System, method and apparatus for navigating and selectively pre-caching data from a heterarchical network of databases

• US 20040254913A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nanosoft Corp.
• Original Assignee: Nanosoft Corp.
• Inventors: Bernstein, David, Buff, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/323,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20040254913A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

An improved method for navigating links in a heterarchical database such as the World Wide Web that operates stand-alone, apart from a conventional browser or as a sidebar window in conjunction with a conventional browser, allowing links to be collected, displaying a list of collected links and optionally pre-caching them in real time. Links are displayed along with a download status indicator in a selectable list or hierarchical tree structure. When a link in the list is selected the corresponding page is navigated to and displayed in a conventional browser.

Claims

1. In a computer system, a method for aiding a user in navigating a heterarchical database using a conventional browser, the method operating independent of the browser, comprising the following steps:

a. catching, intercepting, collecting or storing URLs from hyper-links and other sources;

b. pre-caching or downloading, in memory or local storage media, synchronously or asynchronously, page data from the URLs before the user has requested display of the URL page data;

c. displaying the pre-cached URL page data using a conventional browser.

2. In a computer system, a method for aiding a user in navigating a heterarchical database using a conventional browser or other viewer, comprising the following steps:

a. catching, intercepting, collecting or storing URLs from hyper-links and other sources and adding them to a displayed list;

b. optionally pre-caching, in memory or local storage media, immediately or at a later time, page data from the collected URLs;

c. selecting a URL from the list of the collected URLs, and then displaying the page data from the selected URL using the conventional browser or other viewer.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of pre-caching URL page data begins immediately upon adding the URL to the displayed list.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the display list is in the form of a hierarchical tree.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of graphically displaying a download status of the page data for the collected URL in close proximity in the list to the display of the URL itself.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of catching, intercepting, collecting or storing URLs from hyper-links and other sources and adding them to a displayed list is accomplished with “

drag and drop”

functionality.

3. An apparatus for aiding a user in navigating a heterarchical database, the apparatus comprising:

a. a computer operatively connected to the heterarchical database, and a browser resident on the computer for displaying page data such as URLs, graphics, text and the like from a source that is part of the heterarchical database;

b. a URL catcher operatively resident in the computer and having a URL list operatively associated therewith, the list displayable on the computer;

c. a storage operatively associated with the computer for holding URL page data associated with a particular selected URL;

d. a selector operatively associated with the computer and with the URL list, whereby selection of a particular URL from the list displays that URL'"'"'s page data on the computer by way of the browser.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising a parser/downloader operatively associated with the URL catcher and URL list for parsing and downloading selected URL page data from the URL to the storage.