Method of controlling an Internet browser interface and a controllable browser interface

• US 7,676,762 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shafron, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): BONSHOCK, DENNIS G
• Application Number:
  US11/362,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20060136843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 715/826, 715/733, 715744-749, 715/760, 715/764, 715/765, 715/779, 715/780, 715/810, 715/811, 715/789
• US Class Current: 715/826
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of dynamically controlling and displaying an Internet browser interface, and to a dynamically controllable Internet browser interface. In accordance with the present invention, a browser interface may be customized using a controlling software program that may be provided by an Internet content provider, an ISP, or that may reside on an Internet user'"'"'s computer. The controlling software program enables the Internet user, the content provider, or the ISP to customize and control the information and/or functionality of a user'"'"'s browser and browser interface.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an Internet browser interface displayed by an Internet browser on a display of a computing device, the Internet browser having a user interface area and a web page display area and enabling a user of the Internet browser to access and navigate the Internet and to receive and display one or more web pages from one or more Internet sites, including the display of a web page from a predetermined Internet site, the Internet browser having at least one Internet browser toolbar having at least one toolbar button providing a predetermined functionality to the user, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing, at the predetermined Internet site, one or more web pages via which a program for controlling the Internet browser interface can be downloaded; and

(b) downloading by the predetermined Internet site said program that causes the visible display of a user toolbar, the user toolbar comprising additional functionality not present in the browser prior to download, the user toolbar displayed within the bounds of the browser user interface area such that the user toolbar does not overlay the web page display area or the browser user interface area, and that makes the additional functionality available to the user as part of the browser user interface such that once the user toolbar is displayed the user toolbar remains displayed and said additional functionality remains available to the user regardless of the Internet site to which the Internet browser is caused to navigate.

2. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the user toolbar comprises an interface object and is customizable by the user to provide user-selected functionality in the user toolbar.

3. A method as recited by claim 2, wherein the interface object is a toolbar button.

4. A method as recited by claim 2, wherein the interface object comprises a search window that enables the user to initiate a search at the predetermined Internet site regardless of the Internet site to which the user has navigated at the time the search is initiated.

5. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the program comprises an ActiveX control.

6. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the program comprises a Plug-in.

7. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the predetermined Internet site maintains user-specific information for a plurality of users, including the user of the Internet browser, said method further comprising the step of downloading by the predetermined Internet site information specific to the user for defining all or part of the user toolbar and wherein all or part of the display of the user toolbar is dependent upon the information downloaded by the predetermined Internet site.

8. A method as recited by claim 7, further comprising the step of downloading by the predetermined Internet site additional information specific to the user for defining all or part of the user toolbar, and wherein all or part of the display of the user toolbar is dependent upon the downloaded additional information.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can establish a connection to an email service.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of said user'"'"'s favorite websites.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of user addresses.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the user toolbar comprises an advertisement.

13. An Internet browser interface displayed on a display of a computing device by an Internet browser, the Internet browser interface comprising:

a user interface area and a web page display area, said browser facilitating navigation to one or more Internet sites, including a predetermined Internet site;

the Internet browser interface further comprising at least one Internet browser toolbar having predetermined functionality available to a user of the Internet browser, the Internet browser further facilitating visible display on the computing device of one or more web pages from the one or more Internet sites, including display of web pages from the predetermined Internet site; and

said Internet browser interface further comprising, after download of software from said predetermined Internet site, a user toolbar that is visibly displayed on the computing device as part of the Internet browser interface, the user toolbar comprising functionality not present in the Internet browser prior to download, the user toolbar displayed within the bounds of the user interface area such that the user toolbar does not overlay the web page display area or the browser user interface area, said user toolbar being visibly displayed on the computing device in the browser user interface area along with the Internet browser toolbar while the Internet browser is activated regardless of the Internet site to which the Internet browser is caused to navigate.

14. An Internet browser interface as recited by claim 13, wherein said user toolbar comprises an interface object and is customizable by the user.

15. An Internet browser interface as recited by claim 14, wherein said interface object comprises a toolbar button.

16. An Internet browser interface as recited by claim 14, wherein said interface object comprises a search window that enables the user to initiate a search at the predetermined Internet site regardless of the Internet site to which the Internet browser is navigated at the time the search is initiated.

17. An Internet browser interface as recited by claim 14, wherein said software comprises an ActiveX control that enables user customization of said interface object.

18. An Internet browser interface as recited by claim 14, wherein said software comprises a Plug-in control that enables user customization of said interface object.

19. An Internet browser interface as recited by claim 14, wherein the predetermined Internet site maintains user-specific information for a plurality of users, including the user of the Internet browser, and wherein said software causes the Internet browser to establish a connection to the predetermined Internet site when the Internet browser is first activated and to receive information specific to the user from the predetermined Internet site, and wherein all or part of said user toolbar is dependent upon the information.

20. An Internet browser interface as recited by claim 19, wherein said software causes the Internet browser to periodically re-establish a connection to the predetermined Internet site while the Internet browser is activated to receive additional information specific to the user of the Internet browser from the predetermined Internet site, and wherein all or part of said user toolbar is dependent upon the received information and the additional information.

21. The interface of claim 13 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can establish a connection to an email service.

22. The interface of claim 13 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of said user'"'"'s favorite websites.

23. The interface of claim 13 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of user addresses.

24. The interface of claim 13 wherein the user toolbar comprises an advertisement.

25. A system for controlling an Internet browser interface displayed by an Internet browser on a display of a computer, said browser interface comprising a user interface area and a web page display area, said system comprising:

a server computer, said server computer coupled to a storage medium and hosting a download feature accessible over the Internet by a user for controlling the Internet browser interface; and

a file stored on said storage medium downloadable by said server computer for controlling the Internet browser interface in the form of an added user toolbar offering user toolbar functionality that remains available to a user of the computer regardless of the Internet site to which the Internet browser is caused to navigate, the user toolbar comprising functionality not present in the Internet browser prior to download, the user toolbar being visibly displayed within the bounds of the user interface area such that the user toolbar does not overlay the web page display area or the user interface area.

26. A system as recited by claim 25, wherein said downloadable file causes the user toolbar to be displayed as part of the Internet browser interface upon a subsequent activation of said browser after download.

27. A system as recited by claim 26, wherein said downloadable file causes an interface object to be displayed as part of said user toolbar.

28. A system as recited by claim 27, wherein said interface object enables a user of the computer to customize the user toolbar and comprises an ActiveX control.

29. A system as recited by claim 27, wherein said interface object enables a user of the computer to customize the user toolbar and comprises a Plug-in.

30. A system as recited by claim 27, wherein said interface object is a toolbar button.

31. A system as recited by claim 27, wherein said interface object is a search window that enables the user of the Internet browser to initiate a search at a predetermined Internet site regardless of an Internet site to which the browser is navigated at the time the search is initiated.

32. The system of claim 25 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can establish a connection to an email service.

33. The system of claim 25 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of said user'"'"'s favorite websites.

34. The system of claim 25 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of user addresses.

35. The system of claim 25 wherein the user toolbar comprises an advertisement.

36. A system for controlling an Internet browser displayed on a display of a computer, said system comprising:

a server for downloading files; and

a file, downloadable by said server, said file controlling the Internet browser so that the Internet browser enables a user of the computer to perform functions via the Internet browser not available to the user via the Internet browser prior to said file being downloaded, said functions being made available via a user toolbar that is added to and visibly displayed within the bounds of a user interface area of the Internet browser such that the user toolbar does not overlay a web page display area of the Internet browser or the user interface area of the Internet browser, said functions remain available to the user regardless of the Internet site to which the Internet browser is caused to navigate.

37. A system as recited by claim 36, wherein the file is caused to open when the Internet browser is activated so as to establish a link between the computer and the predetermined Internet site, and wherein the file receives information from the predetermined Internet site for defining all or part of an interface object to be displayed within the user toolbar.

38. A system as recited by claim 37, wherein the file periodically causes the Internet browser to establish a link between the computer and the predetermined Internet site and receive additional information from the predetermined Internet site for defining all or part of the interface object.

39. The system of claim 36 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can establish a connection to an email service.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of said user'"'"'s favorite websites.

41. The system of claim 36 wherein the user toolbar comprises a button via which the user can access a list of user addresses.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein the user toolbar comprises an advertisement.

43. A system for controlling an Internet browser user interface displayed by an Internet browser on a display of a computer, said system comprising:

a server, said server including a program accessible over the Internet by a user of the computer for controlling the Internet browser interface; and

a file downloadable by said server to the computer for controlling the Internet browser user interface in the form of an added user toolbar visibly displayed as part of the Internet browser user interface of the Internet browser, and offering user toolbar functionality not present in the browser prior to download, the user toolbar displayed within the bounds of the Internet browser user interface such that the user toolbar does not overlay the web page display area or the Internet browser user interface, the user toolbar remaining available to a user of the computer regardless of the Internet site to which the Internet browser is caused to navigate.

44. A system as recited by claim 43, wherein said downloadable file causes a user toolbar to be displayed on the display of the computer as part of the Internet browser interface.

45. A system as recited by claim 44, wherein said downloadable file causes an interface object to be displayed as part of said user toolbar.

46. A system as recited by claim 45, wherein said interface object enables a user of the computer to customize the user toolbar and comprises an ActiveX control.

47. A system as recited by claim 45, wherein said interface object enables a user of the computer to customize the user toolbar and comprises a Plug-in.

48. A system as recited by claim 45, wherein said interface object is a toolbar button.

49. A system as recited by claim 45, wherein said interface object is a search window that enables a user of the computer and Internet browser to initiate a search at a predetermined Internet site regardless of the Internet site to which the computer is connected via the browser at the time the search is initiated.