United States Patent [19]
`Burke
`
`US006032162A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`6,032,162
`Feb. 29, 2000
`
`[54] SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING AND STORING
`INTERNET BOOKMARK ADDRESS LINKS
`
`[76] Inventor: Alexander James Burke, 3 Glenside
`Ter., Upper Montclair, N]. 07043
`
`[21] Appl. No.1 09/004,409
`[22]
`Filed:
`Jan. 8, 1998
`
`[51] Int. Cl.7 .................................................... .. G06F 13/00
`[52] US. Cl. ........................................... .. 707/501; 709/206
`[58] Field Of Search ................................... .. 707/501, 513;
`709/203, 218, 206; 345/335, 348—351, 356,
`357
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`1/1997 Slaughter, III et al. ......... .. 395/200.16
`5,598,536
`4/1997 Augenbraun et al.
`..... .. 395/604
`5,617,565
`6/1997 Fox et a1. ........ ..
`370/402
`5,636,216
`5,701,451 12/1997 Rogers et al.
`..... .. 395/600
`5,710,883
`1/1998 Hong et a1. ......... ..
`.. 395/200.17
`5,796,393
`8/1998 Macnaughton et al.
`..... .. 345/329
`
`5,848,410 12/1998 Walls et a1. . . . . . . . . . . .
`
`. . . . . . . . . .. 707/4
`
`5,867,667
`5,895,471
`
`.. 395/200.79
`2/1999 Butman et al.
`4/1999 King et a1. ............................ .. 707/104
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`G06F 13/00
`WO 96/31826 10/1996 WIPO ..
`H04L 29/06
`WO 96/39770 12/1996 WIPO ..
`WO 97/44747 11/1997 WIPO ........................... .. G06F 17/30
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Netangels Take Flight; Multimedia Daily by BRP Publica
`tions, Jul. 24, 1996.
`Maarek et al; Automatically Organizing Bookmarks Per
`Contents; Computer Networks and ISDN Systems; vol. 28,
`No. 7—11, pp. 1321—1333, May 1996.
`Susaki et al; Information Sharing System on the WWW With
`Interactive Communication; Computer Networks and ISDN
`Systems; vol. 30, No. 1—7, pp. 747—749, Apr. 1998.
`
`Johnson, R.C.; Bookmark Organizer Ready; Electronic
`Engineering Times; n 859, p. 140, 1995.
`Keller et al; A Bookmarking Service For Organizing and
`Sharing Urls; Computer Networks and ISDN Systems; vol.
`29, No. 8—13, pp. 1103—1114, Sep. 1997.
`Brown et al; Using Netscape(TM) 2, Special Edition; One
`Corporation; p. 181, 1995.
`Dan Amdur, “New Sites Aim to Personalize Web Naviga
`tion”, Information & Interactive Services Report, BRP Pub
`lications, vol. 17, Issue 31, Sep. 6, 1996.
`Internetworking with T CP/IR vol. 1, third edition, by Don
`glas E. Comer, 1995, chapter 24 and chapter 28.
`Smartmarks Quick Start Guide, 1997, by Netscape Com
`munications Inc. pp. 1—6.
`ORA/VIA announces the launch of iBookmarkscom, pub
`lished by ORAMA Inc. on the Internet (http://www.orama
`.com), Dec. 5, 1997.
`
`Primary Examiner—Joseph H. Feild
`Assistant Examiner—R Bourque
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A system supports uploading, downloading, collating and
`storage of bookmark addresses (Universal Resource Locator
`codes—URLs) using a remote Internet site. A method for
`accessing Internet data using a remotely stored Internet
`address or bookmark (URL address code) at a User site
`involves initiating Internet communication with a remote
`Internet site and receiving User identi?cation information
`for obtaining access to a stored bookmark. At least one
`bookmark stored at the remote Internet site is selected and
`transfer of data is initiated from an Internet data source at the
`selected bookmark address. The remote Internet site
`receives User identi?cation information and bookmarks via
`Internet communication, stores the bookmarks in a ?le
`identi?able with the User Identi?cation information and
`downloads the stored bookmarks in response to a request via
`Internet communication.
`
`28 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
`RECEIVE BOOKMARKS VIA
`INTERNET COMMUNICATION
`
`310
`
`IDENTIFY RECEIVED BOOKMARKS
`FROM HTML TAG INFORMATION AND
`IDENTIFY BOOKMARK TYPE FROM
`IDENTIFIERS WITHIN TRANSMITTED SIGNAL
`
`COLLATE RECEIVED BOOKMARKS AND
`PREVIOUSLY STORED BOOKMARKS AND
`FORM A SET OF MERGED BOOKMARKS
`
`I
`
`320
`
`STORE MERGED BOOKMARKS IN A FILE
`IDENTIFIABLE WITH THE RECEIVED USER
`IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION
`
`DOWNLOAD THE STORED BOOKMARKS
`IN RESPONSE TO A USER REQUEST VIA
`INTERNET COMMUNICATION
`
`I
`@ 335
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 1
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 29, 2000
`
`Sheet 1 of5
`
`6,032,162
`
`
`
`
`
`EMIIOEPZOO ll' ZOOEnmI
`
`E252 .
`
`
`
`All IMIJOEPZOO
`
`» NH.“
`
`9%
`
`ON\
`
`2 u ._<z__>EE 5w:
`050mm!
`
`050mm! A
`
`M0552 “Hun
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 2
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 29, 2000
`
`Sheet 2 of5
`
`6,032,162
`
`FIGURE 2
`
`g 200
`
`INITIATE INTERNET COMUNICATION
`WITH A REMOTE INTERNET SITE
`FOR STORING BOOKMARKS \
`205
`
`COMMUNICATE USER IDENTIFICATION
`INFORMATION FOR OBTAINING ACCESS
`TO THE REMOTE INTERNET BOOKMARK
`STORAGE SITE
`
`l
`
`k 210
`
`SELECT A BOOKMARK OR BOOKMARK FILE
`FOR TRANSFER TO THE REMOTE INTERNET
`BOOKMARK STORAGE SITE
`
`215
`
`INITIATE TRANSFER OF THE SELECTED
`BOOKMARK OR BOOKMARK FILE TO THE
`REMOTE INTERNET BOOKMARK STORAGE SITE
`\
`
`220
`
`%
`
`225
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 3
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 29, 2000
`
`Sheet 3 of5
`
`6,032,162
`
`FIGURE 3
`
`; 300
`
`RECEIVE USER IDENTIFICATION
`INFORMATION
`
`I
`
`\305
`
`RECEIVE BOOKMARKS VIA
`INTERNET COMMUNICATION
`\
`
`l
`
`310
`
`IDENTIFY RECEIVED BOOKMARKS
`FROM HTML TAG INFORMATION AND
`IDENTIFY BOOKMARK TYPE FROM
`IDENTIFIERS WITHIN TRANSMITTED SIGNAL
`
`l
`
`\315
`
`COLLATE RECEIVED BOOKMARKS AND
`PREVIOUSLY STORED BOOKMARKS AND
`FORM A SET OF MERGED BOOKMARKS
`
`I
`
`K320
`
`STORE MERGED BOOKMARKS IN A FILE
`IDENTIFIABLE WITH THE RECEIVED USER
`IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION
`
`l
`
`\325
`
`DOWNLOAD THE STORED BOOKMARKS
`IN RESPONSE TO A USER REQUEST VIA
`INTERNET COMMUNICATION
`
`%
`
`335
`
`\330
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 4
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 29, 2000
`
`Sheet 4 of5
`
`6,032,162
`
`FIGURE 4
`
`g 400
`
`INITIATE INTERNET COMUNICATION
`WITH A REMOTE INTERNET
`BOOKMARK STORAGE SITE
`
`\
`405
`
`ENTER usER IDENTIFICATION
`INFORMATION FoR OBTAINING ACCESS
`TO THE REIvIoTE INTERNET BOOKMARK
`STORAGE SITE
`
`l
`
`K 410
`
`INITIATE TRANSFER OF A BOOKMARK OR
`BOOKMARK FILE FROMTHE REMOTE INTERNET
`BOOKMARK STORAGE SITE TO THE USER'S TERM\INAL
`415
`
`AT THE USER'S TERMINAL SELECTING AT LEAST ONE TRANSFERRED
`BOOKMARK STORED AT THE REMOTE INTERNET SITE
`\
`
`I
`
`420
`
`INITIATE TRANSFER OF WEB PAGE DATA FROM AN INTERNET
`DATA SOURCE AT THE SELECTED INTERNET BOOKMARK ADDRESS
`\
`425
`
`430
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 5
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Feb. 29, 2000
`
`Sheet 5 of5
`
`6,032,162
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 6
`
`

`
`6,032,162
`
`1
`SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING AND STORING
`INTERNET BOOKMARK ADDRESS LINKS
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`This invention is related to the ?eld of digital signal
`processing, and in particular to the processing, storage and
`activation of Internet address links.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`Internet Web sites are accessed using Hyper text Mark-up
`Language (HTML) link addresses. An Internet HTML link
`address uniquely identi?es a Web site information source
`and supports communication betWeen the source and a User
`at a different HTML address. An Internet User typically
`stores HTML link addresses of the Web sites he accesses in
`a ?le to facilitate his future access to these Web sites. The
`stored addresses are knoWn as bookmarks and the ?le in
`Which they are stored is knoWn as a bookmark ?le. Book
`mark ?les typically contain numerous addresses and indi
`vidual addresses typically contain long cumbersome char
`acter strings. Consequently, an Internet User’s ability to
`navigate the Internet is seriously impaired once he becomes
`deprived of the use of his oWn unique bookmark ?le.
`A User may be deprived of the use of his bookmark ?le
`for a number of reasons. A bookmark ?le may become
`inaccessible because of a computer hardWare failure or
`because the ?le is inaccessible behind a ?reWall as may
`occur if a User is remote from his normal location, for
`example. An Internet User may also be deprived of his
`normal bookmark ?le because of Internet overload or
`because of loss server storage and a variety of other reasons.
`These problems and derivative problems are addressed by a
`system according to the present invention.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`A system for storing and activating HTML bookmark
`addresses i.e. Web broWser bookmarks at an Internet site
`involves uploading, collating and doWnloading bookmark
`addresses. A method for accessing Internet data using a
`remotely stored Internet address or bookmark (URL address
`code) at a User site involves initiating Internet communica
`tion With a remote Internet site and receiving User identi
`?cation information for obtaining access to a stored book
`mark. At least one bookmark stored at the remote Internet
`site is selected and transfer of data is initiated from an
`Internet data source at the selected bookmark address.
`In a feature of the invention, the remote Internet site.
`receives User identi?cation information and bookmarks via
`Internet communication, stores the bookmarks in a ?le
`identi?able With the User Identi?cation information and
`doWnloads the stored bookmarks in response to a request via
`Internet communication.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`In the draWing:
`FIG. 1 shoWs a system supporting uploading, doWnload
`ing and storage of bookmarks using a remote Internet server
`type system, according to the invention.
`FIG. 2 shoWs a method for uploading bookmarks from a
`User terminal to a remote Internet system, according to the
`invention.
`FIG. 3 shoWs a method for processing and storing book
`marks in a remote Internet system, according to the inven
`tion.
`
`2
`FIG. 4 shoWs a method employed by an Internet User for
`accessing Internet data using a remotely stored Internet
`bookmark address, according to the invention.
`FIG. 5 shoWs an exemplary User display interface for
`accessing data at Internet bookmark addresses stored in a
`remote Internet system, according to the invention.
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
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`25
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`30
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`35
`
`40
`
`45
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`The inventor has recogniZed that the problem posed by
`Internet bookmark inaccessibility may be eliminated by
`providing a system supporting the storage of bookmarks at
`a dedicated Internet bookmark site. Bookmarks and book
`mark ?les are uploaded to the bookmark site for storage and
`are doWnloaded to a User site upon User command. The
`Internet site receives bookmarks and bookmark ?les, iden
`ti?es and collates the bookmarks and doWnloads the collated
`bookmarks to the User’s site for activation. The inventor has
`further recogniZed that such a bookmark storage and acti
`vation service may be combined With other services such as
`an Email service of the type provided by HotmailTM, for
`example.
`FIG. 1 shoWs a system supporting uploading, doWnload
`ing and storage of bookmarks addresses (Universal
`Resource Locator codes—URLs) using a remote Internet
`site. A User sends an individual bookmark or a ?le of
`bookmarks from the User’s Internet terminal 10 to a remote
`Internet system 15 for storage. Bookmarks stored by the
`remote Internet system are doWnloaded to the User’s termi
`nal upon User access request. Further, upon User command,
`data is transferred from a source at a selected doWnloaded
`Internet bookmark address to terminal 10 for User vieWing
`or processing. The data transferred from the source at the
`selected doWnloaded bookmark address comprises Web page
`information, for example.
`Considering FIG. 1 in detail, a User enters commands to
`controller 30 via keyboard 20 and keyboard interface 25
`Within User terminal 10 (eg a computer With Internet
`access capability). Units 20 and 25 in other embodiments
`may comprise any data entry device and compatible inter
`face including a remote control unit, computer mouse sys
`tem or telephone keypad, for example. Controller 30 directs
`operation of modem 35 using a bi-directional data and
`control signal bus C. Controller 30 incorporates a display
`interface and provides a display signal via the interface to an
`NTSC compatible video reproduction unit 39 for providing
`a visual User interface such as PC computer display, for
`example. Controller 30, in conjunction With modem 35,
`establishes Internet communication With remote Internet
`system 15 via telephone lines 37 by dialing a telephone
`number and transmitting an Internet URL address code of
`remote Internet system 15. Controller 30, in conjunction
`With modem 35, establishes communication With processing
`system 15 using Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
`Protocol (TCP/IP) and Hypertext Transmission Protocol
`(HTTP). Hypertext Transmission Protocol 1.1 is speci?ed in
`RFC2068 (Request For Comment document 2068) January
`1997 and other HTTP versions and features (eg HTTP 1.0)
`are described in previous and related RFC documents Which
`are available via the Internet and are prepared by Internet
`standards Working groups. Controller 40, in conjunction
`With modem 45, Within remote Internet system 15 (eg an
`Internet terminal and server system) responds to TCP/IP
`communications from User terminal 10 and other terminals
`(not shoWn to preserve draWing clarity). Within system 15
`controller 40 directs operation of modem 45 using a
`bi-directional data and control signal bus D. Remote Internet
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 7
`
`

`
`3
`system 15 processes, stores and downloads bookmarks and
`bookmark ?les received from any Internet data terminal or
`source. As such, system 15 provides a general Internet
`bookmark storage service that may be combined With other
`Internet services. For example, a bookmark storage service
`may be combined With an Email service (such as HotmailTM)
`to advantageously offer enhanced Internet functions.
`Controller 30 (FIG. 1), employs the method shoWn in
`FIG. 2 to upload bookmarks from User terminal 10 to
`remote Internet system 15. The method of FIG. 2 may be
`implemented either as a stand alone application or may be
`implemented Within another application such as in combi
`nation With the methods to be discussed later in connection
`With FIGS. 3 and 4 or Within an application such as a
`computer operating system or a Web broWser. In step 205,
`folloWing the start at step 200, controller 30, in conjunction
`With modem 35, establishes Internet TCP/IP and HTTP
`compatible communication With remote Internet system 15
`via telephone lines 37 by dialing a telephone number and
`transmitting an Internet URL address code of remote Inter
`net system 15. In step 210, a User enters a Userid and
`passWord via keyboard 20 and interface 25 in order to obtain
`access to remote Internet system 15. Controller 30, in
`conjunction With modem 35, encodes the passWord and
`Userid into TCP/IP format and transmits the formatted
`passWord and Userid to controller 40 via modem 45 Within
`remote Internet system 15. Controller 40, in step 210, may
`employ a more complex access and login procedure and the
`particular procedure used may vary With the speci?c com
`munication circumstances.
`A more complex access procedure may be used When a
`User at terminal 10 is behind a security ?reWall or When
`enhanced login security is required. In the case, for example,
`that a User at terminal 10 is behind a security ?reWall, access
`data may have to be formatted differently by controller 30.
`This is because an Internet security ?reWall implementation
`commonly involves use of a proxy computer application to
`alloW access to the Internet through the ?reWall (a proxy
`application is an intermediary application acting on behalf of
`another application and passes or processes data and com
`mands betWeen the source application and a client
`application). Such a proxy application may involve different
`data and communication formats. The formatting and trans
`mitting of access data to system 15 from terminal 10 in such
`circumstances may involve different Internet communica
`tion ports and other protocol requirements, for example.
`HoWever, the constraints and requirements of communica
`tion through Internet security ?reWalls are knoWn and
`described, for example, in InternetWorking With TCP/IP,
`chapter 28, vol., 1 third edition, by Douglas E. Comer, 1995.
`In addition, in other embodiments different User speci?c
`conditional access information may also be encoded and
`transmitted to system 15. Such conditional access informa
`tion may include additional passWords, entitlement manage
`ment information and credit card numbers, for example.
`In step 215, a User selects an HTML ?le of Internet
`bookmark addresses to be uploaded by controller 30 to
`system 15 via keyboard 20 and interface 25. A User selects
`an HTML ?le from a ?le list visually displayed on unit 39.
`Although an HTML bookmark ?le is selected to be uploaded
`in this exemplary embodiment, bookmark ?les or addresses
`encoded in other formats and languages may also be selected
`for upload eg a bookmark ?le in simple text or an IP
`address ?le may be selected and uploaded. In addition, in
`step 215, an individual bookmark address instead of a ?le of
`such addresses may be entered by the User for uploading. In
`step 220, a User initiates transfer of the selected bookmark
`
`1O
`
`15
`
`25
`
`35
`
`45
`
`55
`
`65
`
`6,032,162
`
`4
`?le or individual bookmark address from terminal 10 to
`system 15 for storage via the Internet and telephone lines 37.
`In step 220, controller 30, in conjunction With modem 35,
`establishes communication With controller 40 via modem 45
`according to File Transfer protocol (FTP). File Transfer
`protocol is speci?ed in RFC959 and other related RFC
`documents Which are available via the Internet and are
`prepared by Internet standards Working groups (Request For
`Comment document 959 of October 1985 is authored by J.
`Postel and J. Reynolds on behalf of a speci?c NetWork
`Working Group). The selected HTML bookmark ?le is
`encoded in TCP/IP and FTP format and is transmitted to
`controller 40 via modem 45 Within remote Internet system
`15. Alternatively, the selected HTML bookmark ?le or
`individual bookmark may be transferred to system 15 using
`other ?le transfer protocols or systems such as TFTP
`protocol, NFS protocol or an Email transfer mechanism.
`These and other ?le transfer mechanisms are described, for
`example, in InternetWorking With TCP/IP, chapter 24, vol.,
`1 third edition, by Douglas E. Comer, 1995 and other texts.
`The method of FIG. 2 terminates at step 225.
`Controller 40 of system 15 (FIG. 1) employs the method
`shoWn in FIG. 3 for processing and storing bookmarks. The
`method of FIG. 3 may be implemented either as a stand
`alone application or may be implemented Within another
`application such as in a server or computer operating system.
`In step 305, folloWing the start at step 300, controller 40
`(FIG. 1), in conjunction With modem 45, establishes Internet
`TCP/IP and HTTP compatible communication With User
`terminal 10 via telephone lines 37 in response to commu
`nication initiation commands from terminal 10. In step 305,
`controller 40 receives a User passWord and Userid via
`modem 45 from terminal 10. In a different embodiment
`controller 40 may receive other User speci?c conditional
`access information as described in connection With FIG. 2.
`In the case of a ?rst time User or a ?rst time transfer of
`a bookmark ?le from terminal 10 to system 15, controller 40
`in step 305 uses the received User passWord and Userid in
`registering a neW User and in allocating an internal storage
`?le for storage of a neWly received bookmark ?le. The
`Userid and passWord are used by controller 40 in creating a
`unique User speci?c ?le for containing the User’s bookmark
`?le received from terminal 10. The Userid and passWord are
`also used by controller 40 to restrict access to the bookmark
`storage service offered by system 15 to those Users Who
`have been registered, that is, to Users that have ?lled out an
`on-line Internet registration form to give User speci?c
`information to the bookmark storage service provider. Such
`an on-line registration process is Well knoWn and may be
`performed as part of step 305 or may be performed during
`a separate initialiZation process. In addition, the Userid and
`passWord received by system 15 from terminal 10 are used
`by controller 40 in determining Whether a speci?c User is
`permitted access to an existing User bookmark ?le.
`In step 310, controller 40 receives an HTML bookmark
`?le via modem 45 transmitted according to FTP format from
`terminal 10. Alternative TCP/IP compatible ?le transfer
`protocols may also be used in transferring the bookmark ?le
`from terminal 10 to system 15. Controller 40, in conjunction
`With modem 45, identi?es the ?le transfer protocol used
`from indicators Within the transmitted signal and employs
`the identi?ed ?le transfer protocol in receiving the HTML
`bookmark ?le transmitted from terminal 10. In step 315,
`controller 40 identi?es the ?le type received from terminal
`10. In the exemplary embodiment the received ?le is an
`HTML ?le and controller 40 identi?es individual URL
`address codes Within the received ?le by parsing the ?le
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 8
`
`

`
`6,032,162
`
`5
`contents in order to identify HTML tags (e.g. Href tags) that
`identify HTML statements as URL address codes. Controller
`40 also identi?es the format type of the address codes in the
`received ?le from indicators in the transferred ?le. The
`transferred ?le may contain address codes types in Netscape
`NavigatorTM, or Microsoft ExplorerTM type formats, for
`example.
`In step 320, controller 40 collates both the bookmarks in
`the received ?le and bookmarks previously stored in a User
`designated ?le Within storage system 15 to form a single
`merged set of bookmarks. Controller 40, in step 320, collates
`the bookmarks by categoriZing the bookmarks by theme and
`topic. A bookmark theme e.g. Finance, encompasses the
`sub-category of topic e.g. different stock price services such
`as stockmaster.comTM or Yahoo.?nance.COMTM. Such a
`collation scheme may also categoriZe the bookmarks by
`allocation of different folders or ?le groups for containing
`bookmarks of different theme and topic. In addition, book
`marks may be collated in accordance With a master set of
`theme and topic codes. In this case, individual bookmarks
`are allocated a topic and theme code and controller 40
`collates the bookmarks according to the master set of codes
`contained in internal memory of system 15.
`Controller 40, in step 320, may also collate the bookmarks
`in the ?le received from terminal 10 by sorting the book
`marks by an attribute previously allocated to the bookmarks
`by controller 30 in terminal 10. Such an attribute may be a
`code, for example, designating one of, a) an allocated
`bookmark display attribute e.g. color, shading, or shape, and
`b) characteristics including: i) bookmark source eg the
`geographical area of the Web site accessed by the bookmark,
`or Whether the bookmark accesses a personal or company
`Web site etc.; ii) function eg Whether the bookmark pro
`vides access to an Email or other function; and iii) content
`eg Whether the bookmark provides access to neWspapers,
`video, etc.
`Using the allocated attribute, controller 40, in step 320,
`may collate the bookmarks in the ?le received from terminal
`10 and present the bookmarks for display to a User. For
`example, controller 40 may collate bookmarks With different
`characteristics for display at terminal 10 (or other terminal)
`in different colors, shading, font, etc. For example, book
`marks addressing a particular source, or bookmarks provid
`ing access to Web sites With a particular content or function
`may be displayed in correspondingly different colors.
`Alternatively, the bookmarks may be collated using a dif
`ferent sorting hierarchy. The described collation process
`may also be performed at User terminal 10 prior to the
`storage of the collated bookmarks in remote storage system
`15. In step 325, controller 40 stores the collated and merged
`set of bookmarks in the existing User designated ?le Within
`system 15.
`In the case When a ?le is transferred to system 15 for the
`?rst time and a previously stored ?le of bookmarks does not
`exist in system 15, controller 40, in step 320 collates the
`received bookmarks Without forming a merged bookmark
`set. Also, in this case, controller 40 in step 325 creates a User
`designated ?le using the User identi?cation information
`(Userid and passWord) and stores the collated non-merged
`bookmarks in the created ?le.
`In step 330, controller 40 doWnloads the stored User
`designated ?le of bookmarks to terminal 10 (or another
`terminal) in response to a User request. A User at terminal
`10 requests access to a ?le of bookmarks stored in system 15
`from Within a Web broWser application by transmitting an
`Internet URL address code of remote Internet system 15 and
`
`10
`
`15
`
`35
`
`45
`
`55
`
`65
`
`6
`by the process disclosed later in connection With FIG. 4.
`Terminal 10 establishes FTP compatible communication
`With controller 40 and modem 45 of system 15. Speci?cally,
`terminal 10 establishes FTP compatible communication With
`system 15 and controller 40 doWnloads the User designated
`?le requested by the User to terminal 10 from system 15.
`Using FTP communication, terminal 10 establishes inte
`grated transparent access by the User at terminal 10 to the
`doWnloaded bookmark ?le transferred from system 15.
`Integrated transparent access alloWs a User at a terminal to
`access a ?le at a remote Internet site as if it Was located at
`the User’s site. Integrated transparent access is described,
`for example, in InternetWorking With TCP/IP, vol., 1 third
`edition, by Douglas E. Comer, 1995, Chapter 24. Using the
`integrated transparent access established in step 330, a User
`at terminal 10 may vieW and select bookmark addresses
`Within the doWnloaded User designated bookmark ?le. A
`User at terminal 10, in step 330, may also acquire Internet
`data eg Web page data from a source at a selected bookmark
`address in the doWnloaded bookmark ?le. A User interface
`permitting selection and transfer of data from bookmarks
`stored in system 15 is discussed later in connection With
`FIG. 5.
`Alternative mechanisms may be used for doWnloading the
`User designated ?le to terminal 10 and for transferring data
`to terminal 10 from sources at bookmark addresses Within
`the doWnloaded ?le. For example, using FTP
`communication, a copy of the User designated ?le stored
`Within system 15 may be doWnloaded from system 15 and
`used at terminal 10. Using this mechanism, a User obtains
`data from Internet sources at addresses Within the doWn
`loaded copy of the User designated bookmark ?le. In
`addition, the User designated ?le may be transferred to
`terminal 10 from system 15 using other ?le transfer proto
`cols or systems such as TFTP protocol, NFS protocol or an
`Email transfer mechanism. Further, one or more individual
`bookmarks may be transferred betWeen terminal 10 and
`system 15 instead of a bookmark ?le. The process of FIG.
`3 terminates at step 335.
`Controller 30 of terminal 10 (FIG. 1) employs the method
`shoWn in FIG. 4 for accessing Internet data using a remotely
`stored Internet bookmark address. The method of FIG. 4
`may be implemented either as a stand alone application or
`may be implemented Within another application such as in
`combination With the methods discussed in connection With
`FIGS. 2 and 3 or Within an application such as a computer
`operating system or a Web broWser. In step 405, folloWing
`the start at step 400, controller 30 (FIG. 1), in conjunction
`With modem 35, establishes Internet TCP/IP and HTTP
`compatible communication With remote Internet system 15
`via telephone lines 37 by dialing a telephone number and
`transmitting an Internet URL address code of remote Inter
`net system 15.
`In step 410 a User enters a Userid and passWord via
`keyboard 20 and interface 25 in order to obtain access to
`remote Internet system 15. The Userid and passWord are
`entered by the User Within a graphical User interface menu
`display generated by controller 30 under preprogrammed
`instruction and presented on unit 39 for vieWing by the User.
`In step 410, controller 30, in conjunction With modem 35,
`encodes the passWord and Userid into TCP/IP format and
`transmits the formatted passWord and Userid to controller 40
`via modem 45 Within remote Internet system 15. In other
`embodiments different User speci?c conditional access
`information may also be encoded and transmitted to system
`15 as previously described in connection With FIG. 2, for
`example.
`
`Petitioners Great West Casualty Co., BITCO Gen. Ins. Corp., and BITCO Nat'l Ins. Co.
`Ex. 1022, p. 9
`
`

`
`6,032,162
`
`7
`In step 415, controller 40 identi?es a User designated
`bookmark address ?le previously stored Within system 15.
`Controller 40 identi?es the User designated bookmark
`address ?le using the Userid and passWord transmitted to
`controller 40 from terminal 10 in step 410. Further, control
`ler 30 in step 415 establishes FTP compatible communica
`tion With controller 40 and modem 45 of system 15.
`Speci?cally, controller 30 establishes integrated transparent
`access mode communication With system 15 according to
`the FTP speci?cation requirements.
`In this mode, controller 40 responds to the communica
`tion from controller 30 by doWnloading the identi?ed User
`designated bookmark address ?le stored Within system 15 to
`terminal 10. Further, in step 415 controller 30 establishes
`integrated transparent access by the User at terminal 10 to
`the doWnloaded bookmark ?le transferred from system 15.
`In step 420 a User at terminal 10 employs the integrated
`transparent access FTP mode application established in step
`415 to vieW and select a bookmark address Within the
`doWnloaded User designated bookmark ?le. A User selects
`a bookmark address using keyboard 20 from Within the
`doWnloaded User designated bookmark ?le contents pre
`sented on unit 39 in a graphical User interface menu display
`generated by controller 30 under preprogrammed instruc
`tion.
`In step 425, a User at terminal 10 initiates acquisition of
`Internet data from a source at the bookmark address selected
`in step 415. Controller 30 in step 425 establishes conven
`tional Internet TCP/IP communication With a source at the
`selected Internet bookmark address using a Web broWser
`application such as Netscape NavigatorTM, Microsoft
`ExplorerTM or other Web broWser. The Web broWser appli
`cation operates in conjunction With the FTP communication
`application established by terminal 10 With system 15.
`Controller 30 in step 425 establishes Internet access to the
`source at the selected Internet bookmark address by dialing
`a telephone number using modem 35 and transmitting the
`selected bookmark address (Internet URL address code) and
`user entitlement data to an Internet server or service provider
`such as America On-lineTM via telephone lines 37. Control
`ler 30 in step 425 receives Web page data (including TCP/IP
`identi?cation data) from the responding Internet server or
`service provider.
`The response Web page data transferred to terminal 10
`contains the information necessary to enable controller 30
`and modem 35 to identify, assemble and decode the TCP/IP
`packets containing the HTML and associated JAVATM data
`(and other data eg JPEG, GIF, TIF type data) comprising
`the requested Web page. Controller 30 in step 425 identi?es,
`decodes and formats the Web page response data for display
`on unit 39 using its internal display signal processor. The
`formatted response Web page information from the source at
`the selected Internet bookmark address remotely stored
`Within system 15 is displayed to the User on reproduction
`device 39. In an alternative embodiment, the User desig
`nated ?le may be transferred to terminal 10 from system 15
`using other ?le transfer protocols or systems as previously
`described in connection With FIG. 3. Further, also as previ
`ously disclosed in connection With FIG. 3, one or more
`individual bookmarks may be transferred betWeen terminal
`10 and system 15 instead of a bookmark ?le. The process of
`FIG. 4 terminates at step 430.
`FIG. 5 shoWs an exemplary User interface display doWn
`loaded