Interactive computer network and method of operation

• US 6,275,852 B1
• Filed: 08/06/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Filepp, Robert, Young, Francis C., Meo, Sam, Wolf, Allan M., Tiemann, Duane, Appleman, Kenneth H., Bidwell, Alexander W., Gordon, Michael L., Lee, Florence M., Dalsass, Aldo R., Silfen, Michael J., Abrahams, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/369,649
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/205, 709/206, 709/216, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/025 containing polyether sequences
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A method of operating a distributed processing, interactive computer network is described. The network is designed to provide very large numbers of simultaneous users access to large numbers of applications which feature interactive text/graphic sessions. The network includes one or more servers, interactive applications, and one or more reception systems, the reception systems being capable of communicating with the respective servers and receiving applications from them. In this arrangement, application are structured from packets termed “objects”, the objects including the display data and/or program code required to support execution of the application. When a request for an application is received at a reception system, if any objects for the application are unavailable from the reception system, the objects are requested from the server and supplied to the reception systems requesting the application objects. In accordance with the method, the respective reception systems include display interfaces for presenting applications to respective users the respective display interfaces featuring a plurality of display partitions. Also in accordance with the method, at least some of the respective applications are divided into sections, the respective sections being designed to form at least a part of an application display page. Further, application sections are constructed from objects such that display page parts of one or more respective applications may be controllably presented at the partitions of the interface to permit at least application page part nesting, scrolling and navigation, the objects being of multiple types and including display data and/or program code for enabling execution of applications and their presentation at the interface partitions of the respective user reception systems.

Claims

1. A method for operating a server in a computer network to enable presentation of interactive applications, the network including at least a first server, interactive applications and one or more reception systems, the reception systems being capable of communicating with the server and receiving applications from the server, the reception systems, respectively, having a display interface for presenting applications to respective users, the method comprising steps of:

a. Providing on the network one or more applications employing objects;

b. Storing the objects on the network;

c. Supplying objects from the server for applications employing objects requested at a reception system to the extent the objects for the requested applications are unavailable at the reception system;

d. Generating a display interface at the reception system from objects for requested applications collected at the reception system, the interface including a plurality of partitions for presenting the applications.

2. The method of claim 1 including steps for dividing at least the applications employing objects into sections.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein dividing the applications into sections includes steps for forming the respective application sections as at least a part of an application display page.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein generating the display interface includes steps for concurrently presenting separate sections of an application at partitions of the interface.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein dividing applications into sections includes steps for embedding in one or more sections of an application, one or more sections of the application.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein dividing applications into sections includes steps for embedding in one or more sections of an application, one or more sections of other applications.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein dividing applications into sections includes steps for embedding in one or more section of an application, one or more sections of the application and one or more sections of other applications.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein generating the display interface includes steps for concurrently presenting sections of separate applications at partitions of the interface.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein generating the display interface includes steps for concurrently presenting separate sections of an application at a first set of one or more partitions of the interface and sections of separate applications at a second set of one or more other partitions of the interface.

10. The method of claim 3 wherein dividing the applications into sections includes steps for forming the application sections with objects, the objects including display data and/or program code for generating display of respective application sections.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein forming the application sections with objects includes steps for arranging the objects as multiple object types.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein arranging the objects as multiple object types includes steps for providing the object types with a predetermined structure which comprises a header and one or more information segments which define the respective objects.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein arranging the objects as multiple object types includes steps for providing an object type for defining program information used in supporting execution of the respective applications at the respective reception systems.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein arranging the objects as multiple object types includes steps for providing an object type for defining formatting of the respective applications at respective reception system display interfaces.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein arranging the objects as multiple object types includes steps for providing an object type for defining application elements that may appear at respective reception system display interfaces.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein arranging the objects as multiple object types includes steps for providing an object type for defining a make-up template for respective application segments presented at the respective reception system display interfaces.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein arranging the objects as multiple object types includes steps for providing an object type for defining window elements that may appear at respective reception system display interfaces.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein providing the object types with a predetermined structure comprising a header and one or more information segment includes steps for structuring headers with a sequence of information which identifies the respective object.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein structuring object headers includes steps for structuring headers with information which indicates the version of respective objects.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein structuring object headers includes steps for structuring headers with information which indicates intended use of respective objects.

21. A method for operating a server in a computer network to enable presentation of interactive applications, the network including at least a first server, interactive applications and one or more reception systems, the reception systems being capable of communicating with the server and receiving applications from the server, the reception systems, respectively, having a display interface for presenting applications to respective users, the method comprising steps of:

a. Providing on the network one or more applications that are divided into sections which comprise at least a part of an application page, the application sections being defined by objects;

b. Storing at least some application objects at the reception system, and storing at least some application objects at the server;

c. Supplying objects from the server for applications employing objects requested at a reception system to the extent the objects for the requested applications are unavailable at the reception system;

d. Generating a display interface at the reception system from objects for requested applications collected at the reception system, the interface including a plurality of partitions for presenting the applications.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein generating the display interface includes steps for concurrently presenting at least separate display page parts of an application at one or more interface partitions.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein generating the display interface includes steps for concurrently presenting sections of at least page parts of multiple applications at partitions of the interface.

24. The method of claim 22 or 23 wherein presenting application sections comprising at least application page parts at partitions of the interface includes steps for at least one or more page parts to be scrollable.

25. The method of claim 22 or 23 wherein presenting application sections comprising at application least page parts at partitions of the interface enables a user to navigate through the portions of the applications presented.

26. A method for operating a server in a computer network to enable presentation of interactive applications, the network including at least a first server, interactive applications and one or more reception systems, the reception systems being capable of communicating with the server and receiving applications from the server, the reception systems, respectively, having a display interface for presenting applications to respective users, the method comprising steps of:

a. Providing on the network one or more applications that are divided into sections which comprise at least a part of an application page, the application sections being defined by objects; and

b. Generating a display interface at the reception system from objects for requested applications collected at the reception system, the interface including a plurality of partitions for presenting the applications.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein generating the display interface includes steps for concurrently presenting at least separate page parts of an application at one or more interface partitions.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein generating the display interface includes steps for concurrently presenting sections of at least page parts of multiple applications at partitions of the interface.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein dividing the applications into sections includes steps for forming the application sections with objects, the objects including display data and/or program code for generating display of respective application sections.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein forming the application sections with objects includes steps for arranging the objects as multiple object types.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein arranging the objects as multiple object types includes steps for providing the object types with a predetermined structure which comprises a header and one or more information segments which define the respective objects.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein providing the object types with a predetermined structure comprising a header and one or more information segment includes steps for structuring headers with a sequence of information which identifies respective objects.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein structuring object headers includes steps for structuring headers with information which indicates the version of respective objects.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein structuring object headers includes steps for structuring headers with information which indicates intended use of respective objects.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein presenting application sections comprising at least page parts of applications at partitions of the interface include steps for at least one or more page parts to be scrollable.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein presenting application sections comprising at least page parts of applications at partitions of the interface enables a user to navigate through the portions of the application presented.