Data processing system and method for internet browser history generation

• US 6,310,630 B1
• Filed: 12/12/1997
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kulkarni, Salil Janardan, Sterling, Merle Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai, Cuong T.
• Application Number:
  US08/989,675
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 345/357, 345/350, 345/349, 345/356, 345/329, 707/501, 395/200.49, 395/200.48, 395/200.33, 395/200.31
• US Class Current: 715/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor

Abstract

A data processing system and method for generating browsing histories during a worldwide web browsing session is implemented. As web pages are visited, they are added to the browsing history so generated which is organized in inverse chronological order. Each web page is further grouped with the server which provided the web page in order to facilitate subsequent random access to web pages that have been previously visited. Each visited web page, and each server associated therewith, appears in the history only once. In this way, the browsing history remains manageable, and user access to previously visited websites is simplified.

Claims

1. In a data processing system, a method of generating a web browsing history comprising the step of adding a data record corresponding to a current server identified in a web page identification data to a list of data records, if said list of data records has no data record corresponding to said current server, said data record including a server identification portion containing an identifier of a corresponding server, and a web page identifier list portion.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adding a web page identifier of a curt web page to said web page identifier list portion of said current server'"'"'s data record if said web page identifier of said current web page is not included in said identifier list, and wherein said data record list forms said web browsing history.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of incorporating a web page contents reference in said web page identifier list portion if said web page identifier is not included in said identifier list portion.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

outputting said list of data records.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step of outputting said list of data records comprises displaying said list of data records on a display monitor.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the step of storing said list of data records in a computer readable storage medium, said step of storing said list of data records including storing web page contents when said web page contents reference is a web page contents proxy.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said web page identification data is a uniform resource locator (URL).

8. A method of generating a web browsing history comprising the step of adding a data record corresponding to a current server identified in a web page identification data to a list of data records, if said list of data records has no data record corresponding to said current server, said data record including a server identification portion containing an identifier of a corresponding server, and a web page identifier list portion;

outputting said list of data records;

wherein said step of outputting said list of data records comprises displaying said list of data records on a display monitor; and

formatting one or more tabs in a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein said GUI is a notebook displaying said tabs, said tab further comprising one or more major tabs and one or more minor tabs, each major tab representing a member of said list of data records, and each said minor tab representing an entry in said list of web page identifiers within each said data record.

9. A data processing system for generating a web browsing history, said data processing system comprising circuitry operable for adding a data record corresponding to a current server into a data record list if said data record list does not contain a data record corresponding to said current server.

10. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising circuitry operable for adding a web page identifier of a current web page to a web page identifier list portion of data record if said current web page identifier is not contained in said web page identifier list, and wherein said list of data records forms said browsing history.

11. The data processing system of claim 10 further comprising:

circuitry for incorporating a web page contents reference in a web page contents portion of said web page identifier list.

12. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising circuitry for outputting said list of data records.

13. The data processing system of claim 12 wherein said circuitry for outputting said list of data records includes a display monitor.

14. The data processing system of claim 9 further comprising:

circuitry for storing said list of data records in a computer readable storage medium, said circuitry being operable for storing web page contents when said web page contents reference is a web page contents proxy.

15. A data processing system for generating a web browsing history, said data processing system comprising:

circuitry operable for adding a data record corresponding to a current server into a data record list if said data record list does not contain a data record corresponding to said current server;

circuitry for outputting said list of data records, wherein said circuitry for outputting said list of data records includes a display monitor; and

circuitry for formatting one or more tabs in a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein said GUI is a notebook displaying said tabs, said tabs further comprising one or more major tabs and one or more minor tabs, each major tab representing a member of said list of data records, and each said minor tab representing an entry in said list of web page identifiers within each said data record.

16. A program product in a computer readable medium for generating a browsing history, said program product comprising:

programming for determining if a current server identified in a current web page identifier is in a data record in a list of data records, each identified server being associated with a data record in said list; and

programing for incorporating a server identifier of said current server in a data record added to said list of data records if said identified server is not in a data record in said list of data records.

17. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising programming for adding a web page identifier to a web page identifier list in said associated data record if a current web page identifier is not in said web page identifier list.

18. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 17 further comprising:

programming for incorporating a web page contents reference of a current web page in a web page contents portion of said web page identifier list if said current web page identifier is not in said web page identifier list.

19. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising programming for outputting said list of data records.

20. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising programming for storing said list of data records on a computer readable medium of storage, said programming including programming for storing web page contents when said web page contents reference is a web page contents proxy.

21. A program product in a computer readable medium for generating a browsing history, said program product comprising:

programming for determining if a current server identified in a current web page identifier is in a data record in a list of data records, each identified server being associated with a data record in said list;

programming for incorporating a server identifier of said current server in a data record added to said list of data records if said identified server is not in a data record in said list of data records; and

programming for outputting said list of data records, wherein said programming for outputting said list of data records includes programming for displaying said list of data records on a display monitor, said programming for displaying said list of data records further comprising programming for formatting one or more tabs in a graphical user interface (GUI), wherein said GUI is a notebook displaying said tabs, said tabs further comprising one or more major tabs and one or more minor tabs, each major tab representing a member of said list of data records, and each said minor tab representing an entry in said list of web page identifiers within each said data record.

22. A method for generating a web browsing history comprising the steps of:

for each web page browsed, creating a notebook page for inclusion in a notebook data structure, wherein a main portion of the notebook page contains content from the web page and a tab portion of the notebook page contains a synoptic representation of the web page contents;

ordering the created notebook pages according to an ordering rule based on the web browsing history; and

presenting a notebook for a web browsing session wherein a plurality of tab portions and at least one main portion are displayed.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the synoptic representation displayed in the tab portion of a respective notebook page is user selectable.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a command to close the notebook; and

presenting the notebook in ionized form to represent a web browsing session.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:

detecting a mouse event selecting a tab portion of the notebook; and

retrieving a web page associated with the selected tab portion.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the ordering rule is related to a sequence in which the web pages are browsed in the web browsing session.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of importing a notebook page from another notebook representing a different web browsing session.

28. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of sequentially activating the tab portions of the notebook page so that a prior web browsing session is presented without retrieving the web page content with a new set of requests to web servers.

29. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of scrolling the main portion of a notebook page in response to user input.

30. The method of claim 22 wherein a set of subject-related notebooks are created, each containing a set of web pages for a particular subject.

31. A data processing system for generating a web browsing history comprising:

for each web page browse, circuitry for creating a notebook page for inclusion in a notebook data structure, wherein a main portion of the notebook page contains content from the web page and a tab portion of the notebook page contains a synoptic representation of the web page contents;

circuitry for ordering the created notebook pages according to an ordering rule based on the web browsing history; and

circuitry for presenting a notebook for a web browsing session wherein a plurality of tab portions and at least one main portion are displayed.

32. The data processing system of claim 31 wherein the synoptic representation displayed in the tab portion of a respective notebook page is user selectable.

33. The data processing system of claim 31 further comprising:

circuitry for detecting a command to close the notebook; and

circuitry for presenting the notebook in iconized form to represent a web browsing session.

34. The data processing system of claim 31 further comprising:

circuitry for detecting a mouse event selecting a tab portion of the notebook; and

circuitry for retrieving a web page associated with the selected tab portion.

35. The data processing system of claim 31 wherein the ordering rule is related to a sequence in which the web pages are browsed in the web browsing session.

36. The data processing system of claim 31 further comprising circuitry for importing a notebook page from another notebook representing a different web browsing session.

37. The data processing system of claim 31 further comprising circuitry for sequentially activating the tab portions of the notebook page so that a prior web browsing session is presented without retrieving the web page content with a new set of requests to web servers.

38. The data processing system of claim 31 further comprising circuitry for scrolling the main portion of a notebook page in response to user input.

39. The data processing system of claim 31 wherein a set of subject-related notebooks are created, each containing a set of web pages for a particular subject.

40. A program product in a computer readable medium for generating a browsing history said program product comprising:

programming for each web page browsed, creating a notebook page for inclusion in a notebook data structure, wherein a main portion of the notebook page contains content from the web page and a tab portion of the notebook page contains a synoptic representation of the web page contents;

programming for ordering the created notebook pages according to an ordering rule based on the web browsing history; and

programming for presenting a notebook for a web browsing session wherein a plurality of tab portions and at least one main portion are displayed.

41. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 wherein the summary displayed the synoptic representation displayed in the tab portion of a respective notebook page is user selectable.

42. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 further comprising:

programming for detecting a command to close the notebook; and

programming for presenting the notebook in iconized form to represent a web browsing session.

43. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 further comprising:

programming for detecting a mouse event selecting a tab portion of the notebook; and

programming for retrieving a web page associated with the selected tab portion.

44. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 wherein the ordering rule is related to a sequence in which the web pages are browsed in the web browsing session.

45. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 further comprising programming for importing a notebook page from another notebook representing a different web browsing session.

46. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 further comprising programing for sequentially activating the tab portions of the notebook page so that a prior web browsing session is presented without retrieving the web page content with a new set of requests to web servers.

47. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 further comprising programming for scrolling the main portion of a notebook page in response to user input.

48. The program product in a computer readable medium of claim 40 wherein a set of subject related notebooks are created, each containing a set of web pages for a particular subject.