Method for downloading an icon corresponding to a hierarchical directory structure from a directory service
First Claim
1. A method of downloading an icon from a directory service of an on-line services network to a client computer of a user, said icon corresponding to at least one node of a hierarchical directory structure in which multiple nodes can share a common icon, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) sending a request for an icon identifier for said node from said client computer to said directory service, said icon identifier stored by said directory service as a property of said node;
(b) returning said icon identifier from said directory service to said client computer in response to said request;
(c) at said client computer, comparing said icon identifier returned in step (b) to a list of identifiers of icons stored on said client computer to determine whether said icon of said node is stored on said client computer; and
(d) when, based on said comparison of step (c), said icon is not stored on said client computer, sending a request to said directory service for said icon.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed directory service for an on-line services network comprises multiple, separate services, referred to as “Directory Service Providers,” running on respective groups of application servers. Each Directory Service Provider stores and provides access to a respective hierarchical directory structure, with nodes of the directory structures representing the various on-line services and other content entities which may be accessed by end users of the network. Junction point nodes are used to provide user-transparent links between the different directory structures, so that the directory structures appear to end users as a single, hierarchical directory. A common application program interface (API) is implemented by all Directory Service Providers, allowing client applications running on computers of end users to access the different directory structures using a common set of software methods. Data items that are shared by multiple nodes, such as icon bitmaps and sound files, are optionally stored by the Directory Service Providers within a shared database (separately from the nodes), and are accessed via special API methods. Various forms of node filtering, including language-based filtering and access rights filtering, are performed by the Directory Service Providers to determine which nodes to show to end users.
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Citations
3 Claims
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1. A method of downloading an icon from a directory service of an on-line services network to a client computer of a user, said icon corresponding to at least one node of a hierarchical directory structure in which multiple nodes can share a common icon, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) sending a request for an icon identifier for said node from said client computer to said directory service, said icon identifier stored by said directory service as a property of said node; (b) returning said icon identifier from said directory service to said client computer in response to said request; (c) at said client computer, comparing said icon identifier returned in step (b) to a list of identifiers of icons stored on said client computer to determine whether said icon of said node is stored on said client computer; and (d) when, based on said comparison of step (c), said icon is not stored on said client computer, sending a request to said directory service for said icon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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Specification