Automatic bookmarks

• US 6,100,890 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bates, Cary Lee, Ryan, Jeffrey Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAO H
• Application Number:
  US08/978,126
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/333, 345/339, 345/346, 345/347, 345/352, 345/353, 345/356, 345/357, 345/329, 345/335, 345/345, 707/501
• US Class Current: 715/826
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

A browser generates automatic bookmarks to browsed pages of information based on a selection criteria. The selection criteria can be based on a duration of time that a user browses the viewed page or based on matching words in the viewed page to keywords or to a synonym list for the keywords that the browser generates using a thesaurus. The browser also automatically catalogs the bookmark-list entries into folders based on matching words in the viewed page to the keywords and the synonym list.

Claims

1. An apparatus that automatically generates bookmarks, comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

a bookmark list, residing in the memory, wherein the bookmark list comprises a list of names and addresses of pages; and

a browser, residing in the memory and executed by the processor, wherein when a page is viewed the browser automatically determines whether to add an entry for the viewed page to the bookmark list based on a selection criteria, and when the determination is true, the browser adds the entry for the viewed page to the bookmark list, and wherein the selection criteria is based on a duration of time that a user browses the viewed page using the browser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection criteria comprises the browser matching a keyword to a word in the viewed page.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selection criteria comprises the browser creating a synonym list from a keyword and a thesaurus and matching a word in the viewed page to a portion of the synonym list.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a bookmark-folder list, residing in the memory, comprising a plurality of bookmark folders, wherein the browser automatically catalogs the entry into the bookmark-folder list based on a cataloging criteria.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of bookmark folders contains a keyword field, and the cataloging criteria comprises the browser matching a word in the viewed page to the contents of the keyword field.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of bookmark folders contains a keyword field and a synonym-list field, wherein the browser determines the contents of the synonym-list field using the keyword field and a thesaurus, and wherein the cataloging criteria comprises the browser matching a word in the viewed page to a portion of the synonym-list field.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein when the browser finds multiple bookmark folders that match the word in the viewed page, the browser further calculates a match strength and uses the match strength to determine in which folder to catalog the entry.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the browser further automatically removes the entry from the bookmark list when the viewed page is not subsequently visited within a pre-determined time.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein removing the entry further comprises the browser deleting the entry from the bookmark list.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein removing the entry further comprises the browser moving the entry to an archive folder.

11. A program product that automatically generates bookmarks, comprising:

a browser that when a page is viewed automatically determines whether to add an entry for the viewed page to a bookmark list based on a selection criteria, and when the determination is true, the browser adds the entry for the viewed page to the bookmark list, wherein the bookmark list comprises a list of names and address of pages, and wherein the selection criteria is based on a duration of time that a user browses the viewed page using the browser; and

signal-bearing media bearing the browser.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein the selection criteria comprises the browser matching a keyword to a word in the viewed page.

13. The program product of claim 11, wherein the selection criteria comprises the browser creating a synonym list from a keyword and a thesaurus and matching a word in the viewed page to a portion of the synonym list.

14. The program product of claim 11, wherein the browser automatically catalogs the entry into a bookmark-folder list based on a cataloging criteria, wherein the bookmark-folder list comprises a plurality of bookmark folders.

15. The program product of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of bookmark folders contains a keyword field, and the cataloging criteria comprises the browser matching a word in the viewed page to the contents of the keyword field.

16. The program product of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of bookmark folders contains a keyword field and a synonym-list field, wherein the browser determines the contents of the synonym-list field using the keyword field and a thesaurus, and wherein the cataloging criteria comprises the browser matching a word in the viewed page to a portion of the synonym-list field.

17. The program product of claim 15, wherein when the browser finds multiple bookmark folders that match the word in the viewed page, the browser further calculates a match strength and uses the match strength to determine in which folder to catalog the entry.

18. The program product of claim 11, wherein the browser further automatically removes the entry from the bookmark list when the viewed page is not subsequently visited within a pre-determined time.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein removing the entry further comprises the browser deleting the entry from the bookmark list.

20. The program product of claim 18, wherein removing the entry further comprises the browser moving the entry to an archive folder.

21. A method that automatically generates bookmarks, comprising the computer-executed steps of:

browsing a page;

when the page is browsed, automatically determining whether to add an entry for the browsed page to a bookmark list based on a selection criteria, wherein the bookmark list comprises a fist of names and addresses of pages, and wherein the selection criteria is based on a duration of time that a user views the page; and

when the determination is true, automatically adding the entry for the browsed page to the bookmark list.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the selection criteria comprises matching a keyword to a word in the viewed page.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the selection criteria comprises creating a synonym list from a keyword and a thesaurus and matching a word in the viewed page to a portion of the synonym list.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

automatically cataloging the entry into a bookmark-folder list based on a cataloging criteria, wherein the bookmark-folder list comprises a plurality of bookmark folders.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of bookmark folders contains a keyword field, and the cataloging criteria comprises matching a word in the viewed page to the contents of the keyword field.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of bookmark folders contains a keyword field and a synonym-list field, wherein the contents of the synonym-list field are determined using the keyword field and a thesaurus, and wherein the cataloging criteria comprises matching a word in the viewed page to a portion of the synonym-list field.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

calculating a match strength of all bookmark folders found in the matching step when multiple bookmark folders are found that match the word in the viewed page; and

determining in which folder to catalog the entry by using the match strength.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

removing the entry film the bookmark list when the viewed page is not subsequently visited within a pre-determined time.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the removing step further comprises deleting the entry from the bookmark list.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the removing step further comprises moving the entry to an archive folder.