METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ENHANCING INTERNET EXPERIENCES

• US 20080235594A1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhumkar, Soujanya, Shoemaker, Austin, Mehta, Mayank
• Granted Patent: US 9,740,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Previews of a target web site or other Internet-accessible resource are displayed in response to cursor control events. The previews are displayed in preview windows, which may have associated toolbars that include functions permitting various manipulations of the content displayed in the preview window. In some cases, the target web site is displayed as an image thereof in the preview window.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

while a first Web page that includes a link to a second Web page is loading in a browser, identifying an anchor associated with the link to the second Web page and attaching a cursor control event handler to the anchor;

displaying the first Web page the browser;

upon detecting a cursor control event associated with the cursor control event handler, executing instructions defined by the cursor control event handler to display an image of content from the second Web page in a window superimposed over the first Web page as displayed in the browser.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to displaying the image of content from the second Web page, fetching the content from the second Web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to detecting the cursor control event, fetching the content from the second Web page.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein upon detecting the cursor control event, fetching the content from the second Web page.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor control event comprises more than one cursor action.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein upon detecting a first cursor action of the cursor control event, executing instructions defined by the cursor control event handler to display an icon in proximity to the link to the second Web page on the first Web page in the browser.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein upon detecting a second cursor action of the cursor control event, displaying the image of the second Web page in the window.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second cursor action comprises a mouseover of the icon located in proximity to the link to the second Web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor control event handler comprises a script that causes a hidden frame to be rendered in the first Web page.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hidden frame is created through an application programming interface associated with a <

canvas>

, <

iframe>

, or other DOM element.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein within the hidden frame, the browser makes a request for the content of second Web page, which subsequently loads in the hidden frame.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the content of the second Web page loaded in the hidden frame is converted to the image thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second Web page comprises a previously cached version of the second Web page.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the content of the second Web page is displayed according to one or more visual effects.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the content of the second Web page is displayed so as to be successively scaled as it is revealed.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein upon display of the image of content of the second Web page, a fee for such display becomes due.

17. A method, comprising displaying a preview of a second Web page linked to by a first Web page displayed in a browser, the preview being displayed in a preview window associated with the browser and in response to a cursor control event associated with the first Web page, the preview window including a toolbar providing access to one or more functions for manipulating content shown in the preview window.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the toolbar provides access to one or more of the following functions:

a first function allowing a user to trace a navigation history within the preview window;

a second function to close the preview window;

a third function to open a communication interface through which the user can share contextual information concerning the second Web page;

a fourth function to maintain display of the preview window; and

a fifth function to display content of the preview window in a full screen fashion.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the preview window is configured to permit display of an RSS feed associated with the second Web page.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the preview window is configured to permit display of a WAP version of the second Web page.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the preview window is configured to permit display of content from other Web pages deemed similar to the second Web page.

22. A preview window associated with a Web browser configured to display content of a second Web page linked to by a first Web page displayed in the browser in response to a cursor control event associated with the first Web page, the preview window including a toolbar providing access to one or more functions for manipulating content shown in the preview window.

23. The preview window of claim 22, wherein the toolbar provides access to one or more of the following functions:

a first function allowing a user to trace a navigation history within the preview window;

a second function to close the preview window;

a third function to open a communication interface through which the user can share contextual information concerning the second Web page;

a fourth function to maintain display of the preview window; and

a fifth function to display content of the preview window in a full screen fashion.

24. The preview window of claim 22, wherein the preview window is configured to permit display of an RSS feed associated with the second Web page.

25. The preview window of claim 22, wherein the preview window is configured to permit display of a WAP version of the second Web page.

26. The preview window of claim 22, wherein the preview window is configured to permit display of content from other Web pages deemed similar to the second Web page.

27. A method, comprising, in response to a cursor control event associated with selected content of a first Web page displayed in a browser, submitting the selected content as a reference to a designated Web site selected from a menu displayed in response to the cursor control event, and presenting results from the designated Web site in a preview window superimposed over the first Web page displayed in the browser.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the cursor control event comprises a right mouse click.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the designated Web site comprises a search engine.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the designated Web site comprises an on-line dictionary.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the designated Web site comprises an on-line encyclopedia.

32. A method, comprising extracting information from Internet content in response to a cursor control operation associated with a cursor control menu option and saving content of a preview window to a designated storage site in response thereto.

33. A graphical user interface for a computer system, comprising a cursor control menu having arranged therein a single command, which when invoked in response to a cursor control operation, will cause the computer system to execute instructions to save designated content of a presently displayed Web page to a designated storage site.

34. A graphical user interface for a computer system, comprising a cursor control menu having arranged therein one or more commands, which when invoked in response to a cursor control operation, will cause the computer system to execute instructions to submit selected content of a first Web page displayed in a browser of the computer system as a reference to a designated Web site, and present results from the designated Web site in a preview window superimposed over the first Web page displayed in the browser.

35. A method, comprising, in response to a first cursor control event associated with a first Web object, displaying a preview of a second Web object, and preparing from the preview of the second Web object an electronic postcard.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the electronic postcard includes a music component.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the electronic postcard includes a stamp component.

38. A method, comprising displaying, in response to a first cursor control event, a preview page of a second Web object referenced by a first Web object;

and, in response to a second cursor control event, submitting designated information from the second Web object to a search engine as a search query.