Method and system for modifying host application functionality based upon downloaded content

• US 7,293,072 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blegen, Darrel L., Rubin, Hugh, Hazeur, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swearingen, Jeffrey R
• Application Number:
  US10/861,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20040220936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/203, 715/808, 715/825, 715/840
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking

Abstract

An application hosting a browser modifies its own functionality in some manner based on whether particular content (e.g., an identifier) is present in a document for rendering by the browser. In one embodiment, a financial statement page for rendering via the hosted browser is scanned to determine if an identifier corresponding to a download button is present. If present, the host application provides an alternate download button that does not scroll off the screen as the page is scrolled. The present invention also suppresses a dialog box (e.g., the open/save dialog box) when a request for a certain file type is made by a hosted browser. For example, a request for download of financial information suppresses the open/save dialog box, and automatically opens the downloaded file.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

the application accessing and hosting a browser control, which is independent of the application, and that is capable of accessing documents remotely stored from the application;

the application using the browser control to access a remotely stored document and to render content from the remotely stored document to a user, wherein the browser control parses the document and searches the document for a download button configured for display within the document and for downloading content associated with the download button;

the application receiving a notification from the browser control that the download button is found within the document, wherein the method further includes, in response to detecting the download button within the document, displaying a new and alternative download button that is selectable for downloading the content associated with the new and alternative download button.

2. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions for implementing the method recited in claim 1.

3. A computer system comprising a processor and one or more computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement the method recited in claim 1.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new and alternative download button is displayed independently of page scrolling of the content from the remotely stored document, and such that the new and alternative download button remains in a same display position on a display interface even when the content from the remotely stored document is scrolled on the display interface.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new and alternative download button is only displayed when it is determined that the content associated with the download button is available for downloading.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein upon receiving the notification, the method further includes the application automatically suppressing a dialog box.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular identifier comprises the absence of predetermined content within the document.