Server including components for accessing and displaying internet content and for providing same to a client

• US 9,124,665 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DoDots Licensing Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mainstream Scientific, LLC (Innovation Management Sciences, LLC)
• Inventors: Russell, John, Wobbrock, Jake, Kim, Daniel S., Kembel, George Andrew, Kembel, John Albert, Wallin, Mark, Devulkar, Sridhar T., Bella, Joseph A., Kembel, Jeremy L., Kembel, Geoffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US11/932,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,862 Days
• Field of Search: 715205-206, 715201-202, 715/240, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A server maintains and provides access to application media packages for accessing and displaying Internet content. These packages include a definition for rendering a graphical user interface within which Internet content may be presented outside of and without utilization of a web browser application. The packages also include a network reference, such as a URL, pointing to the Internet content such that the Internet Content may be downloaded and presented within said user interface. A representation of each package on the server available for downloading is provided. A user may select one or more desired packages for downloading. An application media viewer may also be made available for downloading.

Claims

1. A network addressable server comprising:

non-transient storage media having stored thereon an index of multiple networked information monitor templates available for delivery from said network addressable server to client computing platforms communicatively connected to said network addressable server over a communications network, the networked information monitor templates including;

a first networked information monitor template, the first networked information monitor template comprising;

(1) first control characteristics defining one or more controls of a first networked information monitor defined by the first networked information monitor template that enables a user to interact with the first networked information monitor;

(2) a first content reference that comprises a first uniform resource locator at which content for the first networked information monitor is accessible over the Internet in a web browser readable format;

(3) a definition of a first viewer graphical user interface of the first networked information monitor within which content in a web-readable language may be presented on a display of the client computing platform;

(4) instructions configured (i) to cause the first networked information monitor to request content over the Internet from the first uniform resource locator in the first content reference, and (ii) to cause the first networked information monitor to generate the first viewer graphical user interface of the first networked information monitor with the content received over the Internet from the first uniform resource locator in a web browser readable format is displayed such that the first viewer graphical user interface is presented separate and outside of any other graphical user interface that includes user controls for specifying any uniform resource locator from which the content for the first networked information monitor is served over the network, wherein the one or more controls defined by the first control characteristics are the only controls provided on the first viewer graphical user interface for enabling the user to interact with the content received over the Internet from the first uniform resource locator in the first viewer graphical user interface of the first networked information monitor; and

a second networked information monitor template, the second networked information monitor template comprising;

(1) second control characteristics defining one or more controls of a second networked information monitor defined by the second networked information monitor template that enables the user to interact with the second networked information monitor;

(2) a second content reference that comprises a second uniform resource locator at which content for the second networked information monitor is accessible over the Internet in a web browser readable format;

(3) a definition of a second viewer graphical user interface of the second networked information monitor within which content in a web-readable language may be presented on a display of the client computing platform;

(4) instructions configured (i) to cause the second networked information monitor to request content over the Internet from the second uniform resource locator in the second content reference, and (ii) to cause the second networked information monitor to generate the second viewer graphical user interface of the second networked information monitor with the content received over the Internet from the second uniform resource locator in a web browser readable format is displayed such that the second viewer graphical user interface is presented separate and outside of the first viewer graphical user interface and any other graphical user interface that includes user controls for specifying any uniform resource locator from which the content for the second networked information monitor is served over the network, wherein the one or more controls defined by the second control characteristics are the only controls provided on the second viewer graphical user interface enabling the user to interact with the content received over the Internet from the second uniform resource locator in the second viewer graphical user interface of the second networked information monitor; and

one or more processors configured

to serve over the communications network for display, on the client computing platforms, user selectable indicia representing individual ones of multiple networked information monitors defined by the multiple networked information monitor templates;

to receive over the communications network user selections made on said client computing platforms of indicia representing one of said networked information monitors; and

responsive to reception of such a user selection from one of the client computing platforms over the communications network, to effectuate transmission to the client computing platform over the communications network of a networked information monitor template that defines a networked information monitor represented by a user selected indicia such that

responsive to reception of such a user selection of a first indicia representing the first networked information monitor from a first client computing platform, transmission of the first networked information monitor template to the first client computing platform is effectuated, and

responsive to reception of such a user selection of a second indica representing the second networked information monitor from the first client computing platform, transmission of the second networked information monitor template to the first client computing platform is effectuated.

2. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the one or more controls defined by the first control characteristics specify controls for controlling visual attributes of said first viewer graphical user interface.

3. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein said first uniform resource locator refers to a server that is separate and discrete from the network addressable server, and that has stored thereon the content for the first networked information monitor.

4. The network addressable server of claim 3, wherein the content for the first networked information monitor includes visually static content.

5. The network addressable server of claim 3, wherein the content for the first networked information monitor content includes multimedia content.

6. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein said network addressable server has at least one IP address, and the first uniform resource locator points to a device having an IP address that is not equal to any IP address of the network addressable server.

7. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether said first client computing platform has installed thereon a parser application, and to cause, responsive to the first client computing platform not having the parser application installed, a client application including at least the parser application to be provided to said first client computing platform over the communications network.

8. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether an out-of-date version of the parser application is installed on the first client computing platform, and to cause, responsive to an out-of date version of the parser application being installed on the first client computing platform, a client application including at least the parser application to be delivered to the first client computing platform over the communications network.

9. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the first networked information monitor template comprises frame characteristics that define one or more aspects of a visual appearance of the frame, 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.

10. The network addressable server of claim 9, wherein the frame characteristics included in the first networked information monitor template fully describe a functionality and an appearance of the frame.

11. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the first networked information monitor template defines characteristics of the first networked information monitor, including at least one of:

frame characteristics, viewer characteristics, the first control characteristics, or the first content references for the first networked information monitor.

12. The network addressable server of claim 11, wherein user-selected networked information monitor templates are delivered to the client computing device via the network addressable server, and wherein content corresponding to the one or more content references for the single corresponding networked information monitor is delivered to the client computing device via a content server that is separate from the network addressable server.

13. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the first networked information monitor template includes an Extensible Markup Language file.

14. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the first networked information monitor template comprises uncompiled code.

15. The network addressable server of claim 14, wherein the application-type networked information monitor comprises Web calendar.

16. The network addressable server of claim 14, wherein the application-type networked information monitor comprises Web mail.

17. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the first networked information monitor comprises an application-type networked information monitor.

18. The network addressable server of claim 1, wherein the first control characteristics are configured such that the one or more controls for the first networked information monitor lack any control that facilitate manual entry of a uniform resource locator.

19. A network addressable server comprising:

non-transient storage media storing indicia representing networked information monitors and network references to one or more other network addressable servers having stored therein networked information monitor templates defining the networked information monitor templates, the networked information monitor templates comprising;

a first networked information monitor template defining a first networked information monitor template, the first networked information monitor template including;

(1) first control characteristics defining one or more controls of the first networked information monitor that enables a user to interact with the first networked information monitor;

(2) a first content reference that comprises a first uniform resource locator at which content for the first networked information monitor is accessible over the Internet in a web browser readable format;

(3) a definition of a first viewer graphical user interface of the first networked information monitor within which content in a web-readable language may be presented on a display of the client computing platform;

(4) instructions configured (i) to cause the first networked information monitor to request content over the Internet from the first uniform resource locator in the first content reference, and (ii) to cause the first networked information monitor to generate the first viewer graphical user interface of the first networked information monitor with the content received over the Internet from the second uniform resource locator in a web browser readable format is displayed such that the first viewer graphical user interface is presented separate and outside of any other graphical user interface that includes user controls for specifying any uniform resource locator from which the content for the first networked information monitor is served over the network, wherein the one or more controls defined by the first control characteristics are the only controls provided on the first viewer graphical user interface for enabling the user to interact with the content received over the Internet from the first uniform resource locator in the first viewer graphical user interface of the first networked information monitor; and

a second networked information monitor template defining a second networked information monitor template, the second networked information monitor template including;

(1) second control characteristics defining one or more controls of the second networked information monitor that enables the user to interact with the second networked information monitor;

(2) a second content reference that comprises a second uniform resource locator at which content for the second networked information monitor is accessible over the Internet in a web browser readable format;

(3) a definition of a second viewer graphical user interface of the second networked information monitor within which content in a web-readable language may be presented on a display of the client computing device;

(4) instructions configured (i) to cause the second networked information monitor to request content over the Internet from the second uniform resource locator in the second content reference, and (ii) to cause the second networked information monitor to generate the second viewer graphical user interface of the second networked information monitor with the content received over the Internet from the second uniform resource locator in a web browser readable format is displayed such that the second viewer graphical user interface is presented separate and outside of the first viewer graphical user interface and any other graphical user interface that includes user controls for specifying any uniform resource locator from which the content for the second networked information monitor is served over the network, wherein the one or more controls defined by the second control characteristics are the only controls provided on the second viewer graphical user interface for enabling the user to interact with the content received over the Internet from the second uniform resource locator in the second viewer graphical user interface of the second networked information monitor; and

one or more processors configured

to serve over the communications network for display, on the client computing platforms, user selectable indicia representing individual ones of multiple networked information monitors defined by the multiple networked information monitor templates;

to receive over the communications network user selections made on said client computing platforms of indicia representing one of said networked information monitors; and

responsive to reception of such a user selection from one of the client computing platforms over the communications network, to provide access for the requesting client computing platform over the communications network to a networked information monitor template that defines a networked information monitor represented by a user selected indicia such that

responsive to reception of such a user selection of a first indicia representing the first networked information monitor from a first client computing platform, access is provided to the first networked information monitor template for the first client computing platform, and

responsive to reception of such a user selection of a second indicia representing the second networked information monitor from the first client computing platform, access is provided to the second networked information monitor template for the first client computing platform.

20. The network addressable server of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are configured such that providing access to the first networked information monitor template comprises transmitting, over the communications network to the first client computing platform, the network location of another network addressable server having stored thereon the first networked information monitor template.

21. The network addressable server of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are configured such that providing access to the first networked information monitor template comprises transmitting instructions to at least one of the one or more other network addressable servers having stored thereon the first networked information monitor template that cause the at least one of the one or more other network addressable servers to begin transmission of the first networked information monitor template to the requesting client computing platform over the communications network.

22. The network addressable server of claim 21, wherein the one or more processors are configured such that it appears to the user of the first client computing platform as if the first networked information monitor template is being delivered over the communications network from the network addressable server.

23. The network addressable server of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that responsive to receipt at the network addressable server of a third networked information monitor template to be made available by said network addressable server for delivery to the client computing platforms over the communications network, a network location at which the third networked information monitor template is available is stored on said network addressable server, and user-selectable indicia associated with the received the third networked information monitor template is made available over the communications network for viewing by said client computing platforms.

24. The network addressable server of claim 23, further comprising a mechanism for authenticating said third networked information monitor template prior to making said third networked information monitor template available for delivery to said client computing platforms.

25. The network addressable server of claim 19, wherein the first control characteristics are configured such that the one or more controls for the first networked information monitor lack any control that facilitate manual entry of a uniform resource locator.