Self-maintaining web browser bookmarks

• US 20020116411A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sarkar, Soumitra, Hind, John R., Peters, Marcia L.
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/501.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for automatically updating bookmarks stored by a web browser when the bookmarked URL is invalid and a redirect to an alternate URL is specified. In accordance with the present invention, a web page author places redirect markups in the HTML or XML file associated with a particular URL. When this redirect markup in the HTML or XML file is received by the web browser, the user of the browser is given the option of replacing the existing bookmarked original URL with the redirect URL. Further, if desired, the bookmark, now containing the redirect URL, may also be modified to include the bookmarked original URL, so that, if desired, the user of the browser can try to reach the original URL if the redirect URL is no longer functional.

Claims

1. A method for automatically updating an original URL stored in a bookmark storage area of a web browser, comprising the steps of:

inserting a redirect URL in an encoded web page representation associated with said original URL;

reading said encoded web page representation with said browser; and

replacing said original URL stored in said bookmark storage area with said redirect URL.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

inserting said original URL as a history URL in said bookmark storage area.

3. A method as set forth in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

sending an invalid URL indication to said browser when said redirect URL is invalid; and

when said invalid URL indication is received by said browser, directing said browser to the address identified by said history URL.

4. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said replacing step is effected at the option of a user of said web browser.

5. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said encoded web page representation is encoded in HTML.

6. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said encoded web page representation is encoded in XML.

7. A method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said reading and replacing steps are executed periodically for all stored URLs by invoking an automatic update program.

8. A computer program product for automatically updating an original URL stored in a bookmark storage area of a web browser, comprising the steps of:

inserting a redirect URL in an encoded web page representation associated with said original URL;

reading said encoded web page representation with said browser; and

replacing said original URL stored in said bookmark storage area with said redirect URL.

9. A computer program product as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of:

inserting said original URL as a history URL in said bookmark storage area.

10. A computer program product as set forth in claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

sending an invalid URL indication to said browser when said redirect URL is invalid; and

when said invalid URL indication is received by said browser, directing said browser to the address identified by said history URL.

11. A computer program product as set forth in claim 8, wherein said replacing step is effected at the option of a user of said web browser.

12. A computer program product as set forth in claim 8, wherein said encoded web page representation is encoded in HTML.

13. A computer program product as set forth in claim 8, wherein said encoded web page representation is encoded in XML.

14. A computer program product as set forth in claim 8, wherein said reading and replacing steps are executed periodically for all stored URLs by invoking an automatic update program.

16. A system as set forth in claim 15, further comprising the step of:

inserting said original URL as a history URL in said bookmark storage area.

17. A system as set forth in claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

sending an invalid URL indication to said browser when said redirect URL is invalid; and

when said invalid URL indication is received by said browser, directing said browser to the address identified by said history URL.

18. A system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said replacing step is effected at the option of a user of said web browser.

19. A system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said encoded web page representation is encoded in HTML.

20. A system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said encoded web page representation is encoded in XML.

21. A system as set forth in claim 15, wherein said reading and replacing steps are executed periodically for all stored URLs by invoking an automatic update program.

15. A system for automatically updating an original URL stored in a bookmark storage area of a web browser, comprising the steps of:

inserting a redirect URL in an encoded web page representation associated with said original URL;

reading said encoded web page representation with said browser; and

replacing said original URL stored in said bookmark storage area with said redirect URL.