which is compatible with HTML and is configured for displaying Web pages on the small-sized electronic display device. The third option requires the duplication of Web content of Web pages in multiple markup programming languages, such duplication can be time consuming and costly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, what is needed is a method and electronic system for viewing a Web page on a small-sized electronic display device. Moreover, what is needed is a method of individually displaying each frame of a Web page on a small-sized electronic display device such that a user utilizing the small-sized electronic display device can conveniently view and navigate Web pages. Additionally, what is needed is a method of allowing a user utilizing a small-sized electronic display device to select a particular frame of a Web page to display while other frames of the Web page remain undisplayed.
A method and electronic system are described for viewing a Web page on a small-sized electronic display device. In practice, the small-sized electronic display device is coupled to an electronic system. In one embodiment, a palmtop computer system includes the small-sized electronic display device. Moreover, the present invention includes a method of individually displaying each frame of a Web page on a small-sized electronic display device such that a user utilizing the small-sized electronic display device can conveniently view and navigate Web pages.
These and other advantages of the present invention will no doubt become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after having read the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments which are illustrated in the drawing figures.
According to the present invention, a user requests to view a particular Web page. An HTML file corresponding to the particular Web page is retrieved. If the Web page includes a plurality of frames, frame layout information is extracted from the HTML file. The frame layout information is used to generate a frame representation, wherein the frame representation includes a plurality of geometric frame identifiers. Each geometric frame identifier corresponds to one of the plurality of frames. In one embodiment, the frame representation is a Web page. The frame representation is displayed. In one embodiment, a user selects the geometric frame identifier which corresponds to the frame the user desires to view on the small-sized electronic display device. In a second embodiment, a plurality of frame criteria is applied to each frame to automatically select a frame. Once the geometric frame identifier corresponding to the desired frame is selected (manually or automatically), an HTML file associated with the desired frame is retrieved, read, and displayed on the small-sized electronic display device. Hence, the present invention facilitates practical Web browsing on the small-sized electronic display device.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method of displaying content of a multi-frame Web page having a plurality of frames on an electronic display device, said method comprising the steps of: a) generating a frame representation for indicating a frame layout associated with said multi-frame Web page, wherein said frame representation includes a plurality of geometric frame identif
Guiraud Christophe
Lavigne Eric
Martial Alexis
Nicolas Regis
Huynh Ba
Palm Inc.
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