Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Remote data accessing – Using interconnected networks
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-30
2001-05-22
Luu, Le Hien (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Remote data accessing
Using interconnected networks
C709S219000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237030
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved method for viewing a plurality of network locations concurrently, and in particular to a method and system for retrieving and displaying a plurality of network locations in response to a single user input. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for specifying a predetermined group of network locations automatically and contemporaneously displaying the predetermined group in response to a single user input.
2. Description of the Related Art
The development of computerized information resources, such as interconnection of remote computer networks, allows users of data processing systems to link with other “servers” and networks, and thus retrieve vast amounts of electronic information heretofore unavailable in an electronic medium. A server provides interconnection among communicating networks. Such electronic information is increasingly displacing more conventional means of information transmission such as newspapers, magazines, and even television. Often, users desire quick access to specific information on a reoccurring basis. It is therefore desirable to maximize efficiency and minimize complexity when retrieving information from predetermined locations utilizing a computer.
In computer communications, a set of computer networks which are possibly dissimilar from one another are joined together by “gateways”. Gateways provide data transfer and conversion of messages from the sending network to the protocols and data type utilized by the receiving network. A gateway is a device utilized to connect dissimilar networks, or networks utilizing different communication protocols, such that electronic information utilizing different standards can be processed and transmitted from network to network. Gateways convert information to a form compatible with the protocols utilized by other networks for transport and delivery.
One type of remote network commonly utilized in recent years is the Internet. The term “Internet” is an abbreviation for “Internetwork,” and is commonly utilized to describe the collection of networks and gateways which are compatible with the TCP/IP suite of protocols. TCP/IP protocols are well-known in the art of computer networking. TCP/IP is an acronym for “Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol,” a software protocol developed by the Department of Defense for communication between computers.
The Internet can be described as a system of geographically distributed remote computer networks interconnected by computers which provide an interface that allow users to interact and share information over the networks. Because of such wide-spread information sharing, remote networks such as the Internet have thus far generally evolved into an “extensive” system which developers can provide information or services essentially without restriction.
Electronic information transferred between data processing networks is usually presented in “hypertext”, a metaphor for presenting information in a manner in which text, images, sounds, and actions become linked together in a complex non-sequential “web” of associations. The web of associates permit a user to “browse” or “navigate” through related topics, regardless of the presented order of the topics. Such links are often established by both the author of a hypertext document, and by the user depending on the intent of the hypertext document.
For example, traveling among links to the word “iron” in an article displayed within a graphical user interface, in a data processing system, might lead the user to the periodic table of the chemical elements (i.e., linked by the word “iron”), or to a reference to the utilization of iron in weapons in Europe in the Dark Ages.
The term “hypertext” was coined in the 1960s to describe documents, as presented by a computer, that express the nonlinear structure of ideas, as opposed to the linear format of books, film, and speech. The term “hypermedia,” on the other hand, more recently introduced, is nearly synonymous with “hypertext,” but focuses on the non-textual components of hypertext, such as animation, recorded sound, and video.
A typical networked system which utilizes hypertext and hypermedia conventions follows a client/server architecture. The “client” is a member of a class or group that utilizes the services of another class or group to which it is not related. Thus, in computing, a client is a process (i.e., roughly a program or task) that requests a service provided by another program active in a “server”. The client process utilizes the requested service without having to “know” any working details about the other program or the service itself. In a client/server architecture, particularly a networked system, a client is usually a computer that accesses shared network resources provided by a server (i.e., another computer).
A request for information by a user is sent by a client application program to a server. A server is typically a remote computer system accessible over a remote network, such as the Internet. The server scans and searches for raw (e.g., unprocessed) information sources, for example, newswire feeds or newsgroups. Based upon the user's request, the server presents filtered electronic information as a server response to the client process.
The client process may be active in a first computer system, and the server process may be active in a second computer system. The client and server communicate with one another over a communications medium, thus providing distributed functionality and allowing multiple clients to take advantage of the information-gathering capabilities of a single server.
Free or relatively inexpensive computer software applications such as Internet “search engines,” allow a user to locate sites where an individual can obtain information on a topic of interest. A person utilizing a graphical user interface of a computer system may enter a subject or key word which generates a list of network sites or “web sites”. “Home pages” or title pages for a web site are published by thousands of companies, universities, government agencies, museums, and municipalities. Thus, the Internet can be an invaluable information resource.
A client and server can communicate with one another utilizing the functionality provided by Hypertext-Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The World Wide Web (WWW) or, simply, the “web,” includes those servers adhering to the HTTP standard, such servers are accessible to clients via a computer or data-processing system network address, such as a Universal Resource Locator (URL). A network location can be directly accessed by utilizing a Universal Resource Locator address.
Active within the client is a first process, known as a “browser,” which establishes the connection between the client and the server and presents information to the user on a graphical user interface. The server itself executes corresponding server software which presents information to the client in the form of HTTP responses. The HTTP responses correspond to “web pages” constructed from a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), or other server-generated data. A client and a server may be coupled to one another via a Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or a TCP/IP connection for high-capacity communication.
Generally a client displays a browser and data received from the network is displayed via a graphical user interface. A graphical user interface is a type of display format that enables a user to choose commands, start programs, and see lists of files and other options by pointing to pictorial representations (icons or selectable buttons) and/or lists of menu items on the display. User selections are generally activated either with a keyboard or a mouse.
A graphical user interface (GUI) can be employed by a user to start processes, view file content and to select tools. Additionally, a GUI allows a user to command many selectable tools by pointing to a desired selection and depressing a push button typically utilizing
Adams David Michael
Maddalozzo, Jr. John
McBrearty Gerald Francis
Shieh Johnny Meng Han
Emile Volel
Felsman Bradley Vaden Gunter & Dillon, LLP
International Business Machines - Corporation
Jaroenchonwanit Bunjob
Luu Le Hien
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