Method allowing persistent links to web-pages

• US 20010044825A1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Treetop Ventures LLC
• Original Assignee: Treetop Ventures LLC
• Inventors: Barritz, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/345 containing wildcard characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A system that enables creation of URL addresses in which the path information is partially or entirely symbolic. The symbolic path information is maintained even after the physical path information is altered, whereby users do not have to learn or provide constantly changing URL addresses to accommodate changes in the organization and presentation of evolving or changing web sites. To this end, web servers interface with a URL resolution database tool that contains information that enable the conversion of the symbolic path information to physical path information. Alternatively, the conversion from symbolic to physical path information is carried by augmented web browsers which have access to symbolic path information conversion servers located on the Internet at a centrally distributed location, or even locally, so that web servers receive only physical path information.

Claims

1. An Internet-based web addressing system, the system comprising:

a plurality of web sites with corresponding web pages located at URL addresses defined by physical path information;

a plurality of web servers associated with the plurality of web sites, the web servers communicating on the Internet and providing access to the web sites in response to the receipt of access requests accompanied by URL addresses;

a respective web server tool for each of the web servers; and

a URL resolution database (URD) accessible to the web servers, the web server tool operating with the URL resolution database to convert received, symbolic URL addresses containing symbolic path information to URL addresses containing the physical path information.

2. The system of

claim 1

, further including a plurality of correlation records the URL resolution database (URD).

3. The system of

claim 2

, further including a URL correlation tool (UCT) operable with the correlation records.

4. The system of

claim 2

, further including an SPI correlation tool (SCT) for correlating SPI tag data in correlation records.

5. The system of

claim 2

, in which the URL resolution database tool is located on the Internet and is accessible to a plurality of the web servers.

6. The system of

claim 2

, wherein the URL resolution database tool is located locally relative to different ones of said web servers.

7. The system of

claim 2

, further including a respective web browser interface in each web server for communicating with the web browsers.

8. The system of

claim 2

, in which symbolic path information is a subcomponent of the symbolic URL addresses and wherein the symbolic URL addresses are configured to contain a plurality of symbolic path information fields, each field representing a different physical path segment.

9. The system of

claim 8

, in which each correlation record correlates a symbolic path information field to a corresponding physical path segment.

10. The system of

claim 2

, in which each correlation record includes an access key comprising a symbolic path information field, a host field, and a domain name field.

11. The system of

claim 2

, in which the symbolic path information is delimited by special characters to enable identifying it as the special path information.

12. The system of

claim 2

, including a facility that returns to the web browsers the symbolic URL address information.

13. The system of

claim 3

, in which the UCT creates additional correlation records.

14. The system of

claim 3

, including a facility that enables manual creation of correlation records.

15. The system of

claim 4

, in which the SCT stores within individual web pages SPI tag information.

16. The system of

claim 4

, in which the SCT includes a facility that automatically regenerates correlation records.

17. The system of

claim 1

, further including a plurality of web browsers which are in communication with the plurality of web servers, the web browsers outputting apparent URLs which optionally include the symbolic URL addresses and the web server tools converting the apparent URLs to effective URLs.

18. The system of

claim 17

, in which the web servers do not return to the web servers the effective URLS.

19. An Internet-based web addressing system, the system comprising:

a plurality of web sites and a plurality of corresponding web pages associated with the web sites and web servers associated with the web sites which respond to URL addresses to grant access to web content at the web sites;

a plurality of web browsers that receive URL addresses from users, where the URL addresses include, in part, symbolic path information incorporated in apparent URLs; and

a URL resolution database accessible to the web browsers and containing a facility which, upon receiving the apparent URLs, persistently converts the apparent URLs to effective URLs that incorporate physical path information.

20. The system of

claim 19

, in which the symbolic path information is delimited by special characters.

21. The system of

claim 19

, wherein the URL resolution database tool comprises an SPI conversion server (SCS) that converts the symbolic path information to the physical path information and transmits URL addresses which lack any symbolic path information over the Internet to the web servers.

22. The system of

claim 19

, wherein the browsers continue to use the apparent URLs for purposes other than the conversion of the apparent URLs to effective URLs.

23. The system of

claim 22

, in which the other purposes include bookmarking.

24. The system of

claim 22

, in which the other purposes include for displaying URLs to users.

25. The system of

claim 22

, in which the other purposes include processing of relative URLs.

26. The system of

claim 22

, in which the other purposes include reporting URLs to other facilities.