Multi-window internet search with webpage preload

• US 8,015,259 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Better Browsing LLC (Mount Treble LLC)
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann
• Inventors: Swahn, Alan Earl
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange, Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US10/657,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,919 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

Methods are described to preload a plurality of webpages from a hyperlink list either previously saved or returned by one or more search engines, where said webpages are displayed on demand in a web browser. The web browser has been augmented to display multiple webpages simultaneously and to allow changing the number of webpages displayed. Any displayed portion of this plurality of webpages can be captured to a standard graphics format for later use. The viewing magnification factor can be changed for this plurality of webpages both globally for preloaded webpages not displayed and selectively for displayed webpages. The hyperlinks associated with any portion of this plurality of webpages can be saved as a list of hyperlinks (group bookmark) for later retrieval. A queue of favorite webpages can be dynamically created from this plurality of webpages by selecting one or more webpages and having the associated hyperlinks to said selected webpages appended to a queue of hyperlinks which is available for preloading, display, or saved as a group bookmark.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving and viewing webpages in a single web browser instance operating on a user'"'"'s computer, comprising the sequential steps of:

submitting, from said single web browser, a search request to an Internet search engine located on the Internet, wherein said search request is initiated by the user

receiving a hyperlink list from said Internet search engine, said hyperlink list having been automatically rank-ordered by said Internet search engine, and wherein said hyperlink list by default is not displayed;

automatically preloading a plurality of webpages referred to by said hyperlink list to form a rank-ordered queue of webpages stored on the user'"'"'s computer;

viewing at least two webpages from said rank-ordered queue of webpages in separate windows within said single web browser instance such that all of said at least two webpages are fully active and simultaneously visible, and where any of said at least two webpages may be operated on without altering the state of another of said at least two webpages; and

wherein descendant webpages are preloaded for some, but not all, of said at least two webpages.

2. The method of claim 1 including changing the number of webpages that are simultaneously displayed according to an input from the user and when additional webpages are made visible, populating these additional webpages automatically with webpages corresponding to hyperlinks in said rank-ordered list of hyperlinks.

3. The method of claim 1 including selectively deleting webpages displayed or queued for display.

4. The method of claim 1 where said loading is accomplished by preloading a selectable number of webpages corresponding to a selectable number of hyperlinks in the queue of hyperlinks.

5. The method of claim 1 including changing the number of webpages that are simultaneously displayed according to an input from the user.

6. The method of claim 1 including selectively saving the queue of hyperlinks or a portion thereof as a group bookmark hyperlink list that may be loaded in a web browser at a later time.

7. The method of claim 1 where said loading is further accomplished by concurrently preloading a predetermined number of webpages pointed to by hyperlinks in the queue of hyperlinks.

8. The method of claim 1 where said loading is further accomplished by determining the available network download bandwidth and preloading a predetermined number of webpages based on such available network download bandwidth.

9. The method of claim 1 where said loading is further accomplished by:

determining that a processor within the user'"'"'s computer isn'"'"'t saturated; and

preloading a predetermined number of webpages based on the processor'"'"'s non-saturation state.

10. The method of claim 1 including selectively deleting webpages displayed or queued for display.

11. A method for retrieving and viewing webpages in a single web browser instance operating on a user'"'"'s computer, comprising the sequential steps of:

simultaneously submitting, from said web browser, a search request to multiple Internet search engines located on the Internet, and wherein said search request is initiated by the user

receiving a hyperlink list from each of said multiple Internet search engines, said hyperlink list having been automatically rank-ordered by the Internet search engine that supplied said hyperlink list;

automatically forming a single queue of hyperlinks from all hyperlink lists received by aggregating or prioritizing hyperlinks from said hyperlink lists;

automatically loading a plurality of webpages referred to by said single queue of hyperlinks to form a queue of webpages stored on the user'"'"'s computer; and

viewing at least two webpages from said queue of webpages in separate windows within the single web browser instance such that all of said at least two webpages are fully active and simultaneously visible, and where any of said at least two webpages may be operated on without altering the state of another of said at least two webpages.

12. The method of claim 11 where said loading is accomplished by preloading a selectable number of webpages pointed to by a selectable number of hyperlinks in the list of hyperlinks, and wherein descendant are preloaded for some, but not all, of said selectable number of webpages.

13. The method of claim 11 where said loading is further accomplished by concurrently preloading a predetermined number of webpages pointed to by hyperlinks in the list of hyperlinks, and wherein descendant webpages are preloaded for some, but not all, of said predetermined number of webpages.

14. The method of claim 11 where said loading is accomplished by determining an available network download bandwidth and preloading a predetermined number of webpages based on such available network download bandwidth.

15. The method of claim 11 where said loading is further accomplished by:

determining that a processor within the user'"'"'s computer isn'"'"'t saturated; and

preloading a predetermined number of webpages based on the processor'"'"'s non-saturation state.

16. The method of claim 11 including selectively saving the rank-ordered queue of hyperlinks or a portion thereof as a group bookmark hyperlink list that may be loaded in a web browser at a later time.

17. The method of claim 11 where viewing said webpages includes displaying at least two additional fully functional webpages in said single web browser instance at the same time such that all of said at least two additional fully functional webpages are simultaneously visible to the user and may be operated on simultaneously, and where any of said at least two additional fully functional webpages may be operated on without altering the state of another of said at least two additional fully functional webpages.

18. The method of claim 11 including selectively saving the queue of hyperlinks or a portion thereof as a group bookmark hyperlink list that may be loaded in a web browser at a later time.