Method and apparatus for accessing copies of documents using a web browser request interceptor
First Claim
1. A method of accessing a copy of a document in a client computer system, the document being stored in a server remote from the client computer system, the client computer system including a web browser producing browser requests for communicating with the server over the network, the method comprising the steps of:
- A. intercepting a browser request to access the document;
B. ascertaining if the client computer is connected to the network;
C. downloading, if connected to the network, the copy from the server;
D. determining, from the browser request, the address of the copy of the document in the client computer system when the client computer system is not connected to the network; and
E. retrieving, when the client computer system is not connected to the network, the copy of the document in the client computer system.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for enabling access of a document on a remote network device by a local computer includes an interceptor for intercepting a request (from a web browser on the local computer system) for accessing the document. The interceptor responsively ascertains whether the local computer is connected to a network and, if connected to the network, downloads the document into memory of the local computer system. If the local computer is not connected to the network, the method and apparatus locates the document in the local memory of the local computer. Once downloaded or located, whichever the case may be, the document may be utilized by the user, such as by displaying the document on a display device.
126 Citations
52 Claims
-
1. A method of accessing a copy of a document in a client computer system, the document being stored in a server remote from the client computer system, the client computer system including a web browser producing browser requests for communicating with the server over the network, the method comprising the steps of:
-
A. intercepting a browser request to access the document; B. ascertaining if the client computer is connected to the network; C. downloading, if connected to the network, the copy from the server; D. determining, from the browser request, the address of the copy of the document in the client computer system when the client computer system is not connected to the network; and E. retrieving, when the client computer system is not connected to the network, the copy of the document in the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An apparatus for accessing a copy of a document in a client computer system, the document being stored in a server remote from the client computer system, the client computer system including a web browser producing browser requests for communicating with the server over the network, the apparatus comprising:
-
means for intercepting a browser request to access the document; means for ascertaining if the client computer is connected to the network; means for downloading, if connected to the network, the copy from the server; means for determining, from the browser request, the address of the copy of the document in the client computer system when the client computer system is not connected to the network; and means for retrieving, when the client computer system is not connected to the network, the copy of the document in the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A computer program product comprising:
a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon for accessing a copy of a document in a client computer system, the document being stored in a server remote from the client computer system, the client computer system including a web browser producing browser requests for communicating with the server over the network, the computer readable program code comprising; program code for intercepting a browser request to access the document; program code for ascertaining if the client computer is connected to the network; program code for downloading, if connected to the network, the copy from the server; program code for determining, from the browser request, the address of the copy of the document in the client computer system when the client computer system is not connected to the network; and program code for retrieving, when the client computer system is not connected to the network, the copy of the document in the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
20. A method of accessing a document on a remote network device from a client computer system, the client computer system having a web browser and a memory, the client computer system being connectable to the remote network device by a network, the method comprising the steps of:
-
A. intercepting a browser request from the web browser to access the document on the remote network device; B. ascertaining if the client is connected to the network; C. determining from the browser request, when the client is connected to the network, the remote address of the document on the remote network device; D. downloading a local copy of the document into the memory of the client computer system; E. identifying a plurality of documents referenced by the downloaded document by reviewing the downloaded document for a number of pointers embedded therein that identify the documents; and F. downloading the documents from nodes on the remote network device, the nodes being in a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of levels, the document being on one of the nodes. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
26. An apparatus for accessing a document on a remote network device from a client computer system, the client computer system having a web browser and a memory, the client computer system being connectable to the remote network device by a network, the apparatus comprising:
-
means for intercepting a browser request from the web browser to access the document on the remote network device; means for ascertaining if the client is connected to the network; means for determining from the browser request, responsive to the ascertaining means, the remote address of the document on the remote network device; means for downloading a local copy of the document into the memory of the client computer system; means for identifying a plurality of documents referenced by the downloaded document by reviewing the downloaded document for a number of pointers embedded therein that identify the documents; and means for downloading the documents from nodes on the remote network device, the nodes being in a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of levels, the document being on one of the nodes. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
-
-
32. A computer program product for use with a local computer system, the computer program product accessing a document on a remote network device from a client computer system, the client computer system having a web browser and a memory, the client computer system being connectable to the remote network device by a network, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:
-
program code for intercepting a browser request from the web browser to access the document on the remote network device; program code for ascertaining if the client is connected to the network; program code for determining from the browser request, responsive to the program code for ascertaining, the remote address of the document on the remote network device; program code for downloading a local copy of the document into the memory of the client computer system; program code for identifying a plurality of documents referenced by the downloaded document by reviewing the downloaded document for a number of pointers embedded therein that identify the documents; and program code for downloading the documents from nodes on the remote network device, the nodes being in a hierarchical tree structure with a plurality of levels, the document being on one of the nodes. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. A method for a client computer system accessing documents stored on a remote server, the client computer system including a web browser producing browser requests for communicating with the server over a network, the method comprising the steps of:
-
A. a user of the client computer system submitting a first browser request over the network for a copy of a first document; B. intercepting the first browser request and, in response thereto, performing steps comprising (1) downloading a copy of the first document from the server to the client computer system, and (2) determining from the downloaded copy of the first document whether the first document includes a pointer to a second document and, if so, using the pointer to determine the address of the second document, and using the second document address in downloading a copy of the second document from the server to the client computer system; and C. storing the copies of the first and second documents in the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. An apparatus for accessing a plurality of documents by a client computer system, the documents being stored in a server remote from the client computer system, the client computer system including a web browser producing browser requests for communicating with the server over a network, the apparatus comprising:
-
A. means, responsive to a user, for submitting a first browser request over the network for a copy of a first document; B. an interceptor for intercepting the first browser request, said interceptor including (1) means for downloading a copy of the first document from the server to the client computer system, and (2) means for determining from the downloaded copy of the first document whether the first document includes a pointer to a second document and, if so, using the pointer to determine the address of the second document, and using the second document address in downloading a copy of the second document from the server to the client computer system; and C. means for storing the copies of the first and second documents in the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
-
-
48. A computer program product for accessing a plurality of documents by a client computer system, the documents being stored in a server remote from the client computer system, the client computer system including a web browser producing browser requests for communicating with the server over a network, the product comprising a computer usable medium and computer readable program code stored on the computer usable medium, said program code including:
-
A. program code for submitting, responsive to a user, a first browser request over the network for a copy of a first document; B. program code for intercepting the first browser request, the intercepting program code including (1) code for downloading a copy of the first document from the server to the client computer system, and (2) code for determining from the downloaded copy of the first document whether the first document includes a pointer to a second document and, if so, using the pointer to determine the address of the second document, and using the second document address in downloading a copy of the second document from the server to the client computer system; and C. program code for storing the copies of the first and second documents in the client computer system. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52)
-
Specification