World wide web navigational mapping system and method
First Claim
1. A system for navigating a plurality of computer-implemented sites accessible on a communications network, each site providing access to files stored at that site, at least some of the files including one or more hypermedia links to other files, comprising:
- a browset accessing the files at the plurality of sites and displaying accessed files to a user;
a computer-implemented map maker parsing the files at one of the computer-implemented sites to identify hypermedia links in the files, organizing the parsed information, and generating a map data file based on the parsed and organized information that represents in structural, outline format files available at the one computer-implemented site to identify hypermedia links in the files;
a computer-implemented map database for storing the map data file; and
a computer-implemented map viewer, in response to a request from the browser to display the map data file, retrieving the map data file from the map database and displaying a map of the one computer-implemented site corresponding to the map data file, the site map graphically illustrating in the structural outline format the structure and content of the files available at the one computer-implemented site and the hypermedia links between those files, wherein the user uses the displayed site map to navigate the one computer-implemented site.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An Internet navigational mapping system and method provides a user, browsing through various informational resources provided at various World Wide Web site locations supported by the Internet, with a graphical representation of the structure of the web site to permit the user to navigate through the web site efficiently using that structure. That structure can be thought of as a navigational map which represents objects in a web site and links to/from those objects in a hierarchical tree structure. The map could be represented in two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or a virtual reality format. The map therefore provides the user with an easy to read, graphical image of where the user is a web site and where he may go. A web site mapping mechanism is provided which parses the various objects contained in the web site and organizes those objects and links between the objects into an organized, and preferably, hierarchical, fashion. Virtually any object found in a web site such as web pages, graphics, audio clips, animation, etc. may be mapped.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A system for navigating a plurality of computer-implemented sites accessible on a communications network, each site providing access to files stored at that site, at least some of the files including one or more hypermedia links to other files, comprising:
-
a browset accessing the files at the plurality of sites and displaying accessed files to a user; a computer-implemented map maker parsing the files at one of the computer-implemented sites to identify hypermedia links in the files, organizing the parsed information, and generating a map data file based on the parsed and organized information that represents in structural, outline format files available at the one computer-implemented site to identify hypermedia links in the files; a computer-implemented map database for storing the map data file; and a computer-implemented map viewer, in response to a request from the browser to display the map data file, retrieving the map data file from the map database and displaying a map of the one computer-implemented site corresponding to the map data file, the site map graphically illustrating in the structural outline format the structure and content of the files available at the one computer-implemented site and the hypermedia links between those files, wherein the user uses the displayed site map to navigate the one computer-implemented site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for generating a hierarchical representation of informational objects available from one of a plurality of web sites, some of which are remotely-located from each other, each object including a file capable of being displayed and some of the objects including at least one hypermedia link to another file, comprising the steps of:
-
retrieving at another of the plurality of web sites at least some of the web site display files available at the one web site; automatically parsing the retrieved web site display files to determine the identity of at least some of the web site display files and hypermedia link relationships between the web site display files; and automatically organizing the parsed web site display files into a hierarchical representation of the parsed web site display files that identifies each web site display file and shows the hypermedia link relationships between the web site display files. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A data structure stored in a memory and retrievable from the memory for display on a display connected to a first data processor that communicates with other remotely-located data processors over a network, wherein the data structure includes a structured outline of at least some of page data files available at one of the other remotely-located data processors coupled to the communications network accessible by the first data processor and of links between some of the display page data files, each page data file being capable of display and including at least one hypermedia link to another file, and
wherein the structured outline of at least some of the display page data files and associated hypermedia links available at the one remotely-located data processor is displayed and used to navigate through the display page data files at the one data processor.
-
21. Software usable by a computer to assist a user in navigating through web sites on the World Wide Web over the Internet which when executed by the computer performs the method of:
-
organizing a collection of files and associated hyperlinks at one of the web sites into an outline; based on the organized collection, generating a map data file for the one web site that represents in outline form the files available at the one web site and associated hyperlinks to a computer user having a computer coupled to the Internet including entries in the map outline for web page files and associated hyperlinks available at the one web site; and displaying at the user'"'"'s computer a map outline corresponding to the map data file for the one web site that graphically represents the outline structure of files available at the one web site and associated hyperlinks; and navigating the one web site using the map outline including accessing one of the files at the one web site by selecting one of the outlined files from the displayed map outline. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
- 30. In a system for navigating informational resources provided at a plurality of computer-implemented sites accessible on a communications network where for one of the computer-implemented sites a map data file is generated which outlines some of the files and associated hyperlinks available at the one computer-implemented site, a viewing engine for use at a user computer terminal connected to the communications network for retrieving the map data file for the one computer-implemented site, displaying a map corresponding to the map data file showing at least some of the files available at the one computer-implemented site, and permitting the user to navigate through files available at the one computer-implemented site to a desired one of the files using the displayed map, wherein the map is a hierarchical, tree-like representation of at least some of the files and associated hyperlinks available at the one site including a branch for each file.
Specification