System and method for rendering content received via the internet and world wide web via delegation of rendering processes

• US 6,343,377 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1997
• Issued: 01/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Netscape Communications Corporation (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gessner, Rick, Chevalier, Troy, Linss, Peter S., Hickman, Kipp E. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/000,520
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 395/712, 707/1, 707/513, 345/333, 345/346, 709/200, 709/217, 709/232, 717/11
• US Class Current: 717/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

A system and method for manifesting content received via the Internet by an automatic data processing system includes and involves a content retrieval module for retrieving content from the Internet. The content is arranged to be manifested by the automatic data processing system. Also included and involved is a content manifestation module that is coupled to the content retrieval module. The content manifestation module is operable to receive a replaceable software delegate during its operation, and to manifest the content within the automatic data processing system in accordance with the replaceable software delegate. The replaceable software delegate controls the manifestation of the content by the content manifestation module.

Claims

1. A system for manifesting content received via the Internet by an automatic data processing system, comprising:

a content retrieval module for retrieving content from the Internet, said content arranged to be manifested by said automatic data processing system; and

a content manifestation module coupled to said content retrieval module, said content manifestation module operable to receive a replaceable software delegate during operation of said content manifestation module, and to manifest said content within said automatic data processing system in accordance with said replaceable software delegate, said replaceable software delegate controlling the manifestation of said content by said content manifestation module.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said content is a web page that includes parts to be laid out by said content manifestation module through execution of said replaceable software delegate.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said replaceable software delegate replacing a corresponding and pre-existing software module, said corresponding and pre-existing software module normally controlling the manifestation of said content by said content manifestation module.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said content retrieval module and said content manifestation module are computer software objects that are executed within said automatic data processing system.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said content is manifested on a visual display device coupled to said automatic data processing system.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said replaceable software delegate is received by said content manifestation module via a network.

7. A computer readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system, said instructions for controlling said computer system comprising the steps of:

retrieving content from the Internet, said content arranged to be manifested by said computer system;

receiving a replaceable software delegate; and

manifesting said content within said computer system in accordance with said replaceable software delegate said replaceable software delegate controlling the manifestation of said content by said computer system.

8. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein said content is a web page that includes parts to be processed by said replaceable software delegate.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein said content is manifested on a visual display device coupled to said computer system.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein said replaceable software delegate is received via a network.

11.The computer readable medium according to claim 7, wherein said replaceable software delegate is received via the Internet.

11. A method for manifesting content received via the Internet comprising the steps of:

retrieving content from the Internet, said content arranged to be manifested by an automatic data processing system;

receiving a replaceable software delegate; and

manifesting said content within said automatic data processing system in accordance with said replaceable software delegate, said replaceable software delegate controlling the manifestation of said content by said automatic data processing system.

12. The method according to claim 12, wherein said content is a web page that includes parts to be processed by said replaceable software delegate.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said content is manifested on a visual display device coupled to said computer system.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said replaceable software delegate is received via a network.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein said replaceable software delegate is received via the Internet.

16. A system for manifesting content received via the Internet, comprising:

a content manifestation device;

a data storage device; and

a processor coupled to said content manifestation device and to said data storage device, said processor operative to retrieve content from the Internet, to receive a replaceable software delegate, to store said replaceable software delegate in said data storage device, and to cause said content manifestation device to manifest said content in accordance with said replaceable software delegate, said replaceable software delegate controlling the manifestation of said content by said processor and said content manifestation device.

17. The system according to claim 17, wherein said content is a web page that includes parts to be laid out in accordance with the execution of said replaceable software delegate by said processor.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said replaceable software delegate replacing a corresponding and pre-existing software module, said corresponding and pre-existing software module normally controlling the manifestation of said content by said content manifestation device.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein said content manifestation device is a visual display.

20. A system for distributing replaceable software delegates to automatic data processing systems in network environment, comprising:

a data storage device for storing a replaceable software delegate; and

a processor coupled to said data storage device, said processor operative to distribute content to an automatic processing system coupled to said processor via network, said automatic data processing system configured to manifest said content, said processor further operative to distribute said replaceable software delegate to said automatic data processing system, said replaceable software delegate configured to control the manifestation of said content by said automatic data processing system.

21. The system according to claim 21, wherein said content is a web page including hyper text mark-up language (HTML) layout suggestions.

22. The system according to claim 21, wherein said content is a web page that includes parts to be laid out by a content manifestation device coupled to said automatic data processing system via execution of said replaceable software delegate.

23. The system according to claim 21, wherein said replaceable software delegate is intended to replace a corresponding and pre-existing software module residing within said automatic data processing system, said corresponding and pre-existing software module normally controlling the manifestation of said content by said automatic data processing system.

24. The system according to claim 21, wherein said network is the Internet.

25. The system according to claim 21, wherein said replaceable software delegate is contained within said content.

26. The system according to claim 21, wherein said content includes said replaceable software delegate.

27. A system for rendering content received via the Internet by an automatic data processing system, comprising:

a content retrieval module for retrieving content from a network, said content arranged to be rendered by said automatic data processing system; and

a content rendering module coupled to said content retrieval module, said content rendering module operable to receive a replaceable software delegate during operation of said content rendering module, and to render said content within said automatic data processing system in accordance with said replaceable software delegate, said replaceable software delegate controlling the rendition of said content by said content rendering module.

28. The system according to claim 28, wherein said content is a web page that includes parts to be rendered by said content manifestation module through execution of said replaceable software delegate.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said replaceable software delegate is intended to replace a corresponding and pre-existing software module, said corresponding and pre-existing software module normally controlling the rendition of said content by said content rendering module.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein said content retrieval module and said content rendering module are computer software objects that are executed within said automatic data processing system.

31. The system according to claim 28, wherein said content is manifested on a visual display device that is coupled to said automatic data processing system.

32. The system according to claim 28, wherein said replaceable software delegate is received by said content rendering module via a network.

33. The system according to claim 28, wherein said replaceable software delegate is received by said content rendering module via the Internet.

34. The system according to claim 28, wherein said replaceable software delegate is encapsulated within said content.