Method of modifying a toolbar
DCFirst Claim
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1. A method of modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
- displaying, at a user Internet device, a toolbar comprising one or more buttons, the toolbar defined by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases, the toolbar data comprising a plurality of attributes, one or more of the plurality of attributes associated with a button of the toolbar, wherein for each button of the toolbar, at least one of the plurality of attributes identifies at least one function to be performed when the button is actuated by the user Internet device, wherein at least one of the functions comprises exchanging data between the toolbar and a computer program;
initiating at the user Internet device, without user interaction, an operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with toolbar update data received from the Internet;
updating, by the operation, the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data, thereby producing updated toolbar data, wherein the updating comprises;
receiving, at the user Internet device, a first web page comprising a reference to a network location;
accessing, at the user Internet device, the reference;
receiving, at the user Internet device, the toolbar update data in response to the user Internet device accessing the reference, wherein the received toolbar update data comprises a MIME type identification of the content type of the toolbar update data;
determining, at the user Internet device, that the MIME type identification is associated in the user Internet device with a database update program;
providing, at the user Internet device, the toolbar update data to the database update program in response to the user Internet device determining the MIME type identification is associated in the user Internet device with the database update program; and
initiating, at the database update program, the operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data, the updating comprising at least one of the following steps (a) and (b), each respectively comprising;
(a) writing at least one new attribute to the original toolbar data, wherein the writing at least one new attribute to the toolbar data comprises changing the one or more buttons of the toolbar by adding a button; and
(b) updating at least one attribute of the toolbar data; and
displaying, at the user Internet device, the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data.
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Abstract
The present invention comprises a method of and apparatus for simplifying the process of access to a network for a roaming computer user, divides the responsibility of servicing a given user wanting to access the network between multiple parties and minimizes the possibility of improper dissemination of email header data as well as improper use of network resources (including server systems) by non-clients.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
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displaying, at a user Internet device, a toolbar comprising one or more buttons, the toolbar defined by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases, the toolbar data comprising a plurality of attributes, one or more of the plurality of attributes associated with a button of the toolbar, wherein for each button of the toolbar, at least one of the plurality of attributes identifies at least one function to be performed when the button is actuated by the user Internet device, wherein at least one of the functions comprises exchanging data between the toolbar and a computer program; initiating at the user Internet device, without user interaction, an operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with toolbar update data received from the Internet; updating, by the operation, the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data, thereby producing updated toolbar data, wherein the updating comprises; receiving, at the user Internet device, a first web page comprising a reference to a network location; accessing, at the user Internet device, the reference; receiving, at the user Internet device, the toolbar update data in response to the user Internet device accessing the reference, wherein the received toolbar update data comprises a MIME type identification of the content type of the toolbar update data; determining, at the user Internet device, that the MIME type identification is associated in the user Internet device with a database update program; providing, at the user Internet device, the toolbar update data to the database update program in response to the user Internet device determining the MIME type identification is associated in the user Internet device with the database update program; and initiating, at the database update program, the operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data, the updating comprising at least one of the following steps (a) and (b), each respectively comprising; (a) writing at least one new attribute to the original toolbar data, wherein the writing at least one new attribute to the toolbar data comprises changing the one or more buttons of the toolbar by adding a button; and (b) updating at least one attribute of the toolbar data; and displaying, at the user Internet device, the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28)
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25. A method of modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
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installing a toolbar program on a user computer, the toolbar program including a predetermined Internet Protocol address and a toolbar database that is at least partially encrypted, the toolbar database including data version information and specifications for generating a toolbar, the specifications comprising; a plurality of name-value attribute pairs, the plurality of name-value attribute pairs comprising, for at least one of a plurality of buttons of the toolbar; a button caption; an enablement attribute specifying whether the button is enabled or disabled; an execution type; and a location attribute specifying at least one of a location of a file for the button function or a network location for the button function; and data defining the plurality of buttons; wherein the toolbar comprises a first button comprising; a location attribute comprising a first network location; and an execution type to cause a web browser to open the location attribute; generating and displaying the toolbar in accordance with the toolbar database; contacting a server, without user interaction, at the predetermined Internet Protocol address, and transmitting the data version information of the toolbar database to the server; determining, from the data version information, that the user computer should receive updated toolbar data for the toolbar program, the updated toolbar data including a second network location; and receiving the updated toolbar data at the user computer. - View Dependent Claims (26, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification