Presenting web pages with discrete, browser-controlled complexity levels

• US 5,987,466 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Phillips, William Francis, Greer, Timothy Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Amsbury, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALAM, SHAHID AL
• Application Number:
  US08/978,305
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/4, 707/10, 707/101, 707/104, 707/201, 707/501, 707/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A method of browsing the Worldwide Web of the Internet and presenting elements of a web page to a user. The web browser requests a desired HTML and then requests other elements of the page based upon user defined priority levels. Elements are presented to the user in priority sequence as soon as received eliminating unnecessary waiting for lower priority or unrequested elements, as well as partial display of desired elements.

Claims

1. A client computer for presenting user selected types of elements of a web page, said client computer comprising:

means for receiving user selection of one or more types of elements of a web page that said user desires the client computer to present, said types comprising applets, video data and audio data;

means for receiving user selection of a web page;

means, responsive to said user selection of a web page, for requesting an HTML for said web page from a server;

means for loading from said server and displaying said one or more types of elements referenced by said HTML and selected by said user, and not loading or displaying another of said types of elements not selected by said user.

2. A client computer as set forth is claim 1 wherein:

said loading and displaying means comprises a web browser.

3. A client computer as set forth in claim 1 wherein:

said loading and displaying means comprises an agent operating with a web browser.

4. A client computer as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of user defined priority levels of element types; and

means for loading from said server and displaying said element types in the order of said priority levels.

5. A client computer as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

means, responsive to user indication, for displaying said element types of a next highest or a previous priority level.

6. A client computer as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving from said server, one or more group tags, each associated with a web page element; and

means, responsive to user definition, for withholding display of any elements of a group until all such elements of said group have been received.

7. A method for presenting user selected types of elements of a web page, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving user selection of types of elements of a web page that user desires to be presented, said types of elements comprising applets, video data, and audio data;

receiving user selection of a web page;

in response to said user selection of a web page, requesting an HTML for said web page from a server;

loading from said server and displaying said one or more types of elements referenced by said HTML and selected by said user, and not loading or displaying another of said types of elements not selected by said user.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

said loading and displaying step comprises loading and displaying with a web browser.

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein:

said loading and displaying step comprises loading and displaying with an agent operating with a web browser.

10. A method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of user defined priority levels of element types; and

loading from said server and displaying said element types in the order of said priority levels.

11. A method as set forth in claim 10, further comprising the step of:

in response to user indication, displaying said element types of a next highest or a previous priority level.

12. A method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving one or more group tags, each associated with one or more web page elements; and

in response to user definition, withholding display of any elements of a group until all such elements of said group have been received.