ENHANCED BROWSING WITH INDICATION OF PREFETCHING STATUS

• US 20140250358A1
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: BT Web Solutions LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Milener, Scott, Brown, Wendell, Kelly, James
• Granted Patent: US 10,592,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00

Abstract

A method of enhanced browsing involves a first web page displayed by a browser in a first browser window. The first web page has a target link to a second web page. A computer system automatically prefetches content from the second web page. The method causes display in the first browser window of a first indicator proximate to and associated with the target link and prior to the computer system receiving a selection of the target link. The first indicator visually conveys in real-time an initiation of the prefetching of content from the second web page. In response to completion of the prefetching, the method causes display in the first browser window of a second indicator in place of said first indicator to visually convey in real-time the completion of the prefetching.

Claims

1. A method of enhanced browsing in a first web page displayed by a browser in a first browser window, the first web page having a target link to a second web page, the method comprising:

a computer system automatically prefetching content from the second web page;

causing display in the first browser window of a first indicator proximate to and associated with the target link and prior to the computer system receiving a selection of the target link, the first indicator visually conveying in real-time the prefetching of content from the second web page; and

in response to completion of the prefetching, causing display in the first browser window of a second indicator in place of said first indicator to visually convey in real-time the completion of the prefetching.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first indicator and said second indicator comprise active controls.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first indicator comprises an icon having a first appearance, and said second indicator comprises said icon having a second appearance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first indicator comprises an icon, and said second indicator comprises said icon and a symbol superimposed on said icon.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating but not displaying a second window;

populating the second window with the prefetched content and a set of ads; and

caching the second window.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

causing display of the second window, wherein the second window is displayed on top of the first browser window.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said prefetching comprises automatically fetching content of the second web page prior to selection of the target link to the second web page.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting placement of a cursor proximate to said second indicator by detecting use of a mouse or other user interface device to position the cursor proximate to the second indicator.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cursor is proximate to said second indicator if the cursor is over said second indicator.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting rotation of a scroll wheel on the mouse or other user interface device; and

in response to said detecting rotation, displaying content prefetched from a third web page.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said rotation of said scroll wheel is detected while the cursor is on said second indicator.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the content prefetched from a third web page is displayed in the second window.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the content prefetched from a third web page is displayed in a third window displayed instead of the second window.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting placement of the cursor on a third indicator associated with a link to the third web page.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first user input; and

in response to said detecting a first user input;

if a user-controlled cursor is positioned in the first browser window and not in the second web page displayed in a second window, replacing the prefetched content with content prefetched from a third web page; and

if the user-controlled cursor is positioned in the second window, scrolling the prefetched content from the second web page.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first user input; and

in response to said detecting a first user input;

if a user-controlled cursor is positioned in the first browser window and not in a second browser window displaying the second web page, scrolling the first web page; and

if the user-controlled cursor is positioned in the second window, replacing the prefetched content with content prefetched from a third web page.

17. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon, instructions that, if executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations of enhanced browsing, the instructions comprising:

instructions to identify, in a first web page displayed by a browser in a browser window, a target link to a second web page;

instructions to prefetch automatically content from the second web page;

instructions to cause display in the browser window of a first indicator proximate to and associated with the target link and prior to receiving a selection of the target link, the first indicator configured to visually convey in real-time an initiation of prefetching of content from the second web page; and

instructions to, upon completion of the prefetching, cause display of a second indicator in place of said first indicator to visually convey in real-time the completion of the prefetching, wherein the second indicator is different than the first indicator.

18. A computer-implemented method of enhanced browsing, the method comprising:

causing display in a browser window of a first electronic page containing a set of target links;

causing display of a first status indicator proximate to and associated with a first target link, to visually convey in real-time a status of automatic prefetching of content via the first target link, wherein the first status indicator is displayed prior to receiving a selection of the target link; and

upon completion of the prefetching, causing display of a second indicator in place of said first status indicator to visually convey in real-time the completion of the prefetching, wherein the second indicator is different than the first status indicator.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

prefetching the content prior to a user selection of the first target link.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

altering said first status indicator if the status of the prefetching changes.