Processing selected browser requests

• US 7,996,460 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arsenault, David
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US12/172,703
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709238-239, 709/229, 370/352
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/247 using M:N active or standby paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams

Abstract

Processing a browser request that specifies a destination network resource generally includes intercepting a browser request that specifies a selected destination network resource and redirecting the browser request to a network server that differs from the destination resource specified by the browser request. Processing a browser request also may include intercepting a browser request received from a client computer at a proxy server when the browser request specifies a selected destination network resource and performing instructions associated with and in addition to instructions performed to download the selected destination network resource.

Claims

1. A method of processing a request from a browser executing on a computer, the method comprising:

receiving, at the computer, an indication of a destination resource located on a destination server, the destination resource including content;

comparing, at the computer, data identifying the destination resource with a list of destination resources to determine whether additional processing is needed for the destination resource;

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is not needed for the destination resource, sending a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the computer to the destination server and receiving the destination resource at the computer in response to the request sent to the destination server; and

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is needed for the destination resource, sending a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the computer to a server other than the destination server such that additional processing is performed at the other server based on the destination resource, wherein the additional processing includes causing the computer to display content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes a rating for the content in the destination resource.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the computer to display content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes causing the computer to display both the content in the destination resource and the content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein causing the computer to display both the content in the destination resource and the content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes causing the computer to overlay the content that differs from the content in the destination resource on top of the content included in the destination resource.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein causing the computer to display content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes causing the computer to display the content that differs from the content in the destination resource in a toolbar.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes a rating for the content in the destination resource.

7. The method of claim 1 the method further comprising receiving information at the computer from the other server and processing the information at the computer to display the content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

21. The method of claim 1, 15 or 16, wherein the display content that differs from the content in the destination resource comprises a toolbar and the content of the destination resource comprises text.

22. The method of claim 1, 15 or 16, wherein the display content that differs from the content in the destination resource comprises an advertisement, and the content of the destination resource comprises text.

23. The method of claim 1, 15 or 16, wherein the display content that differs from the content in the destination resource comprises a navigation link and the content of the destination resource comprises text.

24. The method of claim 1, 15 or 16, wherein the display content that differs from the content in the destination resource comprises a selection menu and the content of the destination resource comprises text.

8. A non-transitory computer useable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the following operations:

receive, at the computer, an indication of a destination resource located on a destination server, the destination resource including content;

compare, at the computer, data identifying the destination resource with a list of destination resources to determine whether additional processing is needed for the destination resource;

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is not needed for the destination resource, send a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the computer to the destination server and receive the destination resource at the computer in response to the request sent to the destination server; and

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is needed for the destination resource, send a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the computer to a server other than the destination server such that additional processing is performed at the other server based on the destination resource, wherein the additional processing includes causing the computer to display content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

9. The medium of claim 8 wherein the content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes a rating for the content in the destination resource.

10. The medium of claim 8 wherein causing the computer to display content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes causing the computer to display both the content in the destination resource and the content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

11. The medium of claim 10 wherein causing the computer to display both the content in the destination resource and the content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes causing the computer to overlay the content that differs from the content in the destination resource on top of the content included in the destination resource.

12. The medium of claim 8 wherein causing the computer to display content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes causing the computer to display the content that differs from the content in the destination resource in a toolbar.

13. The medium of claim 12 wherein the content that differs from the content in the destination resource includes a rating for the content in the destination resource.

14. The medium of claim 8 wherein the program further comprises instructions for causing the computer to receive information at the computer from the other server and process the information at the computer to display the content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

15. A method of processing a request from a browser executing on a computer, the method comprising:

receiving, at the computer, an indication of a destination resource located on a destination server, the destination resource including content;

comparing, at the computer, data identifying the destination resource with a list of destination resources to determine whether additional processing is needed for the destination resource;

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is not needed for the destination resource, sending a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the computer to the destination server and receiving the destination resource at the computer in response to the request sent to the destination server;

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is needed for the destination resource, sending a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the computer to a server other than the destination server such that additional processing is performed at the other server based on the destination resource;

receiving a response at the computer from the other server, wherein the response is generated by the other server based on the additional processing; and

displaying, at the computer, content based on the received response, wherein the content displayed at the computer differs from content in the destination resource.

16. A method of processing a browser request, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first computer, an indication of a destination resource located on a destination server, the destination resource including content;

comparing, at the first computer, data identifying the destination resource with a list of destination resources to determine whether additional processing is needed for the destination resource;

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is not needed for the destination resource, sending a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the first computer to the destination server;

when the comparison indicates that additional processing is needed for the destination resource, sending a request that includes an identifier of the destination resource from the first computer to a server other than the destination server such that additional processing is performed at the other server based on the destination resource,

wherein the additional processing causes a second computer to display content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a response is generated by the other server based on the additional processing and sent to the second computer, and further wherein content based on the received response is displayed at the second computer, the content displayed at the second computer being different from content in the destination resource.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the additional processing causes the second computer to display both the content in the destination resource and the content that differs from the content in the destination resource.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the additional processing causes the second computer to overlay the content that differs from the content in the destination resource on top of the content included in the destination resource.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the first computer comprises at least one of a proxy server or a client computer.

25. A computer-implemented method for customizing an Internet page in a client-server system, comprising:

receiving a client request for an Internet page having first content served by one or more destination servers;

identifying the first content served by the one or more destination servers and providing the identified first content in response to the client request;

determining whether the one or more destination servers require additional processing for customization of the Internet page with second content along with the first content, the second content being different from the first content;

receiving the second content from one or more secondary servers when the one or more destination servers require additional processing to customize the Internet page; and

providing the received second content in response to the client request, the second content being overlayed relative to the first content on the Internet page.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the second content comprises a toolbar and the first content comprises text.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the additional processing comprises toolbar functionality.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the second content comprises an executable program, and the first content comprises text.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 28, wherein the additional processing executes the executable program.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the second content comprises an advertisement, and the first content comprises text.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 30, wherein the additional processing generates the advertisement.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 30, wherein the additional processing comprises selecting the advertisement from a plurality of advertisements.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 30, wherein the additional processing comprises sending instructions in response to the client request to display the advertisement.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the second content comprises a navigation link and the first content comprises text.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the additional processing comprises navigation link functionality.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the second content comprises a selection menu and the first content comprises text.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the additional processing comprises selection menu functionality.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein determining whether the one or more destination servers require additional processing comprises:

comparing, at the computer, data associated with the one or more destination servers with a list of destination servers to determine that additional processing is required.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 37, wherein when the comparison indicates that additional processing is needed, the method further comprises:

sending data associated with the client request to the one or more secondary servers such that additional processing is performed at the one or more secondary servers to generate the first content and the second content.