Presenting remote and local information in a web browser

• US 20050080880A1
• Filed: 09/17/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Opera Software ASA
• Original Assignee: Opera Software ASA
• Inventors: von Tetzchner, Jon Stephenson, Ivarsoy, Geir
• Application Number:
  US10/942,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20050080880A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for presenting remote and local information in the same user interface by means of a web browser. This is obtained by letting a web browser engine 250 communicate with an additional ECMAScript module 280 that has been designed for the browser, allowing JavaScript environment to be extended with new classes and methods implemented in native code. The module 280 can be conditionally compiled into a build of a web browser on potentially any software platform. Once a build of a web browser has been created with the JavaScript extension functionality enabled, then the JavaScript environment can be extended by placing a specially written library 270 in a certain directory on the electronic device along with a permissions initiation file 260, specifying which Web pages will have access to the extensions.

Claims

1. Method for combining remote and local services and information in the same user interface (610) on an electronic device (600) by means of a web browser (250) loaded in the memory (620) of the electronic device (600), comprising the step of:

loading a library (270) to the memory (620) of the device (600),

loading specific information regarding the electronic device (600) to the memory (620) of the electronic device (600) by means of the library (270),

loading and reading an initiation file (260) defining what remote and local information that is to be loaded to the memory (620),

loading and merging remote and local services and information defined by the initiation file (260),

displaying on the user interface (610) of the electronic device (600), remote and local services and information.

2. Method according to claim 1, where the library (270) is a JavaScript extension library.

3. Method according to claim 1, where the library (270) comprises instructions to receive and pass on, to the web browser (250), data that are specific for the electronic device (600).

4. Method according to claim 3, where the data that are specific for the electronic device (600) are generated by an application (640) embodied on the electronic device (600).

5. Method according to claim 1, where the library (270) comprises instructions to receive and pass on commands from the web browser (250) to the electronic device (600).

6. Method according to claim 5, where the commands control applications (640) embodied on the electronic device (600).

7. Method according to claim 1, where the initiation file (260) comprises definitions of web pages (630) having access to the local services and information on the electronic device (600).

8. Method according to claim 1, where the initiation file (260) comprises protocol and port information.

9. Method according to claim. 1, where the initiation file (260) can be changed locally on the electronic device (600).

10. Method according to claim 1, where the initiation file (260) can be changed by downloading new definitions from the web (665).

11. Method according to claim 1, where the loading and merging of the remote and local information is performed by a CPU (660) embodied on the electronic device (600).

12. Electronic device unit (600) for presenting a web page (630) with remote and local services and information in the same user interface (610) by means of a web browser (250) loaded in the memory of the electronic device (600), comprising:

a processing unit (660),

a memory (620),

a display unit (610),

wherein said processing unit (660) is arranged for performing the following steps;

loading a library (270) to the memory (620) of the electronic device (600),

loading specific information regarding the electronic device (600) to the memory (620) of the electronic device (600) by means of the library (270),

loading and reading an initiation file (260) defining remote and local information that is to be loaded to the memory (620),

loading and merging remote and local services and information defined by the initiation file (260),

displaying on the user interface (610), a web document (630) comprising remote and local services and information.

13. A web browser (250) adapted for combining remote and local services and information in the same user interface (610) on an electronic device (600), comprising:

a JavaScript module (285) adapted to read and send device specific information through a library (270).