Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-31
2004-05-04
Jung, David (Department: 2134)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06732112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a network system in which a page of a server, in particular, a page described in a language being structured and along the specification of the HTML, can be searched and seen from a user terminal by using a Web browser.
2. Background of the Related Art
A conventional network system in which a server machine is connected to a plurality of user terminals through lines is popularly used. Various techniques used on the Internet can also be used as group ware in view of transmission of information and sharing of information. For this reason, in accordance with popularization of the Internet, an internal network using the Internet techniques, i.e., an intranet has been developed to be practically used.
At present, such an intranet is used as an information presenting means in an office or an organization. However, the present inventor has examined that such an intranet is used as a local area network for presenting a specific service to a user.
In this case, as in a general intranet, a server machine is connected to a plurality of user terminals through a network. In the server machine, the information of services to be presented is prepared as a plurality of pages described in a language along the specification of the HTML and having a hyperlink structure. A Web browser is set in each user terminal. A user accesses each page of the server machine from a user terminal by using the Web browser to search various services or the like.
In an intranet system for presenting such services, a personal computer is not used as a user terminal, and a portable terminal having a small size and a light weight is often used.
In this user terminal, in general, only a flat panel display and a limited number of keys are often arranged.
Therefore, a manner of accessing hyperlinked documents by using a limited number of keys to obtain necessary information is an important problem.
In particular, when hyperlinked document pages are accessed, functions allocated to the respective keys change depending on the pages, and each key is often used as a multipurpose key. In this case, a manner of notifying the functions of the keys changing depending on the pages to a user such that the user can easily understand the functions is an important problem.
A page, prepared for a server machine, for presenting a service is often updated according to a change in service at any time. In this case, a manner of notifying a change in function of each key of the user terminal to a user such that the user can easily understand the change in function is an important problem.
In addition, the following case is often used. That is, different types of services are prepared on the server machine side, and a plurality of pages corresponding to the services are prepared. In this case, in the user terminal, a navigation function for accessing an arbitrary page must be set as the multipurpose key according to the contents of a service. However, the navigation function allocated to each key changes depending on the type of a service to be accessed or a page to be accessed at any time. In this case, if the navigation function of each key which changes at any time cannot be notified to a user such that the user can easily understand the navigation function, the user cannot access a desired page. Even if the user can access the desired page, it is expected that return from the corresponding page to the original home page cannot be performed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a network system, a server machine, and a user terminal in which, when the data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlink structure is prepared for the server machine, a user can easily access an arbitrary service of an arbitrary page by using keys arranged on the user terminal.
In order to achieve the object, the invention may be characterized in that,
in a network system including a server machine and a plurality of user terminals
the server machine comprises
a first storage device for storing data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along the specification of the HTML, and
setup data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of the user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys;
each of the user terminal may comprises
a plurality of keys, and
a processing device for displaying a page supplied from the server machine on a display;
The processing means max include:
a key allocation device for reading, when another page is selected by a key operation of a user, setup data of the corresponding other page from the server machine, setting up the functions of the keys, and performing a setup operation for displaying explanation of the functions of the keys on the display.
Here, the server machine preferably stores the contents of a service to be presented as the data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure.
The server machine and the user terminal are preferably formed as in the inventions.
The invention may be a server machine connected to a user terminal through a network system,
and include a device in which data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along the specification of the HTML is stored, and
a device in which setup data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of the user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys is stored.
Data of a desired page and setup data corresponding to the data are formed such that both the data can be read by the user terminal.
The invention may be a user terminal connected to a server machine, in which data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along the specification of the HTML and setup data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of the user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys are stored, through a network system.
A plurality of keys may be provided along with a
processing device for displaying a page supplied from the server machine on a display.
The processing device may comprise
a key allocation device for reading, when another page is selected by a key operation of a user, setup data of the corresponding other page from the server machine, setting up the functions of the keys, and performing a setup operation for displaying explanation of the functions of the keys on the display.
In the network system according to the present invention, the data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure may be stored in a first storage device of the server machine. Here, the Internet techniques can be directly used, all the data of the pages are described in a language along the specification of the HTML such that the contents of the data can be displayed on the user terminal as text screens.
In each user terminal, a Web browser for accessing a page of the server machine is set. A user uses the user terminal to access each page of the server machine described in a language along the specification of the HTML, and displays the corresponding page on the display of the user terminal. Therefore, the user can see a page for presenting a service stored in the server machine.
In particular, since the plurality of pages stored in the server machine have a hyperlinked structure, a user can reach a desired page while sequentially seeing pages from the start page read at the beginning to the next page according to the contents of a service to be searched.
At this time, pages displayed on the user terminal are always changed by operating keys prepared for the terminal side. The user terminal is formed to have a small size and a light weight, and the number of prepared keys is small s
Baba Hiroyuki
Kinebuchi Tadashi
Konishi Masanori
Kubota Shinji
Nagatomo Yasuhito
Jung David
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Seiko Epson Corporation
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