System and method for advanced network viewing

• US 7,174,513 B1
• Filed: 08/20/1999
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nickum, Larry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Sy D.
• Application Number:
  US09/378,208
• Time in Patent Office: 2,727 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/744, 715/748, 715/760, 715838-839, 715/781, 715803-804, 715853-855, 715/501.1, 715/513, 715/712, 715/713, 715/714, 715/738, 715/810, 715/835, 715/841, 715/968, 709/203, 709/201, 707/10
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A system and method for advanced network viewing is disclosed. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system and method for generating a representation of a linked site is disclosed. A user may view the contents of a linked site from an original site accessed by the user without manually accessing the linked site. One method of accomplishing this task includes the steps of accessing a first site; querying at least one of a link and a second site linked to the first site; generating a representation of the linked second site; and communicating the representation wherein the representation enables a user to preview the linked second site. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention the representation may comprise a thumbnail representation of the second site so that users may preview the contents of the second site by accessing the first site.

Claims

1. A method for advanced network viewing, comprising:

accessing a first site;

querying at least one of a link and a second site linked to said first site;

generating a user-customizable representation of said linked second site, the representation being a graphical image indicative of content of said linked second site;

correlating, as directed by a user, a user-customizable keyword with the representation;

communicating the keyword and representation wherein the communicated keyword and representation enables a user to preview the linked second site;

storing the keyword and representation of said linked second site; and

periodically updating the stored keyword and representation of said linked second site by at least one of the linked second site and the first site.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the querying step includes limiting the scope of the query by including a defined limitation.

3. The method as described in claim 2, wherein the limiting step includes at least one of a hierarchy and number of links.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the generating step includes forming a thumbnail representation of the linked second site.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the thumbnail representation is formed by taking a snapshot of the linked second site.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the updating step is performed during idle time.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the communicating step includes displaying the representation in a separate window.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the communicating step includes displaying the representation as part of display of the first site so that the representation may be viewed as a component part of the first site.

9. The method as described in claim 8, wherein the representation is displayed proximally to the link.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein if the linked second site is not accessible, generating a representation indicating that the linked second site is not accessible.

11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the representation is a pop-up menu.

12. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising generating an additional representation of a site linked within the linked second site, the generated additional representation generated to indicate the linkage to the linked second site.

13. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the linked second site is a web page included within the first site.

14. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising displaying, as part of the first site, the link to the linked second site.

15. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the representation is separate from a hyperlink to the linked second site.

16. A program of instructions storable on a medium readable by an information handling system for causing the information handling system to execute steps for advanced network viewing, the steps comprising:

accessing a first site;

querying at least one of a link and a second site linked to said first site;

generating a user-customizable representation of said linked second site, the representation being a graphical image indicative of content of said linked second site;

correlating, as directed by a user, a user-customizable keyword with the representation;

communicating the keyword and representation wherein the communicated keyword and representation enables a user to preview the linked second site;

storing the keyword and representation of said linked second site; and

periodically updating the stored keyword and representation of said linked second site by at least one of the linked second site and the first site.

17. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the querying step includes limiting the scope of the query by including a defined limitation.

18. The program of instructions as described in claim 17, wherein the limiting step includes at least one of a hierarchy and number of links.

19. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the generating step includes forming a thumbnail representation of the linked second site.

20. The program of instructions as described in claim 19, wherein the thumbnail representation is formed by taking a snapshot of the linked second site.

21. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the updating step is performed during idle time.

22. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the communicating step includes displaying the representation in a separate window.

23. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the communicating step includes displaying the representation as part of the first site so that the representation is viewed as a component part of the first site.

24. The program of instructions as described in claim 23, wherein the representation is displayed proximally to the link.

25. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein if the linked second site is not accessible, generating a representation indicating that the linked second site is not accessible.

26. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the representation is a pop-up menu.

27. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, further comprising generating an additional representation of a site linked within the linked second site, the generated additional representation generated to indicate the linkage to the linked second site.

28. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the linked second site is a web page included within the first site.

29. The program of instructions as described in claim 16, wherein the steps further comprising displaying, as part of the first site, the link to the linked second site.

30. An information handling system for advanced network viewing, comprising:

a processor for executing a program of instructions on the information handling system;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing the program of instructions executable by said processor; and

an input and output system coupled to the processor for coupling the information handling system to a network wherein the program of instructions configures the information handling system to

access a first site;

query at least one of a link and a second site linked to said first site;

generate a user-customizable representation of said linked second site, the representation being a graphical image indicative of content of said linked second site;

correlate, as directed by a user, a user-customizable keyword with the representation;

communicate the keyword and representation wherein the communicated keyword and representation enables a user to preview the linked second site;

store the keyword and representation of said linked second site; and

periodically update the stored keyword and representation of said linked second site by at least one of the linked second site and the first site.

31. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the network includes at least one of the Internet, world wide web, bulletin board service, file transfer protocol site, local area network, and wide area network.

32. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein query instruction includes a limiting instruction thereby limiting the scope of the query by including a defined limitation.

33. The information handling system as described in claim 32, wherein the limiting instruction includes at least one of a hierarchy and number of links.

34. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the generate instruction includes forming a thumbnail representation of the linked second site.

35. The information handling system as described in claim 34, wherein the thumbnail representation is formed by taking a snapshot of the linked second site.

36. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the periodically updated stored representation is updated during idle time.

37. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the communicate instruction includes displaying the representation in a separate window.

38. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the communicate instruction includes displaying the representation as part of the first site so that the representation is viewed as a component part of the first site.

39. The information handling system as described in claim 38, wherein the representation is displayed proximally to the link.

40. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein if the linked second site is not accessible, generating a representation indicating that the linked second site is not accessible.

41. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the representation is a pop-up menu.

42. The information handling system as described in claim 30, further comprising generating an additional representation of a site linked within the linked second site, the generated additional representation generated to indicate the linkage to the linked second site.

43. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the linked second site is a web page included within the first site.

44. The information handling system as described in claim 30, wherein the program of instructions further configures the information handling system to display, as part of the first site, the link to the linked second site.

45. An information handling system for advanced network viewing, comprising:

a processor for executing a program of instructions on the information handling system;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing the program of instructions executable by said processor; and

an input and output system coupled to the processor for coupling the information handling system to a network wherein the program of instructions configures the information handling system to include

means for accessing a first site;

means for querying at least one of a link and a second site linked to said first site;

means for generating a user-customizable representation of said linked second site, the representation being a graphical image indicative of content of said linked second site;

means for correlating, as directed by a user, a user-customizable keyword with the representation;

means for communicating the keyword and representation;

wherein the communicated keyword and representation enables a user to preview the linked second site;

means for storing the keyword and representation of said linked second site; and

means for periodically updating the stored keyword and representation of said linked second site by at least one of the linked second site and the first site.

46. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the network includes at least one of the Internet, world wide web, bulletin board service, file transfer protocol site, local area network, and wide area network.

47. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein querying means includes a defined limitation thereby limiting the scope of the query.

48. The information handling system as described in claim 47, wherein the limitation includes at least one of a hierarchy and number of links.

49. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the generating means includes forming a thumbnail representation.

50. The information handling system as described in claim 49, wherein the thumbnail representation is formed by taking a snapshot.

51. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the periodically updated stored representation is updated during idle time.

52. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the communicating means includes displaying the representation in a separate window.

53. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the communicating means includes displaying the representation as part of the first site.

54. The information handling system as described in claim 53, wherein the representation is displayed proximally to the link.

55. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein when the linked second site is not accessible the generating means utilizes a representation indicating that the linked second site is not accessible.

56. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the representation is a pop-up menu.

57. The information handling system as described in claim 45, further comprising generating an additional representation of a site linked within the linked second site, the generated additional representation generated to indicate the linkage to the linked second site.

58. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the linked second site is a web page included within the first site.

59. The information handling system as described in claim 45, wherein the program of instructions configures the information handling system to further include means for displaying, as part of the first site, the link to the linked second site.

60. A system for advanced network viewing, comprising:

a first site; and

a second site linked over a network to said first site;

wherein the second site provides a user-customizable representation of said second site and a user-customizable keyword correlated, as directed by a user, with the representation to said first site, the representation being a graphical image indicative of content of said linked second site so that a user may access said first site and preview said second site and wherein the second site stores said representation and correlated keyword of said linked second site and periodically updates the representation and correlated keyword of said linked second site by at least one of the linked second site and the first site.

61. The system as described in claim 60, wherein the network includes at least one of the Internet, a local area network, and a wide area network.

62. The system as described in claim 60, wherein the periodically updated stored representation is updated during idle time.

63. The system as described in claim 60, wherein the representation is a pop-up menu.

64. The system as described in claim 60, further comprising generating an additional representation of a site linked within the linked second site, the generated additional representation generated to indicate the linkage to the linked second site.

65. The system as described in claim 60, wherein the linked second site is a web page included within the first site.

66. The system as described in claim 60, wherein a link to the linked second site is displayed as part of the first site.