Automatic categorization of bookmarks in a web browser

• US 6,275,862 B1
• Filed: 01/06/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sharma, Nandini, Sundaresan, Neelakantan
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/225,958
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/218, 709/245, 709/217, 709/219, 707/10, 345/357
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management

Abstract

A web browser that automatically categorizes bookmarks. When a page to be bookmarked is identified, the web browser compares a property of the identified page with properties of pages already saved as bookmarks. If the web browser finds another page which is a bookmark that is “similar” to the identified page, it adds the URL of the identified page as a bookmark. On the other hand, if the URLs for the two pages are exactly the same, the URL of the identified page is not added as a bookmark. Similarity may be defined as commonality in some portion of the URLs for the pages or commonality in textual information associated with the pages.

Claims

1. A method of browsing a network, comprising:

(a) identifying a page to be displayed by a browser executed by a computer;

(b) comparing a property of the identified page to properties of at least one other page stored as a bookmark by the browser, wherein the properties are determined by the browser; and

(c) saving the property of the identified page as a bookmark when the comparing step indicates a similarity between the property of the identified page and a property of one or more of the other pages stored as a bookmark.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises identifying the page in response to a user-entered command.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-entered command comprises a selection of a hyperlink.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user-entered command comprises a specification of a uniform resource locator (URL).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the property comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) for the page.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the similarity comprises a commonality in URLs for the pages.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common prefix in the URLs.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common host name in the URLs.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common file name in the URLs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the property comprises textual information associated with the page.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the similarity comprises a commonality in the textual information associated with the pages.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the textual information identifies concepts associated with the pages.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the textual information is embedded in an anchor reference associated with the identified page.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the textual information comprises one or more keywords.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the saving comprises hierarchically grouping the pages.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises at least one group.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises at least one sub-group of a group.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises hierarchically organizing the pages according to a common prefix in their respective uniform resource locators (URLs).

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises hierarchically organizing the URLs according to a file name separators therein.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to other URLs stored by the browser using a string-based approach.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to at least one other URL stored by the browser using a concept-based approach.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to at least one other URL stored by the browser using both a string-based approach and a concept-based approach.

23. An apparatus for browsing a network, comprising:

(a) a client computer connected to the network; and

(b) a browser, executed by the client computer, for identifying a page to be displayed by a browser executed by a computer;

for comparing a property of the identified page to properties of at least one other page stored as a bookmark by the browser, wherein the properties are determined by the browser; and

for saving the property of the identified page as a bookmark when the comparing step indicates a similarity between the property of the identified page and a property of one or more of the other pages stored as bookmarks.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the browser further comprises means for identifying the page in response to a user-entered command.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the user-entered command comprises a selection of a hyperlink.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the user-entered command comprises a specification of a uniform resource locator (URL).

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the property comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) for the page.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the similarity comprises a commonality in URLs for the pages.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common prefix in the URLs.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common host name in the URLs.

31. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common file name in the URLs.

32. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the property comprises textual information associated with the page.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the similarity comprises a commonality in the textual information associated with the pages.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the textual information identifies concepts associated with the pages.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the textual information is embedded in an anchor reference associated with the identified page.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the textual information comprises one or more keywords.

37. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the browser further comprises means for hierarchically grouping the pages.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises at least one group.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises at least one subgroup of a group.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises means for hierarchically organizing the pages according to a common prefix in their respective uniform resource locators (URLs).

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises means for hierarchically organizing the URLs according to a file name separators therein.

42. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the browser further comprises means for comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to at least one other URL stored by the browser using a string-based approach.

43. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the browser further comprises means for comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to at least one other URL stored by the browser using a concept-based approach.

44. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the browser further comprises means for comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to art least one other URL stored by the browser using both a string-based approach and a concept-based approach.

45. An article of manufacture embodying logic for performing a method for browsing on a network, the method comprising:

(a) identifying a page to be displayed by a browser executed by a computer;

(b) comparing a property of the identified page to properties of at least one other page stored as a bookmark by the browser, wherein the properties are determined by the browser; and

(c) saving the property of the identified page as a bookmark when the comparing step indicates a similarity between the property of the identified page and a property of one or more of the other pages stored as bookmarks.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the identifying comprises identify the page in response to a user-entered command.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the user-entered command comprises a selection of a hyperlink.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the user-entered command comprises a specification of a uniform resource locator (URL).

49. The method of claim 45, wherein the property comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) for the page.

50. The method of claim 45, wherein the similarity comprises a commonality in URLs for the pages.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common prefix in the URLs.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common host name in the URLs.

53. The method of claim 50, wherein the commonality in the URLs comprises a common file name in the URLs.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein the property comprises textual information associated with the page.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the similarity comprises a commonality in the textual information associated with the pages.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein the textual information identifies concepts associated with the pages.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein the textual information is embedded in an anchor reference associated with the identified page.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein the textual information comprises one or more keywords.

59. The method of claim 45, wherein the saving comprises hierarchically grouping the pages.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises at least one group.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises at least one sub-group of a group.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises hierarchically organizing the pages according to a common prefix in their respective uniform resource locators (URLs).

63. The method of claim 59, wherein the hierarchically grouping comprises hierarchically organizing the URLs according to a file name separators therein.

64. The method of claim 45, wherein the comparing comprises comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to at least one other URL stored by the browser using a string-based approach.

65. The method of claim 45, wherein the comparing comprises comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to at least one other URL stored by the browser using a concept-based approach.

66. The method of claim 45, wherein the comparing comprises comparing a uniform resource locator (URL) for the identified page to at least one other URL stored by the browser using both a string-based approach and a concept-based approach.