System, method and apparatus for selecting, displaying, managing, tracking and transferring access to content of web pages and other sources

• US 20030221167A1
• Filed: 09/25/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clipmarks, LLC (Forbes Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldstein, Eric, Machesky, Ralph E., Krzanowski, Derek, Thuma, Henri, Babineau, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/513
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for selecting, displaying, managing, tracking and transferring access to content of Internet web pages and other sources has programming permitting a user to create custom selections of selected image, animation, movie and text content items, and other types of content items from web pages or other sources from the same or different network sources containing multiple content items in an independent, resizable, rescalable browser window; permitting the user to transfer access to the custom selection of content items to a recipient; permitting the user or recipient to navigate quickly to a source of a content item in the custom selection; and permitting the user to define search keywords for performing searches related to content items in a custom selection; and other features. A method of tracking viewing and sharing activities of content items and custom selections of content items by users and recipients is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of selecting and displaying content items in a network browser application on a user computing device, the method comprising:

selection programming of said user computing device receiving a selection of a selected content item displayed in a network source;

said selection programming obtaining a network location of said selected content item from said network source;

display programming of said user computing device displaying said selected content item in a browser window; and

said display programming retrieving said network location of said selected content item from memory of a computing device and loading said content item into said browser window from said network location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving a selection of a selected content item is completed after two clicks of a pointing device by a user, and said step of displaying said selected content item in said browser window occurs without further input from said user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said browser window is resizable and dimensions of said selected content item being defined as predetermined percentages of said browser window.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said display programming executes an external player, program, plug-in or helper application to display said selected content item and said external player, program, plug-in or helper application is defined as an embedded object within said browser window.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein multiple instances of a same external player, program, plug-in or helper application are executed on said computing device simultaneously.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected content item comprises a string of text.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device storing a definition of said browser window;

said definition including said network location of said selected content item;

retrieval programming of said user computing device retrieving a list of stored definitions from memory of a computing device, displaying said list of stored definitions, and receiving a selection of a definition from said user; and

said display programming receiving said network location of said selected content item from said retrieval programming and displaying said selected content item in a browser.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said definition of said browser window is stored on a server accessible over a network and said retrieval programming of said user computing device retrieving said list of stored definitions from said server.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

said list comprises definitions of a plurality of browser windows;

said retrieval programming dynamically modifies said list according to a domain of a source displayed in said web browser; and

said retrieval programming comparing said domain of said source displayed in said web browser with domains of network locations of content items of said plurality of browser windows in said definitions.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said retrieval programming displays a list of a predetermined number of most recently stored definitions in chronological order of storage and said retrieval programming receives a selection of a definition from said user from said list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said selection programming receives an input of keywords from said user and further comprising search programming of said user computing device querying a network search engine, said query including said keywords, and said search programming retrieving said keywords from memory of a computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said query is limited to a domain of said source of said selected content item and said search programming retrieving said domain from memory of a computing device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising search programming of said user computing device querying a network search engine, said query including at least a portion of said network location of said selected content item, and said search programming retrieving said network location from memory of a computing device.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device receiving a command from said user to load said source into a new browser window;

said display programming retrieving a network location of said source from memory of a computing device and loading said source from said network location of said source; and

said display programming displaying said source in said new browser window.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device receiving a command from said user to load a main web page of a network domain of said source into a new browser window;

said display programming obtaining said network domain from memory of a computing device and loading said main web page from said network domain; and

said display programming displaying said main web page in said new browser window.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

scanning programming of said user computing device comparing said multiple content items of said source to a list of types of supported content items in memory of a computing device;

said selection programming displaying a list of supported content items in said source; and

said selection programming receiving said selection of said selected content item from said list of supported content items from said user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said selection programming providing a selection icon in a display area or frame of said selected content item; and

said selection programming receiving said selection from said user of said selected content item when said user clicks a pointing device once over said selection icon.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising said selection icon appearing when a pointing device of said computing device enters said display area of said selected content item;

and

said selection icon disappearing when said pointing device exits said display area of said selected content item.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a command from said user, said display programming maintaining said window as a top browser window on said computing device.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said display programming displaying at least two selected content items in separate frames within said browser window;

said frames of said window loading said two selected content items from respective network locations of said two selected content items.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said separate frames are resizable and a size of at least one of said two selected content items is adjusted when an associated frame is resized.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

said display programming displaying a browser window reload icon;

reload programming of said user computing device reloading said two selected content items when said user clicks once on said browser window reload icon; and

said two selected content items being reloaded from their respective network locations.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said display programming displaying said selected content item in an initial frame and displaying a frame division icon over said selected content item;

said display programming dividing said initial frame into two sub-frames when a user clicks once on said frame division icon; and

said display programming displaying said selected content item in one of said two sub-frames.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

said frame division icon appears when a pointing device of said computing device enters a display area or frame of said selected content item; and

said frame division icon disappears when said pointing device exits a display area or frame of said selected content item.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein said two selected content items originate from two different sources available on said network, said two different sources having different network locations.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device storing a definition of said window in memory of a computing device;

said definition including identities of said two selected content items and network locations of said two selected content items;

retrieval programming of said user computing device retrieving a list of stored definitions from memory of a computing device, displaying said list of stored definitions, and receiving a selection of a definition from said user; and

said display programming receiving said network locations of said selected content items from said retrieval programming and displaying said selected content items in separate frames in a browser window.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising, in response to a command from said user, reload programming of said user computing device selectively reloading a refreshed content item in one of said two frames of said window, said refreshed content item being reloaded from said network location thereof.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device receiving a command from said user to load a source of one of said two content items into a new browser window;

said display programming retrieving a network location of said source from memory of a computing device and loading said source from said network location of said source; and

said display programming displaying said source in said new browser window.

29. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device receiving a command from said user to load a main web page of a network domain of a source of one of said two selected content items into a new browser window;

said display programming obtaining said network domain from memory of a computing device and loading said main web page from said network domain; and

said display programming displaying said main web page in said new browser window.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein:

said selection programming receives an input of keywords from said user and further comprising search programming of said user computing device querying a network search engine;

said query including said keywords and being limited to a domain of one of said two selected content items; and

said search programming retrieving said keywords and said domain from memory of a computing device.

31. The method of claim 20, further comprising search programming of said user computing device querying a network search engine, said query including at least a portion of said respective network location of one of said two selected content items, and said search programming retrieving said respective network location from memory of a computing device.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

selection programming of said user computing device receiving a selection of one of said two selected content items within said frames;

said selection programming obtaining a network location of said one selected content item from memory of a computing device;

display programming of said user computing device displaying said selected content item in a new browser window exclusive of an other one of said two selected content items; and

said display programming retrieving said network location of said one selected content item from memory of a computing device and loading said one content item into said new browser window from said network location of said one selected content item.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmission programming transmitting a definition of said browser window to a recipient computing device, said definition including said network location of said selected content item;

recipient display programming of a browser application of said recipient computing device displaying said selected content item in a recipient browser window according to said definition; and

said recipient display programming retrieving said network location of said selected content item from memory of a computing device and loading said selected content item from said network location.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

said transmission programming transmitting said definition to a server and said server associating said definition with a unique window identifier;

said transmission programming transmitting a link to said recipient computing device, said link leading to said server and including said unique window identifier; and

retrieval programming of said recipient computing device retrieving said definition from said server via said link and said unique window identifier.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said link is transmitted to said recipient computing device via electronic mail.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said link is transmitted to said recipient computing device via an instant messenger application.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

said search programming of said selection programming receiving an input of keywords from said user;

said definition including said keywords; and

search programming of said recipient computing device querying a network search engine, said query including said keywords, and said search programming of said recipient computing device retrieving said keywords from memory of a computing device.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device of said recipient computing device receiving a command to load said source into a new browser window;

said recipient display programming retrieving a network location of said source from memory of a computing device and loading said source from said network location of said source; and

said recipient display programming displaying said source in said new browser window.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

programming of said user computing device of said recipient computing device receiving a command to load a main web page of a network domain of said source in a new browser window;

said recipient display programming obtaining said network domain from memory of a computing device and loading said main web page from said network domain; and

said recipient display programming displaying said main web page in said new browser window.

40. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmission programming transmitting a definition of said browser window to a recipient computing device, said definition including said network location of said selected content item;

sensing programming sensing a presence of existing display programming on said recipient computing device equivalent to said display programming of said user computing device;

said existing display programming displaying said selected content item in a browser window according to said definition; and

said existing display programming retrieving said network location of said selected content item from memory of a computing device and loading said selected content item from said network location.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

transmission programming transmitting a definition of said browser window to a second recipient computing device, said definition including said network location of said selected content item;

recipient display programming of said browser application of said second recipient computing device displaying said selected content item in a second recipient browser window according to said definition; and

said second recipient display programming retrieving said network location of said selected content item from memory of a computing device and loading said selected content item from said network location.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein said selected content item is one of a multiple of content items in said network source and said display programming displaying said selected content item in said browser window exclusive of non-selected ones of said multiple content items.

47. The method of claim 34, further comprising programming operable to load said link into and retrieve said link from a clipboard memory of said user computing device upon direction by said user.

48. The method of claim 47 wherein said transmission programming is an electronic communication application of said user computing device, said electronic communication application receiving said link from said clipboard memory.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said electronic communication application is an electronic mail application.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein said electronic communication application is an instant messaging application.

51. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

a system area menu icon independent of any browser application of said user device; and

said system area menu icon providing access to said list of stored definitions.

52. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

a system area menu icon independent of any browser application of said user device; and

said system area menu icon providing access to said list of most recently used definitions.

53. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

a system area menu icon independent of any browser application of said user device;

said system area menu icon providing access to said list of recipients; and

each one of said list of recipients having an electronic address associated therewith.

42. A method of tracking activities of displaying and sharing of content items over a network, the method comprising:

transmitting a definition of a custom selection of content items from a computing device to a server on said network, said definition including an identifier unique to said custom selection;

transmitting said unique identifier to said server upon a viewing or sharing activity of said custom selection of content items; and

tracking viewing or sharing activity of said custom selection of content items.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said definition includes network locations of said content items and further comprising tracking viewing or sharing of said content items.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein said custom selection is a diverse custom selection including at least two content items from diverse network domains and further comprising tracking viewing or sharing activity of diverse custom selections including two content items from a predetermined set of network domains.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising transmitting said definition to a recipient computing device, and tracking a method of transmission of said definition to said recipient computing device.

54. A method of selecting and displaying resources on a computing device, comprising

detecting a presence of a search results page in an application on a user computing device;

scanning said search results page for a results item indicator;

modifying a menu item in a toolbar menu according to resource information associated with a resource reference tag located in a predetermined position relative to said results item indicator;

associating said menu item with a resource location; and

upon selection of said menu item by a user, loading a resource identified by said resource information from said resource location on said user computing device.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein:

said results item indicator comprises a predetermined formatting tag having a resource reference tag as a first child tag; and

modifying said menu item according to resource information associated with said first child tag.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein said step of detecting a presence of a search results page comprises comparing a resource location of a current resource to a predetermined list of resource locations of search results sources.