AU2011218622A1 - Methods and systems for displaying user-specified embedded content in a generic web page - Google Patents

Abstract

This invention provides methods and systems to display user-specified embedded content in a generic Web page. In one preferred embodiment, the method comprises facilitating a user to specify URL addresses of embedded content, storing the user-specified embedded content addresses in an address repository, analyzing the original content of a Web page before it is rendered, retrieving embedded content addresses from the address repository if embedded content placeholders are found in the Web page, downloading embedded content from the retrieved embedded content addresses, filling the embedded content placeholders with downloaded embedded content and displaying the Web page with updated content. http:://www-xyz rom/abc/d ef -html/ -- 136 -t- Mbtm. .krqv. co mf / ikmy htm Li3are z- t' VE 137 t JmE ftr actor! Nevu i~e :s perhaps?? ilhLP g

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Web pages are hosted by various content providers. A Web browser at an Internet client device downloads a Web page and renders the content of the downloaded page in a browser window of the client device. Each Web page may contain various embedded objects, e.g. picture files, audio files, and Flash files etc... Embedded objects could be hosted by the same content provider of the containing Web page. Otherwise, they could be hosted by other content providers attached to the Internet as well. A Web browser scans the content of a Web page for embedded objects during rendering. When an embedded object is found, the browser 10 downloads the object from its hosting content provider, specified by its HREF value, separately before it is rendered. Internet advertisement companies make use of this feature to embed their advertisement objects in other Web pages. In a Web browser, embedded advertisements are usually displayed in fixed rectangle areas scattered across the content of their containing Web pages. Today, many companies and organizations use the Internet as a channel to provide services. Many Web services facilitate Internet users to generate and view particular content. On many occasions, the content is very specific or personal. Many people use Email services to send and receive emails, use Facebook or MySpace to keep in touch with friends, use Twitter or Blogger to publish ideas or comments about current affairs and use RSS feed to get updated information 20 from various Web sites, All these services are very useful tools. But there is one common limitation. Most of the time, they require Internet users to login to service providers specifically to view latest contents. The purpose of this invention is to enhance the embedding feature of Web pages to display user-specified embedded content in generic Web pages so that Internet users can have opportunities to get updated of their interested topics while browsing other unrelated Web pages. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides methods for a Web browser to display user-specified embedded 30 content in a generic Web page. Although numerous variations, modifications, equivalents and alternatives can be derived from the spirit or essential characteristics of this invention, preferred embodiments in the Drawings and Detailed Descriptions sections are selected to best exemplify the invention, which are not restrictive in any way. In one embodiment, the method of the present invention comprises facilitating a user to specify URL addresses of embedded content hosted by content providers, storing the user specified embedded content addresses in an address repository, analyzing the original content of a Web page before it is rendered, retrieving user-specified embedded content addresses from the address repository if embedded content placeholders are found in the Web page, downloading the embedded content from the retrieved embedded content addresses, replacing 40 the embedded placeholders with downloaded embedded content and displaying the Web page with updated content. The address repository may reside in the client device or in a remote computing device attached to the Internet. Throughout this specification, "Embedded content" is used to refer to any user-specified embedded content. In another embodiment, the described invention includes a proxy server that is connected to client devices and content providers. The address repository may reside in the proxy server or in any remote computing device attached to the Internet. The URL address of the proxy server is 1 configured into client devices. When an embedded content placeholder is found, the client device sends the content request to the proxy server. Upon receiving a content request, the proxy server retrieves an embedded content address from the address repository, downloads the embedded content from the retrieved embedded content address and returns the downloaded embedded content back to the client device. In another embodiment of the proxy server, it may periodically pre-download embedded content from embedded content addresses stored in the address repository. The pre downloaded content is stored in an embedded content repository. When the proxy server receives a content request from a client device, it first checks the embedded content repository 10 for a suitable content, If a suitable content is found, the content is returned back to the requesting client device. If no suitable content is found, the proxy server retrieves an embedded content address from the address repository, downloads the embedded content from the retrieved embedded content address and returns the downloaded embedded content back to the client device. In all embodiments of this invention, certain cryptography technology can be pre-configured between client devices and content providers so that the embedded content is not visible along the Internet path between them during content downloading. DESCRIPTIONS OF DRAWINGS 20 FIG. 1 is a general block diagram of an embodiment of this invention - proxy server. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of proxy software in a content provider - proxy server. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embedded content designer of the server software program - proxy server. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a proxy server in an embodiment of this invention - proxy server FIG. 5 is a block diagram of client software program of an embodiment of this invention proxy server FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embedded content processor of client software program of an embodiment of this invention - proxy server FIG. 7 is an illustration of comparison between the original web page display and updated 30 web page display with embedded content FIG. 8 is a general block diagram of an embodiment of this invention - local storage FIG. 9 is a general block diagram of an embodiment of this invention - registrar server DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS Throughout the Detailed Descriptions and Drawing section, like or similar elements are designated with identical reference numerals. The system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in a general block-diagram form in FIG. 1. It generally comprises at least one client device 101, one embedded content proxy server 105 and a plurality of content providers 107. The client device 101 may be any conventional computing device which is able to 40 run a Web browser 102, such as a personal computer, a PDA or other mobile device. A client software program 103, installed in a Web browser 102, facilitates a user to specify his or her 2 embedded content addresses and handles embedded content displaying. A proxy software program 106 at the embedded content proxy server 105 accepts embedded content requests from a client device 101 and returns suitable embedded content to the requesting client device 101. The server software program 108 at a content provider 107 accepts embedded content requests from the embedded content proxy server 105, generates embedded content and returns the generated embedded content back to the proxy server 105. A content provider 107 is usually a Web server hosting Web pages and Web services. Client devices 101, the embedded content proxy server 105 and content providers 107 are connected to the internet 104. Embedded content requests from client devices 101 to the proxy server 105 and from the proxy 10 server 105 to content providers 107 are both in the forms of URL addresses. Embedded Content Generation FIG. 2 is the block diagram illustrating general components of the server software program 108 in a content provider 107. The server software program 108 generally comprises at least an embedded content designer 111, a repository 109 for embedded content designs, an embedded content generator 112 and a repository 110 for Web data. Refer to FIG.3 for more details on the embedded content designer 111. The embedded content generator 112 accepts requests from the proxy server 105. Based on the design name specified in the requests, which are usually 20 URLs, it 112 retrieves designs from the embedded content design repository 109. Based on the retrieved designs, the generator 112 generates embedded content and sends the generated content back to the proxy server 105. In some embodiments, the server software program 108 may comprise an embedded content feeder 113. The embedded content feeder 113 may be implemented to continuously monitor the content of embedded content designs in the repository 109. If there is any content change, new embedded content is generated and sent to the proxy server 105 to update the embedded content repository 120. The embedded content designer 111 facilitates a user to design an embedded content. In one embodiment, it 111 can be implemented as a set of Web services. FIG. 3 is the flowchart illustrating steps to design embedded content. At step 114, the logics or algorithms are created 30 to specify what Web data to retrieve from the Web data repository 110 in order to compose embedded content. At step 115, how the retrieved Web data should be presented in the embedded content is designed. The embedded content could be media files such as Flash, graphical or audio files. in other situations, the embedded content may be specified in the forms of XML, HTML, etc... Among the Web design industry, size standard is used as a guideline for advertisement banner sizes. These standard sizes should be adopted in the embedded content designer 111 so that original Web page display layouts can be possibly left intact. Upon completion of an embedded content design, at step 116, the design is associated with a design name. The design name is unique in the content provider and is used to form embedded content addresses. At step 117, the design and its associated name is stored into the 40 embedded content design repository 109 of FIG. 2. The embedded content designer 111 works in a similar way in which RSS feed URIs are created. In some embodiments of this invention, RSS feed URIs may be used as a type of embedded content addresses directly. Theoretically, the server software program 108, although different in details, can be implemented at almost all content providers 107. For example, an embedded content could be designed for a Web email account at a Web email server to contain unread new email information. An embedded content could be designed for a Facebook account to contain recent activities of his or her Facebook friends. An embedded content could be designed for a Twitter account to contain his or her friends' recent messages. 3 Embedded Content Proxy The embedded content proxy server 105 is placed in the communication paths between client devices 101 and content providers 107. FIG. 4 is the block diagram illustrating general logical components in the proxy software program 106. It 106 maintains three repositories. The address repository 118 stores user-specified embedded content addresses. The address selection rule repository 119 stores user-specified embedded content address selection rules. The embedded content repository 120 stores pre-downloaded embedded content. The proxy 10 software program 106 logically comprises at least a session server 121, a user server 122, an embedded content request handler 123 and an embedded content retriever 124. The session server 121 collaborates with a session client 125 in a client device 101 to maintain a persistent virtual connection between a client device 101 and the proxy server 105. It 121 provides functions accessible through the Internet to allow users to establish sessions by specifying login information such as user IDs and passwords. Once a session is established, the session ID is used, by a client device 101, to identify its session by passing the session ID in a cookie that most Web browsers support or passing the session IDs as a parameter in URLs for transactions between the client device 101 and the proxy server 105. The user server 122 collaborates with the user client 126 at a client device 101 to maintain address repository 118 and address selection rule 20 repository 119. It 122 provides Web services to facilitate users to specify embedded content addresses and embedded content address selection rules. All specified information is stored in the repositories along with user IDs. The embedded content retriever 124 may have two operating mode. In the first mode, direct mode, it 124 accepts requests from the embedded content handler 123 to retrieve embedded content directly from a specific embedded content address. In the second mode, indirect mode, it 124 periodically and voluntarily retrieves embedded content from content addresses stored in the address repository 118 and stores the retrieved content into the embedded content repository 120. The embedded content handler 123 accepts an embedded content request from a client device 101. Based on session information in an embedded content request, it 123 retrieves the user ID. Based on the user ID, 30 it 123 retrieves embedded content addresses and embedded content address selection rules from the repositories 118 and 119. The embedded content address selection rules specify how and which embedded content address should be selected. They include priority, selection frequency or other selection criteria of each embedded content address specified by the user. Based on the information retrieved from the repositories and the embedded content placeholder dimension specified in the embedded content request, it 123 selects the most suitable embedded content from the embedded content repository 120 and sends it back to the requesting client device 101. If no suitable embedded content is found, the embedded content handler 123 may call the embedded content retriever 124 to retrieve embedded content directly from an embedded content address which is selected based on the embedded content 40 address selection rules specified the user of the request. Embedded Content Displaying FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the main components of the client software program 103 at a client device 101 of this invention. Logically, it 103 generally comprises a session client 125, a user client 126 and an embedded content processor 127. The session client 125 collaborates with session server 121 of the proxy server 105 to maintain a persistent session between a client device 101 and the proxy server 105. It 125 provides user interfaces or Web services to allow a 4 user to identify himself or herself to the proxy server 105. Once the identification is verified, the session is maintained thereafter. All following transactions between the client device 101 and the proxy server 105 are considered belonging to this particular user until the session is closed. The user client 126 collaborates with user server 122 of the proxy server 105 to facilitate a user to specify his or her embedded content addresses and embedded content selection rules. The embedded content processor 127, which is explained in details in FIG. 6, handles the embedded content displaying. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the typical steps in displaying embedded content in a client device 101. At step 130, before a user starts browsing other Web pages, he or she establishes a 10 session between his or her client device 101 and the proxy server 105 by logging into the proxy server 105. This may be achieved by clicking on a menu item of a proxy server toolbar installed in the browser or through Web pages supplied by the proxy server 105. At step 131 and step 132, once a session is established successfully, the user can continue to specify his or her specific embedded content addresses and embedded content selection rules. Again, this may be achieved by clicking on a menu item of a proxy server toolbar installed in the Web browser 102 or through Web pages supplied by the proxy server 105. From this time onwards, when the user requests to view any Web page in the Web browser 102, the HTML content of the Web page is downloaded from a Web server first. Usually, the Web browser 102 continues to download embedded objects specified in the HTML content. In embodiments of this invention, the 20 embedded content processor 127 intercepts the Web browser 102 at this stage before those embedded objects are downloaded and rendered. At step 133, the downloaded HTML content is scanned to detect embedded content placeholders. There are at least two categories of possible placeholders. First category is tags that categorically specify embedded content placeholders such as <embed>. When this type of tags is detected, they may be used as embedded content placeholders and previously specified embedded objects are to be replaced with embedded content retrieved from the proxy server 105, Second category could be new types of tags created by this invention. These new tags could be used to specifically request embedded content from the proxy server 105. At step 134, when embedded placeholders are detected, the embedded content processor 127 retrieves embedded content from the proxy 30 server 105 by sending embedded content requests. In embedded content requests, dimensions of the embedded content placeholders are specified as parameters so that the desired sizes of embedded content can be received. At step 135, after requested embedded content is received from the proxy server 105, the received embedded content is filled into embedded content placeholders so that the embedded content can be rendered in the Web browser 102. The embedded content processor 127 requires additional features, such as augmented browsing, to be supported by a Web browser 102 to dynamically manipulate a downloaded Web page before it is rendered at a client device 101. At the time when this specification is created, not many Web browsers support these extra features. However, it can be added to a Web browser by installing add-on, plug-in or extension tools. For example, GreaseMonkey, is a very popular 40 extension for this purpose in a Mozilla Firefox Web browser. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the comparison between the original web page display and updated web page display with embedded content included. In this diagram, advertisement banner 136 has been replaced with a Twitter feed 137. FIG. 8 is the block diagram of another embodiment of this invention. In this embodiment, the embedded content addresses and embedded content address selection rules are stored in the same client device 101 as the Web browser 102 is in. When the client software program 138 finds embedded content placeholders, it 138 retrieves embedded content addresses from the 5 address repository 118 based on settings in the address selection rule repository 119. When the client device 101 receives embedded content addresses, it 101 sends embedded content requests directly to content providers 107 to retrieve embedded content. FIG. 9 is the block diagram of another variation of embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8. In this variation, a registrar server 140, with a registrar software program 141 installed, is connected to the Internet together with other client devices 101. The registrar software program 141 facilitates a user to establish a session between a client device 101 and the registrar server 140. It may be achieved by a login process. In an established session, a user at a client device 101 may specify his or her embedded content addresses and embedded content address selection 10 rules through Web services provided by the registrar software program 141. The specified embedded content addresses are stored in the address repository 118 along with user identification of the established session. The embedded address selection rules are stored in the address selection rules repository 119 along with user identification of the established session. When the client device 101 finds embedded content placeholders in a Web page before it is rendered, the client software program 139 retrieves embedded content addresses from the embedded content address registrar server 140. The registrar software program 141 selects embedded content addresses, specified by the user, from the address repository 118 based on his or her embedded content address selection rules in repository 119. When the client device 101 receives embedded content addresses, it 101 sends embedded content requests directly to 20 content providers 107 to retrieve embedded content. 6

Claims (13)

1. A method for displaying user-specified embedded content in a generic Web page, the method comprising: a) Collecting user-specified embedded content addresses and storing collected addresses along with user identifications into an address repository; b) Collecting user-specified embedded content address selection rules and storing collected rules along with user identifications into an address selection rule repository; c) Scanning, at a client device, the content of an original Web page for embedded content placeholders before the Web page is fully displayed; 10 d) Retrieving user-specified embedded content addresses from the address repository based on the specified embedded content address selection rules in the address selection rule repository; e) Downloading embedded content from the retrieved embedded content addresses; f) Updating the original Web page by filling the embedded content placeholders with downloaded embedded content; g) Displaying the updated Web page in a Web browser at a client device.

2. The method for displaying user-specified embedded content in a generic Web page further comprises facilitating, at a content provider, a user to create a design for his or her embedded content from a content provider, associates a unique name with the design, and 20 store the design and the associated name into a repository at the content provider;

3. A system for displaying user-specified embedded content in a generic Web page, the system comprising at least: a) One or a plurality of client devices; b) A proxy server; c) One or a plurality of content providers.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a client device comprising at least: a) A first software program including instructions to establish and maintain a user session between the client device and the proxy server; b) A second software program including instructions to facilitate a user to specify 30 embedded content addresses and embedded content address selection rules and send the specified information the proxy server; c) A third software program including instructions to scan the content of an original Web page for embedded content placeholders before the Web page is fully displayed, retrieve embedded content from the proxy server by sending embedded content requests, update the original Web page by filling the embedded content placeholders with retrieved embedded content and display the updated Web page in a Web browser,

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the proxy server comprising at least: a) An address repository; b) An address selection rule repository; 40 c) An embedded content repository; d) A first software program including instructions to establish and maintain user sessions between client devices and the proxy server; e) A second software program including instructions to collect and store user-specified embedded content addresses into the address repository; f) A third software program including instructions to collect and store user-specified embedded content address selection rules into the address selection rule repository; 1 g) A fourth software program including instructions to periodically download embedded content from embedded content addresses stored in the address repository and store the downloaded embedded content into the embedded content repository; h) A fifth software program including instructions to accept an embedded content request from a client device and return embedded content to the requesting client device by retrieving suitable embedded content from the embedded content repository or by downloading embedded content directly from a content provider, wherein the address of the returned embedded content is specified by the user of the request and selected from the address repository based on the embedded content address selection rules 10 specified by the user of the request.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein a content provider comprising at least: a) An embedded content design repository; b) A first software program including instructions to facilitate a user to create a design for embedded content, associate the design with a unique name and store the design and its associated name in the embedded content design repository; c) A second software program including instructions to accept an embedded content request from the proxy server, retrieve an embedded content design from the embedded content design repository using the design name specified in the request, generate embedded content based on the retrieved design and return the generated 20 embedded content back to the proxy server.

7. A system for displaying user-specified embedded content in a generic Web page, the system comprising at least: a) One or a plurality of client devices; b) One or a plurality of content providers.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein a client device comprising at least: a) An address repository; b) An address selection rule repository; c) A first software program including instructions to collect user-specified embedded content addresses and store collected addresses into in the address repository; 30 d) A second software program including instructions to collect user-specified embedded content address selection rules and store collected rules into the address selection rule repository; e) A third software program including instructions to scan the content of an original Web page for embedded content placeholders before the Web page is fully displayed, retrieve embedded content addresses from the address repository based on embedded content address selection rules stored in the address selection rule repository, download embedded content from the retrieved embedded content addresses, update the original Web page by filling the embedded content placeholders with downloaded embedded content and display the updated Web page in a Web browser; 40

9. The system of claim 7, wherein a content provider comprising at least: a) An embedded content design repository; b) A first software program including instructions to facilitate a user to create a design for embedded content, associate a unique design name with the design and store the design and its associated name into the embedded content design repository; c) A second software program including instructions to accept an embedded content request from a client device, retrieve an embedded content design from the embedded content design repository based on the design name specified in the request, generate 2 embedded content based on the retrieved design and return the generated embedded content back to the client device.

10. A system displaying user-specified embedded content in a generic Web page, the system comprising at least: a) One or a plurality of client devices; b) A registrar server; c) One or a plurality of content providers.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a client device comprising at least: a) A first software program including instructions to establish and maintain a user session 10 between the client device and the registrar server; b) A second software program including instructions to facilitate a user to specify embedded content addresses and send specified addresses to the registrar server; c) A third software program including instructions to facilitate a user to specify embedded content address selection rules and send specified rules to the registrar server; d) A fourth software program including instructions to scan the content of an original Web page for embedded content placehoiders before the Web page is fully displayed, retrieve embedded content addresses from the registrar server, download embedded content from the retrieved embedded content addresses, update the original Web page by filling the embedded content placeholders with downloaded embedded content and 20 display the updated Web page in a Web browser;

12. The system of claim 10, the registrar server comprising at least: a) An embedded content address repository; b) An embedded content address selection rule repository; c) A first software program comprising instructions to establish and maintain user sessions between client devices and the registrar server; d) A second software program comprising instructions to collect user-specified embedded content addresses and store the collected addresses along with user identification into the address repository; e) A third software program comprising instructions to collect user-specified embedded 30 content address selection rules and store collected rules along with user identification into the address selection rule repository; f) A fourth software program comprising instructions to accept an embedded content address request from a client device, select an address specified by the user of the request from the address repository based on the address selection rules specified by the user of the request;

13. The system of claim 10, a content provider comprising at least: a) An embedded content design repository; b) A first software program including instructions to facilitate a user to create a design for embedded content, associate a unique design name for the design and store the 40 design and its associated name into the embedded content design repository; c) A second software program including instructions to accept an embedded content request from a client device, retrieve an embedded content design from the embedded content design repository based on the design name specified in the request, generate an embedded content based on the retrieved design and return the generated embedded content back to the client device. 3