Method for parallel selection of URL's

• US 6,211,874 B1
• Filed: 05/15/1998
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Herman, Himmel, Maria Azua
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thomas T.
• Application Number:
  US09/080,020
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 345/346, 345/340, 345/357, 345/356, 345/339, 345/347, 345/352, 707/501, 707/513, 709/201, 709/219, 709/217
• US Class Current: 715/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A method of accessing files located in a computer system, by selecting a plurality of embedded links (such as hypertext links) from one or more pages displayed in a browser window, and processing the plurality of embedded links concurrently. The embedded links may include at least two embedded links from a single page displayed in the browser window, or may include at least one embedded link from a first page and at least one other embedded link from a second page. In one implementation, a pop-up menu is displayed once the links have all been selected, wherein the pop-up menu has a plurality of menu items associated with different types of link processing. The types of link processing include: concurrently displaying pages associated with the plurality of embedded links in a plurality of respective browser windows on the display; concurrently printing pages associated with the plurality of embedded links using a printing device of the computer system; or concurrently downloading pages associated with the plurality of embedded links, to a storage device of the computer system. Selection of the links may be facilitated by allowing the user to switch to a multi-link selection mode.

Claims

1. A method of accessing files located in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

creating a browser window on a display of the computer system;

displaying at least one page in the browser window, the page having a plurality of embedded links, wherein a given one of the links may be individually selected by a user to request downloading of one of a plurality of different, respective pages;

specifying a set of the plurality of embedded links from the at least one page displayed in the browser window for concurrent processing, wherein said specifying step occurs without issuing any request to download any pages associated with the embedded links in the set; and

after said specifying step, processing the plurality of embedded links in the set concurrently in response to a single user input by issuing requests for the pages associated with the embedded links and downloading those pages concurrently.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting a plurality of embedded links includes the step of selecting at least two embedded links from a single page displayed in the browser window.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of selecting a plurality of embedded links includes the steps of:

selecting at least one embedded link from a first page displayed in the browser window; and

selecting at least one other embedded link from a second page displayed in the browser window.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating the page by loading content from a plurality of files into the browser window.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating the embedded links using hypertext fields.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting step includes the steps of:

moving a graphical pointer of the display to a given one of the embedded links, using a pointing device; and

actuating a button of the pointing device while the graphical pointer is directed at the given embedded link.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a pop-up menu having a plurality of menu items associated with different types of link processing.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step includes the step of concurrently displaying pages associated with the plurality of embedded links in a plurality of respective browser windows on the display.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing step includes the step of concurrently printing pages associated with the plurality of embedded links using a printing device of the computer system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the associated pages are distributed across a network of the computer system; and

said downloading step further comprises the step of transmitting the associated pages to a node of the computer system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting step includes the step of switching the browser window to a multi-link selection mode.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said switching step includes the steps of:

moving a graphical pointer of the display to a control button of the browser window, using a pointing device; and

actuating a button of the pointing device while the graphical pointer is directed at the control button.

13. A computer system comprising:

a display;

a processor connected to said display; and

program instructions controlling said processor to (i) create a browser window on said display, (ii) display at least one page in the browser window, the page having a plurality of embedded links, wherein a given one of the links may be individually selected by a user to request downloading of one of a plurality of different, respective pages, (iii) specify a set of the plurality of embedded links from the at least one page displayed in the browser window for concurrent processing without issuing any request to download any pages associated with the embedded links in the set, and (iv) after specifying the set, process the plurality of embedded links in the set concurrently in response to a single user input by issuing requests for the pages associated with the embedded links and downloading those pages concurrently.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said program instructions control said processor to select the plurality of embedded links by selecting at least two embedded links from a single page displayed in the browser window.

15. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said program instructions control said processor to select the plurality of embedded links by selecting at least one embedded link from a first page displayed in the browser window, and selecting at least one other embedded link from a second page displayed in the browser window.

16. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said program instructions further control said processor to create the embedded links using hypertext fields.

17. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising a pointing device connected to said processor, wherein said program instructions control said processor to select a given one of the plurality of embedded links in response to actuation of a button of said pointing device while a graphical pointer of said display, controlled by said pointing device, is directed at the given embedded link.

18. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said program instructions control said processor to display a pop-up menu in the browser window, the pop-up menu having a plurality of menu items associated with different types of link processing.

19. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said program instructions control said processor to process the plurality of embedded links by concurrently displaying pages associated with the plurality of embedded links in a plurality of respective browser windows on said display.

20. The computer system of claim 13 further comprising a printing device connected to said processor, wherein said program instructions control said processor to process the plurality of embedded links by concurrently printing pages associated with the plurality of embedded links using said printing device.

21. The computer system of claim 13 wherein the associated pages are distributed across a network connected to the computer system.

22. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said program instructions control said processor to select the plurality of embedded links by switching the browser window to a multi-link selection mode.

23. The computer system of claim 22 further comprising a pointing device connected to said processor, wherein said program instructions control said processor to switch the browser window to the multi-link selection mode in response to actuation of a button of said pointing device while a graphical pointer of said display, controlled by said pointing device, is directed at a control button of the browser window.

24. A computer program product comprising:

a storage medium adapted to be read by a computer; and

program means stored on said storage medium for (i) creating a browser window on a display of the computer system, (ii) displaying at least one page in the browser window, the page having a plurality of embedded links, wherein a given one of the links may be individually selected by a user to request downloading of one of a plurality of different, respective pages, (iii) specifying a set of the plurality of embedded links from the at least one page displayed in the browser window for concurrent processing, without issuing any request to download any pages associated with the embedded links in the set, and (iv) after specifying the set, processing the plurality of embedded links in the set concurrently in response to a single user input by issuing requests for the pages associated with the embedded links and downloading those pages concurrently.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means selects the plurality of embedded links by selecting at least two embedded links from a single page displayed in the browser window.

26. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means selects the plurality of embedded links by selecting at least one embedded link from a first page displayed in the browser window, and selecting at least one other embedded link from a second page displayed in the browser window.

27. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means creates the page by loading content from a plurality of files into the browser window.

28. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means displays the embedded links as hypertext fields.

29. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means selects the plurality of embedded links in response to actuation of a button of a pointing device of the computer system while a graphical pointer of the display, controlled by the pointing device, is directed at the given embedded link.

30. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means further displays a pop-up menu in the display, the pop-up menu having a plurality of menu items associated with different types of link processing.

31. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means processes the plurality of embedded links by concurrently displaying pages associated with the plurality of embedded links in a plurality of respective browser windows on the display.

32. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means processes the plurality of embedded links by concurrently printing pages associated with the plurality of embedded links using a printing device of the computer system.

33. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means selects the plurality of embedded links by switching the browser window to a multi-link selection mode.

34. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said program means switches to the multi-link selection mode in response to actuation of a button of a pointing device of the computer system while a graphical pointer of the display, controlled by the pointing device, is directed at a control button of the browser window.