Internet web browser with proximity sensitie hyperlink history report

• US 6,834,372 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2000
• Issued: 12/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pickover, Clifford Alan, McLean, James Gordon, Glass, David Wayne, Hocker, Michael David, Winarski, Daniel James, Becker, Craig Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Queler, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US09/507,485
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 715/500.1, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/530, 715/859, 715/500, 707/9, 707/10
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]

Abstract

A web browser program presents historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages. Initially, the computer determines whether it is receiving certain user input, such as placement of a cursor over a hyperlink for a certain time. When this occurs, the computer accesses a database to determine whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink for the purpose of downloading underlying data represented by the hyperlink. Some examples of the underlying data include web pages, graphics images, software programs, and the like. If the hyperlink has not been previously selected, no action needs to be taken. However, if the database shows that the hyperlink has been previously selected, the computer consults the database to gather characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by access group members. Such characteristics may include, for example, the data'"'"'s size, date of last download, expired or “under construction” status of web site, errors occurring during the download, etc. The computer presents a report containing the characteristics gathered from the database.

Claims

1. A method for operating a computer to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the method comprising operations of:

responsive to each occasion on which a computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to a computer receiving predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink,

the computer consulting the database to determine whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

only if one or more of the users have previously selected the hyperlink, presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.

2. The method of claim 1, the presenting operation including at least one of the following:

displaying text, displaying graphics, generating sound, providing tactile output.

3. The method of claim 1, the operations further comprising:

prior to consulting the database, selecting the database from multiple available databases.

4. The method of claim 1, the predetermined user input additionally including depressing of one or more buttons on a computer mouse while the cursor is proximate the hyperlink.

5. The method of claim 1, the access group having a sole user, and the presenting operation presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by the sole user.

6. The method of claim 1, the access group having multiple users, and the presenting operation presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by any of the multiple users.

7. The method of claim 1, where the characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections include one or more of the following:

size of the underlying data;

dates of one or more previous selections of the hyperlink;

information representing a length of time required to download the underlying data;

times of one or more previous selections of the hyperlink;

number of previous selections of the hyperlink;

one or more representative multimedia symbols, including one or more of the following;

graphics, sound, animation, video;

user ratings of the underlying data;

whether the underlying data constitutes a web site that is under construction;

whether the hyperlink represents an expired link;

whether the user has bookmarked the underlying data; and

any errors occurring during previous selections of the hyperlink.

8. A method for operating a computer to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the method comprising operations of:

responsive to each occasion on which a computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to a computer receiving predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink,

the computer consulting the database to determine whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

only if one or more of the users have previously selected the hyperlink, presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

further response to each occasion on which the computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

the computer soliciting user specification of one or more of the following for the underlying data;

user rating of the underlying data;

one or more representative multimedia symbols of one or more of the following types;

graphics images, sounds, videos, animations, tactile sensations; and

the computer recording the user specification in the database in association with the hyperlink.

9. A method of operating a computer to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the method comprising operations of:

responsive to each occasion on which a computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to user instructions to download a web page,

the computer identifying any hyperlinks contained in the web page and determining whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

for each previously selected hyperlink, retrieving one or more characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

during times when the computer receives predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink, the computer presenting information representative of the retrieved characteristics for the proximate hyperlink;

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.

10. A method for operating a computer to present hyperlink specific historical information for a predefined group of computer users, the method comprising the operations of:

responsive to any user in the group selecting a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a shared database accessible to all users in the group;

responsive to any user in the group directing a computer to perform predetermined actions including directing a cursor proximate a hyperlink, that computer accessing the shared database to determine whether any user in the group has previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, and only if one or more users in the group have previously selected the hyperlink, the computer referencing the shared database to obtain characteristics of the underlying data from the previous selections of the hyperlink and then presenting information representing the obtained characteristic to the user;

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.

11. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for operating a computer to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the method comprising operations of:

responsive to each occasion on which a computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to a computer receiving predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink,

the computer consulting the database to determine whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

only if one or more of the users have previously selected the hyperlink, presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.

12. The medium of claim 11, the presenting operation including at least one of the following:

displaying text, displaying graphics, generating sound, providing tactile output.

13. The medium of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

prior to consulting the database, selecting the database from multiple available databases.

14. The medium of claim 11, the predetermined user input additionally including depressing of one or more buttons on a computer mouse while the cursor is proximate the hyperlink.

15. The medium of claim 11, the access group having a sole user, and the presenting operation presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by the sole user.

16. The medium of claim 11, the access group having multiple users, and the presenting operation presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by any of the multiple users.

17. The medium of claim 11, where the characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections include one or more of the following:

size of the underlying data;

dates of one or more previous selections of the hyperlink;

information representing a length of time required to download the underlying data;

times of or more previous selections of the hyperlink;

number of previous selections of the hyperlink;

one or more representative multimedia symbols, including one or more of the following;

graphics, sound, animation, video;

user ratings of the underlying data;

whether the underlying data constitutes a web site that is under construction;

whether the hyperlink represents an expired link;

whether the user has bookmarked the underlying data;

any errors occurring during previous selections of the hyperlink.

18. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for operating a computer to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the method comprising operations of:

responsive to each occasion on which a computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to a computer receiving predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink,

the computer consulting the database to determine whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

only if one or more of the users have previously selected the hyperlink, presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

further responsive to each occasion on which the computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

the computer soliciting user input specifying one or more of the following for the underlying data;

user rating of the underlying data;

one or more representative multimedia symbols of one or more of the following types;

graphics images, sounds, videos, animations, tactile sensations; and

the computer recording the user specification in the database in association with the hyperlink.

19. A signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method for operating a computer to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the method comprising operations of:

responsive to each occasion on which a computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to user instructions to download a web page,

the computer identifying any hyperlinks contained in the web page and determining whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

for each previously selected hyperlink, retrieving one or more characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

during times when the computer receives predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink, the computer presenting information representative of the retrieved characteristics for the proximate hyperlink;

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.

20. An information system, comprising:

one or more input devices;

a storage;

computer, the computer being coupled to the input devices and the storage, and

configured to perform operations to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the operations comprising;

responsive to each occasion on which a computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to a computer receiving predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink,

the computer consulting the database to determine whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

only if one ore more of the users have previously selected the hyperlink, presenting information representing characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.

21. An information system, comprising:

one or more input devices;

a storage including a database;

a computer, coupled to the input devices and the storage, and configured to perform operations to present historical information about hyperlinks shown on web pages, the operations comprising;

responsive to each occasion on which the computer receives user selection of a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, the computer downloading the underlying data represented by the hyperlink and recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a database;

responsive to user instructions to download a web page,

the computer identifying any hyperlinks contained in the web page and determining whether one or more users in a predefined access group have previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink;

for each previously selected hyperlink, retrieving one or more characteristics of the underlying data obtained from previous selections of the hyperlink by users in the access group;

during times when the computer receives predetermined user input including direction of a cursor proximate a hyperlink, the computer presenting information representative of the retrieved characteristics for the proximate hyperlink;

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.

22. An information system, comprising:

a shared database;

multiple computers each having access to the shared database;

where the computers are configured to present hyperlink specific historical download information for a predefined group of computer users by performing operations comprising;

responsive to any user in the group selecting a hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, recording predetermined characteristics of the underlying data in a shared database accessible to all users in the group;

responsive to any user in the group directing a computer to perform predetermined actions including directing a cursor proximate a hyperlink, that computer accessing the shared database to determine whether any user in the group has previously selected the hyperlink to download underlying data represented by the hyperlink, and only if one or more users in the group have previously selected the hyperlink, the computer referencing the shared database to obtain characteristics of the underlying data from the previous selections of the hyperlink and then presenting information representing the obtained characteristic to the user; and

the computer obtaining user selection of types of characteristics of interest to the user; and

the presenting operation is limited to characteristics of the underlying data of the selected types.