Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer data routing – Least weight routing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-19
2001-12-04
Dinh, Dung C. (Department: 2153)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer data routing
Least weight routing
C709S213000, C707S793000, C707S793000, C713S152000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327628
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to the mechanisms via which users access information provided over computer networks, such as the Internet, intranets and extranets. More particularly, the present invention relastes to a portal mechanism via which users gain access to resources at various network sites.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Browser applications have become ubiquitous tools for accessing the vast amounts of information that are available via computer networks, such as the Internet and the like. At its basic level of operation, the browser permits a user to connect to a given network site, and download informational content from that site, such as an HTML document, for display at the user's computer. To view additional information, or a different type of information, the user designates a new network address, e.g. a different HTML file, whose contents then replace the previously displayed information on the user's computer.
To alleviate the need to navigate from one network site to another to view different types of informational content, portals are being employed on a more common basis. In general, a portal is an entry point or gateway for access to Internet web sites, or the like. One of the prominent advantages of a portal is the fact that information stored at a plurality of different network addresses, including different sites, can be simultaneously viewed on the display, rather than limiting the user to information from one site at a time. Most companies and organizations provide different types of portals for a variety of purposes, including portals for the general public, intranet portals for their employees, and extranet portals for their customers, vendors, supplies and other parties with whom they transact business.
While the organizational needs served by a portal continue to grow, so have the complexity and cost of developing, deploying, administering and continually enhancing portals. To maintain the continued interest of portal users, administrators must carry out an ongoing effort to maintain portal content that is fresh, deep, customizable and sufficiently broad that their constituents will consider them to be a meaningful gateway to the Internet. On its intranet, an employer must often compete with public portals for the attention of its employees. Furthermore, companies and organizations are forced to either maintain staffs of highly skilled engineers and content developers, or to outsource these tasks. Meanwhile, Internet-related technologies are proliferating and maturing, and Internet users' expectations continue to increase. Maintaining an effective portal often competes with and detracts from the resources available for an organization's primary goals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To address the foregoing concerns associated with the ongoing maintenance of an effective portal, the present invention provides a portal server that streamlines the processes involved in offering a feature-rich portal. The portal server provides services through a library of object-oriented classes, such as classes in the Java programming language developed by Sun Microsystems, that give access to various databases, web servers, scripting environments and mail services.
At the user interface level, the portal server presents an initial view, or front page, that comprises a plurality of modules that are positioned in a predetermined layout. Each module represents a resource of a particular type that can be accessed by the user utilizing the portal. Some of the modules can be user-selectable, whereas others may be mandatory elements of the portal, as determined by an administrator, for example. Similarly, some aspects of the layout may be user-controllable, while others are fixed. The modular nature of the portal enables the various resources to be readily and independently updated by the entities who provide them, without affecting other features of the portal.
In another aspect of the invention, the portal server includes an administration interface that enables an administrator to select from various look-and-feel templates, as well as control access to site information and services. A variety of customizations can be done to the portal without requiring programming skills. At the same time, however, script writers can change pages, and programmers can extend functionality through additional classes.
As a result, individual businesses and other entities can exercise complete ownership of their portals, from a hosting, branding and design perspective. The features and advantages of the present invention that offer these capabilities are described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying figures, which illustrate exemplary embodiments thereof.
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Anuff Ed
Chaston Miles
Joyce Terry
Ladygo Seth
Leiser Peter
Dinh Dung C.
Epicentric, Inc.
Swidler Berlin Shereff & Friedman, LLP
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