Apparatus for presenting the content of an interactive on-line network
First Claim
1. An access system for presenting the content of an interactive on-line network to a user, comprising:
- a plurality of navigator modules stored in an end-user station, said navigator modules adapted to communicate with an on-line network, each of said navigator modules configured to display a different user interface corresponding to different offerings on said on-line network;
a network shell module stored in said end-user station, said network shell module in communication with said plurality of navigator modules, said network shell module having a plurality of network identifiers corresponding respectively to said plurality of navigator modules, each of said network identifiers further corresponding to a different offering in said on-line network, whereby said network shell module responds to each of said network identifiers to direct said identified navigator module to display said user interface; and
a computer shell module stored in an end-user station, said computer shell module part of an operating system of said end-user station and in communication with said network shell module and said plurality of navigator modules, said computer shell module adapted to display a local file system user interface, wherein said computer shell module, said network shell module and said plurality of navigator modules interact to display said local file system user interface and said user interfaces corresponding to said offerings.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The on-line network access system of the present invention operates as an extension of a computer'"'"'s operating system to provide a graphical interface which displays the offerings available in the on-line network. The organization of the offerings are displayed in a manner which is visually similar to the way the operating system displays the organization of the computer'"'"'s local file system. Using multiple navigators, the system displays different user interfaces which correspond to different offerings on the on-line network. The system further provides a content map which illustrates the location of a user in the on-line network. In addition, the system creates "shortcuts" which allow users of the on-line network to reference particular locations in the on-line network. A unique shortcut data structure allows the storage of the shortcuts in the user'"'"'s computer or the transfer of the shortcuts to others.
224 Citations
35 Claims
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1. An access system for presenting the content of an interactive on-line network to a user, comprising:
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a plurality of navigator modules stored in an end-user station, said navigator modules adapted to communicate with an on-line network, each of said navigator modules configured to display a different user interface corresponding to different offerings on said on-line network; a network shell module stored in said end-user station, said network shell module in communication with said plurality of navigator modules, said network shell module having a plurality of network identifiers corresponding respectively to said plurality of navigator modules, each of said network identifiers further corresponding to a different offering in said on-line network, whereby said network shell module responds to each of said network identifiers to direct said identified navigator module to display said user interface; and a computer shell module stored in an end-user station, said computer shell module part of an operating system of said end-user station and in communication with said network shell module and said plurality of navigator modules, said computer shell module adapted to display a local file system user interface, wherein said computer shell module, said network shell module and said plurality of navigator modules interact to display said local file system user interface and said user interfaces corresponding to said offerings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An access system for presenting the content of an interactive on-line network to a user, comprising:
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a network shell module stored in an end-user station, said network shell module adapted to access a plurality of offerings in an on-line network, each of said offerings having an associated set of properties; and a network cache stored in said end-user station, said network cache in communication with said network shell module, said network cache configured to store a copy of said set of properties associated with each of said offerings accessed by said network shell module, whereby said network shell module retrieves said copy of said set of properties from said network cache when accessing one of said offerings a second time. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A machine for presenting a content map which illustrates the organization of information in an interactive on-line network, comprising:
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an on-line network containing a plurality of offerings, each of said offerings linked together to form a hierarchical data structure; a computer shell module stored in an end-user station, said computer shell module part of said end-user station'"'"'s operating system, said computer shell module adapted to display said end-user station'"'"'s file system; and a network shell module stored in an end-user station, said network shell module in communication with said computer shell module and said on-line network, said network shell module adapted to access said offerings in said on-line network, said network shell module further adapted to interact with said computer shell module to display a content map, said content map illustrating the organization of said end-computer'"'"'s file system and the organization of said offerings in said on-line network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An object-oriented access system for presenting the content of an interactive on-line network to a user, comprising:
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a computer shell object stored in an end-user station, said computer shell object part of said end-user station'"'"'s operating system, said computer shell object adapted to display a user interface; a plurality of network shell objects stored in said end-user station, said network shell objects in communication with said computer shell object, each of said network shell objects corresponding to at least one of a plurality of nodes in an on-line network; a plurality of node objects, said node objects stored in said end-user station, said node objects in communication with said network shell objects and said computer shell object, each of said node objects adapted to reference at least one of said plurality of nodes in said on-line network; and a plurality of navigator modules in communication with said node objects, each of said navigator modules configured to display a different user interface, wherein each of said node objects reference one of said navigator modules. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. An access system for presenting the content of an interactive on-line network to a user, comprising:
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a computer shell means for displaying a user interface, said computer shell means part of said end-user station'"'"'s operating system; a plurality of navigator means for communicating with an on-line network, each of said navigator means configured to display a different user interface corresponding to different offerings on said on-line network; and a network shell means for storing a plurality of identifiers corresponding respectively to one of said navigation means, said network shell means in communication with said computer shell module and said plurality of navigator means, whereby said network shell means responds to each of said identifiers to direct said identified navigator means to display said user interface. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. An access system for presenting the content of an interactive on-line network to a user, comprising:
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a plurality of navigator modules stored in an end-user station, said navigator modules adapted to communicate with an on-line network, each of said navigator modules configured to display a different user interface corresponding to different offerings on said on-line network; a network shell module stored in said end-user station, said network shell module in communication with said plurality of navigator modules, said network shell module having a plurality of network identifiers corresponding respectively to said plurality of navigator modules, each of said network identifiers further corresponding to a different offering in said on-line network, whereby said network shell module responds to each of said network identifiers to direct said identified navigator module to display said user interface; and a shortcut object stored in an end-user station, said shortcut object including a shortcut data structure configured to store a network path which identifies the location of each of said offerings in said on-line network. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification