Web browser with multilevel functions

• US 20040267739A1
• Filed: 07/28/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rpx-Nw Acquisition LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Dowling, Eric Morgan
• Granted Patent: US 7,721,214 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A architecture is provided to enable a client web browser to conduct and manage a multilevel search. The browser includes an application layer interface. The application layer interface is for coupling to network via a protocol stack. The browser also includes a markup language parser. The parser receives information from the application layer interface. The browser also includes a graphical user interface for interacting with a user. The graphical user interface allows a user to specify a set of multilevel search parameters. The browser also includes a markup language processor that receives input from the markup language parser and multilevel search parameters from the graphical user interface. The markup language processor conducts and manages a multilevel search to find specified information on a current web page or a web page referenced by the current web page in accordance with a parameterized search tree. The present invention also enables an automatic processes to print sets of linked web pages and to generate sitemaps, filtered sitemaps, filtered results pages in accordance with user specifications.

Claims

1-36. -36. Cancelled

37. A multilevel-search browser software system comprising:

an application layer interface adapted to be coupled to a protocol stack;

a markup language parser adapted to be coupled to receive information from the application layer interface;

a user interface adapted to interact with a user;

at least one multilevel search control interface, the at least one multilevel search control interface being adapted to receive a first parameter that is related to content, and a second parameter that identifies a linked set of documents; and

a software function responsive to the first and second parameters and data delivered from the markup language parser, wherein the software function is operative to access the one or more documents in the linked set of documents, evaluate content information contained within each linked document, compare the content information with the first parameter, and selectively couple to an output information related to documents in the linked set of documents for which the comparison provides an affirmative result;

wherein the set of information selectively coupled to the output is guaranteed to be limited to the linked set of documents defined by the second parameter, and the selectively coupled information includes documents having content that compares affirmatively with the first parameter; and

wherein the first parameter is not re-entered into any embedded search engines found in the linked set of documents to extend the search beyond the linked set of documents.

38. The browser of claim 37, wherein the user interface comprises a window display providing an interactive menu to a user.

39. The browser of claim 38, wherein the user interface is a part of a windows based graphical user interface.

40. The browser of claim 37, where the user interface comprises a voice interface.

41. The browser of claim 37, where the first parameter comprises one or more character strings.

42. The browser of claim 37, wherein the second parameter identifies all documents whose hyperlink addresses correspond to branches of a given URL path name are to be included in the set of linked documents.

43. The browser of claim 37, wherein the second parameter comprises an indication of a sequential hyperlink accessing rule.

44. The browser of claim 37, wherein the first parameter comprises a Boolean keyword expression and the second parameter comprises an indication of a number of levels to search.

45. The browser of claim 37, wherein the second parameter indicates look for a next-page hyperlink, and when the next-page hyperlink is detected, to access the next-page hyperlink target document and continue the multilevel search to evaluate documents linked to the next-page hyperlink target document as though it were the root document.

46. The browser of claim 37, wherein the multilevel search browser performs a subsequent portion of the multilevel search in the background while a current multilevel search result is being displayed to the user.

47. The browser of claim 37, wherein the markup language parser parses a markup document that conforms to a dialect of XML.

48. The browser of claim 37, wherein the output is coupled to a printer and directs the subset of documents associated with the output to be printed.

49. The browser of claim 37, wherein the output is coupled to a storage device and directs the subset of documents associated with the output to be written to local storage.

50. The browser of claim 37, wherein the second parameter indicates that hyperlinks that point from a root page to documents whose hyperlink addresses are outside a given domain are to be excluded from the set of linked documents.

51. The browser of claim 37, wherein the second parameter indicates that hyperlinks that point from a root page to documents whose hyperlink addresses are within a given domain are to be included in the set of linked documents.

52. The browser of claim 37, wherein the first parameter includes an indication of a tag type so that textual information is compared in accordance with with the indicated tag type.

53. The browser of claim 37, wherein the first parameter includes an indication of a file extension so that textual information is compared to see whether documents in the linked set of documents have file names with the specified file extension.

54. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

a coupling to a network interface and a protocol stack adapted to communicate with one or more remote network entities; and

a multilevel search software system, comprising;

a markup language parser coupled to receive a markup document and to process tagged information therein;

at least one a multilevel search control interface, the at least one multilevel search control interface being adapted to receive a first parameter that is related to content, and a second parameter that identifies a set of one or more hyperlinks, so as to define a linked set of documents; and

a software function responsive to the first and second parameters and data delivered from the markup language parser, wherein the software function is operative to access the one or more documents in the linked set of documents, evaluate content information contained within each sequentially accessed document, compare the content information with the first parameter, and selectively couple to an output information related to documents in the linked set of documents for which the comparison provides an affirmative result;

wherein the set of information selectively coupled to the output is guaranteed to be limited to the linked set of documents defined by the second parameter, and the selectively coupled information includes documents having content that compares affirmatively with the first parameter; and

wherein the first parameter is not re-entered into any embedded search engines found in the linked set of documents to extend the search beyond the linked set of documents.

55. The computer system of claim 54, further comprising:

a user input-output interface;

wherein the multilevel search software system further comprises a user interface adapted to interact with a user; and

wherein the computer system is a client-side computer system, and at least one of the remote network entities is a server.

56. The computer system of claim 55, wherein the user interface is a part of a windows based graphical user interface.

57. The computer system of claim 55, where the user interface comprises a voice interface.

58. The computer system of claim 54, where the first parameter comprises one or more character strings.

59. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the second parameter comprises a sequential hyperlink accessing rule.

60. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the first parameter comprises a Boolean keyword expression and the second parameter comprises an indication of a number of levels to search.

61. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the second parameter indicates to look for a next-page hyperlink, and when the next-page hyperlink is detected, to access the next-page hyperlink target document and continue the multilevel search to evaluate documents linked to the next-page hyperlink target document as though it were the root document.

62. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the multilevel search software system performs a subsequent portion of the multilevel search in the background while a current multilevel search result is being displayed to the user.

63. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the markup document conforms to a dialect of XML.

64. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the output is coupled to a printer and directs the subset of documents associated with the output to be printed.

65. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the output is coupled to a storage device and directs the subset of documents associated with the output to be written to local storage.

66. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the second parameter indicates that hyperlinks that point from a root page to documents whose hyperlink addresses are outside a given domain are to be excluded from the set of linked documents.

67. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the second parameter indicates that hyperlinks that point from a root page to documents whose hyperlink addresses are within a given domain are to be included in the set of linked documents.

68. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the first parameter includes an indication of a tag type so that textual information is checked in accordance with the indicated tag type.

69. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the first parameter includes an indication of a file extension so that textual information is only checked to see whether documents in the linked set of documents have file names with the specified file extension.

70. For use in a computerized system, a method comprising:

accepting a first parameter that is related to content;

accepting a second parameter that identifies a linked set of documents;

accessing a first markup language document and locating a document address link contained therein;

selectively activating the document address link found in the accessing;

retrieving at least a portion of a second markup document that is identified by the document address link;

determining whether at least a portion of the contents of the second markup document comprises the content specified by the first parameter; and

based upon the determining, selectively coupling to an output information related to the second markup document;

wherein the set of information selectively coupled to the output is guaranteed to be limited to the linked set of documents defined by the second parameter; and

wherein the first parameter is not re-entered into any embedded search engines found in the linked set of documents to extend the search beyond the linked set of documents.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the second parameter comprises a set of subparameters that define the linked set of documents in terms of hyperlink associations relative to a root document.

72. The method of claim 70, wherein the first parameter includes a character string and the second parameter includes an indication of the number of levels to search.

73. The method of claim 70, wherein the first parameter includes a Boolean keyword expression and the second parameter includes an indication of the number of levels to search.

74. The method of claim 70, further comprising:

checking to see if the search is complete, and if it is not, accessing a next-page hyperlink to obtain a document containing additional hyperlinks and repeating the activating, retrieving, and detecting, and selectively coupling.

75. The method of claim 70, wherein the output corresponds to a user interface output device, and the method further comprises:

when the information has been selectively coupled to the output, awaiting a find-next-page hyperlink, and when the next-page hyperlink is detected accessing the next-page hyperlink to obtain a document containing additional hyperlinks and repeating the activating, retrieving, detecting, and selective coupling.

76. The method of claim 70, wherein the second parameter defines the linked set of documents in terms of hyperlink associations relative to the first markup document.

77. The method of claim 70, wherein the accessing a next hyperlink is performed in the background while a current result is being made available at the output.

78. The method of claim 70, wherein the first parameter includes a Boolean keyword expression, and the second parameter includes an indication of a number of levels to search, and an indication to continue the search on a next-page hyperlink.

79. The method of claim 70, wherein the second markup language document conforms to a dialect of XML.

80. The method of claim 70, wherein the output is coupled to a printer to be printed.

81. The method of claim 70, wherein the output is coupled to a storage device to be written to local storage.

82. The method of claim 70, wherein the second parameter indicates that hyperlinks that point from a root page to documents whose hyperlink addresses are outside a given domain are to be excluded from the set of linked documents.

83. The method of claim 70, wherein the second parameter indicates that hyperlinks that point from a root page to documents whose hyperlink addresses are within a given domain are to be included in the set of linked documents.

84. The method of claim 70, wherein the first parameter includes an indication of a tag type so that textual information is only checked within the indicated tag type.

85. The method of claim 70, wherein the first parameter includes an indication of a file extension so that textual information is only checked to see whether documents in the linked set of documents have file names with the specified file extension.

86. The method of claim 70, wherein the document address links are HTML hyperlinks.

87. The method of claim 70, wherein the document address links are correspond to hyperlinks in a dialect of XML.

88. The method of claim 70, wherein the method is practiced by a client-side computer system.

89. The method of claim 88, wherein the method is practiced by a web browser software module running on the client-side computer system.