WO2003044647A2

WO2003044647A2 - Interfaces for a web browser

Info

Publication number: WO2003044647A2
Application number: PCT/GB2002/005165
Authority: WO
Inventors: Melih Abdulhayoglu
Original assignee: Comodo Research Lab Limited
Priority date: 2001-11-16
Filing date: 2002-11-14
Publication date: 2003-05-30
Also published as: AU2002366181A8; GB0127510D0; WO2003044647A3; AU2002366181A1

Abstract

There is disclosed an interface for a web browser, the interface having a selection means that, in use, when selected is arranged to provide a link to a web page containing predetermined information type associated with the web site being browsed. A browser and computer program for the same are also disclosed.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO INTERFACES FOR A WEB

BROWSER

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to interfaces for web browsers and browsers incorporating such interfaces.

Background to the Invention

In recent years there has been an explosion in the amount of information available on the world wide web, a hypertext system for publishing information on the internet. World wide web documents (web pages) are typically document files coded using HTML (hypertext markup language) to include text and graphics; in some instances additional software may be utilised to include enhanced animation, video, sound and interactivity.

Associated with every page is a URL (uniform resource locator) , a unique address which tells a browser program (e.g. Netscape or Microsoft Explorer) the web page location. The majority of web pages contain hypertext links, enabling readers to navigate to related subject areas. Interlinked or nested web pages belonging to a single organisation are known as a web site.

Frequently, readers will attempt to look at the same sort of information on a variety of web sites e.g. if the reader wishes to purchase an object, the reader may wish to check the returns policy on a variety of sites to verify what would happen if the purchased object is unsatisfactory. Due to the increase in the amount of information available on the web, the often confusing layout of web pages and the increasing size of web sites, navigation to any particular desired location within a web site can often take a reader some time. This can be particularly frustrating to a potential reader who has a relatively slow connection to the internet e.g. a dial-up connection.

The reader may have to navigate through several pages within a site to reach the desired location, with each page potentially taking a relatively long time to download. If the time taken to access the desired location is deemed by the reader to be too long, the reader may decide to give up. This is clearly not desirable if the organisation operating the web site wishes the reader to utilise a service being offered by the web site e.g. for the reader to purchase something from the site .

An aim of a preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide an interface suitable for reducing at least one of the problems of the prior art .

Statement of the .Invention

In a first aspect, the present invention provides an interface for a web browser, the interface having a selection means that, in use, when selected is arranged to provide a link to a web page containing predetermined information type associated with the web site being browsed. By providing such a web browser, the access time for the desired web page containing the predetermined information type can be significantly reduced, allowing a reader utilising the interface to access the desired web page with the minimum of frustration.

Preferably the interface is arranged to be provided on a toolbar.

Preferably the selection means comprises a push button on the toolbar.

Preferably the predetermined information type is information of a standard type that typically occurs on a wide range of web sites.

Preferably, the predetermined information type consists of at least one of:

Terms and conditions;

Returns policy;

Privacy statement;

Site map;

Disclaimer; and Warranty.

Preferably, the predetermined information type relates to a service being offered via the web site.

Preferably the interface further comprises identification means arranged to determine the location of said web page. Preferably, the identification means determines the location of said web page by determining the URL of the web site being browsed, and assuming the location of said web page is a predetermined variant of said URL.

Preferably the identification means is arranged to determine the location of said web page by performing a search of the web site being browsed. Preferably, the search includes a keyword search for words typically associated with said predetermined information.

Preferably said keyword search includes a search of the URL's associated with the web site being browsed.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a browser including an interface as described above . Preferably the browser includes a plurality of said selection means, _. each selection means arranged to provide a link to a respective web page.

In a further aspect the present invention provides a computer program arranged to provide an interface or a browser as described above. Preferably, the computer program is stored on a machine readable medium.

Brief Description of the Drawings

For a better understanding of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a toolbar being utilised with a browser in accordance with a preferred embodiment ; and

Figure 2 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the toolbar of Figure 1.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiment

Figure 1 shows a view of a computer screen 10 displaying a web browser 12 and an associated toolbar 14 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The browser 12 is linked to the web site of a company, and is displaying the homepage 16 of the web site.

In this particular example, the URL of the homepage 16 is:

www. acompany. com/homepage .

The toolbar 14 acts as an interface, allowing a user to select various operations associated with the browser 12 by selecting one or more of the soft buttons on the toolbar 14. In the embodiment, soft buttons included on this toolbar 14 include a "Terms" button 18 and a "Privacy" button 20, arranged to direct the browser 12 respectively to the terms and conditions, and privacy statement pages of any web site being browsed.

Figure 2 shows a flowchart illustrating the operation of the privacy button 20 on the toolbar 14. In step 100, a check is made as to whether the button 20 has been selected. Once button 20 has been selected, the web page containing the privacy statement of the web site (www.acompany.com) is located (step 102). The browser 12 is then directed to link to the web page containing the privacy statement (step 104) .

In the preferred embodiment, the location of the privacy statement is assumed to have a URL which is a standard variation of the URL associated with either the general web site (www.acompany.com) or the homepage of the web site (www.acompany.com/homepage). For instance, the pχ-ivacy statement could then be expected to be at the URL www.acompany.com/privacy, or at a similar variant i.e. www. acompany. com/privacystate .

In the preferred embodiment, the step 102 could include polling the web site with various URL's so as to determine which of the variety of standard locations is correct.

It will be appreciated that the above preferred embodiment is provided by way of example only, and that various other interfaces would be taken by the skilled person to fall within the scope of the present invention.

For example, the step 102 could be arranged to occur before step 100 e.g. whenever a new web site is accessed, the interface performs a search to identify the web pages containing predetermined information such as privacy statements or terms and conditions.

Equally, either in addition to, or as an alternative to checking standard locations, the step 102 could include performing a search of the HTML documents on the web site and/or the URL's associated with the web sites. Such a search could include looking for keywords, and/or portions of keywords, typically associated with the predetermined information being searched for, so that the web page containing that predetermined information can be located.

Indeed, whilst the above embodiment has described the interface as a toolbar, it will be appreciated that the interface could take the form of any Graphical User Interface, or indeed any user interface arranged to enhance the functionality of the associated browser. For instance, the interface could take the form of a drop-down menu, which could, for example, drop down from the toolbar of the browser.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment (s) . The invention extend to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings) , or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. An interface for a web browser, the interface having a selection means that, in use, when selected is arranged to provide a link to a web page containing predetermined information type associated with the web site being browsed.

2. An interface for a web browser according to claim 1, in which the interface is arranged to be provided on a toolbar.

3. An interface for a web browser according to claim 2, in which the selection means comprises a push button on the toolbar.

4. An interface for a web browser according to any preceding claim, in which the predetermined information type is information of a standard type that typically occurs on a wide range of web sites.

5. An interface for a web browser according to any preceding claims, in which the predetermined information type consists of at least one of:

Terms and conditions;

Returns policy;

Privacy statement ;

Site map; Disclaimer; and

Warranty.

6. An interface for a web browser according to any preceding claim, in which the predetermined information type relates to a service being offered via the web site.

7. An interface for a web browser according to any preceding claim, in which the interface further comprises identification means arranged to determine the location of said web page.

8. An interface for a web browser according to claim 7, in which the identification means determines the location of said web page by determining the URL of the web site being browsed, and assuming the location of said web page is a predetermined variant of said URL.

9. An interface for a web browser according to claim 7, in which the identification means is arranged to determine the location of said web page by performing a search of the web site being browsed.

10. An interface for a web browser according to claim 9, in which the search includes a keyword search for words typically associated with said predetermined information.

11. An interface for a web browser according to claim 10, in which said keyword search includes a search of the URL's associated with the web site being browsed.

12. A browser including an interface according to any preceding claim.

13. A browser including an interface according to claim 12, in which the browser includes a plurality of said selection means, each selection means arranged to provide a link to a respective web page.

14. A computer program arranged to provide an interface according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or a browser according to claim 12 or claim 13.

15. A computer program according to claim 14, in which the computer program is stored on a machine readable medium.