Apparatus and method of hosting internet content

• US 7,756,967 B1
• Filed: 04/26/2000
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DoDots Licensing Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mainstream Scientific, LLC (Innovation Management Sciences, LLC)
• Inventors: Wallin, Mark, Devulkar, Sridhar T., Bella, Joseph A., Kembel, Jeremy L., Kembel, Geoffrey S., Wobbrock, Jake, Russell, John, Kim, Daniel S., Kembel, George Andrew, Kembel, John Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US09/558,922
• Time in Patent Office: 3,730 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709223-224, 709/236, 709245-246, 709/200, 709/206, 707/100, 705/26, 717/178, 345/676, 715505-508, 715/733, 715/736
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/221 Parsing markup language streams streaming G06F40/149
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

The invention includes a method of hosting Internet content. The method includes the step of receiving an address of a definition from a computing device, where the definition defines a frame and a location of content with which to fill in the frame. The definition is located in a database utilizing the address. The definition is transmitted to the computing device. A method of the invention also includes permitting access to a database containing a set of definitions, where the set of definitions defines a frame and a location of content with which to fill in the frame. Instructions are received to modify a selected definition of the set of definitions. The selected definition is modified to create a new selected definition.

Claims

1. A method of providing, from one or more server devices to a client device, information related to a networked information monitor, comprising:

storing in a database associated with a first server device, a collection of networked information monitor templates;

providing, via the first server device, to a first client device an index of available networked information monitor templates;

receiving, at the first server device from the first client device, a first request for a user-selected networked information monitor template from the index of available networked information monitor templates;

the first server device, in response to the first request, transmitting to the first client device the requested networked information monitor template;

wherein the networked information monitor template comprises;

(1) frame characteristics that define one or more aspects of a visual appearance of a frame for a graphical user interface associated with the networked information monitor, wherein the one or more aspects of the visual appearance of the frame comprise one or more of a size of the frame, a shape of the frame, a position of the frame on an electronic display, or a color of the frame,

(2) one or more content references that comprise one or more uniform resource locators at which content for the networked information monitor is accessible over a network, and

(3) instructions configured to;

i) cause the networked information monitor to request content from the one or more uniform resource locators; and

ii) display content received at the uniform resource locators in a graphical user interface within the frame defined by the frame characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions included in the networked information monitor template are configured to cause the user interface associated with the networked information monitor to be displayed within the frame defined by the frame characteristics.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the frame characteristics included in the networked information monitor template fully describe a functionality and an appearance of the frame.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first server device is associated with a Web content provider, thereby enabling the Web content provider to control at least in part a functionality and an appearance of the frame.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the networked information monitor is provided by the Web content provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at a second server device that hosts at least one of the one or more uniform resource locators, a request for content from the networked information monitor to the at least one of the one or more uniform resource locators hosted by the second server; and

the second server device transmitting, responsive to the request from the networked information monitor, the content located at the at least one of the one or more uniform resource locators to the first client device, wherein the second server transmits the content in a format readable by a Web browser program having native controls for enabling a user to manually navigate the network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor transmitted by the first server device to the client device further comprises viewer characteristics and control characteristics of the graphical user interface associated with the networked information monitor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises the Internet.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more content references comprise a reference to a location of content for the networked information monitor, wherein the location comprises a location other than the first server device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more content references comprise a reference to a location of content for the networked information monitor, wherein the location comprises a location on a second server device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor comprises an application.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor comprises a fully configurable frame with one or more controls and wherein the content is displayed within the frame.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing, in a database, a plurality of networked information monitor templates, wherein a given on the of the plurality of networked information monitor templates defines the characteristics of a single corresponding networked information monitor, including frame characteristics, viewer characteristics, control characteristics, and one or more networked information monitor content references for the single corresponding networked information monitor.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing, in a database, a plurality of networked information monitor templates, wherein a given one of the networked information monitor templates defines the characteristics of a single corresponding networked information monitor, including frame characteristics, viewer characteristics, control characteristics, and one or more networked information monitor content references for the single corresponding networked information monitor, and further wherein user-selected networked information monitor templates are delivered to a client device via the first server and content corresponding to the one or more content references is delivered to the client device via a second server that is separate from the first server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server devices provides a searchable index of networked information monitor templates, wherein each networked information monitor is associated with a unique ID.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame characteristics included in the networked information monitor template comprise a definition of a title bar, and a definition of the appearance of a control button for enabling the user to resize a visual manifestation of the networked information monitor.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame characteristics included in the networked information monitor template comprise definitions of a collection of controls, including web rendering controls.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame characteristics included in the networked information monitor template comprise definitions of a collection of controls, including GIF rendering controls.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the frame characteristics included in the networked information monitor template define a size of a frame that surrounds a viewer, in which the referenced content is to be displayed.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor template is defined in a Markup language.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor template is defined in Extensible Markup Language.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor template comprises content and not compiled code.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor comprises an application-type networked information monitor.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor comprises an application-type networked information monitor comprising a web calendar.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor comprises an application-type networked information monitor, comprising a web mail application.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor template comprises layout and definition of controls, wherein the controls are visible and the definition of the controls defines the display of the controls as including static or dynamic text.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor template comprises layout and definition of controls, wherein the controls are hidden.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor template comprises layout and definition of controls, wherein the controls are hidden and comprise a Java control.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor template defines a control that is an object capable of rendering computer readable media.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message from a networked information monitor to itself or another networked information monitor.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to a control of a networked information monitor.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the networked information monitor corresponding to the user selected networked information monitor template lacks native controls that enable a user to navigate a network.