a2, United States Patent
`US 6,243,700 B1
`(10) Patent No.:
`Zellweger
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Jun. 5, 2001
`
`
`US006243700B1
`
`(75)
`
`(54) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`GENERATING A HYPERTEXT-BASED
`CONTENT MENU USING AN OPEN
`HIERARCHICAL DATA STRUCTURE
`Inventor: Paul Zellweger, 12 Holworthy P1.,
`.
`Cambridge, MA (US) 02138
`;
`;
`(73) Assignee: Paul Zellweger, Cambridge, MA (US)
`.
`.
`.
`.
`.
`(*) Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`US.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`5,603,025
`2/1997 Tabb and Hermann... 707/2
`
`5,630,125 *
`5/1997 Zellweger... 707/103
`5,712,979
`1/1998 Garberet al. woe 707/501
`
`5,717,860
`2/1998 Garberet al. oe eee 705/14
`
`5,920,696 *
`w. 395/200.48
`7/1999 Brandtet al.
`....
`
`een : a1999 Johnsonet AL arsreereseeesen 395/712
`
`3959,
`/1999 Takeuchi et al.
`oe 345/348
`
`ceecccccsssssssssssssssssessesseseeee 707/4
`5,987,454 * 11/1999 Hobbs.
`
`6,006,252 * 12/1999 Wolfe .......
`.. 709/203
`6,131,098 * 10/2000 Zellweger....
`.. 707/102
`
`....
`« 707/104
`6,131,100 * 10/2000 Zellweger
`6,144,968 * 11/2000 Zellweger seen 707/104
`;
`;
`* cited by examiner
`
`Primary Examiner—Thomas Black
`.
`Assistant Examiner—Charles L. Rones
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/080,100
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`(22)
`Filed:
`May16, 1998
`A menu authoring system is disclosed that uses an open
`; _Related US. Application Data
`hierarchical data structure to generate source code for hyper-
`Provisional application No. 60/046,920,filed on May 16,
`text list menusthat constitute a content menu on a Website.
`1997.
`The authoring system allows developers to select how and
`(SL) Mts C0 cececeeeccccssesssessseeecceseessneeeseeeeesaee G06F 17/30
`
`(52) US. Ch. ceecccccessssssssssesssenesessas 707/3; 707/4; 707/102;|when these menufiles are generated and the optimum output
`707/104
`file size. The authoring system can generate menufiles at
`(58) Field of Searle o...cccccccccsssssssssscscee 707/4, 103, 203,|Tuntimeorpriorto a generalrelease;it can also generate one
`707/102
`or more list menus to the same hypertext file. This enables
`the Web developer to generate menu files that can be
`optimized for use in a client-server network,or used to track
`end-user navigation.
`
`(60)
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5,530,852
`
`6/1996 Meskeet al. ecco 707/501
`
`20 Claims, 15 Drawing Sheets
`
`73
`
`\
`
`HTML Configuration Window nny
`
`Developer:
`Company:
`
`
`Contactst::
`
`
`File Generation: © On Demand Runtime HTML file
`© Compiled HTML Server files
`File Use: © Multiple List File,
`Opimal File Sie:|_|K
`© Track End-User Naviagtion
`
`Exhibit 1037
`Samsung v. DoDots
`IPR2023-00701
`
`
`
`Copyright:
`
`
`|
`Home Page:
`Menu Frame: [SY
`Object Frame: CFT
`
`
`
`
`
`1
`
`Exhibit 1037
`Samsung v. DoDots
`IPR2023-00701
`
`

`

`U.S. Patent
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`Jun.5, 2001
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`U.S. Patent
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`Information
`Object
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`Fig. 2
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`PriorArt
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`Fig.4
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`a a
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`U.S. Patent
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`ies|oe|polo|z{o[mw]o|te[ex]mim|oe|oto|efofefv[iefelrmeum|e|po}ote}oo[wefa|tefi]season|oe
`iototHo
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`pofolce{ofe|a|we[oo]
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`¢“3Iy
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`6
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`U.S. Patent
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jun.5, 2001
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`Sheet 7 of 15
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`US 6,243,700 B1
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`© Track End-User Naviagtion
`
`Dever
`company:[
`Contact:[>
`I
`Home Page: [—
`Meru Frames [—
`Object Frame: [TO
`
`File Use: © Multiple List File,
`Opimai File Size:{|___|k
`
`Fig. 7
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`HTML Configuration Window
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`File Generation. © On Demand Runtime HTMLfile
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`© Compiled HTML Server files
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`8
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jun.5, 2001
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`“eeOeOeA,aN
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`“
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`“
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`<!-- Generated by ArborWay, Inc. -->
`<!-- Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 864-1040 --!>
`<!-- File: FO.LHTM Created: May-13-1997 12:03 --!>
`<!-- Author: Anna Zellweger --!>
`<!-- Copyright 1998 by ArborWay Inc.
`
`<HTML><HEAD>
`<TITLE>Content Menu</TITLE>
`</HEAD>
`<BODY>
`<NAME=F0></A>
`<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE=+1>Content Menu</B></FONT><FONT SIZE=-1><BR>
`<A HREF="FO.HTM" TARGET=MENU WIN>[C]</A>
`<A HREF="FO.HTM" TARGET=MENUWIN>[Previous Menu]</A>
`<A HREF="INDEX.HTM" TARGET="_top">[H]</A></CENTER><BR></FONT><UL>
`<LI><A HREF="#F31" TARGET=MENUWIN>Anthor</A><BR>
`<LI><A HREF="#F32" TARGET=MENUWIN>Language</A><BR>
`<LI><A HREF="#F33" TARGET=MENUWIN>Subject</A><BR>
`<LI><A HREF="#F34" TARGET=MENUWIN?PTitle</A><BR>
`</UL>
`
`<NAME=F31></A>
`<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE=+1>Author</B></FONT><FONT SIZE=-1><BR>
`<A HREF="FO.HTM" TARGET=MENUWIN>[C]</A>
`<A HREF="FO.HTM" TARGET=MENUWIN>[Previous Menu]</A>
`<A HREF="INDEX.HTM" TARGET="_top">[{H]</A></CENTER><BR></FONT><UL>
`<LI><A HREF="B.HTM" TARGET=OBJWIN>Liscombe, R.N.</A><BR>
`<LI><A. HREF="D.HTM" TARGET=OBJWIN>Meyer, Peter</A><BR>
`<LI><A HREF="A.HTM" TARGET=OBJWIN>Tumer, W.J.</A><BR>
`<LI><A HREF="C.HTM" TARGET=OBJWIN>West, T.W.</A><BR>
`</UL>
`
`<NAME=F32></A>
`<CENTER><B><FONT SIZE=+1>Language</B></FONT><FONT SIZE=-1><BR>
`<A HREF="F0O.HTM" TARGET=MENUWIN>{[C]</A>
`<A HREF="FO.HTM" TARGET=MENUWIN>{Previous Menu]</A>
`<A HREF="INDEX.HTM" TARGET="_top">[H]</A></CENTER><BR></FONT><UL>
`<LI><A HREF="#F39" TARGET=OBJWIN>English</A><BR>
`<LI><A HREF="#F40" TARGET=OBJWIN>Germain</A><BR>
`</UL>
`
`</BODY>
`</HTML>
`
`Fig. 8a
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`78~" <CENTER><B><FONT SIZE=+1>Content Menu</B></FONT><FONT SIZE=-1><BR>
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`79+ <A HREF="FO.HTM" TARGET=MENUWIN>[C]</A>
`
`<A HREF="F0O.HTM" TARGET=MENUWIN>|[Previous Menu]</A>
`<A HREF="INDEX.HTM" TARGET="_top">[H]</A></CENTER><BR></FONT><UL>
`*(<LI><A HREF="#F31" TARGET-MENUWIN>Author</A><BR>
`\{<L><A HREF="#F32" TARGET=MENUWIN>Language</A><BR>
`“{<LI><A HREF="#F33" TARGET=MENUWIN>Subject</A><BR>
`\{<LI><A HREF="#F34" TARGET=MENUWIN>Title</A><BR>
`</UL>
`
`Fig. 8b
`
`80
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`\ of
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`<LI><A HREF="#F31" TARGET=MENUWIN>Author</A><BR>
`[re \ ne
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`\
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`Fig. 8c
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`Jun.5, 2001
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`Multiple
`Lists
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`file_size = header_size
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`HTML
`Server Files
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`US 6,243,700 B1
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`1
`METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`GENERATING A HYPERTEXT-BASED
`CONTENT MENU USING AN OPEN
`HIERARCHICAL DATA STRUCTURE
`
`CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED
`APPLICATION
`
`This application is based on Provisional Application No.
`60/046,920 entitled “Method and Apparatus for Generating
`Nested HTMLLink MenuFiles Using An Open Hierarchical
`Data Structure”, filed May 16, 1997.
`
`FIELD OF INVENTION
`
`The present invention relates to computer software used
`to organize informatin on a Website, and in particular, it
`relates to an end-user access method, identified as a content
`menu,that is generated by an authoring system that produces
`linked hypertext list menu files by merging hypertext pro-
`gram code like HTML with menu data managed by an open
`hierarchical data structure.
`
`BACKGROUND
`
`The conventional use of hypertext links in Website design
`makes information-rich sites unnecessarily deep. This forces
`end-users to navigate in a trial and error fashion to locate
`relevant information. More direct access methods, such as a
`table of contents or a search engine, exist but these prior art
`methods present
`their own set of limitations. Tables of
`contents can only provide very broad overviewsof sites
`because they cannot handle the detail, and search engines
`have a “black box” approach that hides content from end-
`users and requires them to know what they should ask for.
`On a corporate Intranet network with content on multiple
`servers, the scope and supply detailed information is sig-
`nificantly greater and makes end-user access on this type of
`Web site even more challenging. End-user services, like a
`directory assistance, site map, or site index, attemptto scale
`themselvesto the level of detail but, once again, limitations
`with the underlying technology limit their effectiveness.
`For instance, these access services are either built and
`maintained by hand, or they are based on hierarchical
`structures that have mutually exclusive paths. While these
`structures are well suited to handle details, they are inad-
`equate because they cannot cross reference. At the same
`time,
`the more flexible hand-coded access methods that
`easily represent cross links run into major problems when
`the links and references get too numerous or complex.
`Tabb et. al. (Feb. 11, 1997 US. Pat. No. 5,603,025)
`disclose the means to produce cross-indexed hypertext docu-
`ments that enable end-users to drill-down to investigate
`details. Meskeet. al. (Jun. 25, 1996) also disclose the means
`to generate links that cross reference a set of information
`files. Both of these disclosures use HTMLlinks to produce
`and maintain a set of linked files that enable end-users to
`access detailed information. However, since both of these
`methods depend solely upon their own documentfile struc-
`tures they cannot be used in a more general way as end-user
`access tools.
`
`Zellweger (May 13, 1997 U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,125) dis-
`closes the means to employ an open hierarchical data
`structure to organize and managedetailed information about
`a collection of information. When used with the disclosed
`
`authoring system, the structure generates a content menu
`that supports an extensive set of cross references. Advances
`brought about by the interactive authoring make it fairly
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`easy to build and maintain the complete network of menu
`paths, and end-users find it easy to navigate its nested list
`menus and find what they need.
`The Zellweger disclosure addresses both stand-alone and
`client-server environments but is does not disclose how to
`
`generate menu files for a content menu that can overcome
`performanceissues related to client-server networkslike the
`World Wide Web. The authoring system in the prior art
`generated a single menufile that contained all the nested lists
`in a content menu. In a stand-alone desktop setting, the
`invention optimizes response time by fetching data for each
`list menu from its own storage device. Yet, in a client-server
`setting, the overhead associated with requesting and trans-
`mitting data for each menulist from a remote source on a
`network, makesthislist-by-list retrieval method extremely
`inefficient, particularly when the succession involves a
`series of short list menus.
`
`The present disclosure shows how to overcome this
`problem by generating a series of hypertext menu files that
`consolidate a series of short, nested list menus into a single
`file that downloads to the client computer. As the end-user
`navigates down a content menuthe present disclosure also
`shows howto link one of these menu files to another and
`
`how to regulate the overall size of these files. These teach-
`ings enable menu developers to benchmark different sets of
`menufiles in orderto identify an optimal downloadfile size.
`When a content menu has been optimized for a client-
`server network, as disclosed by this invention, there are a
`number of unintended benefits. First,
`the content menu
`provides an alternative way to access Web pagesthat has a
`direct impact on Web sit design. Until now developers had
`to use “link pages” to furnish page access that produces
`artificially deep Web site layouts. Second, the menu orga-
`nizes details on a group of closely related information so
`end-users can easily compare one unit to another using a
`single list menu. This allows end-users to pinpoint target
`information on a Website, and thereby avoid unnecessary
`trial and error navigation. Third, information providers get
`much more information about an end-user’s navigating path
`compared to Web page tracking methods disclosed by
`Graberet. al. (Jan. 27, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,712,979) and
`Graber et. al. (May 10, 1998 U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,860)
`because the provider has overall control of the entire menu
`path.
`
`OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES
`
`It is a general object of the present invention to provide a
`method and apparatus for an authoring system meansthat
`can be used to generate and maintain hypertextfiles that can
`serve as a content menu on a Website.
`
`One object of the present invention is to provide the
`software means for building and maintaining a series of
`nested link menus derived from an open hierarchical data
`structure implemented in a hypertext language, like HTML,
`that is recognized by browsersoftware on a client computer.
`Another object of the present invention is to enable Web
`site developers to select how and when hypertext files are
`generated so they can configure a content menu application
`that performs well on a client server network.
`One object of the present invention is to provide the
`meansto specify the size of an output hypertext file so the
`authoring system can generate one or more nested lists to the
`samefile, instead of using the prior method of onelist per
`file, and thereby reduce overall networktraffic.
`Another object of the present invention is to enable Web
`site developers to select when hypertext files are generated
`17
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`US 6,243,700 B1
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`3
`so they can configure a content menu application that uses
`dynamic menu data.
`One object of the present invention is to provide the
`means to enable end-users to navigate through a succession
`of hypertext list menus to locate detailed information and
`thereby avoid unnecessary trial and error navigation on a
`Website.
`
`Another object of the present invention is to provide the
`software means to enable information providers to track
`end-user navigation of a content menu.
`
`SUMMARYOF THE INVENTION
`
`invention are attained by
`The objects of the present
`providing the methods and apparatus of a menu authoring
`system that generates nested list menus in tow or more
`hypertext files that serve as a content menu on a Website.
`The authoring system merges menu data stored in an open
`hierarchical data structure with elements of a hypertext
`language to produce hypertextfiles that contain one or more
`nested list menus per file. Web site developers use the
`authoring system to create menu paths to individual pages,
`and end-users navigate these paths to locate relevant infor-
`mation. The authoring system in the present
`invention
`supports special settings associated with the output hyper-
`text files that enable the menu developer to specify how and
`when these files are generated to improve sever response,
`reduce networktraffic, or track end-user navigation.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
`
`FIG. 1 depicts the client server apparatus of the network
`in the present invention.
`FIG. 2 depicts the user interface of the content menuin the
`present invention.
`FIG. 3 depicts the relationship of the authoring system,
`the hypertextfiles it generates, and the browser softwarethat
`reads thesefiles.
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`FIG. 4 (prior art) depicts the open hierarchical data
`structure employed by the authoring system to store and
`retrieve menu data used for the content menu.
`
`40
`
`FIG. 5 depicts a databasestructure used to represent nodes
`in the open hierarchical data structure.
`FIG. 6 depicts the record structure of an alternative
`storage format for nodes in an open hierarchical data struc-
`ture.
`
`FIG. 7 depicts the user interface of the authoring system
`used to configure the output hypertext files that contain the
`list menus.
`
`FIGS. 8a through 8c depict the components of a hypertext
`file and the list menus generated by the present invention.
`FIGS. 9a through 9d depict the flow charts of an embodi-
`ment of the program logic of software in the present inven-
`tion used to generate compiled hypertextfiles that are stored
`on a server computer.
`FIG. 10 depicts the flow chart of the program logic used
`to generate an HTMLlist menufile at runtime.
`FIG. 11 depicts the flow chart of the server CGI script
`used to generate a runtime hypertextfile that tracks end-user
`navigation on a content menu.
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`
`The client server apparatus of the present invention is
`depicted in FIG. 1. The server computer 15 contains an
`operating system, a database management system, and com-
`munications software, as well as the hypertext files gener-
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`ated by the present invention. The client computer 12 hasits
`own operating system and communication software and is
`linked electronically to the server computer 15. The client
`computer 12 includes end-user input devices like keyboard
`14 and output devices like a display monitor 10. Browser
`software, like Netscape, is installed on the client computer
`12 and requests hypertextfiles stored on server computer 15
`to generate a user interface on the display monitor 10. The
`server computer 15 downloadsthe file over the network to
`fulfill this request.
`FIG. 2 depicts the user interface 22 on the monitor
`apparatus 10 of the client computer 12. In the preferred
`embodimentof the present invention the user interface 22
`includes a list frame 24 and an object frame 25. The list
`frame 24 displays the HTMLlist menusthat constitute the
`content menu generated by the present invention. Each list
`menu includes one or more list items that link to another
`
`HTMLlist menu or to an information object. End-users
`navigate these nested list menus to reach information on a
`Web pagethat is displayed in the object frame 25. Alterna-
`tive embodiments of the present invention use one or more
`frames to display content
`list menus and information
`objects.
`Eachlist menu includesa title and navigation commands.
`The list title corresponds to the list item selected in the last
`list menu. The navigation commands, found directly under
`the title, and at the end of a long scrollinglist, include links
`to the Web site home page, top of the content menu, and a
`prior list. Depending on when the hypertext files were
`generated, the prior list either links to the last menu visited
`in aruntimefile, or to a primary parentlist in a compiled file.
`FIG. 3 depicts the three major components of the present
`invention. These include the authoring system 26, the hyper-
`text files 27 that the authoring system 26 produces, and a
`commercially available browser 28. The authoring system
`26 includes the interactive software tools and utilities used
`
`to build and maintain menu data in an open hierarchical data
`structure. The authoring system 26, in the present invention,
`allows a menu developer to select when a hypertextfile 27
`is generated, at runtime when the client browser software
`requests it, or as part of a general distribution release.
`In a general distribution release, the authoring system 26
`generates or compiles one or more hypertext files that
`represent all
`the lists in a structure 29 in FIG. 4. The
`complete set of compiled files are stored on the server
`computer 15 and represent static menu values that do not
`change over time, that is from onerelease to the next. The
`alternative file output, a runtime HTMLfile, represents
`dynamic menu values that change whenever changes are
`made to the open hierarchical structure or its data.
`The present
`invention uses an open hierarchical data
`structure, a prior art, to manage the network of hypertext
`links that constitute a content menu. Thisstructure, depicted
`in FIG. 4 as 29, enables one or more paths to the same Web
`page object, and thereby represents multiple ways of looking
`up the same piece of information.
`Generational terms, such as parent and child, are used to
`describe how structural elements relate to one another. For
`example, the flow in this structure goes from the root node
`30 to a leaf node, lets say 52, so a parent node represents a
`predecessor, and a child node represents a successor. In
`structure 29, a parent node can only have one child but a
`child can have more than one parent. Each node in structure
`29 corresponds to an item in a list menu. Arcs or pointers
`show how each item relates to another. Sibling pointers
`connect a item to a list, and child pointers link an item in one
`list to another or to a Web page at the end of a path.
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`US 6,243,700 B1
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`5
`The preferred embodiment of the present invention rep-
`resents nodes in structure 29 in a database structure 60
`
`in structure 60
`depicted in FIG. 5. Each row element
`represents node information associated with a node in the
`open hierarchical data structure 29. This includes a unique id
`number in columnfield 61, a topic representing a list item
`in 62, a code in 63 used to analyze a selection made in an
`end-user’s navigation path, and the numberof child nodes in
`the nextlist in 69. Mem 67 stores the amountof file memory
`required for the current node’s successor list. Each list is
`ordered bythe sibling 66, and child 65 stores the node id of
`the first item in a successorlist. Parent 64 stores the node id
`
`of the primary parent of the current list; all other parent
`nodes are considered step parents.
`An alternative embodimentof the present invention stores
`node information in a second in a predeterminedfile format.
`Node records are ordered by lists and their respective
`generations. FIG. 6 depicts the record structure for this file
`format. Somefields, like node 61, topic 62, sibling 66, mem
`67, level 68, and kids 69, directly correspond to database
`structure 60. In addition, the record structure also includes
`address information fields on the file location of the parent
`list in 71 and the successorlist in 72. These fields enable the
`alternative file format to serve as a more efficientretrieval
`
`home page URL,and howto configure the default menu and
`object frames.
`Next, developers use radio buttons to indicate when the
`hypertext files 27 are generated, at runtime or compiled prior
`to distribution, and how they will be used, for multiple lists
`or for tracking end-user navigation. When the multiple list
`option is selected, the developer can also specify an optimal
`hypertext file size generated by the authoring system 26.
`This setting enables the system to output one or more
`smaller nested menulists to the samefile and thereby reduce
`networktraffic on the server and improve response time on
`client computer 12.
`FIGS. 8a through 8c show the components of the HTML
`hypertext file 27 generated by the authoring system 26. FIG.
`8a depicts the major source code components of a hypertext
`HTMLfile 27. This includes file header block 74 andfile
`
`trailer HTML tags 76, and one or more list menus 75.
`Detailed information supplied by the developer in the
`HTMLconfiguration window 73 is used to produce com-
`mentlines in the file header and produce navigation links
`used in the list menu.
`
`In the present invention, each hypertextfile contains one
`or more list menus 75. FIG. 8b depicts the significant parts
`of the list menu 75. Each list menu 75 includes an anchor
`line 77 for the list menu,a list title line 78, and navigation
`links 79 to the top of the content menu, to the home page,
`and to a prior list menu. Next comes one or more list item
`lines 80. This is all followed by line 81 that
`includes
`hypertext tags that mark the end of a list block.
`Eachlist item 890,illustrated in FIG. 8c, consists of fixed
`length segments 80 of hypertext and variable length seg-
`ments. The link field 82 and the item string 62 represent
`
`method on a server, compared to a database management
`system that requires significantly more i/o overheadto locate
`target data records.
`The HTMLConfiguration Window 73 in the authoring
`system 26, depicted in FIG. 7, enables content menu devel-
`30
`opers to configure output hypertext files 27. This includes
`Next, the main routine 83 calls routine 100 to assignafile
`text fields that enable developers to include header infor-
`numberto each nodein the structure. Routine 100, depicted
`mation such as the developer’s name, company, phone
`in FIG. 9c, uses a FIFO queue to visit each nodein structure
`number, and copyright
`information, and so on.
`It also
`29. If he children’s list menu memory requirementsare less
`includestext fields to collect information on the Web site’s
`than te optimum file_size set by the developer in window
`73, routine 100 drops into loop 104 to push each child node
`on the FIFO queueandsetfile field 70. Whenthelast sibling
`node is reached the routine popsthe first node off the FIFO
`queue. If the queue returns a node, loop 102 is activated and
`the new nodesize is checked. When the cumulative memory
`size is greater than file__size then control flows through loop
`106 where size is set to zero and file_numberis set to the
`current node 61. Once again, control flows through loop 104
`until the queue is empty.
`At 86, in the main program driver, the authoring system
`26 calls routine 110, depicted in FIG. 9d,
`to generate the
`compiled hypertext files 27 stored on the server computer
`15. First, routine 110 sets current (file) variable, creates a
`newfile, outputs source code 74 corresponding to the HTML
`file header. Next, starting at 112 and with loop 116 routine
`110 outputs hypertext source code for each list menu asso-
`ciated with the currentfile variable. Routine 110 uses a FIFO
`queue to progress down each successive generation oflists.
`When a node’s file 70 differs from current, routine 110
`generates source code 76 that correspondsto trailer code,
`closes the open file, and creates a new file and opensit via
`loop 117. Otherwise, loop 118 is taken and routine 110 adds
`another list menu to the currentfile.
`
`6
`variable length fields. The authoring system 26 uses the node
`61 to generate and manage links that connect to anchors in
`the current file and to other URLs.
`
`FIGS. 9a through 9d depict flow charts of the software
`meansof the present invention used to set menu generation
`variables, and output complied hypertext files 27. FIG. 9a
`depicts the main program driver entered at 83. First, the
`routine checksif the multiple lists radio button was selected
`by the developer. If it was not selected the routine sets
`file_size to the computed header_size, and returns control
`at 88 to the next event. Otherwise, the authoring system 26
`computes the amount of memory required for each list by
`calling ComputeListSize 90 at 84. Next, it calls AssignFiles
`100 at 85 to assign file locations to each node in structure 29.
`And finally,
`if the developer selected Compiled HTML
`Server Files routine 83 calls GenerateHTMLFiles at 86 and
`returns event control at 88.
`
`The ComputeListSize routine 90 depicted in FIG. 9b.
`Routine 90 uses a FILO (First In, Last Out) stack to visit
`each nodein structure 29 to compute memory requirements
`for each list. In loop 92, routine 90 progresses down the
`structure and pushes each node on the stack. When the end
`of a path is reached, routine 90 initializes list_size and
`iterates through eachlist item by popping nodesoff the FIFO
`(First In, First Out) stack in loop 94. When a parent node is
`reached, routine 90 sets its mem 67to list_size. If the parent
`node is a root node then program control returns to the
`calling routine at 98, otherwise it flows to loop 96 to set
`more node mem 67 values.
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`At 112 the routine generates hypertext source code for a
`list header that includes an anchorline 77,a list title line 78,
`and navigation commands 79. The argument for the NAME
`tag on anchorline 77 is derived by concatenating “F” with
`the current nodeid. Thelisttitle line 77 is generated by using
`the topic 62, and previous menu from the node’s parent
`value in 64.
`
`60
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`65
`
`Next, loop 116 generates one or morelist items for each
`node linked by sibling value in 66. If the node’s mem field
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`US 6,243,700 B1
`
`7
`67 is zero then routine 110 generates a list item 80 at 113 that
`hasa link to an information object URL by concatenating the
`child field 65 with “.HTM”, ic. “A-HTM”. Otherwise, the
`routine checks the node’s file field 70. If this value corre-
`sponds to current the routine generates a list item 80 with a
`link to a location at the current file at 113 by concatenating
`“#F” with the child value in 65. Otherwise,
`the routine
`generatesa list item 80 at 115 by concatenating “F” with the
`file field 70 with “HTM#F”along with the child field 65,1.e.
`“F44.HTM#F130.
`
`FIG. 10 depicts the flow chart of the program logic used
`to generate a hypertext list menu file on demand at runtime
`on a server. The calling routine, a Common GatewayInter-
`face (CGI) scriptfile depicted in FIG. 11, passes the node id
`of the selected list item. Loop 122 generates one or morelist
`menus accordingto file_size set by the developer and how
`the developer intendsto usethefile. If the file is intended to
`track end-user navigation or the optimum file size was not
`set, only one list menuis generated perfile.
`Loop 124 is responsible for generating source code for
`eachlist item. Here subroutines 125, 126, and 127first check
`if end-user tracking wasset. If tracking was not set these
`subroutines call their respective counterparts 113, 114, or
`115. Otherwise these subroutines generate a URLthatrefers
`to a CGI script on the server computer 15 that includes node
`61 and time stamp parameter,
`HREF=“http://arborway.com/cgi-bin/selected.pl?node=
`24+time=150530. Alternative ways to pass node and
`time stamp parameters to a CGI script on a server
`exists, and subroutines 125, 126, and 127 can be
`modified to accommodate these alternatives.
`
`And now FIG. 11 depicts the program logic of the CGI
`script file on server computer 15 used to track end-user
`navigation. On entry, routine 130 gets client identification
`information at 131 from the environmentvariables or from
`
`arguments passed to the CGI script. Next, at 132 routine 130
`gets the node and time stamp arguments. The routine cal-
`culates lapse_time at 134 by subtracting the time stamp
`from the current time on the server computer 15. At 135 the
`client identification information, selected node, and lapse
`time are addedto a databasethat stores a record for eachlist
`item selected in a content menu. The set of records are used
`
`in conjunction with end-user tags in field 63 to analyze
`navigation paths. At 135 routine 130 calls generateOnde-
`mand routine 120 with the node 61 as parameter to generate
`a list menu, and then redirects the server to send new file to
`the client computer 12.
`
`CONCLUSION
`
`This concludes the description of an embodiment of the
`invention. The foregoing description of the embodiment of
`the invention has been presented for the purpose of illus-
`tration and description.It is not intended to be exhaustive or
`limit
`the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many
`modifications and variations are possible in light of the
`above teaching. The scope of the present invention is not
`intendedto be limited by this detailed description, but rather
`by the claims appended hereto.
`Whatis claimedis:
`
`1. A menu authoring system on a computer processor
`consisting of,
`an interactive software means to build and maintain a
`
`collection of menu data using an open hierarchical data
`structure to organize said collection of menu data into
`a plurality of lists and a plurality of paths to said
`plurality of lists;
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`a software means to merge a subset of said collection of
`menu data with hypertext source code in order to
`generate a block of source code that can produce a
`subset of list menus in a content menu on an end-user
`client computer that correspond to a subset of said
`plurality of lists and said plurality of paths in said open
`hierarchical data structure;
`a software meansto assign hypertext links in said block
`of source code to locations within the same said block
`of source code that links a list item in one list menu to
`anotherlist menu located within the same said block of
`source code;
`a software meansto generate a hypertextfile that includes
`said block of source code that produces said subset of
`list menus on said end-user client computer in a client
`server network;
`a software meansto generate a plurality of said hypertext
`file where each said hypertextfile represents a sub