Method and apparatus for improved internet navigation

• US 7,155,493 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Weber, Owen Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): WILEY, DAVID ARMAND
• Application Number:
  US09/182,303
• Time in Patent Office: 2,980 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/219, 709/224, 709/245, 709/218, 707/10, 707/517, 345/437
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A monitor analyzes and generates a profile of an Internet website data transmission. The profile indicates the relative load and/or execution times of different components of the data, including text, images, and Java code. The profile is displayed and an end-user deselects one or more of the data components which are of marginal interest but contributing to the webpage load or execution times, whereupon the altered profile is stored. During a next access of the website, the altered profile is retrieved and utilized to selectively control a more limited load and/or execution of subsequently transmitted website data by eliminating the previously de-selected data types. The load or execution times associated with pages of the website are thereby reduced. In one embodiment, the profile is pre-generated and stored with the website data and transmitted in the website data transmission for display and alteration.

Claims

1. A method for improving website navigation efficiency for an end-user comprising:

specifying a website page;

downloading data corresponding to the website page;

analyzing the data;

generating a profile comprising a plurality of parameters corresponding to loading or execution times of portions of said data in response to the analyzing of data;

displaying the profile;

altering the profile by an end-user de-selecting one or more of said portions based upon said corresponding loading or execution times;

designating a next website page; and

downloading next data from the next website page in response to the altering of the profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the website page is a home page.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plurality of parameters include loading times for text, images, and Java programs, and Java program execution times.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the altering comprises de-selecting one of the parameters to prevent a load or execution of a corresponding portion of said data.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said profile is stored in said data.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said next website page is any page hierarchically under said homepage.

7. The method of claim 6 further including storing the altered profile.

8. The method of claim 7 further including retrieving the altered profile;

and wherein the downloading of next data is in response to the retrieved altered profile.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the altered profile is stored in association with the homepage;

and wherein said method further includes

specifying the website page again;

retrieving the stored altered profile;

accessing the website page again; and

downloading the next data from the website page in response to the retrieving of the stored, altered profile.

10. Apparatus for improving website navigation efficiency for an end-user comprising:

means for specifying a website page;

means for downloading data corresponding to the website page;

means for analyzing the data;

means for generating a profile comprising a plurality of parameters corresponding to loading or execution times of portions of said data in response to the analyzing of data in response to the analyzing of data;

means for displaying the profile;

means for altering the profile by an end-user by de-selecting one or more of said portions based upon said corresponding loading or execution times;

means for designating a next website page; and

means for downloading next data from the next website page in response to the altering of the profile;

means for altering the profile by de-selecting one or more of said portions based upon said corresponding loading or execution times;

means for designating a next website page; and

means for downloading next data from the next website page in response to the altering of the profile.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the website page is a home page.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the plurality of parameters include means for loading times for text, images, and Java programs, and Java program execution times.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the altering comprises means for de-selecting one of the parameters to prevent a load or execution of a corresponding portion of said data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said profile is stored in said data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said next website page is any page hierarchically under said homepage.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further including means for storing the altered profile.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 further including means for retrieving the altered profile;

and wherein the means for downloading of data is in response to the retrieved altered profile.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the altered profile is stored in association with the homepage;

and wherein said method furtherer includes

means for designating the website page again;

means for retrieving the stored altered profile;

means for accessing the website page again; and

means for downloading data from the website page in response to the retrieving of the stored, altered profile.

19. A program product for improving website navigation efficiency for an end-user comprising:

program code means for specifying a website page;

program code means for downloading data corresponding to the website page;

program code means for analyzing the data;

program code means for generating a profile comprising a plurality of parameters corresponding to loading or execution times of portions of said data in response to the analyzing of data;

program code means for displaying the profile;

program code means for altering the profile by an end-user by de-selecting one or more of said portions based upon said corresponding loading or execution times;

program code means for designating a next website page; and

program code means for downloading next data from the next website page in response to the altering of the profile.

20. The program product of claim 19 wherein the website page is a home page.

21. The program product of claim 20 wherein the plurality of parameters include program code means for loading times for text, images, and Java programs, and Java program execution times.

22. The program product of claim 21 wherein the altering comprises program code means for de-selecting one of the parameters to prevent a load or execution of a corresponding portion of said data.

23. The program product of claim 22 wherein said profile is stored in said data.

24. The program product of claim 23 wherein said next website page is any page hierarchically under said homepage.

25. The program product of claim 24 further including program code means for storing the altered profile.

26. The program product of claim 25 further including program code means for retrieving the altered profile;

and wherein the program code means for downloading of next data is in response to the retrieved altered profile.

27. The program product of claim 26 wherein the altered profile is stored in association with the homepage;

and wherein said method farther includes

program code means for specifying the website page again;

program code means for retrieving the stored altered profile;

program code means for accessing the website page again; and

program code means for downloading the next data from the website page in response to the retrieving of the stored, altered profile.