Method of controlling a browser session

• US 20030112271A1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Plunkett, Mark Earl, Bright, Keith Evans, Batalden, Glenn Darrell
• Application Number:
  US10/020,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20030112271A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Method, article of manufacture and apparatus for controlling the operation and appearance of browsers. A controlled browser window comprises a display area for rendering viewable content received from received from network locations. A controlling browser window is configured to control aspects of the controlled browser window. In one embodiment, a program implementing the controlling browser window comprises event handlers which produce a predetermined result in response to events occurring with respect to the controlled browser window. The event handlers may be re-established for each domain change of the controlled browser window.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a viewable browser window, comprising:

opening a controlling browser window configured to control aspects of a controlled browser window; and

opening the controlled browser window comprising a display area for rendering viewable content received from network locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewable content is Web content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the aspects of the controlled browser window to be controlled by the controlling browser window comprise operational aspects and graphical aspects of a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein opening the controlling browser window comprises locking at least one of a keyboard key and a mouse key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein opening the controlling browser window comprises opening a hidden window and wherein opening the controlled browser window comprises opening a viewable window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling browser window is opened prior to the controlled browser window and wherein the controlled browser window is opened from within the controlling browser window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein opening the controlling browser window comprises executing a browser control program comprising event handlers and wherein the method further comprises:

re-establishing the event handlers for each change in a network address being accessed by the controlled browser program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein opening the controlled browser window comprises executing a controlled browser program;

and further comprising;

receiving user input to which the controlled browser program is configured to produce a response in a predetermined manner; and

executing the controlling browser program to prevent the response in the predetermined manner and cause a response different from the predetermined manner.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein opening the controlling browser window comprises preventing at least a portion of chrome of the controlled browser window from being displayed on an output device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the chrome of the controlled browser window comprises at least one of a tool bar, a menu bar, a title bar, an address field, and a border.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the controlling browser window comprises at least one of a tool bar, a menu bar, a title bar, an address field, and a border.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein opening the controlled browser window comprises executing a controlled browser program and wherein opening the controlling browser window comprises executing a controlling browser program.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, in response to receiving user input configured to produce a first action by the controlled browser program, executing the controlling browser program to override the first action and produce a second action.

14. A computer readable medium containing a controlling browser program which, when executed, performs an operation for controlling a controlled browser window comprising a display area for rendering viewable content received from network locations, the operation comprising:

opening a controlling browser window configured to control aspects of the controlled browser window.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the viewable content is Web content.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the controlled browser window is opened from within the controlling browser window.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the aspects of the controlled browser window to be controlled by the controlling browser window comprise operational aspects and graphical aspects of a graphical user interface.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operation further comprises, in response to receiving user input to which the controlled browser window is configured to produce a response in a predetermined manner:

preventing the response in the predetermined manner; and

causing a response different from the predetermined manner.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein opening the controlled browser window comprises executing a controlled browser program selected from one of Netscape Navigator®

and Microsoft Internet Explorer®

.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein opening the controlling browser window comprises locking at least one of a keyboard key and a mouse key.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the controlled browser window is a viewable window and wherein the controlling browser window is a hidden window.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein opening the controlling browser window comprises preventing at least a portion of chrome of the controlled browser window from being displayed on an output device.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the chrome of the controlled browser window comprises at least one of a tool bar, a menu bar, a title bar, an address field, and a border.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the controlling browser window comprises at least one of a tool bar, a menu bar, a title bar, an address field, and a border.

26. The computer of claim 15, wherein the browser programming comprises a Web browser.

27. The computer of claim 15, further comprising an input device for receiving user input and wherein, in response to receiving user input to which a first portion of the browser programming is configured to produce a response in a predetermined manner, the processor is further configured to:

execute a second portion of the browser programming to prevent the response in the predetermined manner and cause a response different from the predetermined manner.

28. The computer of claim 15, further comprising a keyboard and a mouse and wherein, by executing the browser programming to open the controlling browser window, the processor is configured to lock at least one of a keyboard key and a mouse key.

29. The computer of claim 15, further comprising a display device and wherein the controlled browser window is a viewable window on the display device and the controlling browser window is a hidden window not visible on the display device.

30. The computer of claim 15, further comprising a display device and wherein, by executing the browser programming, the processor is configured to prevent at least a portion of chrome of the controlled browser window from being displayed on the display device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the chrome of the controlled browser window comprises at least one of a tool bar, a menu bar, a title bar, an address field, and a border.

32. The computer of claim 15, further comprising a network connection configured to support communications with the network locations via a network.

33. The computer of claim 32, wherein the network is the Internet.

25. A computer, comprising:

a memory containing at least a browser programming;

a processor which when executing the browser programming, is configured to;

open a controlling browser window configured to control aspects of a controlled browser window, the aspects comprising at least one of operational aspects and graphical aspects of a graphical user interface; and

open the controlled browser window comprising a display area for rendering viewable content received from network locations.