Accessing databases when viewing text on the web

• US 6,311,177 B1
• Filed: 02/16/1999
• Issued: 10/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kelley, Edward E., Dauerer, Norman J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US09/250,310
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/1-10, 345/156, 345/157, 345/339, 345/329-332, 345/348-354, 345/145-146, 345/968
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

Access to ancillary database information is provided to enhance the viewing of a Web page while minimizing page clutter using processes and systems which determine links between ancillary databases and parsed Web page text, indicate the existence of links to the viewer, and provide access to the database information on viewer demand. The processes and systems may be used to access information in a plurality of ancillary databases. Preferred ancillary databases are dictionaries.

Claims

1. A method for accessing data from a database file at a client computer in response to information viewed on the client computer from an intranet or internet source, the method comprising:

a) on a client computer screen, accessing a source page from an internet or intranet server,

b) pointing to a position on the accessed page using a pointer means,

c) parsing the accessed page at the pointer position to determine whether the pointer over a link location and whether the pointer is over white space or text data,

d) altering appearance of the pointer means or a portion of the screen perpheral to the accessed page in response to the determination of step c), where the pointer is determined to be over text data in step c), the altered appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,

e) receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,

f) providing at least one database in a computer readable storage device, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,

g) in response to the input of step e), parsing the text data to determine a parsed text value, comparing the parsed text value to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and

h) communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) determined in step g), (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said communicating of step h) comprises displaying text information from said database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said communicating of step h) comprises transmitting an audio/visual signal corresponding to the contained information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of databases is provided in step f).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the alteration of appearance in step d) comprises changing pointer shape.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said database(s) is stored on a server and said comparing of step g) is done on said server.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein step h) comprises communicating on the client computer a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) determined in step g).

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

i) receiving an input requesting a selection from said menu, and

j) communicating on said client computer information from at least one of said databases corresponding to the input request of step i).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said database is provided on said client computer and the comparison of step g) is performed on said client computer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one string index file is provided in step f).

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing steps d)-h) only where the determination of step c) is that the pointer is over unlinked text data.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said database is a dictionary containing text definitions of words.

12. A system for accessing data from a database file at a client computer in response to information viewed on the client computer from an intranet or internet source, the system comprising:

a) a client computer having (i) a view screen, (ii) a pointer means, (iii) a means for displaying Web pages on said view screen, and (iv) means for changing appearance of the pointer means on said view screen or of a peripheral portion of the view screen about a displayed Web page,

b) a source of internet Web pages, intranet Web pages, or both, the source being accessible by the client computer,

c) a first parsing means for parsing a Web page displayed on the view screen at a pointer position on the screen to determine whether the pointer position is over a link location and whether the pointer is over while space or text data,

d) means for actuating the appearance changing means where (i) the pointer is determined to be over text data in step c), or (ii) where a comparing means indicates existence of relevant data in a provided database, the change of appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,

e) means for receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,

f) a computer-readable storage device containing at least one database, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,

g) a second parsing means for parsing text data in a Web page on the view screen to determine a parsed text value,

h) means for comparing the parsed text value from the second parsing means to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and

i) means for generating the relevant information from the database(s) and communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) based on output from the comparing means, (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a server computer wherein said computer-readable storage device is readable by said server computer.

14. The system of claim 12 comprising a plurality of databases stored on computer-readable media.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said comparing means is located on said server computer.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said database is a dictionary containing text definitions of words.

18. A computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that can cause a client computer to perform functions comprising:

a) on a client computer screen, accessing a source page from an internet or intranet server,

b) parsing the accessed page at a pointer position to determine whether the pointer over a link location and whether the pointer is over white space or text data,

c) altering appearance of the pointer means or a portion of the screen perpheral to the accessed page in response to the determination of step b), where the pointer is determined to be over text data in step b), the altered appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,

d) receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,

e) providing at least one database in a computer readable storage device, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,

f) in response to the input of step e), parsing the text data to determine a parsed text value, comparing the parsed text value to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and

g) communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) determined in step g), (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).

19. A method for accessing data from a database file at a client computer in response to information viewed on the client computer from an intranet or internet source, the method comprising:

a) on a client computer screen, accessing a source page from an internet or intranet server,

b) pointing to a position on the accessed page using a pointer means,

c) parsing the accessed page at the pointer position to determine whether the pointer over a link location and whether the pointer is over white space or text data,

d) providing at least one database in a computer readable storage device, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,

e) in response to the determination of step c), where the pointer is determined to be over text data in step c), parsing the text data to determine a parsed text value, comparing the parsed text value to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and

f) altering appearance of the pointer means or a portion of the screen perpheral to the accessed page in response to a determination of step e) that relevant information exists in said database(s), the altered appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,

g) receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,

h) communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) determined in step g), (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).