Distributed hypermedia method and system for automatically invoking external application providing interaction and display of embedded objects within a hypermedia document

• US 9,195,507 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eolas Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eolas Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Doyle, Michael D., Martin, David C., Ang, Cheong S.
• Primary Examiner(s): DONAGHUE, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US13/292,434
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/509 Offload
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/549 Remote execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5027 the resource being a machine, e.g. CPUs, Servers, Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5055 considering software capabilities, i.e. software resources associated or available to the machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/547 Remote procedure calls [RPC]; Web services

Abstract

At least one file containing information is transferred across a distributed network environment. The information allows at least one application configured to execute on at least one client workstation to display a portion of a distributed hypermedia document within a browser-controlled window, to respond to text formats to initiate processing specified by the text formats, to identify an embed text format which corresponds to a first location in the distributed hypermedia document and to automatically invoke program code being part of a distributed application located on two or more computers coupled to the distributed hypermedia network, in response to the identifying of the embed text format, in order to enable an end-user to directly interact with an object when the object is displayed within a display area created at the first location within the portion of the distributed hypermedia document being displayed in the browser-controlled window.

Claims

1. A server computer for use in the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, and for disseminating interactive content to two or more client computers via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the server computer comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, enables the processor to;

a. receive a request for information; and

b. cause a transfer of the information onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein;

(i) at least part of the information is configured to enable a World Wide Web browser on each of the client computers to cause a display of a World Wide Web page,

(ii) the World Wide Web browser has been configured to;

(a) parse an HTML tag to detect a data type of an object to cause the World Wide Web browser to employ a data structure to select one of a plurality of different interactive-content applications, the HTML tag specifying a location of at least a portion of the object, the object including the interactive content,

(b) identify the selected interactive-content application,

(c) locate the identified interactive-content application, and

(d) automatically invoke at least a part of the located interactive-content application,

(iii) the automatically invoked interactive-content application has been configured to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to interact with the object, displayed within the World Wide Web page, through the use of communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the two or more distributed application computers being remote from the two or more client computers,

(iv) the data structure has been configured to contain associations between a plurality of data types and corresponding different interactive-content applications for handling objects of the data types, and

(v) the data structure has been configured to be accessible by the World Wide Web browser prior to the World Wide Web browser receiving the information.

2. The server computer of claim 1, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

3. The server computer of claim 2, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating, by the one or more coordination computers, communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

4. The server computer of claim 3, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating by the one or more coordination computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.

5. A method, performed by a server computer connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, for disseminating interactive content to two or more client computers via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the method comprising:

a. receiving, by the server computer, a request for information; and

b. transferring, by the server computer, the information onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein;

(i) at least part of the information is configured to enable a World Wide Web browser on each of the client computers to cause a display of a World Wide Web page,

(ii) the World Wide Web browser has been configured to;

(a) parse an HTML tag to detect a data type of an object to cause the World Wide Web browser to employ a data structure to select one of a plurality of different interactive-content applications, the HTML tag specifying a location of at least a portion of the object, the object including the interactive content,

(b) identify the selected interactive-content application,

(c) locate the identified interactive-content application, and

(d) automatically invoke at least a part of the located interactive-content application,

(iii) the automatically invoked interactive-content application has been configured to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to interact with the object, displayed within the World Wide Web page, through the use of communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the two or more distributed application computers being remote from the two or more client computers,

(iv) the data structure has been configured to contain associations between a plurality of data types and corresponding different interactive-content applications for handling objects of the data types, and

(v) the data structure has been configured to be accessible by the World Wide Web browser prior to the World Wide Web browser receiving the information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

9. A method performed by one or more computers for coordinating distributed processing to enable dissemination of interactive content to two or more client computers, the method comprising:

for each of the client computers;

a. coordinating by the one or more computers processing of at least part of a distributed application to perform at least one task,

b. coordinating by the one or more computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task, wherein at least part of the distributed application has been implemented to be part of a distributed interactive-content application configured to enable a user to interact with an object, displayed within a World Wide Web page by the client computer, and

c. generating and sending by the one or more computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object, wherein;

(i) the two or more separate computers are remote from the client computer containing a World Wide Web browser configured to cause the display of the World Wide Web page,

(ii) the World Wide Web browser has been enabled by information that has been transferred onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to display said world Wide Web Page, wherein said World Wide Web browser has been configured to;

(a) parse an HTML tag to detect a data type of the object to cause the World Wide Web browser to employ a data structure to select one of a plurality of different interactive-content applications, (b) identify the selected interactive-content application, (c) locate the identified interactive-content application, and (d) automatically invoke the located interactive-content application,

(iii) the automatically invoked interactive-content application has been configured to operate as part of the distributed interactive-content application,

(iv) the data structure has been configured to contain associations between a plurality of data types and corresponding different interactive-content applications for handling of the data types, and

(v) the data structure has been configured to be accessible by the World Wide Web browser prior to the World Wide Web browser receiving the information.

10. A World Wide Web browser for use in the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, and for accessing interactive content which has been disseminated via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the World Wide Web browser comprising:

software code executable by a client computer, having a display device, to enable the client computer to;

receive information via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein at least part of the information has been configured to enable the software code, when executed by the client computer, to cause the display device to display a World Wide Web page, and

wherein the software code is configured to be executed by the client computer to;

(i) parse an HTML tag to detect a data type of an object to employ a data structure to select one of a plurality of different interactive-content applications, the HTML tag specifying a location of at least a portion of the object, the object including the interactive content,

(ii) identify the selected interactive-content application,

(iii) locate the identified interactive-content application, and

(iv) automatically invoke at least a part of the located interactive-content application, wherein;

(a) the automatically invoked interactive-content application is configured to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to interact with the object, displayed within the World Wide Web page, through the use of communications to be sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers coupled to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet and remote from the client computer,

(b) the data structure contains associations between a plurality of data types and corresponding different interactive-content applications for handling objects of the data types, and

(c) the data structure is accessible by the client computer prior to the client computer receiving the information.

11. The World Wide Web browser of claim 10, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

12. The World Wide Web browser of claim 10, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating by the one or more coordination computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

13. The World Wide Web browser of claim 11, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.

14. A client computer for use in the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet and for accessing interactive content which has been disseminated via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the client computer comprising:

a. a display device;

b. an input device;

c. a processor; and

d. a memory device which stores a World Wide Web browser, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to operate with the display device to;

receive information via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein at least part of the information has been configured to enable the World Wide Web browser, when executed by the processor, to cause the display device to display a World Wide Web page,

wherein, when executed by the processor, the World Wide Web browser is configured to;

(i) parse an HTML tag to detect a data type of an object to cause the World Wide Web browser to employ a data structure to select one of a plurality of different interactive-content applications, the HTML tag specifying a location of at least a portion of the object, the object including the interactive content,

(ii) identify the selected interactive-content application,

(iii) locate the identified interactive-content application, and

(iv) automatically invoke at least a part of the located interactive-content application, wherein;

(a) the automatically invoked interactive-content application has been configured to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to interact with the object, displayed within the World Wide Web page, through the use of communications to be sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers coupled to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet and remote from the client computer,

(b) the data structure contains associations between a plurality of data types and corresponding different interactive-content applications for handling objects of the data types, and

(c) the data structure is accessible by the World Wide Web browser prior to the World Wide Web browser receiving the information.

15. The client computer of claim 14, wherein the input device includes a touch screen.

16. The client computer of claim 15, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

17. The client computer of claim 15, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating by the one or more coordination computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

18. The client computer of claim 17, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.

19. A server computer for use in the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, and for disseminating interactive content via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the server computer comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, enables the server to;

a. receive a request for information; and

b. cause a transfer of the information onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein;

(i) a World Wide Web browser on a client computer connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network has been configured with a plurality of different interactive-content applications, each said interactive-content application being configured to enable a user to interact, within one or more World Wide Web pages, with at least part of one or more objects while at least part of each of one or more objects is displayed to the user within at least one of said one or more World Wide Web pages, and

(ii) at least part of the information is configured to allow the World Wide Web browser on the client computer to;

a. detect at least part of an object to be displayed in a World Wide Web page, and

b. cause a display of the World Wide Web page to a user,

(iii) the World Wide Web browser has been configured to;

a. select an interactive-content application, based upon the information, from among the different interactive-content applications, and

b. automatically invoke the selected interactive-content application to enable the user to employ the selected interactive-content application to interact within the World Wide Web page with at least part of the object while at least part of the object is displayed to the user within the World Wide Web page, wherein the automatically invoked interactive-content application has been configured to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to perform the interaction through the use of communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the two or more distributed application computers being remote from the client computer.

20. The server computer of claim 19, wherein the browser has been further configured to parse at least one HTML tag in the information, wherein at least a portion of the object is external to the information, and wherein the selecting is based upon a data type of the object.

21. The server computer of claim 20, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

22. The server computer of claim 21, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating by the one or more coordination computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

23. The server computer of claim 22, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.

24. The server computer of claim 19, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

25. The server computer of claim 24, wherein:

the at least one task is broken up and performed among two or more of the distributed application computers.

26. The server computer of claim 25, wherein:

the two or more of the distributed application computers work together to perform the at least one task.

27. The server computer of claim 26, wherein:

the distributed application computers transmit the results of the computations onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network for display in the hypermedia document.

28. The server computer of claim 27, wherein:

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of a word processor application while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

29. The server computer of claim 27, wherein:

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of a database application while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

30. The server computer of claim 27, wherein:

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of a spreadsheet application while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

31. The server computer of claim 27, wherein:

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of an application to view a series of delta encoded and compressed video images while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

32. A method, performed by a server computer connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, for disseminating interactive content via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the method comprising:

A. receiving, by the server computer, a request for information; and

B. transferring, by the server computer, the information onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein;

(i) a World Wide Web browser on a client computer connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network has been configured with a plurality of different interactive-content applications, each said interactive-content application being configured to enable a user to interact, within one or more World Wide Web pages, with at least part of one or more objects while at least part of each of said one or more objects is displayed to the user within at least one of said one or more World Wide Web pages, and

(ii) at least part of the information is configured to allow the World Wide Web browser on the client computer to;

a. detect at least part of an object to be displayed in a World Wide Web page, and

b. cause a display of the World Wide Web page to a user,

(iii) the World Wide Web browser has been configured to;

a. select an interactive-content application, based upon the information, from among the different interactive-content applications, and

b. automatically invoke the selected interactive-content application to enable the user to employ the selected interactive-content application to interact within the World Wide Web page with at least part of the object while at least part of the object is displayed to the user within the World Wide Web page, wherein the automatically invoked interactive-content application has been configured to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to perform the interaction through the use of communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the two or more distributed application computers being remote from the client computer.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the browser has been further configured to parse at least one HTML tag in the information, wherein at least a portion of the object is external to the information, and wherein the selecting is based upon a data type of the object.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating by the one or more coordination computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein:

the at least one task is broken up and performed among two or more of the distributed application computers.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein:

the two or more of the distributed application computers work together to perform the at least one task.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein:

the distributed application computers transmit the results of the computations onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network for display in the hypermedia document.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein:

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of a word processor application while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein:

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of a database application while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of a spreadsheet application while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein

the at least one task is to enable a user to perform interaction with at least part of an application to view a series of delta encoded and compressed video images while being displayed within the one or more World Wide Web pages.

45. A method performed by one or more computers for coordinating distributed processing to enable dissemination of interactive content to a client computer, the method comprising:

a. coordinating by the one or more computers processing of at least part of a distributed application to perform at least one task,

b. coordinating by the one or more computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task, wherein at least part of the distributed application has been implemented to be part of a distributed interactive-content application configured to enable a user to interact with at least part of an object, displayed within a World Wide Web page by the client computer, and

c. generating and sending by the one or more computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with at least part of the object, wherein;

a. the two or more separate computers are remote from the client computer containing a World Wide Web browser configured to cause the display of the World Wide Web page,

b. the World Wide Web browser has been configured with a plurality of different interactive-content applications, each said interactive-content application being configured to enable a user to interact, within one or more World Wide Web pages, with at least part of one or more objects while at least part of each of said one or more objects is displayed to the user within at least one of said one or more World Wide Web pages,

c. the World Wide Web browser has been enabled, by information that has been transferred onto the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network, to detect at least part of the object and to display the world Wide Web Page,

d. the World Wide Web browser has been configured to select an interactive-content application, based upon the information, from among the different interactive-content applications, and automatically invoke the selected interactive-content application,

e. the automatically invoked interactive-content application has been configured to operate as part of the distributed interactive-content application.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the browser has been further configured to parse at least one HTML tag in the information, wherein at least a portion of the object is external to the information, and wherein the selecting is based upon a data type of the object.

47. A computer program product for use in a client computer having a display device and coupled to a World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, and for accessing interactive content which has been disseminated via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory computer usable media having computer readable program code physically embodied therein, said computer program product further comprising;

computer readable World Wide Web browser program code executable by the client computer to enable the client computer to;

receive information via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein at least part of the information has been configured to enable the software code, when executed by the client computer, to;

a. detect at least part of an object to be displayed in a World Wide Web page, and

b. cause a display of the World Wide Web page to a user,

wherein the software code is configured with a plurality of different interactive-content applications, each said interactive-content application being configured to enable a user to interact, within one or more World Wide Web pages, with at least part of one or more objects while at least part of each of said one or more objects is displayed to the user within at least one of said one or more World Wide Web pages, and

wherein the computer readable World Wide Web browser program code enables the client computer to;

a. select an interactive-content application, based upon the information, from among the different interactive-content applications, and

b. automatically invoke the selected interactive-content application to enable the user to employ the selected interactive-content application to interact within the World Wide Web page with at least part of the object while at least part of the object is displayed to the user within the World Wide Web page, wherein the automatically invoked interactive-content application is configured to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to perform the interaction through the use of communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the two or more distributed application computers being remote from the client computer.

48. The computer program product of claim 47, wherein the computer readable World Wide Web browser program code further enables the client computer to parse at least one HTML tag in the information, wherein at least a portion of the object is external to the information, and wherein the selecting is based upon a data type of the object.

49. The World Wide Web browser of claim 48, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

50. The World Wide Web browser of claim 49, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating by the one or more coordination computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

51. The World Wide Web browser of claim 50, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.

52. A client computer for use in the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet and for accessing interactive content which has been disseminated via the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the client computer comprising:

a. a display device;

b. an input device;

c. a processor; and

d. a memory device which stores a World Wide Web browser, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to operate with the display device to;

receive information from the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, wherein at least part of the information has been configured to enable the World Wide Web browser, when executed by the processor, to;

a. detect at least part of an object to be displayed in a World Wide Web page, and

b. cause a display of the World Wide Web page to a user,

wherein, when executed by the processor, the browser is configured with a plurality of different interactive-content applications, each said interactive-content application being configured to enable a user to interact, within one or more World Wide Web pages, with at least part of one or more objects while at least part of each of said one or more objects is displayed to the user within at least one of said one or more World Wide Web pages, and wherein, when executed by the processor, the World Wide Web browser has been configured to;

a. select an interactive-content application, based upon the information, from among the different interactive-content applications, and

b. automatically invoke the selected interactive-content application to enable the user to employ the selected interactive-content application to interact within the World Wide Web page with at least part of the object while at least part of the object is displayed to the user within the World Wide Web page, wherein the automatically invoked interactive-content application is configured, when executed by the processor, to operate as part of a distributed application configured to enable a user to perform the interaction through the use of communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more distributed application computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network on the Internet, the two or more distributed application computers being remote from the client computer.

53. The client computer of claim 52, wherein the browser is further configured, when executed by the processor, to parse at least one HTML tag in the information, wherein at least a portion of the object is external to the information, and wherein the selecting is based upon a data type of the object, and wherein the input device includes a touch screen.

54. The client computer of claim 53, wherein at least one or more coordination computers performs coordination of at least part of the distributed application to perform at least one task.

55. The client computer of claim 52, wherein the coordination performed is by coordinating by the one or more coordination computers communications sent to and received from at least a portion of the distributed application located on two or more separate computers connected to the World Wide Web distributed hypermedia network to enable the separate computers to work together to perform the at least one task.

56. The client computer of claim 53, wherein the coordination performed comprises generating and sending by the one or more coordination computers commands over a network to coordinate activity of the separate computers working together to perform viewing transformations to enable the interaction with the object.