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`
`US00570 145 1A
`
`Patent Number
`
`Date of Patent
`
`5701451
`Dec 23 1997
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Obraczka
`et al
`Internet Resource Discovery Services
`Computer Sep 1993 pp 822
`et a. Inside the World Wide
`VaughnNichols
`Tidrow
`Web New Riders Publishing Indianapolis IN 1995
`Associates Inc
`Krol
`The Whole Internet OReilly
`Sebastopol CA Second Edition 1994
`InternetWorld Wide Web 1996 vol
`compiled by
`1996 International Busi
`Lynn
`Augsprunger published
`ness Machines Corporating Armonk NY 1996
`InternetWorld Wide Web 1996 vol
`compiled by
`Lynn
`Augspurger published 1996 International Business
`Machines Corporation Armonk NY 1996
`InternetWorld Wide Web 1996 vol
`compiled by
`Augspurger published 1996 International Business
`Lynn
`Machines Corporation Armonk NY 1996
`
`List continued on next page
`
`Primary EraminerThomas
`Assistant ExaminerJohn
`Loomis
`Attorney Agent or FinnLynn
`
`Black
`
`Augspurger
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`agent
`
`execute selected capsule
`mable functions
`
`United States Patent
`
`Rogers et al
`
`METHOD FOR FULFILLING REQUESTS OF
`WEB BROWSER
`
`Inventors Richard Michael Rogers Beacon
`N.Y Konrad Charles Lagarde
`Milford Conn
`
`Assignee
`
`International Business Machines
`Corporation Armonk N.Y
`
`Appi No 474577
`
`Filed
`
`Jun
`
`1995
`
`hit Cl.6
`
`U.S Cl
`
`GO6F 17/30
`
`395/600 395/200.03
`
`395/200.09
`
`3951700
`
`200.09
`395/200.03
`Field of Search
`395/600 650 700 145 154 155 161
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4274139
`4468728
`
`4604710
`4714989
`4714995
`4774655
`5093911
`5179652
`5181017
`5187787
`5204947
`5224098
`
`6/1981 Hodgkinson et al
`8/1984 Wang
`8/1986
`.Amezcua et al
`12/1987 Billings
`12/1987 Materna et al
`
`9/1988 Kollin et
`3/1992
`Parks et al
`1/1993 Rormanith et al
`
`1/1993 Frey Jr et al
`2/1993
`Skeen et al
`
`4/1993
`
`Bernstein et al
`
`6/1993 Bird et al
`
`395/676
`
`395/600
`
`395/500
`
`395/700
`
`395/600
`
`395/600
`
`395/600
`
`395/155
`
`340/825
`
`395/600
`
`395/157
`
`370/94.1
`
`World Wide Web browser makes requests to web servers
`network which receive and fulfill
`on
`requests as an agent
`of the browser client organizing distributed sub-agents as
`distributed integration solution DIS servers on an intranet
`supporting the web server which also has an access
`network
`Internet DIS servers
`the
`servers accessible
`over
`objects which perform program
`command
`web
`from
`received
`upon
`for retrieving from database
`server control program agent
`gateway coupled to
`plurality of database resources upon
`single request made from Hypertext document
`requested
`information from multiple data bases
`located at different
`types of databases geograhically dispersed performing
`calculations formatting and other services prior to reporting
`to the web browser or to other locationsin
`selected format
`display fax printer and to customer
`as in
`to TV video subscribers with account
`
`installations or
`
`tracking
`
`34 Claims Drawing Sheets
`
`5241625
`5278978
`
`5297249
`5307456
`5329519
`5347632
`5355472
`5404534
`5455948
`
`8/1 993 Epard et al
`1/1994 Demers et al
`
`3/1994
`
`Bernstein
`
`4/1994 MacKay
`7/1994
`
`Pageet al
`
`9/1994
`
`10/1994
`
`Filepp et al
`Lewis
`
`4/1 995
`
`Foss et al
`
`10/1 995 Poole et al
`
`395/163
`
`395/600
`
`395/156
`
`395/154
`
`395/200.01
`
`395/200
`
`395/600
`
`395/700
`
`395/650
`
`HTML
`
`\m71 Si
`
`PATH
`
`QUERY
`
`El
`
`INTO
`
`011110/
`
`V1R810
`
`UI
`
`LU
`
`1411
`
`OHIO THI
`
`0i0
`
`INTO
`
`LNPOUJLE
`
`ANS
`
`120
`
`HN
`
`HE
`
`20
`UI
`
`04
`
`HTML
`
`01
`
`OUTPUT
`
`AUdI
`
`IN1B
`
`THIPETAINNIVCI
`
`IAN
`
`IL
`
`NRA
`
`FTlR
`
`Il
`
`EPOLA
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 1
`
`

`
`5701451
`Page
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`InternetWorld Wide Web 1996 vol
`compiled by
`Augspurger published 1996 International Business
`Lynn
`Machines Corporation Armonk
`1996
`
`InternetWorld Wide Web 1996 vol
`compiled by
`Lynn
`Augspurger published 1996 International Business
`Machines Corporation Annonk NY 1996
`
`InternetWorld Wide Web 1996 vol
`compiled by
`Augspurger published 1996 International Business
`Lynn
`Machines Corporation Armonk NY 1996
`Developing Applications with OpenDIS Access Service
`Metaphor Data Interpretation System Release 2.0 Metaphor
`Inc. 1st Edition Sep 1994
`Exploring the Internet with Mosaic by
`Duval and
`Main Library Software Review vol 13 No Winter 1994
`pp 269279
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 2
`
`

`
`HIGHERED
`
`THE
`
`FOR
`
`SALESRESULTS
`
`THATPULLS
`
`CAPSULE
`
`DIS
`
`WILLEXECUTE
`
`YOU
`
`REPS
`YOURSELECTION
`
`ING
`
`FIG.3
`
`ISUBMITREQUESTr42
`
`RG.1
`
`19
`
`19
`
`19b
`
`919
`
`11
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 3
`
`

`
`FIG.2
`
`-32
`
`ID
`
`TO
`
`EWELLO
`
`N
`
`ROADSIGNSYOULLB
`
`THE
`
`FOLLOWING
`
`FOBTAININGINTERACTIVEINFORMATIONRELATING
`
`HIGHLIGHTEDTEXT
`UNIQUECAPABILITYO
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`THE
`
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`
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`
`BUSINESSB
`
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`
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`
`YOU
`
`ACCESSINGTHISPAGE
`
`BY
`
`OUR
`
`U.S
`
`IBM
`
`THE
`
`HWAYTHiSI
`
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`
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`
`SUPER
`
`INFORMATION
`
`THE
`
`ONRAMPT
`
`O
`
`WEB
`
`WORLDWIDE
`
`THE
`
`HE
`
`N
`
`HOMEPAGEO
`OLIVEFROMT
`
`HIGHEREDUCATION
`WERECOMINGT
`
`RIGHTSRESERVED
`
`ALL
`
`19941995
`
`CORPORATION
`
`CCOPYRICHTI
`
`BM
`
`SUNDERDEVELOPMENT
`
`THISPAGEI
`
`1995
`
`110538
`
`28
`
`APR
`
`FRI
`
`DATEI
`
`S
`
`CURRENT
`
`THE
`
`HOMEPAGEOF..
`
`THE
`
`WELCOMET
`
`O
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 4
`
`

`
`U.S Patent
`
`Dec 23 1997
`
`Sheet
`
`of
`
`5701451
`
`FILE NAME IS P81484 43
`
`CATCH IT ON THE NET
`
`DATA
`
`INTERPRETATION SYSTEM CAPSULEI
`
`IS THE TEXT
`
`TOOL TRANSFERRED
`
`AS
`
`TEXT
`
`44 YOU JUST
`RAN
`THE OUTPUT
`COPYRIGHT
`
`IBM 1995
`
`CUSTOMERS WHO MIGHT WANT
`TO KNOW ABOUT
`DIS WWW GATEWAY----THIS DATA
`IS FROM THE IBM MARKET
`D32 MVS DATABASE
`
`THE
`
`PLANNING DATA SYSTEM
`
`CUSTOMER NAME
`
`SW DESCRIPTION
`
`AC NIELSEN CO
`
`AC NIELSEN CO
`AC NIELSEN CO
`
`AC NIELSEN CO
`
`ADVANTIS
`
`ALTA BATES MEDI
`
`ALTA BATES MEDI
`
`AMERICAN
`
`PRESID
`
`ANHEUSER
`
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`
`DIS
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`DIS
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`DIS
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`
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`
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`
`1.3.6 DIS ENTERPRISE
`
`1.3.6 QIS ENTERPRISE
`
`1.3.6 DIS ENTERPRISE
`
`1.3.6 DIS ENTERPRISE
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`1.3.6 DIS ENTERPRISE
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`ATLANTA CA
`
`MOUNTAIN VIEW CA
`
`PLAINSBORO NJ
`
`NEW YORK NY
`
`LOS ANGELES CA
`
`BROOKLYN NY
`
`GREENWICH CT
`
`IRVINE CA
`
`MORRISTOWN NJ
`
`NEW YORK NY
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 5
`
`

`
`Ui
`
`FIG.6
`
`12.6
`
`19%
`
`PMV
`
`0.5
`
`1%
`
`6.6
`
`ICC
`
`10%
`
`NT
`
`20.1
`
`30%
`
`SFW
`
`26.0
`
`41%
`
`HDW
`
`REV
`
`MARCH
`CAIGREVENUE
`
`1995
`
`YTD
`
`BITMAP
`
`PLOTTOOLTRANSFERREDA
`
`S
`
`THE
`
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`
`S
`
`THE
`
`CAPSULD
`
`SYSTEM
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`RAN
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`
`FIG.5
`
`ISUOMITREQUESTT42
`
`41ISULLIVANI
`
`LCATALOGREVENUE
`
`TD
`
`FOR
`
`CAPSULETHATPULLSSALESRESULTS
`
`DIS
`
`WILLEXECUTE
`
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`
`YOURSELECTION
`
`YMAKING
`
`40A1B
`
`BELOW
`
`BUE
`
`THE
`
`SELECT
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 6
`
`

`
`U.S Patent
`
`Dec 23 1997
`
`Sheet
`
`of
`
`5701451
`
`71
`
`WEB CLIENT
`I.E WEB
`EXPLORER
`
`HTML REFERENCE
`
`72
`
`73
`
`74
`
`75
`
`TO EXECUTE
`
`DIS LAN
`
`FIG.7
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 7
`
`

`
`UsSe Patent
`
`Dec 23 1997
`
`Sheet
`
`of
`
`5701451
`
`F1G.8
`
`122
`
`EXECUTE
`
`SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR
`
`VIDEO SERVER
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 8
`
`

`
`U.S Patent
`
`Dec 23 1997
`
`Sheet
`
`of
`
`5701451
`
`I_________
`
`910
`
`94
`
`95
`
`91n
`
`DIStNTERN
`
`ENVIRONMENT
`
`90
`
`1I1
`
`IF
`
`ii
`
`ED
`
`FIG.9
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 9
`
`

`
`U.S Patent
`
`Dec 23 1997
`
`Sheet
`
`of
`
`5701451
`
`__It__
`
`103
`
`FLOW
`
`DIS
`NTE RN ETWOR
`ENVIRONMENT
`90
`
`NC
`
`____lEJI
`
`II
`
`II
`
`LI
`
`LI
`
`IL
`
`FIG.1O
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 10
`
`

`
`ID
`
`\0
`
`Ui
`
`Ui
`
`_-
`
`INFORMATION
`
`IBM
`
`______
`
`REOBRICK
`ORACLE
`SYBASE
`
`DB2
`
`GATEWAY
`
`DB
`
`FIG
`
`SYBASE
`REDBRICK
`
`D82
`
`ORACLE
`
`133
`
`140
`
`INTRANET
`
`132
`
`NETWORK
`
`131
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 11
`
`

`
`5701451
`
`METHOD FOR FULFILLING REQUESTS OF
`WEB BROWSER
`
`COPYRIGHT AUTHORIZATION
`
`of
`
`the disclosure
`
`document
`portion of
`this patent
`contains material which is subject
`to copyright protection
`The owner International Business Machines Corporation
`has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by any one of
`the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trade
`mark Office patent
`files or records of any country but
`otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`This invention is related
`and computer
`to computers
`systems and particularly to method and system for use of
`the World Wide Web and other sources of information and
`for web
`for utilization of existing equipment advantageously
`server data access over networks
`and the Internet
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`Method for Fuffiffing
`This application entitled
`Requests of Web Browser is related to other United States
`of America Patent applications
`filed concurrently herewith
`entitled Computer Net
`and specifically to the applications
`work for WWW Server Data Access over Internet U.S Set
`No 08/474571 filed Jun
`1995 and
`Service Agent
`Fulfilling requests of Web Browser U.S Ser No 08/474
`575 filed Jun
`1995 and
`Sub-Agent Service Agent for
`Web Browser U.S Ser No
`Fulfilling Requests of
`Web Browser
`08/474575
`1995 and
`filed Jun
`System U.S Set No 08/479481 filed Jun
`1995 and
`Method for Distributed Task Fulfillment of Web Browser
`Requests U.S Set No 08/474572 filed Jun
`1995
`common assignee International
`have
`These applications
`Business Machines Corporation Armonk N.Y
`
`for
`
`server and database gateway which is coupled to our web
`server HTFPD via
`network In our preferred embodiment
`an application
`agent employs executable object
`processing
`programs as command file objects which
`in the preferred
`embodiment are capsule objects
`Client
`
`is
`
`provides
`
`10
`
`15
`
`client
`serviced
`computer
`commands to the server
`Data Interpretation System DIS
`IBMs object oriented decision support
`Capsule
`DIS capsule is
`program created by DIS programmer
`DIS capsule is
`and executed in the DIS environment
`preferred example of
`capsule object
`capsule object
`command
`form of
`file which is
`list of
`specialized
`commands to be executed as in an EXEC or .J3AT batch
`file The
`created with an object
`capsule object
`by IBMs DIS Other object
`environment
`as is supplied
`are IBMs SOM and DSOM and Microsofts
`environments
`20 COM environment
`
`by the server which
`
`tool
`
`is
`
`is
`
`Internet
`
`The connection system that
`web
`
`links computers worldwide in
`
`25
`
`30
`
`Server
`machine which supports one or more clients and is part
`the web Any computer
`of
`that performs
`task at
`the
`command of another computer
`server
`is
`Slip or PPP connection
`Serial-line Internet protocol and point-to-point protocoL
`respectively for providing
`access
`connection
`for
`
`full
`
`computer
`TCP/IP
`
`to the Internet
`
`switching
`
`reconstruct
`
`Transmission control protocol/Internet
`packet
`protocoL
`scheme the Internet
`to chop route and
`uses
`the data it handles from e-mail to video
`InterNetwork Routing JNR
`The link between systems which
`routes data from one
`physical unit to another according to the applicable protocol
`The protocol wifi employ URL address for Internet
`loca
`tions
`URL
`resource locater Web document
`Universal
`e-mail address URLs are very cumbersome
`they belong
`to documents
`can be
`buried deep within others They
`Hypelink
`
`GLOSSARY OF TERMS
`
`40
`
`supports
`
`While dictionary meanings
`are also implied by certain
`terms used here the following glossary of some terms may
`be useful
`World Wide Web WWW
`The Internets application
`lets people seeking infor
`that
`mation on the Internet switch
`from server
`to server and
`database to database by clinking on highlighted words or
`interest An Internet WWW server
`phrases of
`clients and provides information
`Home page
`multi-media table of contents that guides
`web user to
`stored information about an organization on the Internet
`Gopher
`menu-based search scheme which as developed at the
`University of Minnesota lets
`on
`user reach
`destination
`the Internet by selecting items from series of text menus
`Access Agent
`that provides support
`logical component
`for different
`access protocols and data streamsFrame Relay HDLC
`High Data Link Control CBO Continuous bit Operations
`ATM Asynchronous Transfer Mode or TCP/IP
`Application Processing Agent
`data processing agent running in
`server data process
`ing system which performs tasks based on received requests
`from client
`distributed environment
`in
`In our preferred
`embodiment our application
`processing
`agent for database
`is our DIS server
`retrieval
`data interpretation system
`
`version of an
`
`if
`
`50
`
`is
`
`accessed with
`Web browser
`An program running on
`that acts as an Internet
`computer
`tour guide complete with pictorial desktops directories and
`user suds the Internet
`search tools used when
`In this
`the Web browser
`client service which
`application
`communicates with the World Wide Web
`HTIPD
`An IBM OS/2 Web Server or other server having Hyper
`text Markup Language and Common Gateway
`Interface In
`the HTFPD incorporates
`our preferred embodiment
`our
`control program agent and is supported by an access agent
`which provides the hardware connections to machines on the
`intranet and access to the Internet such as TCP/IP couplings
`HTFP Hypertext
`transfer protocol
`Hypertext transfer protocoL At the beginning of URL
`http indicates
`the file contains hypedinks
`Hyperlink
`network address embedded in word phrase icon or
`is activated when you select
`65 picture that
`the highlighted
`item is currently retrieved to
`tidbit
`Information about
`that
`the client supporting Web browser
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 12
`
`

`
`5701451
`
`HypexFext Markup Language HTML
`HTML is the language used by Web servers to create and
`connect documents that are viewed by Web clients HTML
`uses Hypertext documents Other uses of Hypertext docu
`ments are described in U.S Pat No 5204947 granted Apr
`20 1993 to Bernstein et at U.S Pat No 5.297249 granted
`Mar 22 1994 to Bernstein et al U.S Pat No 5355472
`granted Oct 11 1994 to Lewis all of which are assigned to
`International Business Machines Corporation and which are
`referenced herein
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`The Internet
`
`is
`
`single network it has no owner or
`is not
`confed
`is an unruly network of networks
`controller but
`eration of many different nets public and private big and
`to one another An intranet
`small that have agreed to connect
`network which is restricted and while it may follow the
`Internet protocol none or only part of the network available
`firewall surrounding
`the intranet
`is part of
`from outside
`to the Internet The composite
`net
`the agreed connection
`work represented
`by these networks
`relies on no single
`transmission medium bi-directional
`communication can
`occur via satellite links fiber-optic trunk lines phone lines
`cable TV wires and local radio links When your client
`logs onto the Internet at
`computer
`university
`corporate
`office or from home everything looks local but
`the access
`to the network does cost
`time and line charges Until
`recently cruising or surfing the Internet was
`like
`even infuriating experience something
`disorienting
`hying to navigate without charts The World Wide Web
`two years ago
`introduced about
`sub-network of the Internet
`made it easier by letting people jump from one server
`to
`highlighted word picture or
`another simply by selecting
`representation about which they
`icon
`program object
`known as
`hyper
`want more informationa maneuver
`link In order to explore the WWW today the user loads
`special navigation program called Web browser onto his
`computer While there are several versions of Web browsers
`IBMs example is the new WebExplorer which offers users
`of IBMs OS/2 Warp system software
`consistent easy to
`icons and pull down menus As part
`use desktop of pictorial
`available from IBM for
`of
`group of integrated
`OS/2 Warp called the IBM Internet Connection lets users
`log onto the Internet
`the World Wide Web Web provided by
`To this point
`Internet has been used in industry predominately as means
`and placement of orders
`of communication advedisement
`for our invention there now exists
`number
`As background
`Internet browsers Common examples
`are NetScape
`of
`Mosaic and IBMs Web Explorer Browsers allow user of
`the world for
`servers located throughout
`client
`to access
`is stored therein and provided to the
`information which
`client by the server by sending files or data packs to the
`requesting client from the serveds resources An example of
`request might be something called GSQL get SQL
`such
`NCSA language
`and CGI server program
`which was
`results
`for
`client caller
`textual
`to getting
`by Jason Ng at
`the University of illinois
`way to map SQL forms against
`provided
`and return the textual
`results to the client caller
`database
`and presents
`invention
`This system is unlike the present
`difficulties which are overcome by our described system
`kind of Application Processing
`These servers act
`as
`Agent or as they may be referred to an inteffigent agent
`from client in response to
`function request
`by receiving
`which the server which performs tasks the function based
`on received requests from client
`in distributed environ-
`
`applications
`
`developed
`Developed
`
`document
`
`this
`
`distributed envi
`
`result of the
`
`ment This function shipping concept
`in
`illustrated by CICS as
`ronment was first
`invention described in U.S Pat No 4.274139 to Hodgkin-
`son et al This kind of function illustrated by CICS and its
`is now known
`improvements has been widely used in what
`processing However
`servers today while
`as transaction
`performing many functions do not permit
`the functions
`to be performed as we will
`which we have developed
`describe
`
`time
`
`available
`
`Now surfing the Internet with the WWW is still
`consuming affair and the information received is not gen
`in the form presented Even with 14400 baud
`erally useful
`to the Internet much line time is tied up in just
`connection
`to the Internet and the users dont
`keeping going an access
`15 generally know where to go Furthermore the coupling of
`intranet and those
`companys
`on
`available
`resources
`on the Internet has not been resolved There is
`gateways make
`use of existing
`need to reduce
`better
`equipment and allow greater and more effective
`usage of
`information which is resident
`in many different databases on
`many different servers not only within
`homogeneous
`network but also via the Internet and heterogeneous network
`
`10
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`access
`
`to the world via the
`
`gateways
`
`it still
`
`systems
`The problems with creating
`Internet and stifi
`to databases has
`to allow internal access
`been enormous However
`system which can
`the need for
`be used across machines and operating systems and differing
`today
`the Internet
`is strongly felt by users of
`Anyone who has spent hours at WWW browser doing
`simple task knows how difficult
`is to navigate thor
`ough arcane rules without knowing where to go and even if
`you know what you are doing spending hours doing routine
`instance until
`tasks Many needs exist As one important
`now we know of no way to access data on multiple databases
`from client
`single user request
`of different types using
`This and other difficulties are solved by our
`
`invention
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`tj
`
`In accordance with our invention needless user interven
`Web server
`tion is eliminate or greatly reduced with
`supports an HTFPD which is provided with the capabilities
`of our control program agent which organizes
`sub-agents
`supporting command file
`to perform
`objects or capsules
`tasks in support of Web browsers request
`for service as
`as input and
`programmable functions receiving parameters
`providing as their output handled by the control program
`reporting in accordance
`for
`task completed
`results
`agent
`with the Web browser request
`in the form and to the location
`request and handling these request without
`50 determined by
`needless user intervention
`In accordance with our invention we have created
`way
`to allow Web users to request
`is created by
`information that
`data interpretation system DIS and then presented by
`to the user of the web Our solution provides
`55 web server
`and presenting informa
`way of requesting and processing
`tion on the Web In the process data is retrieved from
`and
`sources which may be located
`remotely
`multiple
`accessed via an intranet routing and via the Web Internet and
`60 processed by our decision support capsules Now companies
`and universities and other users that want
`data
`to access
`that data processed and
`located on different databases want
`formatted and presented in form the user desires such as
`format Our Solution permits users to access
`graphical
`information from various sources and obtain information at
`single request which is
`result of
`desired location as
`and command
`responded to by an organization of facilities
`
`65
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 13
`
`

`
`5701451
`
`file sub-agent decision support capsule objects by our com
`mand program agent Users of
`the information can be
`company or external The result can be fur
`internal
`to
`nished to
`location which is internal or external to
`user at
`the company and as specified at
`specified location with
`form and format desired This allows
`report to be managed
`by the web support services we provide and in
`form
`consistent with the request but without requiring
`tent
`interface
`solution
`
`consis
`
`infor
`
`control
`
`tool of
`
`way for Web users to request
`In order to create
`mation generation we provide
`web server with
`program agent which is linked to
`decision support
`data interpretation system server
`the application process
`ing agent and then have that server retrieve process and
`format information which is presented to the user on the Web
`by the Web server
`In our preferred embodiment we have
`link between
`provided
`Hypertext Markup Language
`ffFML document using
`common gateway interface and
`open data interpretation system server ODAS As
`result
`Web clients can request DIS reports to be generated
`specify
`the parameters to be used in generating the reports and then
`Web home page The DIS
`view the report
`results on
`capsule can generate graphical
`information such as colored
`pie charts line graphs bar graphs and other
`forms of
`generated information Since the Web server
`is capably of
`presenting the results in desired formats the full capabilities
`of DIS report are utilized
`Our invention provides
`method and system for allowing
`and assemble
`user of
`client
`to access
`information
`and reported
`to the user in accordance with his
`desires selecting information for disparate servers which are
`network can
`be an intranet or internal
`located within
`network such as LAN or WAN not normally accessible to
`the Internet or coupled to the Internet
`In accordance with
`invention one can access data on multiple databases of
`our
`single user request from client We
`different types using
`also allow the facility for providing specialized
`specific
`requests to be created for routine use as well as the facility
`to formulate generalized or specialized ad hoc requests In
`addition we provide besides query and update capability
`to perform calculations with respect
`the ability
`to any
`retrieved data to format
`the information in text or in
`graphics and the facility of presenting
`client for display or other use
`The improvements which we have made achieve
`means
`for accepting Web client requests for information obtaining
`data from one or more databases which may be located on
`on an
`multiple platforms at different physical
`locations
`Internet or on the Internet processing that data into mean
`information and presenting that
`ingful
`information to the
`Web client in text or graphics display at
`by the request
`Our invention of providing
`web server with
`control
`program agent allows organization of decision support
`func
`tions to be executed by application processing
`agent servers
`located throughout
`the Internet to gather and supply infor
`mation not presently available with any existing resources
`without
`the need of endless intervention on the part of
`user of the WWW further enabling an ordinary
`requesting
`to take advantage of expertise which is provided by
`programmable sub-agents developed by those with particu
`lar expertise
`given area as well as enabling
`in
`use of
`standard routines commonly needed
`These improvements are accomplished
`by providing for
`Web clients
`information from an application
`to request
`in which the application
`
`server performs tasks based on received
`from
`requests
`web server sup
`distributed environment by
`client
`in
`ported by an access agent
`link and control program agent
`which in turn causes
`function to be
`decision
`support
`executed by the application processing
`agent server This is
`performed within the distributed environment by the appli
`net
`agent server which forms part of
`cation processing
`work coupled to and under control of the control program
`agent According to our
`invention the decision
`support
`function is provided by
`data interpretation system which
`functions as part of the application processing agent and the
`function is programmable and generated by
`decision support
`data interpretation system DIS or other decision support
`element performing similar functions
`and provided in
`form accessible to our control program agent which presents
`the output generated to be presented to the user on the Web
`request We
`who made the initial
`have provided in
`IBMs Hypertext
`preferred embodiment
`link between
`Markup Language HTML the Common Gateway
`face CGI and the Open DIS Access Server ODAS all of
`which may be used on machines which are are commercially
`available from IBM In order
`to write additional functions
`which develop our invention the reader
`is referred to the
`Medaphor Data Interpretation System publication Devel
`25 oping Applications with OpenDIS Access Service Version
`from IBM First Edition September 1994
`2.0 available
`Part Number 315-0002-01 which is incorporated
`herein by
`reference
`Our improvements relating to our control program agent
`is in accordance with our preferred embodiment is normally
`installed on an IBM HTIPD which is an IBM OS/2 Web
`Server or other server having Hypedext Markup Language
`and Common Gateway
`Interface In our preferred
`the HTFPD incorporates our control program
`embodiment
`35 agent and is supported by an access agent which provides the
`hardware connections to machines on the intranet and access
`to the Internet such as TCPIIP couplings The hardware for
`workstation such as IBMs PS/2
`the Web server is thus
`model 80 with OS/2 However the HTFPD can be installed
`40 in PCs and upwardly also in machines which range across
`IBMs line of computers
`from powerful personal computers
`to mainframe systems which support MVS IBMs operating
`system which enables multiple kinds of operating systems
`including UNIX to co-exist
`single platform As
`on
`invention Web clients can request DIS reports
`result of our
`to be generated by the application processing
`agent speci
`fying the parameters to be used in generating the reports and
`then as
`result which
`result of
`the request
`receive
`visual display or otherwise on Web page
`presented as
`for use by the requesting user Our machine implementation
`user having DIS access
`allows
`to generate graphical
`as colored pie charts line graphs bar
`information such
`such as IBMs Web
`graphs etc Since Web browsers
`Explorer are capable of displaying these formats all
`the
`DIS capsule can be
`functions which
`can be created by
`user of our invention
`
`utilized by
`
`Inter-
`
`is
`
`10
`
`20
`
`30
`
`45
`
`50
`
`improved method an Internet World
`According to our
`Wide Web user connects to Web server through the use of
`Web browser
`In accordance with our preferred
`60 embodiment we use HThIL as the language used by Web
`servers to create and connect documents
`that are viewed by
`Web clients HTML is an example of
`hypertext language
`highlighted word string
`having the facifity of clicking on
`to another HTML
`of words or image in order
`to move
`program on the server An example of
`65 document or invoke
`Web client would be machine used by
`person using
`IBMs Web Explorer product
`In using our invention
`
`user
`
`structured
`
`user
`
`the results
`
`to the
`
`location specified
`
`processing
`
`agent
`
`processing agent
`
`Petitioner IBM – Ex. 1015, p. 14
`
`

`
`5.701.451
`
`computer
`
`that has the
`
`fax machine or to
`also be sent to
`capability of receiving fax data
`We use these report concepts to present report files created
`by DIS capsules on the Web client display
`These and other
`improvements are set
`lowing detailed description For
`better understanding
`and features refer
`the invention with advantages
`to the
`description and to the drawings
`BRIEF DESCRPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`forth in the fol
`
`of
`
`processing
`
`document
`may click on the hypertext
`in
`to reference
`function which will be provided by an application process
`ing agent server The user
`is able to connect
`to another
`server HTML
`that may be on another Web
`document
`commands are used to reference other documents HTML is
`server and pass
`used to reference programs available on
`to those programs The application
`parameters
`program when it
`agent server executes
`is referred to by
`Web client via
`control program agent resident preferably
`in Web server
`The Web client selects the information that
`they wish to
`view by using the HTML created page the Web server takes
`program implemen
`the client request and passes it
`tation of our control program agent Web servers such as
`HTIPD for OS/2 with our control program agent are able
`to executable programs through the use of
`to provide access
`Interface CGI When
`the Common Gateway
`program is
`referenced by the HTML any parameters
`are passed to the
`In our preferred embodiment we
`is executed
`program and it
`have used CGI to invoke programs that we have developed
`interface with the DIS product CGI is an example
`that will
`from Web server
`to programs
`gateway
`software
`of
`outside the Web server application
`
`to
`
`The control program agent that
`is called in this instance by
`through the CGI interface passes the Web
`the Web server
`data interpretation system DIS via
`client request along to
`Open Dis Access Server ODAS ODAS is
`feature of
`data interpretation system DIS that allows programs to
`initiate DIS functions such as invoking DIS capsules Our
`control program agents interface with DIS through ODAS to
`submit DIS capsules for execution DIS capsules are basi
`cally programs that DIS application programmers create
`with the DIS programming language In accordance with our
`invention we have written capsules which are executed as
`server to gather data from one or more
`DIS capsule on
`databases process that data and create
`report in one of
`many formats which we will describe by way of example
`completes executing in accordance
`the DIS capsule
`After
`with our preferred embodiment
`the results that are gener
`file on the
`ated during execution
`capsule are stored in
`of
`application processing server
`ifie that contains the formatted report
`After DIS creates
`results our control program agents program dynamically
`creates HTML tags to present
`the formatted report back to
`the Web client on the Internet Our control program agents
`interface can create HTML
`commands
`the CGI
`using
`dynamically In this way
`program can present
`on Web browser for the Web client
`
`information
`
`After the DIS capsule has created the file containing
`results the control program creates HTML
`report request
`statements dynamically that display the report results to the
`Web browser
`
`the
`
`the data are shown by
`Alternative means of presenting
`alternative routing The user requesting the report may wish
`to have the report results sent to another
`location in addition
`to the Web
`to or instead of displaying the report results
`browser This information is provided during the request
`report request and
`phase As
`the alternative
`result of
`therein the report
`to the parameters
`according
`can be sent by the control program via electronic
`results
`mail i.e TCPIIP Sendmail facility and Lotus Notes to one
`or more locations on the Internet The report results can be
`note The request can request
`voice
`file and as
`sent as
`voice response unit Thus
`response which can be routed to
`the text can be converted to voice
`call to
`with
`translator
`along the way The report results can
`
`and even translated
`
`indicated
`
`10
`
`25
`
`30
`
`40
`
`50
`
`55
`
`our
`
`request
`
`is
`
`request
`
`is
`
`result screen which is
`
`request
`
`the functions
`
`of
`
`the
`
`DIS capsule that
`
`DIS capsule that
`
`the
`
`FIG shows schematically an overview of