Method and arrangement for establishing and updating a user surface used for accessing data pages in a data network

• US 20060041531A1
• Filed: 04/19/2004
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Provoost, Bart
• Granted Patent: US 7,617,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

The aim of the invention is to establish and update a user interface allowing a user to access data pages in a data network. Said aim is achieved by the fact that selected data pages are made accessible to the user on the user interface by means of a display element while said data pages are accessed by accessing the respective display element, contents being stored on the data pages. An allocated set of content data, in which characteristics describing the respective content that is stored on the data page are stored, is created for the data pages. In order to determine the selected data pages, a set of user data is created by means of which a searched content is described. The sets of content data are compared with the set of user data regarding the degree of correspondence, and data pages in which the degree of correspondence between the respective set of content data and the set of user data reaches and/or exceeds a predefined threshold value are displayed on the user interface by means of display elements.

Claims

1-16. -16. (canceled)

17. A method for setting up and updating a user interface for a user to access information pages in a data network, wherein

selected information pages are provided by a respective display element on the user interface for access by the user, and the information pages are respectively accessed by accessing the respective display element, and wherein the information pages store contents, the method comprising:

creating a respective associated content data record for the information pages, the associated content data record stores features describing the respective content stored on the respective information page;

creating a user data record having features which describe a sought content for determining the selected information pages;

comparing the content data records respectively with the user data records to determine a degree of match; and

displaying such information pages for which the degree of match between the respective content data record and the user data record achieves and/or exceeds a previously defined threshold on the user interface by display elements as selected information pages.

18. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the selected information pages are checked cyclically for their accessibility, and wherein in cases in which one of the information pages checked can no longer be accessed the display element for this information page is removed from the user interface.

19. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the comparison is repeated at intervals of time, and wherein the result of the repeated comparison is used to update the user interface.

20. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the user data record is updated, wherein after the update the comparison is performed again, and wherein the new comparison result is used to determine the selected information pages again.

21. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the content data records are acquired by interrogating a database containing content data records and/or by means of a search.

22. The method as claimed in patent claim 21, wherein the acquired content data records are stored and used for the comparison with the user data record.

23. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein each content data record and the user data record are respectively created as a structured document, and wherein the content data record comprises the address of its associated information page.

24. The method as claimed in patent claim 23, wherein each content data record and the user data record are created in XML format, and wherein the structure of the content data records and of the user data record is respectively stipulated in a description data record.

25. The method as claimed in patent claim 23, wherein the same respective structure is used for the content data records and for the user data record.

26. The method as claimed in patent claim 24, wherein the same respective structure is used for the content data records and for the user data record.

27. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the most selected information page is displayed at a prioritized or prominent position on the user interface.

28. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the selected information page whose associated content data record has the best match with the user data record is displayed at a prioritized or prominent position on the user interface.

29. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the information pages used are web pages, wherein the web pages can be accessed using addresses associated therewith, wherein the web pages and the content data records are stored on at least one web server, and wherein the content data records are retrieved using data record addresses which are respectively associated therewith.

30. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein the user interface used is an information page in the form of a portal page, and wherein the portal page is provided by a portal server.

31. The method as claimed in patent claim 17, wherein a proxy server is used in the data network, wherein the proxy server reads in the information pages whose associated addresses are transmitted to it, and wherein the proxy server buffers the information pages which have been read in and sends them to the user.

32. The method as claimed in patent claim 31, wherein the display elements of the selected information pages are each in the form of a link which is linked to the address of the respective selected information page, wherein the address of the associated information page is transmitted to the proxy server when accessing the link, and wherein the proxy server loads this information page and sends it to the user.

33. The method as claimed in patent claim 32, wherein transmitting the information page to the proxy server involves the data record address of the content data record associated with this information page likewise being transmitted to the proxy server, wherein the proxy server transmits this data record address to the user interface, and wherein the user interface loads the content data record associated with this data record address and stores it for the comparison.

34. A method for setting up and updating a user interface for accessing information pages in a data network, wherein

an information page is provided by a display element on the user interface, wherein

the information page is accessed by accessing the display element, and wherein

the information page stores contents, the method comprising:

generating an associated content data record for the information page, the associated content data record describing the content of the information page;

determining the information page by creating a user data record having features which describe contents to be sought;

comparing the content data record with the user data record to determine the degree of correlation, wherein

such information page for which the degree of correlation between the content data record and the user data record achieves and/or exceeds a previously defined threshold is displayed on the user interface by display elements.

35. An arrangement for setting up and updating an user interface for a user to access information pages in a data network, comprising:

an user interface for interacting with an user;

a mechanism for accessing information pages in a data network, wherein

elements for accessing the information pages are arranged on the user interface,

the data network contains a portal server for managing the user interface,

the information pages can each be used to access a content, and the information pages are stored on a web server,

the data network contains a proxy server which loads the information pages accessed by the elements of the user interface from the web server and sends them to the user, wherein

the information pages have a respective content data record stored for them on the web server, said content data record describing the content which can be accessed using the respective information page, wherein

the content data record can be accessed by the portal server, wherein

the portal server stores a user data record which describes a content sought by the user, wherein

the portal server has a comparison device which compares content data records with the user data record to determine the degree of match, and wherein

the portal server is designed such that information pages for which the comparison result achieves and/or exceeds a previously defined minimum match are displayed by elements on the user interface.