US6476833B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for controlling browser functionality in the context of an application
Assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
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Filing: 1999-03-30
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Granted: 2002-11-05
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Expires: 2019-03-30
Abstract
Abstract This invention includes methods and apparatus for browsing markup language documents from within the context of a client-server application running on an end-user device. Browser functionality, which is configured according to user profile information specifying each user's authorization and preferences, is embedded in the application, and can be activated by application controls. While some users have unrestricted authorization and access, others are restricted to certain browser functions and to certain allowed network resources. This restriction is enforced by preventing the browser functionality from generating network addresses that are not on a list of allowed network addresses also present in the user profile information. Network access restriction is achieved, in part, by filtering markup language documents before display to delete linking information that is not allowed. Document filtering methods are presented for Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and extensible Markup Language (XML) documents. The document filtering methods are extendable to additional markup languages.
Inventors
- 👤 Mehran Moshfeghi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 12:53
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/90; G06F16/95; G06F16/957; G06F16/953; G06F16/9535
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
197 words
An apparatus for a user to browse markup language documents, the documents being stored for retrieval at one or more computer systems attached to a network and containing linking information representing addresses of network resources, the apparatus comprising: an end-user device comprising processor, memory, network attachment, input means, and display, wherein the memory stores user profile records whose contents describe characteristics and preferences of the user relating to the user's restrictions to at least one of access to network resources and use of browser specific controls, and an application program comprising: (i) instructions for causing the processor to perform an application function which displays an application window including application specific controls and data, wherein the application specific controls are responsive to the content of the user profile records and comprise a browser control, and (ii) instructions for causing the processor to perform, responsive to user activation of the browser control, a browser function which displays within the application window a browser sub-window including browser specific controls and markup language documents, wherein both the displayed browser specific controls and linking information retained in the displayed markup language documents are responsive to the content of the user profile records.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
197 words
An apparatus for a user to browse markup language documents, the documents being stored for retrieval at one or more computer systems attached to a network and containing linking information representing addresses of network resources, the apparatus comprising: an end-user device comprising processor, memory, network attachment, input means, and display, wherein the memory stores user profile records whose contents describe characteristics and preferences of the user relating to the user's restrictions to at least one of access to network resources and use of browser specific controls, and an application program comprising: (i) instructions for causing the processor to perform an application function which displays an application window including application specific controls and data, wherein the application specific controls are responsive to the content of the user profile records and comprise a browser control, and (ii) instructions for causing the processor to perform, responsive to user activation of the browser control, a browser function which displays within the application window a browser sub-window including browser specific controls and markup language documents, wherein both the displayed browser specific controls and linking information retained in the displayed markup language documents are responsive to the content of the user profile records.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the browser specific controls comprise a location entry field for user input of linking information representing resource addresses to be accessed, and wherein the browser function displays or not the location entry field responsively to contents of the user profile records.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein contents of the user profile records comprise an indication of allowed linking information, and wherein the browser function retains only allowed linking information in the displayed markup language documents, whereby the user can only access only allowed resources from a displayed markup language document.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the browser function filters markup language documents in order to delete linking information that is not indicated as allowed by contents of the user profile records.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the markup language documents comprise HTML documents, and wherein the browser function filters an HTML document by parsing the document to find href attributes, by locating linking information in found href attributes, by resolving addresses in located linking information to absolute addresses, and by deleting located linking information from the HTML document that is not indicated as allowed by contents of the user profile records.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the markup language documents comprise XML documents, and wherein the browser function filters an XML document by parsing the document for XLink elements, by locating linking information from all href attributes associated with found XLink elements, by resolving addresses in located linking information to full address, and by deleting located linking information from the XML document that is not indicated as allowed by contents of the user profile records.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the href attributes associated with an XLink element are either (i), if the XLink element has a simple type, located in the element start-tag, or (ii), if the XLink element has an extended type, located in locator and document element children of the XLink element.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the indication of allowed linking information indicates only whether or not entire markup language documents are allowed.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the memory also stores instructions for interpreting Java codes, and wherein the instructions of the application program comprise interpretable Java codes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein user profile or user directory databases are resident on one or more network attached computer systems, and wherein the application program further comprises instructions for downloading the user profile records from the user profile or user directory databases.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising business data server systems which provide business data requested by the end-user device.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user profile records relate to the user's restrictions to access to network resources and use of browser specific controls.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said user profile records are created for each user but not by each user so that each user does not have access to his or her user profile record and cannot alter his or her user profile record.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
177 words
A method for a user to browse markup language documents at an end-user device, the documents being stored for retrieval at one or more computer systems attached to a network and containing linking information representing resource addresses, the method comprising the steps of: entering user identification information, authenticating entered user identification information and loading user profile records associated with the authenticated user to the end-user device, the user profile records relating to the user's restrictions to at least one of access to network resources and use of browser specific controls, displaying an application window at the end-user device including application specific controls and data, wherein the application specific controls are responsive to the content of the user profile records and comprise a browser control, and displaying, within the application window and responsively to user activation of the browser control, a browser sub-window including browser specific controls and markup language documents, wherein both the displayed browser specific controls and linking information retained in the displayed markup language documents are responsive to the content of the user profile records.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
177 words
A method for a user to browse markup language documents at an end-user device, the documents being stored for retrieval at one or more computer systems attached to a network and containing linking information representing resource addresses, the method comprising the steps of: entering user identification information, authenticating entered user identification information and loading user profile records associated with the authenticated user to the end-user device, the user profile records relating to the user's restrictions to at least one of access to network resources and use of browser specific controls, displaying an application window at the end-user device including application specific controls and data, wherein the application specific controls are responsive to the content of the user profile records and comprise a browser control, and displaying, within the application window and responsively to user activation of the browser control, a browser sub-window including browser specific controls and markup language documents, wherein both the displayed browser specific controls and linking information retained in the displayed markup language documents are responsive to the content of the user profile records.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 14 wherein the browser specific controls comprise a location entry field for user input of linking information representing resource addresses to be accessed, and wherein displaying or not of the location entry field in the browser sub-window is responsive to contents of the user profile records.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 14 wherein contents of the user profile records comprise an indication of allowed linking information, and wherein displaying markup language documents in the browser sub-window retains only allowed linking information, whereby the user can access only allowed resources from displayed markup language documents.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 16 wherein all linking information is indicated as allowed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 16 wherein displaying markup language documents further comprises filtering markup language documents before display to delete linking information that is not indicated as allowed by contents of the user profile records.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the markup language documents comprise HTML documents, and wherein the filtering HTML markup language documents further comprises: parsing an HTML document to find href attributes, locating linking information from the found href attributes, resolving addresses in located linking information to absolute addresses, and deleting located linking information that is not indicated as allowed by contents of the user profile records.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of claim 18 wherein the markup language documents comprise XML documents, and wherein the filtering XML markup language documents further comprises: parsing an XML document to find XLink elements, locating linking information from all href attributes associated with found XLink elements, resolving addresses in located linking information to absolute addresses, and deleting located linking information that is not indicated as allowed by contents of the user profile records.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of claim 20 wherein the locating linking information further comprises finding all href attributes associated with a found XLink element by if the XLink element has a simple type, finding all href attributes in the element start-tag, and if the XLink element has an extended type, finding all href attributes in locator and document element children of the XLink element.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the displaying a browser sub-window further comprises: creating dynamically a homepage markup language document which includes the linking information indicated to be allowed, and displaying the homepage markup language document in the browser sub-window so that the allowed displayed linking information can be accessed by the user.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the browser specific controls further comprise a control the activation of which causes display of a selection list presenting the linking information indicated to be allowed for user selection and access.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the indication of allowed linking information indicates only whether or not entire markup language documents are allowed.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 14 wherein user profile or user directory databases are resident on one or more network attached computer systems, and wherein loading the user profile records to the end-user device comprises downloading the user profile records across the network from the user profile or user directory databases.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 14 further comprising, prior to the step of entering identification information, a step of directing a browser program active in the end-user device to a markup language document which causes loading of instructions into the end-user device for performing the subsequent steps of displaying an application window and displaying a browser sub-window.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the user profile records relate to the user's restrictions to access to network resources and use of browser specific controls.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method of claim 14 , further comprising the steps of: creating for each user but not by each user a user profile record, and preventing access by each user to his or her user profile record so that each user cannot alter his or her user profile record.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-11-04 | 2006-05-06 | 2006-11-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-11-04 | 2010-05-06 | 2010-11-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-11-04 | 2014-05-06 | 2014-11-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |