SHORTCUT SETS FOR CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20100185752A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Amit Kumar
• Inventors: Kumar, Amit
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for shortcut sets to data sources, such as web sites, is disclosed. The shortcut sets may be associated with a controlled environment. A controlled environment might be a home, corporation, business, etc. As an example, an information technology (IT) manager configures shortcuts for the employees of the company. As another example, a family member configures shortcuts that are common to all family members, when at home. A user may enter a shortcut into a search box of a web browser to be directed to a data source. If the shortcut indicates a search at the data source is desired, then a search is automatically performed at the data source.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining, in storage, a plurality of shortcut sets;

wherein each shortcut set of the plurality of shortcut sets contains associations between one or more hint tokens and one or more data sources;

receiving at a server that includes one or more processors, from a client, a request containing a particular hint token;

identifying, by the server, a characteristic of a source of the request;

from the plurality of shortcut sets, the server selecting a shortcut set that is specifically associated with the characteristic of the source of the request;

determining, by the server, whether the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token; and

in response to determining that the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token, the server directing the client to a data source associated, within the selected shortcut set, with the particular hint token.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the shortcut set is a first shortcut set and further comprising:

in response to determining that the selected shortcut set does not contain the particular hint token, performing the following steps;

selecting a second shortcut set based on further information associated with the request;

determining whether the second shortcut set contains the particular hint token with an associated data source; and

in response to determining that the second shortcut set contains the particular hint token with an associated data source, the server directing the client to the data source associated, within the second shortcut set, with the particular hint token.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of directing the client to a data source comprises directing the client to a website corresponding to the data source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of directing the client to a data source comprises directing the client to initiate a search at the data source associated with the particular hint token.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of directing the client to a data source comprises directing the client to a website associated with the data source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a characteristic of the source of the request includes receiving, from a proxy device within an environment, information that uniquely identifies the environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a characteristic of the source of the request includes identifying a particular user that submitted the request, wherein the shortcut set is associated with the particular user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a characteristic of the source of the request includes identifying a particular user that submitted the request, wherein the shortcut set is associated with a particular group to which the particular user belongs.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, said computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform;

maintaining, in storage, a plurality of shortcut sets;

wherein each shortcut set of the plurality of shortcut sets contains associations between one or more hint tokens and one or more data sources;

receiving at a server, from a client, a request containing a particular hint token;

identifying, by the server, a characteristic of a source of the request;

from the plurality of shortcut sets, the server selecting a shortcut set that is specifically associated with the characteristic of the source of the request;

determining, by the server, whether the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token; and

in response to determining that the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token, the server directing the client to a data source associated, within the selected shortcut set, with the particular hint token.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the shortcut set is a first shortcut set and wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which cause:

in response to determining that the selected shortcut set does not contain the particular hint token, performing the following steps;

selecting a second shortcut set based on further information associated with the request;

determining whether the second shortcut set contains the particular hint token with an associated data source; and

in response to determining that the second shortcut set contains the particular hint token with an associated data source, the server directing the client to the data source associated, within the second shortcut set, with the particular hint token.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause directing the client to a data source comprise instructions that cause directing the client to a website corresponding to the data source.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause directing the client to a data source comprise instructions that cause directing the client to initiate a search at the data source associated with the particular hint token.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause directing the client to a data source comprise instructions that cause directing the client to a website associated with the data source.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause identifying a characteristic of the source of the request include instructions that cause receiving, from a proxy device within an environment, information that uniquely identifies the environment.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause identifying a characteristic of the source of the request include instructions that cause identifying a particular user that submitted the request, wherein the shortcut set is associated with the particular user.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions that cause identifying a characteristic of the source of the request include instructions that cause identifying a particular user that submitted the request, wherein the shortcut set is associated with a particular group to which the particular user belongs.

17. A machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the processors to perform:

maintaining, in storage, a plurality of shortcut sets;

wherein each shortcut set of the plurality of shortcut sets contains associations between one or more hint tokens and one or more data sources;

receiving at a server, from a client, a request containing a particular hint token;

identifying, by the server, a characteristic of a source of the request;

from the plurality of shortcut sets, the server selecting a shortcut set that is specifically associated with the characteristic of the source of the request;

determining, by the server, whether the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token; and

in response to determining that the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token, the server directing the client to a data source associated, within the selected shortcut set, with the particular hint token.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the shortcut set is a first shortcut set and wherein the one or more sequences of instructions further comprise instructions which cause:

in response to determining that the selected shortcut set does not contain the particular hint token, performing the following steps;

selecting a second shortcut set based on further information associated with the request;

determining whether the second shortcut set contains the particular hint token with an associated data source; and

in response to determining that the second shortcut set contains the particular hint token with an associated data source, the server directing the client to the data source associated, within the second shortcut set, with the particular hint token.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause directing the client to a data source comprise instructions that cause directing the client to a website corresponding to the data source.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause directing the client to a data source comprise instructions that cause directing the client to initiate a search at the data source associated with the particular hint token.

21. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause directing the client to a data source comprise instructions that cause directing the client to a website associated with the data source.

22. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause identifying a characteristic of the source of the request include instructions that cause receiving, from a proxy device within an environment, information that uniquely identifies the environment.

23. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause identifying a characteristic of the source of the request include instructions that cause identifying a particular user that submitted the request, wherein the shortcut set is associated with the particular user.

24. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions that cause identifying a characteristic of the source of the request include instructions that cause identifying a particular user that submitted the request, wherein the shortcut set is associated with a particular group to which the particular user belongs.

25. A method comprising:

maintaining, in storage, a plurality of shortcut sets;

wherein each shortcut set of the plurality of shortcut sets contains associations between one or more hint tokens and one or more data sources;

receiving at a server that includes one or more processors, from a client, a request containing a particular hint token;

identifying, by the server, a characteristic of a source of the request;

from the plurality of shortcut sets, the server selecting a shortcut set that is specifically associated with the characteristic of the source of the request;

determining, by the server, whether the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token; and

in response to determining that the selected shortcut set contains the particular hint token, the server sending to the client a message that causes the client to receive data from a data source associated, within the selected shortcut set, with the particular hint token.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein sending the message includes redirecting the client to the source.