DYNAMICALLY MODIFYING A TOOLBAR
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for dynamically modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
- displaying a toolbar, at a user Internet device, that includes one or more toolbar buttons, the toolbar defined by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases, the toolbar data comprising a plurality of toolbar button attributes associated with the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar, wherein at least one of the plurality of toolbar button attributes identifies a function to be performed by a specific toolbar button upon actuation of the specific toolbar button;
sending automatically, from the user Internet device, information associated with the toolbar data to a network address;
receiving the information associated with the toolbar data at a server associated with the network address;
determining at the server associated with the network address, and based on the information associated with the toolbar data, that the user Internet device should receive updated toolbar data;
receiving, at the user Internet device, the updated toolbar data in response to determining that the user Internet device should receive the updated toolbar data;
initiating, at the user Internet device, an operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with the received updated toolbar data;
updating the toolbar data at the user Internet device based on the operation and in accordance with the updated toolbar data, thereby updating the toolbar data, the updating comprising at least one member of a group comprising (a) and (b);
(a) updating the toolbar data to include at least one new attribute of the toolbar data to change the toolbar by adding a toolbar button to the toolbar; and
(b) updating the toolbar data to modify an attribute of at least one of the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar; and
displaying at the user Internet device the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data.
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Abstract
The present invention comprises a method of and apparatus for simplifying the process of access to a network for a roaming computer user, divides the responsibility of servicing a given user wanting to access the network between multiple parties and minimizes the possibility of improper dissemination of email header data as well as improper use of network resources (including server systems) by non-clients.
23 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for dynamically modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
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displaying a toolbar, at a user Internet device, that includes one or more toolbar buttons, the toolbar defined by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases, the toolbar data comprising a plurality of toolbar button attributes associated with the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar, wherein at least one of the plurality of toolbar button attributes identifies a function to be performed by a specific toolbar button upon actuation of the specific toolbar button; sending automatically, from the user Internet device, information associated with the toolbar data to a network address; receiving the information associated with the toolbar data at a server associated with the network address; determining at the server associated with the network address, and based on the information associated with the toolbar data, that the user Internet device should receive updated toolbar data; receiving, at the user Internet device, the updated toolbar data in response to determining that the user Internet device should receive the updated toolbar data; initiating, at the user Internet device, an operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with the received updated toolbar data; updating the toolbar data at the user Internet device based on the operation and in accordance with the updated toolbar data, thereby updating the toolbar data, the updating comprising at least one member of a group comprising (a) and (b); (a) updating the toolbar data to include at least one new attribute of the toolbar data to change the toolbar by adding a toolbar button to the toolbar; and (b) updating the toolbar data to modify an attribute of at least one of the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar; and displaying at the user Internet device the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. One or more computer-readable memory embodied with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method for dynamically modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
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displaying a toolbar, at a user Internet device, that includes one or more toolbar buttons, the toolbar defined by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases, the toolbar data comprising a plurality of toolbar button attributes associated with the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar, wherein at least one of the plurality of toolbar button attributes identifies a function to be performed by a specific toolbar button upon actuation of the specific toolbar button; sending automatically, from the user Internet device, information associated with the toolbar data to a network address; receiving the information associated with the toolbar data at a server associated with the network address; determining at the server associated with the network address, and based on the information associated with the toolbar data, that the user Internet device should receive updated toolbar data; receiving, at the user Internet device, the updated toolbar data in response to determining that the user Internet device should receive updated toolbar data; initiating, at the user Internet device, an operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with the received updated toolbar data; updating the toolbar data at the user Internet device based on the operation and in accordance with the updated toolbar data, thereby updating the toolbar data, the updating comprising at least one member of a group comprising (a) and (b); (a) updating the toolbar data to include at least one new attribute of the toolbar data to change the toolbar by adding a toolbar button to the toolbar; and (b) updating the toolbar data to modify an attribute of at least one of the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar; and displaying at the user Internet device the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for dynamically modifying a toolbar remotely through a network, wherein the toolbar includes one or more toolbar buttons displayable at a user Internet device and defined by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases of the user Internet device, the toolbar data includes a plurality of toolbar button attributes associated with the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar, wherein at least one of the plurality of toolbar button attributes identifies a function to be performed by a specific toolbar button upon actuation of the specific toolbar button, the method comprising:
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receiving information associated with the toolbar data that was sent by the user Internet device at a remote location of the network; determining, based on the information associated with the toolbar data, that the user Internet device should receive updated toolbar data; and sending to the user Internet device via the network the updated toolbar data to cause the user Internet device to update the toolbar data in accordance with the received updated toolbar data, and to perform an operation that includes at least one member of a group comprising (a) and (b); (a) updating the toolbar data to include at least one new attribute of the toolbar data to change the toolbar by adding a toolbar button to the toolbar; and (b) updating the toolbar data to modify an attribute of at least one of the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for dynamically modifying a toolbar of a user Internet device, the method comprising:
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displaying a toolbar, at the user Internet device, that includes one or more toolbar buttons, the toolbar defined by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases, the toolbar data comprising a plurality of toolbar button attributes associated with the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar, wherein at least one of the plurality of toolbar button attributes identifies a function to be performed by a specific toolbar button upon actuation of the specific toolbar button; sending automatically, from the user Internet device, information associated with the toolbar data to a server at a network address, wherein the information causes the server to determine that the user Internet device should receive updated toolbar data; receiving, at the user Internet device, the updated toolbar data in response to determining that the user Internet device should receive updated toolbar data; initiating, at the user Internet device, an operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with the received updated toolbar data; updating the toolbar data at the user Internet device based on the operation and in accordance with the updated toolbar data, thereby updating the toolbar data, the updating comprising at least one member of a group comprising (a) and (b); (a) updating the toolbar data to include at least one new attribute of the toolbar data to change the toolbar by adding a toolbar button to the toolbar; and (b) updating the toolbar data to modify an attribute of at least one of the one or more toolbar buttons of the toolbar; and displaying at the user Internet device the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification