System and method for facilitating a windows based content manifestation environment within a WWW browser

• US 6,535,882 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Simple.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Wired Solutions LLC (Simple.com Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pasquali, Sandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US09/843,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/9, 707/5, 707/103, 707/100, 707/104, 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/912 Applications of a database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

A network client configured to operate within a data processing system and to receive content from a remote server system to facilitate a windowed content manifestation environment. The network client includes and involves a content retrieval module configured to receive content from a network server system via an electronic data network, and a processing engine coupled to the content retrieval module configured to operate a content manifestation environment within the data processing system, and to process the content to produce at least one window object within the content manifestation environment. The window object is configured to manifest at least a portion of the content therein. The window object corresponds to at least one executable program object and is controlled by the processing engine without requiring the content manifestation environment to be refreshed. The window object is associated with a controllable attribute which is configured to permit the window object to be controlled as a result of performing at least one of a moving operation, a resizing operation, a minimizing operation, or a maximizing operation within said content manifestation environment.

Claims

1. A network client configured to operate within a data processing system and to receive content from a remote server system to facilitate a windowed content manifestation environment, comprising:

a content retrieval module configured to receive content from a network server system via an electronic data network; and

a processing engine coupled to said content retrieval module configured to operate a content manifestation environment within the data processing system, to process said content to produce at least one window object within said content manifestation environment, said at least one window object configured to manifest at least a portion of said content therein, said at least one window object corresponding to at least one executable program object and being controlled by said processing engine without requiring said content manifestation environment to be refreshed, said at least one window object is associated with a controllable attribute, said controllable attribute configured to permit at least one window object to be controlled as a result of performing at least one of a moving operation, a resizing operation, a minimizing operation, or a maximizing operation within said content manifestation environment.

2. The network client according to claim 1, wherein said processing engine being further configured to process said content to produce a control section and a content display section within said at least one window object, said content display section configured to at least a portion of said content therein, said control section including a set of controls corresponding to a set of attributes which operate to affect manifestation of said at least one window object and at least a portion of said content within said content display section.

3. The network client according to claim 1, wherein said content retrieval module and said processing engine are implemented as sets of computer software objects.

4. The network client according to claim 1, wherein said content manifestation environment generated by said processing engine is a WWW browser window.

5. The network client according to claim 1, wherein said content retrieval module is configured to receive said content via the Internet.

6. A network client configured to operate within a data processing system and to receive content from a remote server system to facilitate a windowed content manifestation environment therein, comprising:

a content retrieval module configured to receive content from a network server system via an electronic data network; and

a processing engine coupled to said content retrieval module configured to instantiate a content manifestation environment within the data processing system, to process said content to produce at least one window object within said content manifestation environment, said at least one window object associated with a set of controllable attributes and configured to manifest at least a portion of said associated content therein, said controllable attributes configured to affect manifestation of said at least one window object by said the network client within said content manifestation environment, said at least one window object corresponding to at least one executable program object and being controlled by said processing engine without requiring said content manifestation environment to be refreshed, said at least one window object is associated with a controllable attribute, said controllable attribute configured to permit at least one window object to be controlled as a result of performing at least one of a moving operation, a resizing operation, a minimizing operation, or a maximizing operation within said content manifestation environment.

7. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said at least one window object executes within the network client.

8. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said at least one window object is derived based on instructions processed by said processing engine.

9. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said associated content includes at least one address of a network content source that is configured to download information to said data processing system via said electronic data network, said information to be manifested within said at least one window within said content manifestation environment.

10. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said associated content includes at least one address of a network content source that is configured to download information to said data processing system via said electronic data network, said information to be dynamically and continuously manifested within said at least one window object within said content manifestation environment.

11. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said associated content includes at least one address of a network content source that is configured to download information to said data processing system via said electronic data network, said information to be dynamically and continuously manifested within said at least one window object within said content manifestation environment without requiring said content manifestation environment to be refreshed within the network client.

12. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said controllable attributes associated with said at least one window object permit said at least one window object to be moved within said content manifestation environment.

13. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said controllable attributes associated with said at least one window object permit said at least one window object to be resized within said content manifestation environment.

14. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said controllable attributes associated with said at least one window object permit said at least one window object to be minimized within said content manifestation environment.

15. The network client according to claim 6, wherein said controllable attributes associated with said at least one window object permit said at least one window object to be maximized within said content manifestation environment.

16. A system for facilitating a windowed content manifestation environment within a web browser, comprising:

a server system configured to transmit a software system and associated content via an electronic data network; and

a web browser client operating within a data processing system that is coupled to said server system via the electronic data network and having a content manifestation environment, said web browser client operative to receive said software system and said associated content from said server system via the electronic data network, to process said software system and said associated content to produce a window object solely contained within said content manifestation environment, said window object is associated with a controllable attribute and is configured to manifest at least a portion of said associated content therein, said controllable attribute configured to affect manifestation of said window object by said web browser client within said content manifestation environment, wherein said window object executes within and is controlled by said web browser client which operates within said data processing system, and said controllable attribute associated with said window object permitting said window object to be controlled as a result of performing at least one of a moving operation, a resizing operation, a minimizing operation and a maximizing operation within said content manifestation environment and without requiring said web browser client to refresh said content manifestation environment.

17. Apparatus for facilitating a windowed content manifestation environment, comprising:

a server system configured to serve a software system and associated content, said software system executable to produce a window object within said content manifestation environment, said window object being associated with a controllable attribute and being configured to manifest at least a portion of said associated content therein, said controllable attribute configured to affect manifestation of said window object within said content manifestation environment, said controllable attribute permitting said window object to be controlled as a result of performing at least one of a moving operation, a resizing operation, a minimizing operation and a maximizing operation within said content manifestation environment and without requiring said content manifestation environment to be refreshed.