System and method for providing multimedia bookmarks for hypertext markup language files

• US 5,918,237 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Montalbano, John Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Young, John L.
• Application Number:
  US08/724,696
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 707/513, 345/302
• US Class Current: 715/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

A system and method provide a multimedia bookmark for a hypertext markup language file that has Universal Resource Locator (URL). A user wishing to later revisit a presently loaded and displayed HTML file requests the browser to store a bookmark. The browser scans the HTML file for a keyword. If the keyword is detected, the browser locates a description of the location of a multimedia bookmark data (MBD) file that is disposed at a predetermined position in the HTML file in relation to the keyword. The browser stores the MBD file with the URL as a multimedia bookmark. If the browser does not find a keyword, it scans the HTML document for TITLE information. If detected, the TITLE information is stored with the URL as a traditional, text-only bookmark. The user recalls his list of bookmarks to revisit the HTML file, and is presented with a set of multimedia bookmark representations (MBRs) generated from the stored MBDs, as well as text-only bookmarks. The browser may change the appearance of, animate, or present audio accompaniment to an MBR when the user places his cursor over or selects the MBR. Upon selecting a MBR or text-only bookmark, the browser loads and displays the HTML file at the associated URL.

Claims

1. A system for providing multimedia bookmarks for Hypertext Markup Language files, comprising a computer having:

a. an HTML file associated with a Universal Resource Locator (URL);

b. at least one multimedia bookmark data (MBD) file associated with said HTML file stored on said computer;

c. a KEYWORD embedded in said HTML file;

d. a description of the location of said MBD file, said description disposed in a predetermined position relative to the position of said KEYWORD.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said MBD file is comprised of graphic data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said MBD file is comprised of video data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said MBD file is comprised of audio data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said MBD file is comprised of text data.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third computer networked with said second computer, said third computer comprising said MBD file.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said KEYWORD is an HTML MBD header, said header enclosing said description of the location of said MBD file.

8. The system of claim 1, where said description of said location of said MBD file is a URL.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said browser displays a multimedia representation of each of said multimedia bookmarks upon request by a user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said multimedia representation comprises graphics.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said graphic multimedia representation is animated.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said multimedia representation comprises text.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said multimedia representation comprises video.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said browser loads and displays said HTML file when a user selects said multimedia representation.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said browser plays audio data when a user places his cursor over said multimedia representation.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein said browser plays audio data when a user selects said multimedia representation.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein said multimedia representation is a static graphic that is animated by the browser when the user places his cursor over said multimedia representation.

18. A method for providing multimedia bookmarks for hypertext markup language files, comprising the steps of:

a. loading and displaying an HTML file with an associated URL, said HTML file comprising a KEYWORD and a description of the location of a MBD file, said description disposed in a predetermined position relative to said KEYWORD;

b. scanning said HTML file for said KEYWORD upon the request of a user to store a bookmark and determining the location of said MBD file;

c. storing said MBD file with said URL as a multimedia bookmark.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said MBD file is comprised of graphic data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said MBD file is comprised of video data.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said MBD file is comprised of audio data.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said MBD file is comprised of text data.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising a third computer networked with said second computer, said third computer comprising said MBD file.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said KEYWORD is an HTML MBD header, said header enclosing said description of the location of said MBD file.

25. The method of claim 18, where said description of said location of said MBD file is a URL.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein said browser displays a multimedia representation of each of said multimedia bookmarks upon request by a user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said multimedia representation comprises graphics.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said graphic multimedia representation is animated.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said multmedia representation comprises text.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein said multimedia representation comprises video.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein said browser loads and displays said HTML file when a user selects said multimedia representation.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein said browser plays audio data when a user places his cursor over said multimedia representation.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein said browser plays audio data when a user selects said multimedia representation.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein said multimedia representation is a static graphic that is animated by the browser when the user places his cursor over said multimedia representation.

35. A browser for providing a bookmark for a hypertext markup language (HTML) file with a URL, said browser scanning the HTML file for a KEYWORD upon the request of a user, wherein if said browser detects said KEYWORD, said browser determines the location of at least one MBD file and stores said MBD file with said URL as a bookmark, and wherein if said KEYWORD is not detected, said browser scans said HTML file for TITLE information, and if said TITLE information is found, stores said TITLE information and URL as a bookmark.

36. A method for providing bookmarks for a hypertext markup language (HTML) file comprising the steps of scanning a HTML file that has a URL for a KEYWORD, wherein if said KEYWORD is found, determining the location of a MBD file and storing said MBD file with said URL as a bookmark, and if said KEYWORD is not found, scanning said HTML file for TITLE information, and if said TITLE information is found, storing said TITLE information and URL as a bookmark.

37. A multimedia bookmark comprising:

a. means for loading and displaying a HTML file;

b. means for downloading and storing multimedia bookmark data information upon a request from a user;

c. means for deriving and displaying a multimedia bookmark representation from multimedia bookmark data information upon a request from the user;

d. means for loading and displaying a HTML file when its multimedia bookmark representation is selected by a user.