Methods for managing preferred internet sites in a computer system having a browser

• US 6,544,295 B1
• Filed: 11/18/1996
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellisync Corporation (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starfish Software, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bodnar, Eric O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUPSTAS, TOD A
• Application Number:
  US08/749,630
• Time in Patent Office: 2,332 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.53, 395/682, 707/1, 707/10, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/223, 709/302
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

A computer system having a “browse” connected to an on-line service (e.g., Internet) is providing with a “Quick” marks utility, which lets a user easily organize programs, Web sites, and other items in tabs, and start them with a single click. The utility provides an interface having a manageable lists of marks organized by tabs, folders, and visual icons. Buttons on the Quick marks utility let the user start programs or jump to a Web site. When the user clicks an Internet Quick marks button, the system launches the user'"'"'s Web browser and connects the user to that Web site. After the browser is launched, the user can continue to click different Quick marks buttons to connect quickly to desired sites. The utility includes an abstraction layer which operates in conjunction with various drivers. The abstraction layer provides an interface allowing applications to communicate with the system and request Quick mark services. The workhorse routines, on the other hand, are encapsulated within the various drivers. The particulars of a Quick mark item are handled by a Quick mark (QMX) driver, which provides an extension—driver-specific API—for handling the item. With this architecture, the particular details of handling a mark (i.e., whether it is a URL, whether it is a pointer to a file, whether it is a document, or the like) are abstracted to a level which removes or decouples it from the management of the mark.

Claims

1. In a computer system having at least one browser for accessing content from on-line sites, an improved method for managing marks representing on-line sites of interest to a user, said marks including marks proprietary for at least one particular type of browser, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the user for storing a particular mark from a given browser, said particular mark having a format proprietary to a particular browser and referencing a particular on-line site of interest;

storing, in response to said request, first information characterizing machine-independent attributes of the particular mark, said first information for sharing mark information with other computer systems;

storing, in response to said request, second information characterizing machine-specific attributes of the particular mark, said second information providing mark information which allows said computer system to access the particular on-line site using said at least one browser;

receiving a request to share marks with another user;

in response to said request to share said marks with another user, transferring said first information to the other user'"'"'s computer;

receiving a request from the other user to access an on-line site represented by a mark which has been transferred to the other user; and

in response to the request from the other user, translating first information for the mark into said second information for the mark, said second information for the mark representing machine-specific attributes of the mark relative to the other user'"'"'s computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user input for selecting a mark representing an on-line site;

in response to said user input, performing substeps of;

(i) if machine-specific information is stored for the selected mark, providing access to the on-line site represented by the selected mark by instructing one of said at least one browsers to navigate to the on-line site, and

(ii) if machine specific information is not stored for the selected mark, first translating machine-independent information for the mark into machine-specific information and, thereafter, performing substep (i).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said particular mark is a selected one of a Netscape Navigator Bookmark and a Microsoft Internet Explorer Favorite.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said particular mark represents a reference to a non-Internet, proprietary on-line service.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said particular mark represents a reference to a selected one of an America On-Line site and a CompuServe site.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping selected marks together in a user-created folder; and

providing each folder so created with an identifying tab having a user provided name.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first information stores a mark type for indicating a particular driver which is required for correctly processing the mark.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said particular driver comprises processing methods for processing native data of the mark.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said particular driver comprises a Universal Request Locator (URL) capable driver.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the URL capable driver includes support for Netscape Navigator Bookmarks and Microsoft Internet Explorer Favorites.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said particular driver comprises a file driver for supporting access to objects on the user'"'"'s own computer system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one browser comprises a selected one of Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

representing at least one mark in the system with an icon derived from a graphic image copied from the on-line site for the mark.