Method and arrangement for web information monitoring

• US 6,915,482 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cyber Watcher AS
• Inventors: Jellum, Harald, Rynning, Morten
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William L.
• Application Number:
  US09/818,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 715/511, 707/4, 707/10, 709/224
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

A method and arrangement in a computer client/server constellation provides a web page information element monitoring service to a subscribing user. The client part (100) in co-operation with the first browser, operated by the user, acquires a user specified web page, generates a position specifying unique first ID on basis of a user selected first information object contained on the web page, and transfers the first ID to the server part (600). The server part (600), in co-operation with a second browser, reacquires the web page and generates a second unique ID on basis of a second information object found at a position provided by the first ID, and generates a change indicator if the second ID is different from the first ID. The change indicator triggers a notification of the detected change to the subscribing user.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a change of an information object contained in a structured web information assembly, and a method comprising:

a) specifying a structured web information assembly,

b) acquiring said specified web information assembly from a source,

c) selecting a first information object of said web information assembly,

d) obtaining a structure location of said selected first information object within said structured information assembly and determining a first information object ID of said selected first information object on a basis of the selected first information object itself and a web page position of the selected first information object,

e) generating by a coding method a first identifier characteristic of said selected first information object,

f) reacquiring said specified web information assembly from said source,

g) obtaining a second information object located at said structure location within said reacquired web information assembly,

h) generating by said coding method a second identifier characteristic of said second information object, and

i) generating a change indicator if said second identifier is different from said first identifier,

wherein, determining the information object ID of the selected first information object, further comprises the steps of

j) determining the web page table level of the web page table containing the selected information object;

k) setting a position and level variable to the selected object position and the web page level determined in step j);

l) determining a web page row and column position of an information object at the position and level of the variable, and appending to the information object ID the position and level variable;

m) determining the object type of the selected information object, and if the object type is different from the body, then including the steps of;

n) navigating in the structured information assembly to a position one level up from the current level,

o) setting the position and level variable to the position and level navigated to in step n), and repeating the steps l)-m).

2. A method for monitoring a selected first information object of a web page, comprising:

browsing the web page and determining a first information object ID of the selected first information object on a basis of the selected first information object itself and a web page position of the selected first information object;

storing the first information object ID in an information object ID buffer;

storing a URL of the web page in the information object ID buffer;

browsing the web page corresponding to the URL stored in the information object ID buffer at a predetermined period subsequent to determining the first information object ID, and determining a second information object ID of a second information object at a web page position corresponding to the position of the selected information object, on a basis of the second information object itself and the web page position of the second information object;

comparing the first information object ID and the second information object ID; and

,

generating a notification of change of the web page corresponding to the URL if the second information object ID is different from the first information object ID,

wherein determining the information object ID of the selected first information object, further comprises the steps of

j) determining the web page table level of the web page table containing the selected information object;

k) setting a position and level variable to the selected object position and the web page level determined in step j);

l) determining a web page row and column position of an information object at the position and level of the variable, and appending to the information object ID the position and level variable;

m) determining the object type of the selected information object, and if the object type is different from the body, then including the steps of;

n) navigating in the structured information assembly to a position one level up from the current level,

l) setting the position and level variable to the position and level navigated to in step n), and repeating the steps l)-m).

3. An arrangement for detecting a web page change in a computer network comprising a server and a client, comprising:

the client comprising

a) a means for determining a first information object ID of a browsed web page first information object selected by a user and storing the first information object ID in an information object ID buffer;

b) a means for obtaining a time at which the first information object ID is determined and storing the time in the information object buffer;

C) a means for obtaining a URL corresponding to the browsed web page and storing the URL in the information object ID buffer;

d) a means for transferring the information object ID buffer contents to the server;

the server comprising

e) a means for browsing the web page at a predetermined period subsequent to the time of determining the first information object ID;

f) a means for selecting from the browsed web page a second information object at a position corresponding to the position of the first information object and determining a second information object ID of the selected second information object on a basis of the selected information object itself and the web page position of the selected information object;

g) a means for comparing the first information object ID and the second information object ID; and

,

h) a means for generating a notification of change of the web page corresponding to the URL if the second information object ID is different from the first information object ID,

wherein determining the information object ID of the selected first information object,

i) determines the web page table level of the web page table containing the selected information object;

ii) sets a position and level variable to the selected object position and the web page level determined in the determination i);

iii) determines a web page row and column position of an information object at the position and level of the variable, and appends to the information object ID the position and level variable;

iv) determines the object type of the selected information object, and if the object type is different from the body, then

v) navigates in the structured information assembly to a position one level up from the current level,

vi) sets the position and level variable to the position and level navigated to in the navigation v), and repeats the determination iii) and the determination iv).

4. A client/server arrangement in a system of networked computers for detecting a change of an information object contained in a structured web information item, said arrangement comprising:

a) a client means and a first web browser operating on a first computer, said client means being adapted to communicate with said first web browser, said client means being arranged to generate a first location specifying identifier characteristic of a user selected first information object included in said web information item displayed to the user means of said first web browser and to forward said first location specifying identifier to said server and to determine a first information object ID of said selected first information object on a basis of the selected first information object itself and a web page position of the selected first information object, and

a server means and a second web page browser operating on a second computer, said server means being adapted to communicate with said second web page browser, said server means being arranged to generate a second identifier characteristic of a second information object included in the web information item at the location specified by the first identifier and to generate an indicator of change if the second identifier is different from the first identifier,

wherein determining the information object ID of the selected first information object,

i) determines the web page table level of the web page table containing the selected information object;

ii) sets a position and level variable to the selected object position and the web page level determined in the determination i);

iii) determines a web page row and column position of an information object at the position and level of the variable, and appends to the information object ID the position and level variable;

iv) determines the object type of the selected information object, and if the object type is different from the body, then

v) navigates in the structured information assembly to a position one level up from the current level,

vi) sets the position and level variable to the position and level navigated to in the navigation v), and repeats the determination iii) and the determination iv).