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

• US 6,658,419 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Promethean Medical Technologies LLC, Simple.com Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Simple.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Pasquali, Sandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US10/252,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20030149697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/103, 707/1, 707/2, 707/3, 707/9, 707/5, 709/217, 705/14
• US Class Current: 715/781
• 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

System and method for facilitating a windowed content manifestation environment within a world wide web (WWW) browser client. The system and method include and involve a server system that is configured to serve a software system and associated content via an electronic data network such as the Internet and WWW. Also included and involved is a web browser client (web browser software application) operating within a data processing system that is coupled to said server system via the electronic data network and which instantiates a content manifestation environment (e.g., a dynamic screen display environment within the data processing system). The web browser client is operative to receive the software system and the associated content via the server system, to process the software system and the associated content to produce at least one window object within the content manifestation environment. The generated window object(s) are each associated with a set of controllable attributes and are configured to manifest at least a portion of the associated content. The controllable attributes are configured to affect manifestation of the window object(s) by the web browser client within the content manifestation environment. The window object(s) generated within the content manifestation environment may be updated and loaded with content received via the electronic data network without requiring the content manifestation environment to be refreshed (e.g., without requiring screen refresh operations), and in real-time without requiring user intervention such as via hyper-link traversal.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a windowed content manifestation environment within a web browser, comprising the steps of:

transmitting a software system and associated content via an electronic data network from a server system;

operating a web browser client within a data processing system that is coupled to said server system at least in part via said electronic data network;

initiating a content manifestation environment within said web browser client;

receiving said software system and said associated content via said server system;

processing said software system and said associated 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 web browser 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 without requiring said content manifestation environment to be refreshed, 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, resizing operation, a minimizing operation or maximizing operation within said content manifestation environment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one window object executes within said web browser client which operates within said data processing system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one window object is derived based on instructions processed by said web browser client.

4. The method according to claim 1, 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 object within said content manifestation environment.

5. The method according to claim 1, 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.

6. The method according to claim 1, 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 said web browser client.

7. The method according to claim 1, 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.

8. The method according to claim 1, 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.

9. The method according to claim 1, 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.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said controllable attributes associated with said at least one window object permitting said at least one window object to be maximized within said content manifestation environment.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said electronic data network is the Internet.