Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-09
2001-11-06
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2733)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06313835
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to preparation of Web home pages and components to be used thereon, and specifically to simplified on-line preparation of such home pages and components.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, the use of the World Wide Web (WWW) has been rapidly growing. In use of the Web, a client computer user connects to a Web site on a server and requests that the server download and display Web pages on the client computer. In response to the request, the server sends to the client computer graphic files, usually in Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML), which include media elements (pictures, animations, texts, sound), scripts of instructions to be performed by an Internet browser program running on the computer, and in some cases executable software code, e.g., Java code.
The number of companies, organizations and individuals who have Web home pages is rapidly growing. Companies feel the need to prepare interesting Web sites and Web advertisements in order to attract customers and maintain their standing in the market. Furthermore, many individuals prepare Web pages to convey information in graphical and/or animation formats to their friends and family.
Existing tools for preparing Web pages, such as Dreamweaver, produced by Macromedia, are relatively complex. A small company, organization or home user does not need such tools and in many cases does not know how to take advantage of their sophisticated features. There are on-line services for preparing Web pages, such as the GeoBuilder program offered by Geocities. Other Web sites include programs that aid users in adding features to their Web pages. However, these sites offer the user only limited flexibility, and do not generally support sophisticated features such as Java-based animation.
On-line greeting card companies allow users to select a greeting card and add and/or change text inscriptions associated with the card. Some of these greeting cards include animation sequences, but the animation sequences are generally fixed and cannot be substantially altered by the user.
The above-mentioned Geocities Web site allows a user to prepare a Web page component which includes animation. However, in order to prepare such Web page components and in order to view such components, normal HTML and Java tools are not sufficient, and the user must download a proprietary software client.
Web page components may be programmed to respond differently to different users and/or at different times. For example, an Internet banner prepared by Doubleclick for inclusion in a Web page selects different advertisements to display according to input received from or about a user viewing the Web page, indicative of the user's interests or demographic factors. As another example, the IBM Patent Server Web page, allows a user to subscribe to a patent service and receive the service between certain selected hours on the user's local time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for simplified generation of Web page components which include animation.
It is another object of some aspects of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for simplified generation of Web page components which respond differently at different times.
It is still another object of some aspects of the present invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for simplified generation of Web page components which respond differently to different users.
In preferred embodiments of the present invention, a server provides a Web site to which a user connects in order to create one or more individualized Web page components. To create such components, the user selects from a plurality of basic animation sequences one or more animation sequence to be displayed on the Web page. Preferably, the user is able to change at least some of the attributes of the selected animation sequence, such as the colors, texts, fonts, characters, borders, sounds, embedded pictures and models. A Web page including the one or more selected animation sequences is then posted at a Web address chosen by or allocated to the user.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the user manipulates the animation sequence by removing and/or repeating scenes or frames of the sequence. Alternatively or additionally, the user adds conditional flow directives to the sequence.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the user assigns conditional values to the attributes of the animation sequence. For example, the user may create a Web page component based on an animation sequence which includes a character (i.e., an animated figure) and may change the character to a conditional character. When a visitor views the Web page, the character actually displayed in place of the conditional character is chosen according to data pertaining to the visitor received by the server on which the Web page is maintained.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the Web site enables the user to create a dynamic Web page component which reacts differently, i.e., which presents a different display to visitors connecting thereto, according to a predetermined scheme. Preferably, the user selects a plurality of Web page components and for each Web page component states a condition that must be fulfilled in order for the particular Web page component to be displayed. Preferably, the Web page components are assigned priorities which determine, for example, which component is displayed when more than one condition is fulfilled, or which component is displayed as a default when none of the conditions is fulfilled. Preferably, the predetermined scheme depends on information pertaining to the visitor, information pertaining to other visitors, or to other unrelated information received by the server on which the Web page component is maintained.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the created Web page component includes a default component and other components which are directed to specific users who identify themselves as belonging to a list of visitors defined by the user. Thus, the user is able to use the components to post messages on the Web page to specific visitors on the list.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the Web site allows the user to create a dynamic Web page component, which is displayed differently to visitors at different times. Preferably, the Web site responds according to the time of day at the geographic location of the visitor. Alternatively, the Web site responds according to the time of day at the geographic location of the user who created the page. Further alternatively or additionally, the Web site responds according to the day of week, date, month, season and/or year. For example, a user may create a family photo album with a background in accordance with the time or season at which the visitor visits the site.
In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, the dynamic Web page component responds differently according to the total number of visits to the Web page on which it resides, or according to the number of visits by a specific visitor.
Preferably, the user is able to access the Web site without use of a special software client. Further preferably, the created Web page component which includes the animation sequence does not require the use of any special software client for viewing. Rather, the component is based on standard HTML and Java programs.
There is therefore provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for creating a Web page component, including:
opening a remote connection to a server provided with a plurality of basic animation sequences having variable attributes associated therewith;
choosing, via the connection, at least one of the basic animation sequences to be used in the Web page component;
changing one or more of the variable attributes of the chosen animation sequence; and
posting the Web pa
Bergman Orit
Gever Eyal
Gill Doron
Shmaya Orit
Zuckerman Oren
Bayerl Raymond J.
Nguyen Thomas T.
Ostrolenk Faber Gerb & Soffen
Zapa Digital Arts Ltd.
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