Analyzing webpages using function-based object models for web page display in a mobile device

• US 7,480,858 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2005
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Jin-Lin, Ma, Wei-Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Paula; Cesar B
• Application Number:
  US11/087,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 715/501.1, 715/513, 715205-207, 715/234, 715236-238
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents

Abstract

By understanding a website author'"'"'s intention through an analysis of the function of a website, website content can be adapted for presentation or rendering in a manner that more closely appreciates and respects the function behind the website. A website'"'"'s function is analyzed so that its content can be adapted to different client environments. A function-based object model (FOM) identifies objects associated with a website, and analyzes those objects in terms of their functions. Desktop oriented websites are adapted for mobile devices based on the FOM and on a mobile control intermediary language.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors coupled to the memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media;

computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable storage media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method comprising;

analyzing one or more functions associated with a webpage, the analyzing being performed by generating at least a first function-based object model and a second function-based object model that both represent objects comprising the webpage; and

forming a hierarchical structure of the webpage based on said analyzing, the hierarchical structure being formed by measuring an approximate similarity and a parallel similarity of the objects and detecting potential similarity patterns among the objects,

wherein the objects comprise;

one or more basic objects associated with the webpage, the one or more basic objects comprising a smallest functional information body that cannot be further divided and still retain a basic object function, the one or more basic objects being configured to perform one or more of the following functions;

(1) providing semantic information, (2) navigating to other objects, (3) providing a visual effect on the webpage, and (4) enabling a user interaction; and

one or more composite objects associated with the webpage, the one or more composite objects comprising objects that contain other objects, the one or more composite objects having a clustering function;

wherein the first function-based object model describes functional properties of the one or more basic objects and the one or more composite objects;

the second function-based object model categorizes the one or more basic objects and the one or more composite objects; and

the analyzing comprises combining the first function-based object model and the second function-based object model.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating multiple function-based object models each of which being generated as a function of multiple different properties that can be associated with associated objects.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating at least one function-based object model for a basic object, said at least one function-based object model being generated as a function of one or more of the following properties:

(A) a presentation property that defines a way in which the object is presented, (B) a semanteme property associated with content of an object, (C) a decoration property pertaining to an extent to which the basic objects serves to decorate the webpage, (D) a hyperlink property pertaining to an object to which the basic object points via a hyperlink, and (E) a interaction property pertaining to an interaction method of the basic object.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating at least one function-based object model for-a composite object, said at least one function-based object model being generated as a function of one or more of the following properties:

(A) a clustering relationship property pertaining to a relationship among root children of the composite object, and (B) a presentation relationship property pertaining to a presentation order associated with the root children of the composite object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating at least one specific function-based object model that serves to categorize an object.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said generating of said at least one specific function-based object model comprises, for a basic object, generating said at least one specific function-based object model based upon properties of the basic object and properties associated with any father or brother objects.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein said generating of said at least one specific function-based object model comprises, for a composite object, generating said at least one specific function-based object model based upon properties of the composite object and any of its root children.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said forming a hierarchical structure of the webpage based on said analyzing comprises using a rule-based decision tree to ascertain a category of an object.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

paginating the webpage based on said hierarchical structure; and

adapting the paginated webpage for presentation on a device having device capabilities based on the hierarchical structure of the webpage and the device capabilities.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the paginating the webpage based on said hierarchical structure further comprises generating an index for one or more pages of the paginated webpage.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request for the webpage from the device having the capabilities; and

transmitting the adapted paginated webpage and the index therefore to the device

12. The system of claim 1, wherein forming the hierarchical structure further comprises:

selecting one or more patterns based on heuristics; and

merging similar objects.

13. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors coupled to the memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media;

computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable storage media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method comprising;

analyzing one or more functions associated with a webpage described in a first markup language;

the analyzing being performed by generating one or more a first function-based object model and a second function-based object model that both represent objects comprising the webpage;

forming a hierarchical structure of the web page based on the analyzing;

the hierarchical structure being formed by clustering the objects according to similarity measurements and counting a frequency of patterns in the clustered objects;

describing the webpage in a second markup language based on the hierarchical structure,

wherein the objects comprise;

one or more basic objects associated with the webpage, the one or more basic objects comprising a smallest functional information body that cannot be further divided and still retain a basic object function, the one or more basic objects being configured to perform one or more of the following functions;

(1) providing semantic information, (2) navigating to other objects, (3) providing a visual effect on the webpage, and (4) enabling a user interaction;

one or more composite objects associated with the webpage, the one or more composite objects comprising objects that contain other objects, the one or more composite objects having a clustering function;

wherein the first function-based object model describes functional properties of the one or more basic objects and the one or more composite objects;

the second function-based object model categorizes the one or more basic objects and the one or more composite objects; and

the analyzing comprises combining the first function-based object model and the second function-based object model.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating multiple function-based object models each of which being generated as a function of multiple different properties that can be associated with associated objects.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating at least one function-based object model for a basic object, said at least one function-based object model being generated as a function of one or more of the following properties:

(A) a presentation property that defines a way in which the object is presented, (B) a semanteme property associated with content of an object, (C) a decoration property pertaining to an extent to which the basic objects serves to decorate the webpage, (D) a hyperlink property pertaining to an object to which the basic object points via a hyperlink, and (E) a interaction property pertaining to an interaction method of the basic object.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating at least one function-based object model for a composite object, said at least one function-based object model being generated as a function of one or more of the following properties:

(A) a clustering relationship property pertaining to a relationship among root children of the composite object, and (B) a presentation relationship property pertaining to a presentation order associated with the root children of the composite object.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein said generating of the one or more function-based object models comprises generating at least one specific function-based object model that serves to categorize an object.

18. A system comprising:

memory;

one or more processors coupled to the memory;

one or more computer-readable storage media;

computer-readable instructions on the one or more computer-readable storage media which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute a method comprising;

generating a logical layered structure for an original webpage by;

detecting one or more objects that comprise a webpage, the one or more objects including basic objects and composite objects;

ascertaining functional properties of the basic objects and generating them from a basic function-based object model (FOM);

ascertaining functional properties of the composite objects and generating them from a basic FOM;

generating a specific FOM (SFOM) for the basic objects using the ascertained functional properties thereof;

generating an SFOM for the composite objects using the ascertained functional properties thereof;

applying one or more rules to assemble the logical layer structure for the original webpage using the one or more of the basic objects, the composite objects, the basic FOM for the basic objects, the basic FOM for the composite objects, the SFOM for the basic objects, and the SFOM for the composite objects;

generating one or more mobile page files by;

performing an object processing process comprising;

applying one or more rules to remove objects in the logical layered structure;

associating each remaining object in the logical layered structure with a mobile control;

performing a form extraction process comprising;

applying one or more rules to remove one or more layers in the logical layered structure;

applying one or more rules to segment the logical layered structure into forms;

n

performing a file generation process comprising;

generating one or more mobile page files for each form segmented from the logical layered structure;

generating an index for the one or more mobile page files; and

wherein the basic FOM describes functional properties of the one or more basic objects and the one or more composite objects;

the SFOM categorizes the one or more basic objects and the one or more composite objects; and

the analyzing comprises combining the basic FOM and the SFOM.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

rendering a webpage, configured for a mobile device, for one or more of the mobile page files; and

transmitting to the mobile device;

the index for the mobile page files; and

the one or more of the mobile page files.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the rendering of a webpage further comprises:

receiving a demand for the original webpage from the mobile device; and

rendering the webpage applying one or more rules specific to the mobile device so as to be configured for the mobile device.