US5870769A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Internet access system and method with active link status indicators
Assignee: Google LLC
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Filing: 1997-04-18
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Granted: 1999-02-09
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Expires: 2017-04-18
Abstract
Abstract An Internet access system and method includes active link status indicators that give a user control over when a document is loaded into a cache. The system and method notifies a user of the presence or absence of a document in the cache by changing the visual characteristics of an associated link status indicator. If a user selects a link status indicator with a mouse or other input device, the system and method will fetch the document corresponding to the associated Internet link and place the document in the cache without displaying the document to the user. The system and method of this invention allow a user to fetch a document and store it in the cache while the user is viewing another document. The link status indicators include icons that are displayed adjacent to the associated Internet link.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoav Freund
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 21:43
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; H; H04; H04L; H04L67/00; H04L67/50; H04L67/75; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/329
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
A system for accessing data from a distributive information network, comprising: a processor that receives data from the distributive information network; a memory that stores the data received from the distributive information network; and a display that displays the data, at least one link corresponding to other data accessible from the distributive information network, and at least one link status indicator associated with but distinct from each at least one link, visual characteristics of each link status indicator conveying information regarding the other data corresponding to its associated link, the processor responding to a selection of at least one link status indicator by retrieving, when the other data is not already stored in the memory, the other data associated with its associated link from the distributive information network and storing the other data in the memory without displaying the other data on the display.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
144 words
A system for accessing data from a distributive information network, comprising: a processor that receives data from the distributive information network; a memory that stores the data received from the distributive information network; and a display that displays the data, at least one link corresponding to other data accessible from the distributive information network, and at least one link status indicator associated with but distinct from each at least one link, visual characteristics of each link status indicator conveying information regarding the other data corresponding to its associated link, the processor responding to a selection of at least one link status indicator by retrieving, when the other data is not already stored in the memory, the other data associated with its associated link from the distributive information network and storing the other data in the memory without displaying the other data on the display.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 1, wherein, for each at least one link, the at least one link status indicator is displayed adjacent to that link.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the visual characteristics include the color of the link status indicator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1, wherein, for each at least one link, the visual characteristics of one associated link status indicator indicates whether the corresponding other data is stored in the memory.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 4, wherein the one associated link status indicator is a first color when the corresponding other data is not stored in the memory and a second color when the corresponding other data is stored in the memory.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The system of claim 1, wherein, for each at least one link, when the corresponding other data is stored in the memory, the visual characteristics of one associated link status indicator indicates whether an updated version of the corresponding other data is available for retrieval from the distributive information network.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 1, wherein, for each at least one link, the visual characteristics of one associated link status indicator indicates whether fetching the corresponding other data from the distributive information network will exceed a predetermined budget threshold.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of accessing and displaying data from a distributive information network, comprising: receiving data from the distributive information network; displaying the retrieved data; displaying at least one link corresponding to other data accessible from the distributive information network; displaying, for each link, at least one link status indicator associated with but distinct from that link; and conveying, for each link, information about the corresponding other data through visual characteristics of the at least one associated link status indicator; wherein, when one of the at least one link status indicators associated with one of the at least one links is selected, the method further comprising: retrieving the other data corresponding to the selected link status indicator; and storing the retrieved other data in a memory without displaying the retrieved other data.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
131 words
A method of accessing and displaying data from a distributive information network, comprising: receiving data from the distributive information network; displaying the retrieved data; displaying at least one link corresponding to other data accessible from the distributive information network; displaying, for each link, at least one link status indicator associated with but distinct from that link; and conveying, for each link, information about the corresponding other data through visual characteristics of the at least one associated link status indicator; wherein, when one of the at least one link status indicators associated with one of the at least one links is selected, the method further comprising: retrieving the other data corresponding to the selected link status indicator; and storing the retrieved other data in a memory without displaying the retrieved other data.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 8, wherein, for each at least one link, the associated at least one link status indicator is displayed adjacent to that link.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 8, wherein the visual characteristics include color.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 8, wherein, for each at least one link, the visual characteristics of one associated link status indicator indicates whether the other data corresponding to that link is stored in the memory.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the one associated link status indicator is a first color when the corresponding other data is not stored in memory and a second color when the corresponding other data is stored in the memory.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 8, wherein, for each at least one link, when the corresponding other data is stored in the memory, the visual characteristics of one associated link status indicator indicates whether an updated version of the corresponding other data is available for retrieval from the distributive information network.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 8, wherein, for each at least one link, the visual characteristics of one associated link status indicator indicates whether fetching the corresponding other data from the distributive information network will exceed a predetermined budget threshold.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-02-08 | 2002-08-10 | 2003-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-08 | 2006-08-10 | 2007-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-08 | 2010-08-10 | 2011-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |