Method and system for modifying host application functionality based upon downloaded content

• US 6,757,716 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rubin, Hugh, Hazeur, Derek, Blegen, Darrell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/349,583
• Time in Patent Office: 1,817 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217-219, 709/505-508, 709/513, 707/3, 707/7, 707/505-508, 707/513, 705/42
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking

Abstract

An application hosting a browser modifies its own functionality in some manner based on whether particular content (e.g., an identifier) is present in a document for rendering by the browser. In one embodiment, a financial statement page for rendering via the hosted browser is scanned to determine if an identifier corresponding to a download button is present. If present, the host application provides an alternate download button that does not scroll off the screen as the page is scrolled. The present invention also suppresses a dialog box (e.g., the open/save dialog box) when a request for a certain file type is made by a hosted browser. For example, a request for download of financial information suppresses the open/save dialog box, and automatically opens the downloaded file.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising:

hosting a browser control in a host application;

determining whether particular content data comprising data corresponding to a button for producing an operation is present in a document for rendering by the browser control;

modifying the functionality of the host application when the particular content is present including providing an alternate button for producing the operation; and

wherein the operation comprises downloading a file, wherein modifying includes synchronizing data in the document with data in the file and wherein the alternate button is displayed in a location that does not scroll as the document rendered by the browser control is scrolled.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein determining whether particular content is present includes receiving information from the browser control indicative of the content being present.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein determining whether particular content is present includes searching the document for the content.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the searching the document comprises performing a text search of the document.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the document comprises HTML text.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein modifying the functionality of the host application includes displaying additional information including the alternate button.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein modifying the functionality of the host application includes providing a notification mechanism corresponding to the alternate button.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the notification mechanism comprises an icon on a browser bar.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein modifying the functionality of the host application includes providing an activation mechanism corresponding to the alternate button.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the notification mechanism comprises an icon for a download.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 having further computer executable instructions comprising receiving an activation request.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 having further computer executable instructions comprising, downloading data in response to the activation request.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein modifying the functionality of the host application includes providing an activation mechanism, and having further computer-executable instructions for, detecting an activation request at the activation mechanism, downloading a data file in response to the activation request, and synchronizing existing data with the data in the data file.

14. In a computer system, a system comprising:

a host application;

a browser control hosted by the application;

a recognition mechanism for determining whether particular content is present in a document rendered by the browser control;

a modification mechanism that alters the functionality of the host application if the recognition mechanism determines that the particular content is present in a document, including displaying visible information corresponding to data of the document in a display location that does not scroll as the document rendered by the browser control is scrolled; and

wherein the particular content includes data corresponding to a button for producing a file download operation, and wherein the modification mechanism alters the functionality of the host application by providing an alternate button corresponding to the visible information for producing the download operation and synchronizing existing data in the document with the data in the file.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the modification mechanism alters the functionality of the host application by providing a notification mechanism corresponding to the visible information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the modification mechanism alters the functionality of the host application by providing an activation mechanism corresponding to the visible information.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the activation mechanism includes an icon corresponding to the visible information.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the recognition mechanism comprises a parser of the browser control.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the particular content in the document includes a string of data, and wherein the recognition mechanism comprises a string searching mechanism.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the recognition mechanism comprises a text searching mechanism of the application.

21. The system of claim 14 wherein the modification mechanism alters the functionality of the host application by providing a notification mechanism capable of being activated, and wherein the browser control downloads a data file in response to the notification mechanism being activated.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a mechanism for suppressing a dialog box in response to the notification mechanism being activated.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the particular content corresponds to at least one identifier.

24. A method for modifying the functionality of a client application program, comprising,

inserting particular content into a web page of a website;

hosting a browser control in the client application;

downloading the web page from the website as a document;

rendering the web page in a scrollable area of the client application;

scanning the document for the presence of the particular content;

modifying the functionality of the client application program in response to the presence of the particular content, including displaying visible information corresponding to content in the document such that the visible information does not scroll when the web page in the scrollable area is scrolled;

wherein the particular content comprises data corresponding to a button for downloading a file; and

wherein modifying the functionality of the client application program includes providing an alternate button corresponding to the visible information for producing the file download, and synchronizing existing data in the web page with the data in the file.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein scanning the document for the presence of the particular content includes searching the document in the browser control, and notifying the application of the reporting the presence of the particular content.

26. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 24.

27. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising,

hosting a browser control in a host application having client application data;

determining whether particular content is present in a document for rendering by the browser control, the particular content comprising data corresponding to a button for downloading a file in a download operation;

altering information accessed by the browser control to automatically open the file upon a download request therefor while suppressing at least one dialog box;

receiving a download request;

opening the file in response to the download request; and

wherein altering information accessed by the browser control includes providing an alternate button for producing the download operation, and synchronizing the file with existing client application data.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 wherein altering information accessed by the browser control includes writing at least one setting to a system registry.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 27 including further computer-executable instructions for synchronizing the file with existing client application data.

30. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions, comprising:

hosting a browser control in a financial application;

determining whether a document for rendering by the browser control includes information corresponding to a user-selectable download function for financial data; and

providing an alternative download mechanism for the financial data if the information corresponding to the user-selectable download function is present and synchronizing the financial data with existing data in the financial application, the alternative download mechanism provided as visible information on the financial application, wherein the visible information is separate from the browser control and not scrolled with the scrolling of document content rendered by the browser control.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the document and financial data are provided by a financial institution.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the information corresponding to a user-selectable download is a particular identifier.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the financial application is a personal finance manager.

34. A computer implemented method, comprising:

hosting a browser control in a host application;

determining whether particular content is present in a document for rendering by the browser control;

modifying the functionality of the host application if the particular content is present, including providing an activation mechanism;

detecting an activation request at the activation mechanism;

downloading a data file in response to the activation request, and

synchronizing existing data with the data in the data file.

35. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 34.

36. In a computing environment, a system comprising:

a host application;

a browser control hosted by the application;

a recognition mechanism for determining whether particular content is present in a document rendered by the browser control;

a modification mechanism that alters the functionality of the host application if the recognition mechanism determines that the particular content is present in a document;

wherein the document includes data corresponding to a button for producing a file download operation, and wherein the modification mechanism alters the functionality of the host application by providing an alternate button for producing the download operation; and

synchronizing data in the document with data in the file, wherein the alternate button is displayed in a location that does not scroll as the document rendered by the browser control is scrolled.