Method and system for providing browser functions on a web page for client-specific accessibility

• US 7,010,581 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2001
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Schwerdtfeger, Richard Scott, Fairweather, Peter Gustav, Detweiler, Samuel R., Brown, Frances C., Tibbitts, Beth Rush, Crayne, Susan, Hanson, Vicki Lynne
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US09/961,938
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 709/228, 709/246, 704/271, 715/864, 715/865, 715/542
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

A method and system that provide browser-based functions by injected into a web page a control button, form text field or similar browser-based function control such that both the browser controls and the content of the web page can be transformed for accessibility. A proxy machine retrieves a web page for a user, and then injects the user selected browser function controls into the web page itself. The injected browser controls are supported by web-based application services, preferably resident in an intermediary proxy machine, for producing web content that is representative of that function. The web page is transformed into a style that is accessible for that particular user, such as magnifying the page, reformatting background schemes, etc. The user can select which browser function buttons are injected into the web page, and as the web page is transformed for accessibility, the browser controls on the page are likewise transformed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

requesting, at a client device, a content web page by sending a request through a proxy machine;

retrieving, at the proxy machine, a requested content web page;

retrieving, at the proxy machine, browser-based function preferences for a specific user of the client device;

injecting, at the proxy machine, injected function buttons into the requested content web page, wherein the injected function buttons are links to an application server in the proxy machine, and wherein each of the injected function buttons is supported by a web-based application service for producing web content that is representative of a function of each injected function button;

transforming, at the proxy machine, the requested content web page according to user-defined accessibility criteria to create an accessible web page;

determining if accessibility transcoding is needed to put the requested content web page into a format recognizable by the client device;

in response to determining that accessibility transcoding is needed by the user device, transcoding the accessible web page into a transformed accessible web page;

sending the transformed accessible web page to the client device;

determining if a content input has been received at the proxy machine from the client device, wherein if the content input has been received at the proxy machine from the client device, a content database, based on the content input, for the user is updated and transmitted to a web page server for the requested content web page;

determining if any of the injected function buttons have been clicked at the client device, wherein in response to any of the injected functions buttons having been clicked at the client device, running an application in the application server in the proxy machine to;

update a database and history list for the specific user of the client device,

generate HTML code correlating to the requested content web page,

transcode the HTML code as needed by the client device, and

transmit the HTML code to the client device; and

in response to a clicking of one of the injected function buttons, retrieving a new web page by the proxy machine and sending the new web page to the client device.