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US 6,311,177 B1Granted
Accessing databases when viewing text on the web
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsNorman J. Dauerer, Edward E. Kelley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Access to ancillary database information is provided to enhance the viewing of a Web page while minimizing page clutter using processes and systems which determine links between ancillary databases and parsed Web page text, indicate the existence of links to the viewer, and provide access to the database information on viewer demand. The processes and systems may be used to access information in a plurality of ancillary databases. Preferred ancillary databases are dictionaries.
Claims19
A method for accessing data from a database file at a client computer in response to information viewed on the client computer from an intranet or internet source, the method comprising:
- a) on a client computer screen, accessing a source page from an internet or intranet server,
- b) pointing to a position on the accessed page using a pointer means,
- c) parsing the accessed page at the pointer position to determine whether the pointer over a link location and whether the pointer is over white space or text data,
- d) altering appearance of the pointer means or a portion of the screen perpheral to the accessed page in response to the determination of step c), where the pointer is determined to be over text data in step c), the altered appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,
- e) receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,
- f) providing at least one database in a computer readable storage device, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,
- g) in response to the input of step e), parsing the text data to determine a parsed text value, comparing the parsed text value to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and
- h) communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) determined in step g), (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).
5 more elements
A system for accessing data from a database file at a client computer in response to information viewed on the client computer from an intranet or internet source, the system comprising:
- a) a client computer having (i) a view screen, (ii) a pointer means, (iii) a means for displaying Web pages on said view screen, and (iv) means for changing appearance of the pointer means on said view screen or of a peripheral portion of the view screen about a displayed Web page,
- b) a source of internet Web pages, intranet Web pages, or both, the source being accessible by the client computer,
- c) a first parsing means for parsing a Web page displayed on the view screen at a pointer position on the screen to determine whether the pointer position is over a link location and whether the pointer is over while space or text data,
- d) means for actuating the appearance changing means where (i) the pointer is determined to be over text data in step c), or (ii) where a comparing means indicates existence of relevant data in a provided database, the change of appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,
- e) means for receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,
- f) a computer-readable storage device containing at least one database, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,
- g) a second parsing means for parsing text data in a Web page on the view screen to determine a parsed text value,
- h) means for comparing the parsed text value from the second parsing means to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and
- i) means for generating the relevant information from the database(s) and communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) based on output from the comparing means, (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).
6 more elements
A computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that can cause a client computer to perform functions comprising:
- a) on a client computer screen, accessing a source page from an internet or intranet server,
- b) parsing the accessed page at a pointer position to determine whether the pointer over a link location and whether the pointer is over white space or text data,
- c) altering appearance of the pointer means or a portion of the screen perpheral to the accessed page in response to the determination of step b), where the pointer is determined to be over text data in step b), the altered appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,
- d) receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,
- e) providing at least one database in a computer readable storage device, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,
- f) in response to the input of step e), parsing the text data to determine a parsed text value, comparing the parsed text value to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and
- g) communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) determined in step g), (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).
4 more elements
A method for accessing data from a database file at a client computer in response to information viewed on the client computer from an intranet or internet source, the method comprising:
- a) on a client computer screen, accessing a source page from an internet or intranet server,
- b) pointing to a position on the accessed page using a pointer means,
- c) parsing the accessed page at the pointer position to determine whether the pointer over a link location and whether the pointer is over white space or text data,
- d) providing at least one database in a computer readable storage device, the database(s) containing (i) at least one string-searchable field or (ii) at least one string index file linking text strings to information contained in an information file of the database,
- e) in response to the determination of step c), where the pointer is determined to be over text data in step c), parsing the text data to determine a parsed text value, comparing the parsed text value to values contained in the database(s) to determine the existence of relevant information in the database(s), and
- f) altering appearance of the pointer means or a portion of the screen perpheral to the accessed page in response to a determination of step e) that relevant information exists in said database(s), the altered appearance indicating the availability of a data retrieval function,
- g) receiving input requesting activation of the data retrieval function,
- h) communicating on the client computer information selected from the group consisting of (i) a menu of selectable available relevant information selections from the database(s) determined in step g), (ii) relevant information from the database(s), or (iii) a combination of (i) and (ii).
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.