Systems, methods and computer program products for tailoring web page content in hypertext markup language format for display within pervasive computing devices using extensible markup language tools

• US 6,535,896 B2
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ims, Steve Dale, Britton, Kathryn H., Topol, Brad B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US09/239,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501.1, 707/517, 707/523, 707/513, 707/100, 707/101, 707/522, 707/511-512, 707/203
• US Class Current: 715/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/154 Tree transformation for tree-structured or markup documents, e.g. XSLT, XSL-FO or stylesheets

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products are provided for utilizing XML-based tools to tailor HTML-based Web page content for display within various client devices. Content portions of a requested Web page are converted to an XML format and then modified using an XML content-tailoring tool. Other content portions of the Web page are masked so as to be “hidden” and are, thus, not converted to XML format. The masked portions of the Web page are then unmasked, combined with the modified content portions, and transmitted to a client device for display therewithin.

Claims

1. A method of tailoring Web page content for display via a client device, wherein the Web page contains first and second content portions in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving a request from the client device for the Web page;

converting the first content portion from HTML format to XML format;

masking the second content portion from view of the content tailoring tool;

modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device using a content tailoring tool in XML format; and

converting the modified first content portion from XML format to HTML format.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device for display therewithin.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of unmasking the second content portion prior to the step of transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the Web page contains a third content portion in HTML format that does not require modification for display within the client device, and further comprising the step of masking the third content portion from view of the content tailoring tool prior to the step of modifying the converted first content portion.

5. A method according to claim 4 further comprising the step of unmasking the third content portion prior to the step of transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device is performed via an XML parser.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device is performed via an Extensible Style Language (XSL) processor.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein the client device is a pervasive computing device.

9. A method of tailoring Web page content for display via a client device, wherein the Web page contains a first content portion in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format that can be converted into Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, and a second content portion in HTML format that is difficult to convert into XML format, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving a request from the client device for the Web page;

converting the first content portion from HTML format to XML format;

masking the second content portion from view of an XML content tailoring tool;

modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device using an XML content tailoring tool;

converting the modified first content portion from XML format to HTML format;

unmasking the second content portion; and

transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device for display therewithin.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the Web page contains a third content portion in HTML format that does not require modification for display within the client device, and further comprising the step of masking the third content portion from view of the XML content tailoring tool prior to the step of modifying the converted first content portion of the Web page.

11. A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of unmasking the third content portion prior to the step of transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

12. A method according to claim 10 wherein the step of modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device is performed via an XML parser.

13. A method according to claim 10 wherein the step of modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device is performed via an Extensible Style Language (XSL) processor.

14. A method according to claim 10 wherein the client device is a pervasive computing device.

15. A system for tailoring Web page content for display via a client device, wherein the Web page contains first and second content portions in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format, comprising:

means for receiving a request from the client device for the Web page;

means for converting t he first content portion from HTML format to XML format;

means for masking the second content portion from view of the content tailoring tool;

means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device using a content tailoring tool in XML format; and

means for converting the modified first content portion from XML format to HTML format.

16. A system according to claim 15 further comprising means for transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device for display therewithin.

17. A system according to claim 15 further comprising means for unmasking the second content portion prior to transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

18. A system according to claim 15 wherein the Web page contains a third content portion in HTML format that does not require modification for display within the client device, and further comprising means for masking the third content portion from view of the content tailoring tool prior to modification of the converted first content portion.

19. A system according to claim 18 further comprising means for unmasking the third content portion prior to the transmission of the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

20. A system according to claim 15 wherein the means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an XML parser.

21. A system according to claim 15 wherein the means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an Extensible Style Language (XSL) processor.

22. A system according to claim 15 wherein the client device is a pervasive computing device.

23. A system for tailoring Web page content for display via a client device, wherein the Web page contains a first content portion in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format that can be converted into Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, and a second content portion in HTML format that is difficult to convert into XML format, comprising:

means for receiving a request from the client device for the Web page;

means for converting the first content portion from HTML format to XML format;

means for masking the second content portion from view of an XML content tailoring tool;

means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device using an XML content tailoring tool;

means for converting the modified first content portion from XML format to HTML format;

means for unmasking the second content portion; and

means for transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device for display therewithin.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein the Web page contains a third content portion in HTML format that does not require modification for display within the client device, and further comprising means for masking the third content portion from view of the XML content tailoring tool prior to modification of the converted first content portion of the Web page.

25. A system according to claim 24 further comprising means for unmasking the third content portion prior to transmission of the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

26. A system according to claim 24 wherein the means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an XML parser.

27. A system according to claim 24 wherein the means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an Extensible Style Language (XSL) processor.

28. A system according to claim 24 wherein the client device is a pervasive computing device.

29. A computer program product for tailoring Web page content for display via a client device, wherein the Web page contains first and second content portions in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for receiving a request from the client device for the Web page;

computer readable program code means for converting the first content portion from HTML format to XML format;

computer readable program code means for masking the second content portion from view of the content tailoring tool;

computer readable program code means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device using a content tailoring tool in XML format; and

computer readable program code means for converting the modified first content portion from XML format to HTML format.

30. A computer program product according to claim 29 further comprising computer readable program code means for transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device for display therewithin.

31. A computer program product according to claim 29 further comprising computer readable program code means for unmasking the second content portion prior to transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

32. A computer program product according to claim 29 wherein the Web page contains a third content portion in HTML format that does not require modification for display within the client device, and further comprising computer readable program code means for masking the third content portion from view of the content tailoring tool prior to modification of the converted first content portion.

33. A computer program product according to claim 32 further comprising computer readable program code means for unmasking the third content portion prior to the transmission of the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

34. A computer program product according to claim 29 wherein the computer readable program code means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an XML parser.

35. A computer program product according to claim 29 wherein the computer readable program code means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an Extensible Style Language (XSL) processor.

36. A computer program product according to claim 29 wherein the client device is a pervasive computing device.

37. A computer program product for tailoring Web page content for display via a client device, wherein the Web page contains a first content portion in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) format that can be converted into Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, and a second content portion in HTML format that is difficult to convert into XML format, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for receiving a request from the client device for the Web page;

computer readable program code means for converting the first content portion from HTML format to XML format;

computer readable program code means for masking the second content portion from view of an XML content tailoring tool;

computer readable program code means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device using an XML content tailoring tool;

computer readable program code means for converting the modified first content portion from XML format to HTML format;

computer readable program code means for unmasking the second content portion; and

computer readable program code means for transmitting the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device for display therewithin.

38. A computer program product according to claim 37 wherein the Web page contains a third content portion in HTML format that does not require modification for display within the client device, and further comprising computer readable program code means for masking the third content portion from view of the XML content tailoring tool prior to modification of the converted first content portion of the Web page.

39. A computer program product according to claim 38 further comprising computer readable program code means for unmasking the third content portion prior to transmission of the Web page containing the modified first content portion to the client device.

40. A computer program product according to claim 38 wherein the computer readable program code means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an XML parser.

41. A computer program product according to claim 38 wherein the computer readable program code means for modifying the converted first content portion for display within the client device comprises an Extensible Style Language (XSL) processor.

42. A computer program product according to claim 40 wherein the client device is a pervasive computing device.