Web browser which automatically loads selected types of...

Details Web browser which automatically loads selected types of... Web browser which automatically loads selected types of...

1996-09-23

2002-11-26

Hudspeth, David (Department: 2651)

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput

Remote data accessing

Using interconnected networks

Reexamination Certificate

active

06487588

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to web browsers for the World Wide Web (WWW) and deals more particularly with a web browser which automatically loads selected types of graphics from a server to a client.
The WWW is well known and comprises a multitude of computer servers, respective data bases and a network by which clients can communicate with the servers and request and load the data. A server may directly manage its own data base and access other, remote data bases on behalf of a client user. The client typically includes a “web browser” to provide a user interface to the WWW.
The server presents the data to the user as “web pages” and each web page is represented by a “URL” address. The URL comprises an access method/protocol such as http as a prefix, a server name or “home page” and the data type, if any, as a suffix. The server name typically includes a “domain name” which is the name of a company, educational institution or other organization that owns the server. There are different ways that a client can access a web page. If the client knows the server name and data type suffix, if any, the client can directly request the web page from the server. However, if the client only knows the server name, the client can address the server name, and in response, the server will present the “home page” for the server. The home page, as well as other web pages, typically include text or graphics which serve as links to other web pages. The links are termed “hot links” or “click points”.
For those web pages for which the user does not know at least the server name, there are different types of search engines, such as key word search engines and catalog search engines, to identify a server and/or web page of interest.
After the user identifies a web page of interest, the server may load the web page to the user's client machine. The web page loaded to the client is represented by an html file and comprises a specification of each component of the web page—regular text (i.e. text other than alternate text), graphics, alternate text, the nature of the component and whether each text or graphic is clickable, i.e. a link to another web page. The format of html is an industry standard and is further defined in “HTLL for Fun and Profit” by Mary E. S. Morris published in 1995 by SunSoft Press, A Prentice Hall title. In the case of text, the html defines the actual text and its location on the web page. However, in the case of graphics, the html does not define the graphics itself but instead specifies a pointer to other files which actually define the graphics. Some of the graphics are complex. While the graphics add meaning to the web page and can serve as click points, they are often time consuming to load. To minimize load time, existing web browsers permit the user to request a web page without graphics. In such a case, the web browser displays simple icons instead of the respective graphics and does not load any background images. Typically, if the graphic was clickable, so is the simple icon which substitutes for the graphic; however, the simple icon does not provide any information as to the nature of the link or whether the graphic had multiple click points or links. In some cases, the html specifies “alternate” text which substitutes for a graphic if the user opts not to download the graphic, and this alternate text is clickable and provides information as to the nature of the link. However, the alternate text will only provide one clickable link even if there were multiple click points on the original graphic.
The flow chart of
FIG. 1
illustrates a known web browser which permits a user to request a web page with or without graphics. In step
100
, the user sets web browser parameters including graphics “on” or “off”, and then requests a web page by URL address using http access method (step
102
). The server responsible for that URL then loads the web page html to the client using http access method (step
104
).
FIG. 2
illustrates a web page
105
with graphics on. Web page
105
includes graphics
108
,
110
,
112
and
114
, regular text
116
,
118
,
120
,
122
,
124
and
126
and simple horizontal lines
119
,
127
and
130
. Graphics
112
and
114
are clickable, i.e. when graphics
112
and
114
are selected with a mouse or otherwise, client
210
sends a corresponding URL address onto the web to request the corresponding web page. Graphics
108
and
110
are not clickable. As described in more detail below, graphics
110
and
114
include alternate text, but the alternate texts are not illustrated in
FIG. 2
because graphics are on for FIG.
2
. Text
124
is also clickable.
FIG. 3
illustrates the same web page
105
with graphics off Simple envelope icons
121
,
123
,
125
and
127
substitute for the respective graphics
108
,
110
,
112
and
114
of FIG.
2
. However, in the cases of graphics
110
and
114
, the alternate texts “photo not displayed . . . ” and “Resumes”, respectively, from the html are displayed within the simple icons.
The following is the html for web page 105 (and if used to generate the displays of
FIG. 2
, FIG.
3
and FIG.
6
).
133
. <HTML>
135
. <HEAD>
137
. <TITLE>Joans's home page</TITLE>
139
. </HEAD>
140
. <CENTER><H
1
>Joan Reester</H
1
></CENTER>
141
. <CENTER><b>i>Last Update—</i></b><tt>September 06th, 1996</tt></CENTER>
142
. <p><br>
143
. <center><h
3
><IMG SRC=“pics/icons/smiley.gif”>
148
. RESUME </h
3
></center>
149
. <hr>
150
. <IMG src=“jason.gif” border=0 align=right ALT=“Photo not displayed . . . ”>
152
. Joan_in_ny@vnet.ibm.com (Internal MCCAMBRI at GDL VM
7
) <br>
154
. <P>
160
. 607-752-6335 (Internal 852-6335) <br><br><p>
170
. <a href=“quicklist.html”> Most Used and Favorite Links </a><br CLEAR=ALL>
180
. <RIGHT>No Photo Available for me . . . Here is my son Jason</RIGHT><HR><br>
186
. <A HREF=“people.htm”>< IMG SRC=“people2.jpg” WIDTH=100 HEIGHT=
56
></A>
188
. <A HREF=“resumes.htm”>< IMG SRC=“resumes2.jpg” WIDTH=100 HEIGHT=56 ALT=“Resumes”></A><br><HR></BODY></HTML>
The first entry
133
“<html>” indicates that this is an html. The next entry
135
“<head>” indicates page header. The next entry
137
begins with a tag “<title>” which indicates that the subsequent text is a title of the web page used for print job name and quicklist. The next entry
139
is the tag </head> which indicates end of page header. The next entry
140
begins with the tag <center><h
1
> and indicates the subsequent text should be centered. Likewise the next entry
141
begins with the tag <center> and indicates that the subsequent text should be centered. The next entry
142
comprises the tag <p><br> which indicates paragraph and break. The next entry
143
begins with the <center> format tag and also includes a tag <IMG SRC which indicates that the following file names the graphic
108
. Entry
148
indicates the text “RESUME” (
109
in
FIG. 2
) and the center format . The next entry
149
in the html is “<hr>” which means horizontal rule, i.e. straight line
119
. The next entry
150
describes non-clickable graphic
110
. <IMG src=“jason.gif” is the URL for the source of the graphic itself. “Border=0” and “align=right” specify the border and alignment characteristics of the graphic
110
. The next entry
152
is for nonclickable text
120
. The next entry
154
means a paragraph. The next entry
160
is for nonclickable text
122
. Entry
170
begins with tag “<a>” which means that the subsequent text
124
is clickable. Entry
180
is for nonclickable text
126
. Entry
186
is for c

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