Component download selection mechanism for web browsers

• US 7,447,738 B1
• Filed: 03/14/1997
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Andrews, Gregory P., Gibson, Kevin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Thong H
• Application Number:
  US08/818,158
• Time in Patent Office: 4,253 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.48, 395/353, 395/610, 395/712, 707/9, 707/507, 707/501, 707/505, 707/10, 345/156, 345/302, 345/329, 345/780, 709/104, 709/229, 709/227, 709/223, 709/217, 709/200, 709/202, 709/203, 709/204, 709/213, 709/219, 709/246, 709/248, 709/218, 709/206, 348/10, 714/47, 350/400, 310/401, 717/11, 717/178, 370/466, 358/1.18, 379/88.17, 705/26, 705/27, 705/39, 715/501, 715/854
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

A method and apparatus for selectively downloading components over the World-Wide-Web is provided. The preferred embodiment uses a download selection mechanism to display a download selection list to a web browser user. The list allows web user to decide which components to download and which to not download, thereby giving the web user more control over the speed of their Internet accesses. The preferred method produces a table or chart of components and allows the web user to select which components are downloaded.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

a computer program residing in the memory, said computer program commencing to download a file referencing a plurality of components, said computer program dynamically prompting a user to select which of said plurality of components to download after commencing to download the file.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said computer program comprises a web browser application.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said file comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) document.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said computer program includes a component download selection mechanism, said component download selection mechanism dynamically creating a component download selection list when said file with said plurality of components is downloaded.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said computer program comprises a web browser and wherein said component download selection list is formed in a second pane of said web browser and displayed with said file.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said component download selection list is formed in a dialog box.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the component download list is inserted into said file and displayed to a user with said file.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said component download selection list contains the file name for each of said plurality of components.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said component download selection list contains the type for each said plurality of components.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said component download selection list contains the size of each said plurality of components.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said component download selection list includes a status item, said status item dynamically displaying the amount of each of said plurality of components that has been downloaded.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said status item includes the percentage of a component downloaded.

13. A method for downloading a document, the document including a document with references to a plurality of components, the method comprising the steps of:

a) downloading said document;

b) prompting a user to select which of said plurality of components to download after downloading of said document has commenced; and

c) downloading said selected components.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the document comprises an HTML document.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of prompting a user to select which of said plurality of components to download comprises displaying a component download selection list.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said component download selection list comprises a dialog box.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said component download selection list comprises is displayed in a pane in a web browser.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said component download selection list is inserted into said document.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said component download selection list comprises the file name for each of said plurality of components.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said component download selection list comprises the type for each said plurality of components.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said component download selection list comprises the size for each said plurality of components.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein said component download selection list comprises a status item, said status item dynamically displaying the amount of each of said plurality of components that has been downloaded.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein said status item includes the percentage of a component downloaded.

24. A program product comprising:

(a) a computer program, said computer program commencing to download a file referencing a plurality of components, said computer program dynamically prompting a user to select which of said plurality of components to download after commencing to download the file; and

(b) a recordable type media bearing said computer program.

25. The program product of claim 24 wherein said computer program includes a component download selection mechanism, said component download selection mechanism dynamically creating a component download selection list when said file with said plurality of components is downloaded.

26. The program product of claim 25 wherein said component download selection list is formed in a dialog box.

27. The program product of claim 25 wherein the component download list is inserted into said file and displayed to a user with said file.

28. The program product of claim 25 wherein said component download selection list contains the file name for each of said plurality of components.

29. The program product of claim 25 wherein said component download selection list contains the type for each said plurality of components.

30. The program product of claim 25 wherein said component download selection list contains the size of each said plurality of components.

31. The program product of claim 25 wherein said component download selection list includes a status item, said status item dynamically displaying the amount of each of said plurality of components that has been downloaded.

32. The program product of claim 24 wherein said computer program comprises a web browser application.

33. The program product of claim 24 wherein said file comprises a hypertext markup language (HTML) document.

34. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

a web browser application residing in the memory, said web browser application including a component download selection mechanism, said component download selection mechanism dynamically creating a component download selection list when an HTML document with a plurality of components is downloaded, said component download selection mechanism prompting a user to select which of said plurality of components to download.

35. A method for downloading an HTML document from a web server to a web browser, the document including a document with references to a plurality of embedded components, the method comprising the steps of:

a) requesting said HTML document from said web server;

b) parsing said HTML document for references to said plurality of embedded components;

c) prompting a user to select which of said plurality of embedded components to download by displaying a component download selection list on said web browser; and

d) requesting from said web server said selected embedded components.

36. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

a memory coupled to the at least one processor; and

a computer program residing in the memory, said computer program commencing to download a file referencing a plurality of components, said computer program dynamically prompting a user to select which of said plurality of components to download after commencing to download the file, wherein the computer program is further configured to receive user input that selects at least one of the plurality of components, to commence to download at least one selected component from the plurality of components, and to display the file with the selected component embedded therein.