Method of controlling web applications from redirecting a client to another web address

• US 6,724,406 B1
• Filed: 11/10/1999
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelley, Edward E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/438,041
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 345/804, 345/805, 345/760, 345/781, 345/803, 345/744, 345/853, 345/854, 345/817-820, 345/824, 707/501, 707/513, 709/203, 709/210, 709/227-228
• US Class Current: 715/804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and apparatus which gives a user of a client computer greater control over a web browser by providing a web browser start indicator. The web browser start indicator controls the redirection capabilities of a web browser so that the user is not directed to another web site without the user'"'"'s permission when closing a web browsing session or when returning to a previously viewed web site. Preferably, the present invention is embodied as a computer program product, for example a web browser and a web browser language such as JavaScript®, stored on a program storage device. Greater privacy and control is provided to users over current and subsequent browsing sessions.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a web browser by which a user views a window, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a web browser on a client computer including a web browser start indicator;

(b) determining whether the web browser may open a subsequent window after a first window is closed based on whether said web browser start indicator has been activated by the user at said client computer;

(c) preventing the web browser from opening said subsequent window when a request to open said subsequent window is received when a selection is made by the user in step (b) that the web browser may not open said subsequent window; and

(d) allowing the web browser to open said subsequent window when a request to open said subsequent window is received when a selection is made by the user in step (b) that the web browser may open said subsequent window.

2. A method of controlling redirection of a client computer to another uniform resource locator by a web browser stored on the client computer, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a web browser having a web browser start indicator, said web browser stored on the client computer;

(b) a user selecting at the client computer whether said web browser may open a subsequent window upon termination of a currently viewed window when the user activates or deactivates the web browser start indicator;

(c) preventing the web browser from opening said subsequent window when the user activates said web browser start indicator; and

(d) allowing the web browser to open said subsequent window when the user has deactivated said web browser start indicator.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein in step (a) said web browser start indicator determines whether the web browser will prevent or allow redirection of the client computer to a different uniform resource locator from a uniform resource locator being currently viewed by the client computer.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein in step (c) the web browser is prevented from opening a subsequent window when the user selects a “

back”

function on the web browser to return to a previously accessed uniform resource locator.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein in step (c) the web browser is prevented from opening a subsequent window when the user selects a “

close”

function on the web browser.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein in step (d) the web browser is allowed to open a subsequent window when the user selects a “

back”

function on the web browser and redirection is permitted to a previously viewed uniform resource locator.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein in step (d) the web browser is allowed to open a subsequent window when the user selects a “

close”

function on the web browser and redirection is permitted to another uniform resource locator.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said web browser start indicator is a plug-in within said web browser stored on the client computer.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said web browser start indicator is incorporated into said web browser.

10. A method of preventing redirection of a client computer engaging a web browser when a user is viewing a current web site during a browsing session, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a web browser having a web browser start indicator for controlling redirection of the client computer to another web site, said web browser stored on the client computer;

(b) a user activating said web browser start indicator; and

(c) preventing the web browser from redirecting the client computer to the another web site when the user terminates viewing of the current web site by closing the browsing session.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in step (c) the user terminates viewing of the current web site by closing the browsing session.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein in step (c) the user terminates viewing of the current web site by engaging a “

back”

function of the web browser to access a previously viewed web site.

13. A method of browsing a web site on a client computer comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a web browser having a web browser start indicator, said web browser stored on the client computer;

(b) engaging said web browser to access a web site by locating a desired uniform resource locator of said web site;

(c) viewing one or more web sites such that more than one browser session is open;

(d) a user activating the web browser start indicator; and

(e) preventing said web browser from redirecting the client computer to another web site when an open browser session is terminated.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step (e) comprises preventing said web browser from redirecting the client computer to another web site when a user terminates an open browser session by closing a window for viewing the browser session.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein step (e) comprises preventing said web browser from redirecting the client computer to another web site when a user terminates an open browser session by engaging a “

back”

function of said web browser for viewing a previous web site during the browser session.

16. A web browser stored on a client computer for viewing web sites during a browsing session comprising:

a means for accessing one or more web sites during the browsing session; and

a web browser stored on a client computer having a web browser start indicator for activation by a user to allow the user control redirection to another web site when terminating a currently viewed web site by closing the browsing session.

17. The web browser of claim 16 wherein said web browser start indicator is activated to prevent redirection to another web site when terminating a currently viewed web site during the browsing session.

18. The web browser of claim 16 wherein said web browser start indicator is deactivated to allow redirection to another web site when terminating a currently viewed web site during the browsing session.

19. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for controlling a web browser by which a user views a window, said method steps comprising:

(a) determining whether a web browser including a web browser start indicator stored on a client computer may open a subsequent window after a first window is closed based on whether the web browser start indicator has been activated by the user;

(b) preventing the web browser from opening said subsequent window when a request to open said subsequent window is received when a selection is made by the user in step (a) that the web browser may not open said subsequent window; and

(c) allowing the web browser to open said subsequent window when a request to open said subsequent window is received when a selection is made by the user in step (a) that the web browser may open said subsequent window.

20. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for controlling the redirection of a client computer to another uniform resource locator, said method steps comprising:

(a) a user altering a web browser start indicator of a web browser stored on a client computer;

(b) preventing the web browser from opening a subsequent window upon termination of a currently viewed window when said web browser start indicator is activated by the user; and

(c) allowing said web browser to open said subsequent window when said web browser start indicator is deactivated by the user.

21. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for preventing redirection of a client computer engaging a web browser when displaying a current web site during a browsing session, said method steps comprising:

(a) determining whether a user has activated a web browser start indicator of a web browser stored on a client computer;

(b) displaying a document at a uniform resource locator;

(c) receiving an instruction to terminate displaying the current web site by closing the browsing session; and

(d) preventing redirection of the client computer to another web site when said web browser start indicator is activated by the user.

22. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for browsing a web site from a client computer, said method steps comprising:

(a) engaging a web browser having a web browser start indicator, said web browser stored on the client computer;

(b) accessing a web site;

(c) displaying one or more web sites such that more than one browser session is displayed;

(d) a user altering the web browser start indicator at said client computer; and

(e) preventing redirection of the client computer to another web site when an open browser session is terminated by the user.

23. A computer program product comprising

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for controlling a web browser by which a user views a window, said computer program product including:

a computer readable program code means for causing a computer to determine whether the web browser may open a subsequent window after a first window is closed based on whether a web browser start indicator of a web browser stored on a client computer has been activated by the user at said client computer;

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to prevent the web browser from opening said subsequent window when a request to open said subsequent window is received when a selection is made by the user that the web browser may not open said subsequent window; and

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to allow the web browser to open said subsequent window when a selection is made by the user that the web browser may open said subsequent window.

24. A computer program product comprising

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for controlling redirection of a client computer to another uniform resource locator by a web browser having a web browser start indicator stored on said client computer, said computer program product including:

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to allow a user to alter said web browser start indicator at said client computer;

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to prevent said web browser from opening a subsequent window upon termination of a currently viewed window when said web browser start indicator is activated by the user; and

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to allow said web browser to open a subsequent window upon termination of a currently viewed window when said web browser start indicator is deactivated by the user.

25. A computer program product comprising

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing a computer to prevent redirection of a client computer engaging a web browser when a client computer is displaying a current web site during a browsing session, said computer program product including:

a computer readable program code means for causing a computer to determine whether a user has activated at a client computer a web start indicator stored in a web browser on said client computer for controlling redirection of the client computer to another web site;

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to receive an instruction to terminate displaying of the current web site by closing the browsing session; and

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to prevent the web browser from redirecting the client computer to the another web site when the current web site is terminated.

26. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for browsing a web site, said computer program product including;

a computer readable program code means for causing a computer to access a web site locating a desired uniform resource locator of the web site;

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to display one or more web sites such that more than one browser session is open;

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to allow a user at a client computer to alter a web browser start indicator stored in a web browser on said client computer;

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to determine whether the user has activated the web browser start indicator at said client computer; and

a computer readable program code means for causing said computer to prevent the web browser from redirecting said computer to another web site when an open browser session is terminated.