Parallel web sites

• US 6,297,819 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1998
• Issued: 10/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tumbleweed Holdings LLC (Equitable IP Corporation), ESGEAR
• Original Assignee: Essential Surfing Gear, Inc.
• Inventors: Furst, Merrick L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US09/192,633
• Time in Patent Office: 1,051 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 345/329, 345/346, 707/501, 707/513, 395/200.33, 395/200.49
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus (including computer program apparatus) for a browser-aware application delivery system. The System provides World Wide Web browser extensions based on server processes rather than on plug-in program modules loaded and installed on a user'"'"'s machine. The system operates like a monitor for a user while the user is browsing the web, and enables the user to obtain and interact with context-sensitive services and information based on the user'"'"'s browsing activity. The system allows the user to add application tools, which are implemented on servers separate from the user'"'"'s computer. Third parties can easily add tools to the system by registering application services with the system.

Claims

1. A method for providing information to a user browsing the web, comprising:

presenting to the user one or more application tools that the user may enable and disable;

transmitting a context defined by the user'"'"'s browsing activity to a user-selected and enabled application tool;

generating a web page parallel to the actual web page being visited by the user, wherein generating the web page includes running the application tool to generate a reaction to the context for the user; and

displaying the parallel web page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parallel web page is generated by a server operating independently of the web site providing the actual web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the parallel web page is generated by a discussion tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the parallel web page is generated by a contextual sales tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parallel web page is generated by a web ring tool.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the parallel web page provides an interface for the user to interact with a computer program tool operating independently of the actual web page or the web browser.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the tool is a comparative shopping tool.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting to the user an interface for a computer program tool;

transmitting context information derived from the user'"'"'s browsing activity with the web browser to the tool; and

using the context information in the tool to generate the parallel web page.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the parallel web page is generated to notify the user that a computer program tool has information relevant to the actual web page.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the computer program tool is operable to read the requested web page.

11. A method of providing information to a user of a user computer, comprising:

providing a first web browser to run on the user computer, the first web browser being a conventional web browser, the user interacting with the first web browser through conventional web browsing user interface actions; and

providing a client program providing a client user interface separate from that of the first web browser, the client program receiving first information from the first web browser about activity occurring on the first web browser, the client program providing outputs to the user in response to the first information, the client user interface comprising an icon having a position, an initial appearance, and an initial function; and

changing the appearance of the icon from its initial appearance and changing the function of the icon from its initial function, while leaving the position of the icon unchanged, in response to an output becoming available in response to the first information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the client program controls a second web browser operating independently of the first web browser to provide the separate client user interface, the client program operating without intervention from the user to provide the outputs to the user through the second web browser.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the client program is a thin shell in which the second web browser is embedded.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the client program monitors the position of a first window of the first web browser on a display and places a client window relative to the first window on the display.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the client program provides a user interface for each of one or more computer program tools, each of the tools being implemented in a computer program running on a server computer separate from the user computer, each of the tools being operable to communicate outputs to the client program.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

any one or more of the computer program tools can be active at any one time; and

the user interface for each active tool comprises a client tool window, the client tool windows of the active tools being updated by the active tools as the users browses the web using the first web browser.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page; and

at least one of the tools is operable to read, and provide output based on, content of the current web page.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page; and

the outputs comprise a speech data stream derived by a text-to-speech computer program tool from content of the current web page.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page; and

the outputs comprise a translation from a native language of the current web page to another language.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page; and

the outputs comprise source HTML code of the current web page.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page; and

the outputs comprise a discussion related to content of the current web page.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page; and

the outputs comprise a third-party comment on the current web page.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page; and

the outputs comprise shopping information for products of a kind shown in the current web page.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the shopping information comprises price and feature comparisons.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the shopping information comprises links to vendor web sites.

26. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the first information from the first browser identifies a current web page, the current web page being part of a web site of a particular company; and

the outputs comprise information about the particular company.

27. A system for providing information to a user browsing the web, comprising:

means for presenting to the user one or more application tools that the user may enable and disable;

means for transmitting a context defined by the user'"'"'s browsing activity to a user-selected and enabled application tool;

means for generating a web page parallel to the actual web page being visited by the user, wherein generating the web page includes running the application tool to generate a reaction to the context for the user; and

means for displaying the parallel web page.

28. A computer program product, tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, for providing information to a user browsing the web, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

present to the user one or more application tools that the user may enable and disable;

transmit a context defined by the user'"'"'s browsing activity to a user-selected and enabled application tool;

generate a web page parallel to the actual web page being visited by the user, including instructions to run the application tool to generate a reaction to the context for the user; and

display the parallel web page.