System for transmitting network-related information where requested network information is separately transmitted as definitions and display information

• US 6,049,831 A
• Filed: 02/13/1997
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GTE Laboratories Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nelson, Denise A., Reichlen, Bruce, Gardell, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUAN, CHIEN H
• Application Number:
  US08/800,907
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 395/200.3, 395/200.49, 702/3, 707/513, 707/516, 455/3.1, 709/200, 709/203, 709/218, 709/236
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440236 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures, audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Web pages retrieved by a browser core are translated into user interface component definitions and page information. The definitions and page information are transmitted to a user device which recomposes the definitions and page information into a format for presentation to a user on a user device. Transmitting the definitions and page information includes translation of the definitions and page information into a format appropriate for both the particular communications media on which the information is transmitted, and the device to which the information is transmitted. The device includes a browser client which performs the recomposition. The browser client also receives user input, and may respond by altering the information locally at the user device, and sending information related to the user selection back to the browser core for further processing. The browser core also tracks user sessions, thus allowing a user to access the network from several devices, and capture session information for each access from each device. This allows users to switch devices, and start a new session at the point where a previous session ended.

Claims

1. Apparatus for transmitting network-related information, comprising:

means for receiving a request for first network information;

means for retrieving first network information having interactive elements;

means for creating second network information based on the first network information, said second network information comprising display information and definitions based on characteristics of the interactive elements; and

means for transmitting the second network information, wherein the means for transmitting includes;

a first path means for transmitting the definitions; and

a second path means for transmitting the display information.

2. A method for transmitting network-related information, comprising:

receiving a request for first network information;

retrieving first network information having interactive elements;

creating second network information based on the first network information, said second network information comprising display information and definitions based on characteristics of the interactive elements; and

transmitting the second network information using a first path means for transmitting the definitions and a second path means for transmitting the display information.

3. A system for handling network information transfer between a network and a user device, comprising:

means for receiving a network request from a user device for first network information;

means for retrieving the first network information;

means for processing the first network information to create second network information comprising a user interface element definition and display information;

means for transmitting the second network information, over a communications media using a first path means for transmitting the definitions and a second path means for transmitting the display information; and

means for receiving the second network information and recomposing the second network information to form a third network information for the user device.

4. A system for handling network information transfer between a network and a user device, comprising:

means for receiving a network request from a user device for first network information;

means for receiving a user request from a first user device,

means for receiving a user request form a second user device;

means for capturing session information for a single user regarding the user request from the first user device and the user request from the second user device;

means for retrieving first network information;

means for processing the first network information to create second network information comprising a user interface element definition and display information;

means for transmitting the second network information, over a communications media; and

means for receiving the second network information and recomposing the second network information to form a third network information for the user device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the means for capturing session information includes:

means for capturing bookmark information.

6. A method for handling network information transfer between a network and a user device, comprising:

receiving a network request from a user device for first network information;

retrieving first network information;

processing the first netowrk information to create second network information comprising a user interface element definiiton and display information;

transmitting the second network information over a communications media, wherein the transmitting includes;

transmitting the definitions over a first path; and

transmitting the display information over a second path; and

receiving the second network information and recomposing the second network information to form a third network information for the user device.

7. A method for handling network information transfer between a network and a user device, comprising:

receiving a network request from a user device for first network information, wherein said receiving includes capturing session information for a single user regarding the user request from the first user device and the user request from the second user device;

receiving a user request from a first user device;

receiving a user request form a second user device;

retrieving first network information;

processing the first netowrk information to create second network information comprising a user interface element definiiton and display information;

transmitting the second network information over a communications media; and

receiving the second network information and recomposing the second network information to form a third network information for the user device.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of capturing session information includes a substep of:

capturing bookmark information.