Web server with integrated scheduling and calendaring

• US 6,064,977 A
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Estrada, Julio, Estrada, Miguel, Haverstock, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Tkacs, Stephen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morgan, George D.
• Application Number:
  US09/100,119
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 705/9, 705/8, 705/1, 345/963, 345/334, 707/513
• US Class Current: 705/7.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/963 Calendar or scheduling

Abstract

A system for enabling access to non-HTML objects from a web browser. The system includes a database for storing non-HTML objects. A system user requests a non-HTML object from a database using a web browser. The web browser transmits the request to a server via a HTTP server and module. The server locates and retrieves the document requested. The module translates the document to a format supported by the web browser. The HTTP server communicates the translated object to the web browser over a network. The web browser then presents the translated object to the system user. The server also includes a schedule and calendar application which provides electronic scheduling and calendaring capabilities directly from the browser without having to open another application or display window.

Claims

1. A client/server system providing a browser with integrated scheduling and calendaring capability comprising:

a web server;

one or more databases associated with the web server,

one or more non-HTML objects stored on the one or more databases, the non-HTML objects comprising scheduling and calendaring information for one or more system users; and

a client comprising a browser, the browser being operable to communicate a request to the server to access scheduling or calendaring information from the one or more non-HTML objects;

wherein the server, upon receipt of the request, retrieves the information requested, translates it to an HTML object and passes the HTML object to the browser.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the HTML object is displayed by the browser.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein web server comprises:

a server module;

an interface module including a HTML to non-HTML translator; and

a non-HTML database server module.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the web server is operable to:

i) receive from the browser a URL-based request for a non-HTML object;

ii) determine the location of the non-HTML object;

iii) retrieve the non-HTML object;

iv) translate the non-HTML object to an HTML object; and

v) pass the HTML object to the browser.

5. The client/server network system of claim 3, wherein the server module comprises a HTTP server.

6. A client/server system providing a browser with integrated scheduling and calendaring capability comprising:

means for i) receiving a request for a non-HTML object from a means for presenting HTML objects, ii) retrieving the non-HTML object, iii) translating the non-HTML object to a HTML object and iv) passing the HTML object to the means for presenting;

means for storing one or more non-HTML objects and associated with the means for receiving, wherein the non-HTML objects comprising scheduling and calendaring for one or more system users; and

means for communicating the request to the means for receiving to access electronic mail information from the one or more non-HTML objects.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the HTML object is displayed by the means for presenting.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for receiving comprises:

HTML object receiving means;

means for translating HTML to non-HTML and non-HTML to HTML; and

non-HTML object receiving means.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the means for receiving is operable to:

i) receive from the means for presenting a URL-based request for the one or more non-HTML objects;

ii) determine the location of the non-HTML object;

iii) retrieve the non-HTML object;

iv) translate the non-HTML object to the HTML object; and

v) pass the HTML object to the means for presenting.

10. The client/server network system of claim 8, wherein the HTML object receiving means comprises a HTTP server.

11. A method for providing a browser with integrated scheduling and calendaring capability comprising the steps of:

storing one or more non-HTML objects in one or more databases, wherein the one or more non-HTML objects comprise scheduling and calendaring information for one or more system users;

communicating a request to the databases to access scheduling and calendaring information from the one or more non-HTML objects;

receiving a request for the one or more non-HTML objects from a browser;

retrieving the one or more non-HTML objects;

translating one or more non-HTML objects to one or more HTML objects; and

passing the one or more HTML objects to the browser.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the HTML object is displayed by the means for presenting.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving comprises:

HTML object receiving means;

means for translating HTML to non-HTML and non-HTML to HTML; and

non-HTML object receiving means.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for receiving is operable to:

i) receive from the means for presenting a URL-based request for the one or more non-HTML objects;

ii) determine the location of the one or more non-HTML objects;

iii) retrieve the one or more non-HTML objects;

iv) translate the one or more non-HTML objects to the one or more HTML objects; and

v) pass the HTML object to the means for presenting.

15. The client/server network system of claim 13, wherein the HTML object receiving means comprises a HTTP server.

16. A computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for providing a browser with integrated scheduling and calendaring capability, the computer readable program code in the computer usable medium comprising:

computer readable program code for causing a computer to store scheduling and calendaring information in one or more databases;

computer readable program code for causing a computer to receive a request from a browser for the scheduling and calendaring information;

computer readable program code for causing a computer to retrieve the information from the databases;

computer readable program code for causing a computer to pass the information from the server directly to the browser; and

computer readable program code for causing a computer to present the information directly in a browser window.

17. The medium of claim 16 wherein the records further comprise scheduling and calendaring formatting information.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising computer readable program code for causing a computer to present the scheduling and calendaring information in the browser window.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising computer readable program code for causing a computer to display the scheduling and calendaring information in the browser window only.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising computer readable program code for causing a computer to open only a web browser application for displaying the scheduling and calendaring information.