System and method for web browsing

• US 6,313,855 B1
• Filed: 02/04/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Browse3D, LLC
• Original Assignee: Browse3D Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, William R., Shuping, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US09/498,079
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 345/357, 345/346, 345/355, 345/342, 345/340, 345/419, 345/339, 345/329, 345/350, 345/351, 345/341, 345/348, 345/356, 707/501, 707/501.1, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for web browsing. Generally speaking, the present invention contemporaneously displays multiple web pages, preferably within a single window, for a user to view. In a preferred embodiment, a current web page, a past web page, and a future web page are contemporaneously displayed in a single window. In this embodiment, the present invention tracks a past web page and renders it in a first panel, renders the current web page in a second panel, and identifies a hyperlink in the current web page to retrieve and render the future web page in a third panel. Preferably, all of these panels are embedded within a single window. In this manner, the user contemporaneously views the current web page, the past page, and the future web page in the single window. Preferably, the present invention is implemented as a web browsing room in a three-dimensional space where walls of the rooms correspond to various ones of the aforementioned panels. The user can view the web pages in the browsing room using various three-dimensional navigation techniques.

Claims

1. A method for browsing web pages comprising:

in response to a user action, requesting first web page data from a source of web page data;

receiving said first web page data including a reference to second web page data;

locating said reference to said second web page data in said first web page data;

automatically requesting said second web page data using said reference;

rendering a first web page in a first panel from said first web page data using a first web browsing engine; and

rendering a second web page in a second panel from said second web page data using a second web browsing engine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first web page and said second web page are contemporaneously displayed in a single window.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said rendering a second web page comprises rendering said second web page as a thumbnail image in said second panel using said second web page data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering said second web page in said first panel in response to said user selecting said second web page.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

locating a reference to third web page data in said second web page data;

automatically requesting said third web page data using said reference to third web page data;

rendering a third web page in a third panel using said third web page data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first panel and said second panel are configured in separate planes in a three-dimensional space.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said first panel, said second panel, and said third panel are configured in separate planes in said three-dimensional space.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

locating a reference to third web page data in said second web page data;

automatically requesting said third web page data using said reference to third web page data;

rendering a third web page in said second panel using said third web page data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising rendering said first web page in a third panel using said first web page data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising rerendering said first web page in said first panel using said first web page data in response to said user selecting said first web page.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said rerendering said first web page comprises rerendering said first web page in said first panel using said first web page data in response to said user selecting said first web page from said third panel.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting third web page data;

rendering a third web page in said first panel using said third web page data; and

upon said user action, rendering said third web page in a third panel.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said third web page data includes a reference to said first web page data.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said rendering said third web page in said third panel comprises rendering a plurality of third web pages in said third panel.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said first panel and said second panel are configured in separate planes in a three-dimensional space.

16. The method claim 1, wherein said rendering a second web page in a second panel comprises rendering a plurality of second web pages in said second panel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said rendering a plurality of second web pages in said second panel comprises using a separate web browsing engine to render each of said plurality of second web pages.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said first web browsing engine is a first instance of a web browsing engine, and wherein said second web browsing engine is a second instance of said web browsing engine.

19. A graphic user interface comprising:

a first panel having a first web page rendered therein from first web page data, said first panel utilizing a first instance of a web browsing engine, and said first web page data including a reference to second web page data; and

a second panel having a second web page rendered therein from said second web page data, said second panel utilizing a second instance of said web browsing engine.

20. The graphic user interface of claim 19, further comprising a third panel having third web page generated therein from third web page data, said third web page data including a reference to said first web page data.

21. The graphic user interface of claim 20, wherein said first panel, said second panel, and said third panel are configured as walls of a room in a three-dimensional space.

22. The graphic user interface of claim 19, wherein said second web page data includes a reference to third web page data, and further comprising a third panel having a third web page generated therein from said third web page data.

23. A graphic user interface comprising:

a room in a three-dimensional space, said room having a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall,

wherein said first wall includes a past web page rendered thereon, said first wall having a first web browsing engine embedded therein,

wherein said second wall includes a current web page rendered thereon, said second wall having a second web browsing engine embedded therein, said current web page including a hyperlink,

wherein said third wall includes a future web page rendered thereon, said third wall having a third web browsing engine embedded therein, said future web page retrievable via said hyperlink.

24. A computer program code product comprising:

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to render a first web page in a first panel using first web page data via a first web browsing engine;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to locate a reference to second web page data in said first web page data;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to automatically request said second web page data using said located reference;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to render a second web page in a second panel using said second web page data via a second web browsing engine; and

a computer-usable medium configured to store said computer-readable program codes.

25. A method for enabling a computer to implement a web browser, comprising:

transmitting computer-readable program code to a computer, said computer-readable program code including;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to invoke a first instance of a web browsing engine to render a first web page in a first panel using first web page data;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to locate a reference to second web page data in said first web page data;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to invoke a second instance of a web browsing engine;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to automatically request said second web page data using said located reference;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to render a second web page in a second panel using said second web page data, said second web page rendered using said second instance of said web browsing engine.

26. A graphic user interface comprising:

a three-dimensional space having a current panel, a plurality of past panels, and a plurality of future panels,

wherein each of said plurality of past panels includes a past web page rendered thereon,

wherein said current panel includes a current web page rendered thereon, said current web page including a plurality of hyperlinks,

wherein each of said plurality of future panels includes a future web page rendered thereon, each said future web page retrievable via a corresponding one of said plurality of hyperlinks; and

wherein said plurality of past panels, said current panel, and said plurality of future panels each utilize separate instances of a web browsing engine to render their respective web pages.

27. The graphic user interface of claim 26, further comprising a panel that includes a sticky web page.

28. The graphic user interface of claim 26, wherein one of either said plurality of past panels or said plurality of future panels includes a sticky web page.

29. A method for browsing web pages comprising:

requesting first web page data from a source of web page data;

rendering a first web page in a first panel using said first web page data and a first web browsing engine;

requesting second web page data in response to a user action;

rendering a second web page in said first panel using said second web page data;

rendering said first web page in a second panel using said first web page data and a second web browsing engine;

locating a reference to third web page data in said second web page data;

requesting said third web page data using said located reference; and

rendering a third web page in a third panel.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said first panel, said second panel and said third panel are configured in a three-dimensional space as a center wall, a left wall, and a right wall of a room, respectively.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said rendering said third web page in said third panel comprises rendering said third web page as a thumbnail image in said third panel.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said rendering said first web page in said second panel comprises rendering said first web page as a thumbnail image in said second panel.

33. A graphic user interface comprising:

a room in a three-dimensional space, said room having a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall,

wherein said first wall includes a past web page rendered thereon, said past web page rendered using a first web browsing engine,

wherein said second wall includes a current web page rendered thereon, said current web page including a hyperlink to a future web page, said current web page rendered using a second web browsing engine, and

wherein said third wall includes said future web page rendered thereon, said future web page rendered using said hyperlink and a third web browsing engine.

34. The graphic user interface of claim 33, wherein said room includes a floor having web browsing indicia rendered thereon.

35. The graphic user interface of claim 33, wherein said room includes a floor having an application program embedded therein capable of receiving data from a cut-and-paste operation.

36. The graphic user interface of claim 33, wherein said room is navigable in said three-dimensional space.

37. The graphic user interface of claim 33, wherein when a user selects said past web page on said first wall, said past web page is rendered on said second wall thereby becoming a new current web page.

38. The graphic user interface of claim 37, wherein after said user selects said past web page on said first wall, said current web page is rendered on said first wall thereby becoming a new past web page.

39. The graphic user interface of claim 33, wherein when a user selects said future web page on said third wall, said future web page is rendered on said second wall thereby becoming a new current web page.

40. The graphic user interface of claim 39, wherein after said user selects said future web page on said third wall, said current web page is rendered on said first wall thereby becoming a new past web page.

41. The graphic user interface of claim 39, wherein after said user selects said future web page on said third wall, a new future web page is rendered on said third wall, said new future web page rendered using a hyperlink in said future web page.