RSS data-processing object

• US 8,280,843 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 10/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: von Koch, Walter V., Lyndersay, Sean O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Bai D.
• Application Number:
  US11/276,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,405 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/607
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

Various embodiments utilize a special object referred to as an rsshttp object to acquire an RSS feed, process the feed and expose an object model to a web page or application. In at least some embodiments, the rsshttp object can parse through the feed'"'"'s associated RSS data, normalize the feed data to a standard format, sanitize the feed data if necessary, and then present a standardized object model for interaction with web pages and applications.

Claims

1. A client system comprising:

one or more computer-readable media;

computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed by the client system, implement at the client system a web browser comprising an rsshttp object that is configured to;

acquire a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed, the rsshttp object being further configured to utilize an xmlhttp object to acquire the RSS feed when the RSS feed uses Extensible Markup Language (XML) data;

process the RSS feed to provide an object model, the object model configured to reflect a structure of the RSS feed;

parse XML elements from XML associated with the RSS feed that is acquired by the rsshttp object;

normalize the feed'"'"'s format to a standard feed format, the object model representing the standard feed format;

store one or more foreign keys alongside the particular items of the RSS feed to match the particular items of the RSS feed with data in a database; and

expose the object model to applications or web pages so that such applications or web pages can interact with associated feed data without having to understand the XML that describes the feed data.

2. The client system of claim 1, wherein the rsshttp object is configured to fetch feeds on an ad hoc basis.

3. The client system of claim 1, wherein the rsshttp object is configured to fetch feeds on a scheduled basis.

4. The client system of claim 1, wherein the rsshttp object is configured to enable a user to subscribe to an RSS feed.

5. The client system of claim 1, wherein the rsshttp object is configured to cache RSS feed data.

6. The client system of claim 1, wherein the rsshttp object is configured to aggregate RSS feed data.

7. The client system of claim 1, wherein individual objects of the object model have associated methods and properties.

8. The client system of claim 1, wherein the rsshttp object comprises part of a browser.

9. The client system of claim 1, wherein the object model comprises a feeds object associated with the RSS feed, and items object associated with particular items of the RSS feed, and an enclosure object associated with particular enclosures of the RSS feed.

10. A system comprising:

one or more computer-readable media;

computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed, implement at a client device a web browser comprising an rsshttp object, the web browser configured to;

receiving, using the rsshttp object, a request for a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed;

make a corresponding request on an associated RSS source, the corresponding request being made by the rsshttp object utilizing an xmlhttp object to access Extensible Markup Language (XML) data associated with the RSS feed;

receive the RSS feed data associated with the request, the RSS feed data including the XML data;

parse XML elements from the XML data associated with the RSS feed data;

build a normalized object model configured to normalize the RSS feed data format to a standard feed format and comprising;

a feeds object associated with the RSS feed;

an items object associated with particular items of the RSS feed; and

an enclosure object associated with particular enclosures of the RSS feed;

store one or more foreign keys alongside the items of the RSS feed to match the items with data in a database; and

expose the object model to applications or web pages such that the foreign keys are accessible by the applications or web pages, the applications or web pages being permitted to interact with the RSS feed data without having to know information about the underlying RSS feed data format and without having to understand the XML that describes the RSS feed data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the web browser is configured to receive a scheduling request for an RSS feed or item and make requests on an RSS source according to an associated schedule.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the web browser is configured to receive registration requests and listen for associated events.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the web browser is configured to receive registration requests and listen for associated events, and wherein the web browser is configured to generate notifications associated with events that occur.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the normalized object model is configured to fire events two entities that register for the events.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a web browser comprising an rsshttp object at a client computer, a request for a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feed;

making a corresponding request on an associated RSS source by at least utilizing, using the rsshttp object at the client computer, an xmlhttp object to access Extensible Markup Language (XML) associated with RSS feed data in the RSS feed;

receiving, by the rsshttp object at the client computer, the RSS feed data associated with the request;

parsing, by the rsshttp object at the client computer, XML elements from the XML associated with the RSS feed data;

building a normalized object model at the client computer, the normalized object model being configured to normalize the RSS feed data format to a standard feed format;

storing foreign keys alongside the particular items of the particular RSS feed to allow the particular items of the particular RSS feed to be matched to data in a remote database; and

exposing, by the client computer, the object model to applications or web pages, the applications or web pages being permitted to interact with the RSS feed data without having to know information about the underlying RSS feed data format and without having to understand the XML that describes the RSS feed data, the exposing of the object model being effective to cause the foreign keys to be available to the applications or web pages.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a scheduling request for an RSS feed or item; and

making requests on an RSS source according to an associated schedule.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving registration requests; and

listening for associated events.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving registration requests;

listening for associated events; and

generating notifications associated with events that occur.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said acts are performed by a web browser.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the normalized object model comprises individual objects at least some of which have callable methods and properties associated with the RSS feed data, the individual objects including a feeds object associated with a particular RSS feed, and items object associated with particular items of the particular RSS feed, and an enclosure object associated with particular enclosures of the particular RSS feed.