System and method for the dynamic improvement of internet browser navigability

• US 8,661,349 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2007
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RhythmOne LLC (Nexxen International Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Pinball Acquisition Corporation
• Inventors: Dobronsky, Oren, Karni, Gabriella
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US11/736,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20070245246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,505 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/745, 715/747
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A method and system for dynamically providing the on-demand addition of graphic and other information to a web browser'"'"'s toolbar. The HotbarToolbar comprises a plurality of categorized or rated links, which in the presently preferred embodiment are organized under customized, newly and dynamically added toolbar buttons known as hotbuttons. The name and/or content of the hotbuttons may change dynamically in accordance with various factors (including, but not limited to, changes in URL).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting graphic and other information in a toolbar area of a browser, the method comprising:

displaying at least one user-selectable button in the toolbar area of the browser, wherein the at least one user-selectable button includes said graphic information, a text label, or both;

receiving user input selecting the at least one user-selectable button;

directing a user to at least one web site related to the graphic information or the text label of the at least one user-selectable button; and

changing the graphic information or the text label dynamically based on information associated with the user and when the browser navigates from the at least one website to another website.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphic information includes an image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the graphic information includes an icon, and the information associated with the user includes demographic information of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user includes a geographic location of the user, and wherein the information associated with the user includes one or more behaviors of the user, and wherein one of the one or more behaviors includes a behavior of the user while using the browser.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information associated with the user includes one or more interests of the user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising changing at least the one web site to which the at least one user-selectable button directs the user when the graphic information or the text label is updated.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying, upon selection of the at least one user-selectable button by the user, a list that includes links to each of any related web sites to which the at least one user-selectable button directs the user.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with processing instructions in an executable format to implement a method for dynamically updating an attribute of a browser, which when performed by a computer, the method comprises:

providing graphic information, a text label, or both in the browser;

modifying the graphic information or the text label based on information associated with a user of the browser and when the browser navigates from one website to another website; and

displaying a user-selectable button in association with the graphic information or the text label, wherein the user-selectable button is configured for directing the user to at least one web site related to the graphic information or the text label, and wherein the user-selectable button is provided via a component installed with the browser.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the graphic information includes an image.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the graphic information includes an icon, and wherein the information associated with the user includes demographic information of the user.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the information associated with the user includes a geographic location of the user.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein the information associated with the user includes one or more behaviors of the user, and wherein one of the one or more behaviors includes a behavior of the user while using the browser.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprises:

changing at least the one web site to which the user-selectable button directs the user when the graphic information or the text label is modified;

displaying, upon selection of the user-selectable button by the user, a list that includes links to each of any related web sites to which the user-selectable button directs the user; and

wherein the information associated with the user includes one or more interests of the user.

14. A method in a client computing device and server environment to provide graphic and other information to a browser'"'"'s toolbar area of a web surfer, comprising:

providing a plug-in;

transmitting said plug-in, which is configured to self install in a browser of said web surfer, said graphic and other information displayed as a skin in the toolbar area of said browser by an operation of a module of said plug in, where said graphic and other information is configured to be displayed on a display screen of the client computing device;

where said plug-in is configured to cooperate with a server to allow said graphic and other information to be dynamically modified according to selections made by said web surfer through the use of a service website, where the plug-in is configured to be stored in an executable format on a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

updating said graphic and other information displayed as the skin in the toolbar area of said browser on the display screen of the client computing device based on the selections made by said web surfer.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the graphic and other information displayed as the skin in the toolbar area comprises a button, a link, or either of these two that is configured to launch an application, game or other service that can be executed directly from the browser'"'"'s toolbar area, when the button or the link is activated.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the graphic and other information that is dynamically modified comprises an addition to the toolbar area of a button, a link, or either of these two that is configured to launch an application, game or other service that can be executed directly from the browser'"'"'s toolbar area, when the button or the link is activated.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the graphic and other information is provided to the web surfer by a specific web site from the plug-in and wherein said graphic and other information is related to the specific website from which it is being downloaded.

18. A method in a client computing device and server environment to present graphic and other information in a toolbar area of a web browser, the method comprising:

providing a plug-in for installation in the web browser, where the plug-in is stored in an executable format on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, where the plug-in includes programming instructions for following operations;

displaying on a display screen of said client computing device a user-selectable button in the toolbar area of the web browser, wherein the user-selectable button includes at least one of graphic information and a text label, where the user-selectable button is configured to direct a user to at least one web site corresponding to the text label; and

updating the graphic information and the text label dynamically based on the at least one web site that is being accessed via the web browser.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

updating the text label based on both an attribute of the user of the web browser and the at least one web site being accessed via the web browser.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said updating the graphic information and the text label further includes updating an appearance of the user-selectable button based on the web site being accessed by the at least one web browser.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the programming instructions for following operations, further include:

executing said programming instructions from the plug-in to generate a virtual toolbar for the web browser, independent of a native toolbar of the web browser program, for display within the web browser program on the display screen of the client computing device, where the virtual toolbar includes at least one virtual button for selecting additional content or services available by a service website, and at least a portion of the additional content or services being downloadable from a remote server responsive to a selection of the at least one virtual button, and the at least one virtual button being associated with a category of available content, where a plurality of selectable categories can be selected from.