Method and apparatus for formatting and displaying data from the internet

• US 6,301,590 B1
• Filed: 08/11/1997
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InfoSpace, Inc. (Blucora Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Viador
• Inventors: Lai, David C., Siow, Tow-Ming, Chu, Jia-Bao
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford W.
• Application Number:
  US08/909,204
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 707/500, 707/104, 707/513, 707/517, 707/9, 707/3, 707/10, 707/516, 395/200.3, 395/200.31, 395/200.33, 395/200.53, 395/200.8, 395/200.59, 709/200-232
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

A method and apparatus are used to format and display data on the Web. A request is received on an application server from a Web client, a connection is established to a data repository via the application server, the data is retrieved from the data repository, formatted on the application server in a predetermined reporting format, and displayed on a display device coupled to the Web client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for formatting and displaying data on the World Wide Web (the web), the method comprising:

receiving a request on an application server from a Web client;

establishing a connection from the application server to a data repository;

retrieving the data from the data repository,

receiving formatting specification from the Web client;

formatting the data on the application server in a predetermined reporting format, wherein formatting further includes examining the formatting specification to determine a type of report corresponding to the predetermined reporting format; and

formatting the data according to the type of report wherein the type of format is one of a tabular format, a break report format, a drill-down report format, a master-detail report format, a form report format, a chart report format, a drill-own chart report format or a publishing report format.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the publishing report format includes a compound option and a frame option.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 wherein the compound option displays multiple reports in multiple report formats on a single layout.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2 wherein the frame option includes a list of multiple reports having multiple formats, and a display of a report from the list of multiple reports.

5. A computer-implemented method for formatting and displaying data on the World Wide Web (the web), the method comprising:

receiving a request on an application server from a Web client;

establish an application thread from the application server to a data repository,

maintaining a persistent state connection between the Web client and the data repository via the application server;

retrieving the data from the data repository;

receiving formatting specifications from the Web client;

formatting the data on the application server in a predetermined reporting format, wherein formatting further includes examining the formatting specification to determine a type of report corresponding to the predetermined reporting format, and formatting the data according to the type of report; and

displaying the formatted data on a display coupled to the Web client, wherein the type of format is one of a tabular format, a break report format, a drill-down report format, a master-detail report format, a form report format, a chart report format, a drill-down chart report format or a publishing report format.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5 wherein the publishing report format includes a compound option and a frame option.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6 wherein the compound option displays multiple reports in a multiple report formats on a single layout.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 6 wherein the frame option includes a list of multiple reports having multiple formats, and a display of a report from the list of multiple reports.

9. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions, the sequences of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a request on an application server from a Web client;

establish a connection from the application server to a data repository;

retrieve the data from the data repository;

receive formatting specifications from the Web client;

format the data on the application server in a predetermined reporting format by examining the formatting specification to determine a type of report corresponding to the predetermined reporting format and formatting the data according to the type of report; and

display the formatted data on a display coupled to the Web client, wherein the type of format is one of a tabular format, a break report format, a drill-down report format, a master-detail report format, a form report format, a chart report format, a drill-down chart report format or a publishing report format.

10. The medium of claim 9 wherein the publishing report format includes a compound option and a frame option.

11. The medium of claim 10 wherein the compound option displays multiple reports in a multiple report formats on a single layout.

12. The medium of claim 11 wherein the frame option includes a list of multiple reports having multiple formats, and a display of a report from the list of multiple reports.