System and method for portal page layout

• US 7,472,342 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 12/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Patadia, Jalpesh, Griffin, Philip B., Breeden, Timothy, Haut, John, Willcox, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): RIES, LAURIE ANNE
• Application Number:
  US10/279,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/501.1, 715/234, 715/205, 715/243
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/275 Synchronous replication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/80 of semi-structured data, e.g. markup language structured data such as SGML, XML or HTML content-based retrieval of web data G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1012 to domains
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1015 to users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1064 Restricting content processing at operating system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1073 Conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1076 Revocation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/18 : Delegation of network management function, e.g. customer network management [CNM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 : comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 : providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 : by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 : for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 : Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 : Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 : Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 : Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 : Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 : Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 : Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 : Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 : Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 : Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 : Version management

Abstract

A system and method for describing a portal page, comprising, defining a placeholder on a template, associating at least one portlet with the placeholder, and wherein the template can be customized for least one of a group and a user.

Claims

1. A method for describing a portal page, comprising:

defining a placeholder on a template;

associating at least one portlet with the placeholder, wherein the portlet communicates with other portlets and defines a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the communication with other portlets, wherein the communication between portlets includes data exchange and functional interaction; and

managing by the portlet of the portlet'"'"'s GUI, wherein the portlet handles at least one user'"'"'s input, generates content based upon interaction with the at least one user at the portlet level, and displays a response to the user input in the portlet GUI.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the portal page can be described with more than one template.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the template can have more than one placeholder.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the template is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) table and the placeholder is a cell in the table.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the template can be created and edited in a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) editor.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the template and the at least one portlet can be persisted in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating at least one entitlement with the at least one portlet.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the at least one entitlement includes at least one rule to associate a role with a user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the managing by a portlet further comprises displaying in the portlet GUI user requested information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein managing by the portlet further comprises accepting selection by the at least one user of a particular portion of the user requested information and responding to the selection by displaying in the portlet GUI detailed information about the particular portion.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the placeholder defines a region of the template in which the at least one portlet can display one of static content or dynamic content.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the placeholder can have more than one portlet.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the user can be one user in a group of users.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the template can be customized for the at least one user or for a group of users.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein customization of the template is performed by the at least one user and includes at least one of adding, removing, repositioning, editing and configuring the at least one portlet.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the template affords a plurality of levels of customization, wherein each level of customization the template includes at least one of removing, repositioning, editing and configuring the at least one portlet.

17. A method for describing a portal page, comprising:

defining a template, the template having a placeholder;

associating at least one portlet with the placeholder, wherein the at least one portlet communicates with other portlets and defines a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the communication with other portlets, wherein the communication between portlets includes data exchange and functional interaction;

customizing of the template for at least one of a group and a user, wherein customization of the template is performed by the at least one of the group and the user and includes at least one of adding, removing, repositioning, editing and configuring the at least one portlet; and

managing by the portlet of the portlet'"'"'s GUI, wherein the portlet handles at least one user'"'"'s input, generates content based upon interaction with the at least one user at the portlet level, and displays a response to the user input in the portlet GUI.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the portal page can be described with more than one template.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the template can have more than one placeholder.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the template is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) table and the placeholder is a cell in the table.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the template can be created and edited in a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) editor.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the template and the at least one portlet can be persisted in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

associating at least one entitlement with the at least one portlet.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein:

the at least one entitlement includes at least one rule to associate a role with a user.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the managing by a portlet further comprises displaying in the portlet GUI user requested information.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein managing by the portlet further comprises accepting selection by the at least one user of a particular portion of the user requested information and responding to the selection by displaying in the portlet GUI detailed information about the particular portion.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein the placeholder defines a region of the template in which the at least one portlet can display one of static content or dynamic content.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein the placeholder can have more than one portlet.

29. The method of claim 17 wherein the user can be one user in a group of users.

30. A method for rendering a portal page, comprising:

selectively associating at least one portlet with a placeholder in a customizable template,

wherein the association is based on evaluation of at least one entitlement; and

defining a graphical user interface (GUI) by the at least one portlet based on the communication with other portlets, wherein the at least one portlet communicates with other portlets and handles at least one user'"'"'s input, generates content based upon interaction with the at least one user at the portlet level, and displays a response to the user input in the portlet GUI, wherein the communication between portlets includes data exchange and functional interaction.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein:

the portal page can be rendered with more than one template.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein:

the template can have more than one placeholder.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein:

the template is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) table and the placeholder is a cell in the table.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein:

the template can be created and edited in a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) editor.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein:

customization of the template is performed by at least one of a group and a user and includes at least one of adding, removing, repositioning, editing and configuring the at least one portlet.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein:

the template and the at least one portlet can be persisted in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

37. The method of claim 30 wherein:

the at least one entitlement includes at least one rule to associate a role with a user.

38. A system for rendering a portal page, comprising:

a portal manager to selectively bind at least one portlet to a template, wherein each portlet defines a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the communication with other portlets,

wherein the communication between portlets includes data exchange and functional interaction;

a client to accept the bound template from the portal manager;

a rules engine coupled to the portal manager to determine which of the at least one portlets are selectively bound; and

wherein each portlet can manage the portlet'"'"'s GUI, and wherein each portlet communicates with other portlets and handles at least one user'"'"'s input, generates content based upon interaction with the at least one user at the portlet level, and displays a response to the input in the portlet GUI.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein:

the portal page can be rendered with more than one template.

40. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

a placeholder, wherein the at least one portlet is associated with the placeholder.

41. The system of claim 40 wherein:

the template is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) table and the placeholder is an HTML table cell.

42. The system of claim 38 wherein:

the template can be created and edited in a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) editor.

43. The system of claim 38 wherein:

the template and the at least one portlet definition can be persisted in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

44. The system of claim 38, further comprising:

the rules engine evaluates at least one entitlement.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein:

the at least one entitlement includes at least one rule to associate a role with a user.

46. The system of claim 38 wherein the at least one portlet displays in the portlet GUI user requested information.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the at least one portlet accepts selection by the at least one user of a particular portion of the user requested information and responds to the selection by displaying in the portlet GUI detailed information about the particular portion.

48. The system of claim 38 wherein the placeholder defines a region of the template in which the at least one portlet can display one of static content or dynamic content.

49. The system of claim 38 wherein the placeholder can have more than one portlet.

50. The system of claim 38 wherein the user can be one user in a group of users.

51. The system of claim 38 wherein the template can be customized for the user or for a group of users.

52. The method of claim 51 wherein customization of the template is performed by the at least one user and includes at least one of adding, removing, repositioning, editing and configuring the at least one portlet.

53. A method for describing a portal page, comprising:

creating a second template for a user group by a group administrator based on a first template which first template has at least one portlet, wherein the at least one portlet communicates with other portlets and handles at least one user'"'"'s input, generates content based upon interaction with the at least one user at the portlet level, and displays a response to the user input in the at least one portlet GUI, wherein the user group is an arbitrary collection of users that is determined statically or dynamically by evaluating rules that take into account information about a user and other information, wherein the communication between portlets includes data exchange and functional interaction;

customizing the second template to include at least one of removing, repositioning, editing and configuring the at least one portlet; and

creating a third template based on the second template and customizing the third template to include at least one of removing, repositioning, editing and configuring the at least one portlet of the second template.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein:

the first template has at least one placeholder; and

wherein the second template has at least one placeholder.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein:

at least one of the first template and the second template is a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) table.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein:

at least one of the first template and the second template can be created and edited in a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) editor.

57. The method of claim 53 wherein:

the first template and the second template can be persisted in Extensible Markup Language (XML).

58. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

associating at least one entitlement with at least one portlet.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein:

the at least one entitlement includes at least one rule to associate a role with a user.

60. The method of claim 53 wherein the at least one portlet displays in the portlet GUI user requested information.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the at least one portlet accepts selection by the at least one user of a particular portion of the user requested information and responds to the selection by displaying in the portlet GUI detailed information about the particular portion.

62. The method of claim 53 wherein the at least one portlet can display one of static content or dynamic content.

63. The method of claim 53 wherein the placeholder can have more than one portlet.

64. The method of claim 53 wherein the user can be one user in a group of users.

65. The method of claim 53 wherein the first template can be a global template or a group template.

66. The method of 53, wherein the customized template for a user group is created by a one or more users delegated by the group administrator.

67. The method of 53, wherein the user group has only one user.

68. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor cause a system to:

define a placeholder on a template;

associate at least one portlet with the placeholder, wherein the portlet communicates with other portlets and defines a graphical user interface (GUI) based on the communication with other portlets, wherein the communication between portlets includes data exchange and functional interaction; and

wherein the at least one portlet can manage the portlet'"'"'s GUI, and wherein the portlet handles at least one user'"'"'s input, generates content based upon interaction with the at least one user at the portlet level, and displays a response to the input in the portlet GUI.