Method and apparatus for implementing direct link selection of cached, previously visited links in nested web pages

• US 6,633,316 B1
• Filed: 05/13/1999
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McBrearty, Gerald Francis, Shieh, Johnny Meng-Han, Maddalozzo, John Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V.
• Application Number:
  US09/310,914
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/203, 709/224, 345/10, 345/814, 345/817, 345/819, 345/820, 345/841, 345/733, 345/738, 345/854, 345/855, 715/526
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A pointer is added to each web page identifier which points to the previous linking web page in the navigational path. Another pointer maybe added to each web page identifier which points to the next linking web page in the navigational path. In other embodiments, pointers may be added which reflect browser navigational paths from web pages. The browser is thereby enabled to store and display information regarding a navigational path for accessing linking network node addresses.

Claims

1. A data processing implemented method for creating a graphic representation of a navigation path of web page identifiers, the method comprising:

displaying a history table having at least a first entry for a first web page, wherein the first entry includes a graphic representation of a navigation path and at least one of a web page identifier, a location, a first visited time, a last visited time, and an expiration;

in response to accessing the graphic representation of a navigation path, expanding the navigation path containing at least a second web page identifier to form an expanded navigation path, wherein the first and second web page identifiers define a navigation path from the first web page to a second web page;

displaying the expanded navigation path; and

in response to accessing the second web page identifier in the expanded navigation path, opening the second web page.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the navigation path contains a third web page identifier and wherein the first, second, and third web page identifiers define a navigation path from the first web page to a third web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the expanded navigation path includes displaying the expanded navigation path concurrently with the history table.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the expanded navigation path includes superimposing the expanded navigation path over the history table.

5. A data processing implemented method for creating a graphic representation of a navigation path of web page identifiers, the method comprising:

initiating a session;

accessing a first web page;

caching a first web page identifier associated with the first web page;

activating a second web page from the first web page, wherein a second web page identifier is associated with the second web page and the second web page is activated from the first web page by selecting a control in the first web page;

caching storing, in association with the first web page identifier, a nested web page pointer to the second web page identifier, wherein the nested web page pointer defines a navigation path from a first web page to a second web page;

creating a graphic representation of the navigation path;

activating a previously visited web page from the second web page, wherein the previously visited web page is activated from the second web page by selecting a browser function; and

storing, in association with the second web page identifier, a navigation web page pointer to a previously visited web page identifier associated with the previously visited web page.

6. The method recited in claim 5 further comprising:

accessing the second web page;

caching the second web page identifier associated with the second web page; and

caching the first web page identifier in association with the second web page identifier.

7. The method recited in claim 6 further comprising:

ending the session;

initiating a new session; and

retrieving the first web page identifier, wherein the nested web page pointer is also retrieved.

8. The method recited in claim 5 further comprising:

activating a third web page from the first web page, wherein a third web page identifier is associated with the third web page; and

storing a third web page pointer in association with the first web page identifier, wherein the first web page is associated with the second web page and the third web page.

9. The method recited in claim 8 further comprising:

retrieving the first web page identifier, wherein the nested web page pointer and the third web page pointer are also retrieved.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the control is one of a hyperlink, a search function, and an applet.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the browser function is one of a back button and a forward button.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the previously visited web page is the first web page.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the previously visited web page was previously activated by selecting a control on the second web page.

14. A data processing system for creating a graphic representation of a navigation path of web page identifiers, the method comprising:

initiating means for initiating a session;

accessing means for accessing a first web page;

caching means for caching a first web page identifier associated with the first web page;

first activating means for activating a second web page from the first web page, wherein a second web page identifier is associated with the second web page and the second web page is activated from the first web page by selecting a control in the first web page; and

first storage means for storing, in association with the first web page identifier, a nested web page pointer to the second web page identifier, wherein the nested web page pointer defines a navigation path from a first web page to a second web page;

creating means for creating a graphic representation of the navigation path;

second activating means for activating a previously visited web page from the second web pages wherein the previously visited web page is activated from the second web page by selecting a browser function; and

second storage means for storing, in association with the second web page identifier, a navigation web page pointer to a previously visited web page identifier associated with the previously visited web page.

15. The system recited in claim 14 further comprising:

accessing means for accessing the second web page;

caching means for caching the second web page identifier associated with the second web page; and

caching means for caching the first web page identifier in association with the second web page identifier.

16. The system recited in claim 15 further comprising:

ending means for ending the session;

initiating means for initiating a new session; and

retrieving means for retrieving the first web page identifier, wherein the nested web page pointer is also retrieved.

17. The system recited in claim 14 further comprising:

activating means for activating a third web page from the first web page, wherein a third web page identifier is associated with the third web page; and

means for storing a third web page pointer in association with the first web page identifier, wherein the first web page is associated with the second web page and the third web page.

18. The system recited in claim 17 further comprising:

retrieving means for retrieving the first web page identifier, wherein the nested web page pointer and the third web page pointer are also retrieved.

19. A data processing system for creating a graphic representation of a navigation path of web page identifiers, the system comprising:

first display means for displaying a history table having at least a first entry for a first web page, wherein the first entry includes a graphic representation of a navigation path and at least one of a web page identifier, a location, a first visited time, a last visited time, and an expiration;

expanding means for expanding the navigation path containing at least a second web page identifier to form an expanded navigation path, in response to accessing the graphic representation of a navigation path, wherein the first and second web page identifiers define a navigation path from the first web page to a second web page;

second display means for displaying the expanded navigation path; and

opening means for opening the second web page, in response to accessing the second web page identifier in the expanded navigation path.

20. The system recited in claim 19, wherein the navigation path contains a third web page identifier and wherein the first second, and third web page identifiers define a navigation path from the first web page to a third web page.

21. A software program product for performing method for creating a graphic representation of a navigation path of web page identifiers in a data processing, embodied on a computer readable medium and implemented in a series of instructions, the instructions comprising:

initiating instructions for initiating a session;

accessing instructions for accessing a first web page;

caching instructions for caching a first web page identifier associated with the first web page;

activating instructions for activating a second web page from the first web page, wherein a second web page identifier is associated with the second web page and the second web page is activated from the first web page by selecting a control in the first web page;

storing instructions for storing, in association with the first web page identifier, a nested web page pointer to instructions for caching the second web page identifier, wherein the nested web page pointer defines a navigation path from the first web page to the second web page;

creating instructions for a graphic representation of the navigation path;

activating instructions for activating a previously visited web page from the second web page, wherein the previously visited web page is activated from the second web page by selecting a browser function; and

storing instructions for, in association with the second web page identifier, a navigation web page pointer to a previously visited web page identifier associated with the previously visited web page.

22. A data processing implemented method for creating a graphic representation of a navigation path of web page identifiers, the method comprising:

opening a history table having a graphic representation of a navigation path containing at least a first web page identifier wherein the graphic representation of a navigation path having at least one of a representation for a forward path, a representation for a backward path, and a representation for a combination thereof; and

in response to selecting a first web page identifier navigation path, expanding the graphic representation of the first web page identifier navigation path containing at least a second web page identifier wherein the first and second web page identifiers define a navigation path from a first web page to a second web page.

23. A software program product for creating a graphic representation of a navigation path of web page identifiers in a data processing, embodied on a computer readable medium and implemented in a series of instructions, comprising:

instructions for displaying a history table having at least a first entry for a first web page, wherein the first entry includes a graphic representation of a navigation path and at least one of a web page identifier, a location, a first visited time, a last visited time, and an expiration;

instructions for expanding, in response to accessing the graphic representation of a navigation path, the navigation path containing at least a second web page identifier to form an expanded navigation path, wherein the first and second web page identifiers define a navigation path from the first web page to a second web page;

instructions for displaying the expanded navigation path; and

instructions for opening, in response to accessing the second web page identifier in the expanded navigation path, the second web page.