GB2356072A - Online bookmark utility - Google Patents

Abstract

On a communications network, resources can exist at a large number of network addresses. A user accessing the network through a network access device may store a list of selected addresses, commonly termed bookmarks or favourites, for their future use. The online network utility comprises a database coupled through a server to the network, the user's bookmarks being stored in the database. The online network utility also comprises a utility manager at a predetermined network address. The user can then contact the utility manager from any one of a number of network access devices, and download to that network access device a program to enable communication with the server. The user's bookmarks stored in the database can then be downloaded over the network to the network access device for use by the user.

Description

2356072 Online Network Utilit The invention relates to an online network

utility, and in particular to an internet or other network utility for storing network addresses that a user wishes to be able to revisit. In the case of the internet, the addresses will typically be URL (universal resource locator) addresses of web sites.

Conventionally an internet access system on a PC may provide a system whereby a user can store the URLs of selected web sites, typically termed bookmarks, in order to be able to revisit those sites easily. Examples include Microsoft's "Favorites" system and Netscape's "Bookmarks" system. These provide a menu structure for storing and revisiting web sites. Such systems store the is URLs on the user's local PC and the information is only accessible from that PC.

Certain existing web portal sites, including AltaVista and Mysap, allow users to store and revisit bookmarks via the portal site. These services are provided as part of many other services on these portal sites.

The invention provides an online network utility and a method for operating such a utility as defined in the appended independent claims, to which reference should now be made. Preferred or advantageous features of the invention are defined in dependent subclaims. The invention may therefore advantageously provide a utility and a method for storing the bookmarked network 11 addresses (bookmarks) of one or more network users on a database coupled to the network. Each user may then access their bookmarks from any one of a number of network access devices, or even from any access device coupled to the network.

Advantageously the network access devices need not all be of similar types, and may be different types of machine. The bookmarks stored on the database are preferably in a machine independent form allowing flexibility to download bookmarks to different types of network access device.

To reduce network traffic requirements, communications between the network access devices and the database are preferably dynamic links, established on demand.

Preferably, the database is coupled to the network via a server controlled by a utility manager, which is advantageously located at a network address accessible from any network access device used by the user.

Advantageously, a user may download from the utility manager to a network access device a program for downloading and handling the user's bookmarks at that network access device. In order to reduce network traffic, the downloaded program may be of limited functionality to reduce its size. For example it may only be able to read bookmarks, or to download specific bookmarks requested by the user at any particular time, while a large program may be downloaded if the user wishes to edit or update bookmarks.

If a user updates bookmarks, information may be sent from a network access device over the network to the utility manager to enable the database to be updated. In order to reduce network traffic, preferably only information defining the changes to the stored bookmarks in the database is sent over the network To reduce network traffic further, a user may advantageously update bookmarks using a downloaded program offline, then recouple to the network to store the updated bookmarks.

Advantageously a user may be able to annotate their stored bookmarks, for example with descriptive matter or a rating of each bookmarked network address.

Preferably, the database may store the bookmarks of a plurality of users, each user being able to access only their own, or a limited range of, bookmarks. For example, access to stored bookmarks may be controlled by means of user names and passwords, in which case users can access any set of bookmarks for which they have knowledge of the user name and password. Other suitable access control schemes may advantageously be, used depending on the environment in which the invention is implemented. This may include, for example access to affinity groups or corporate affinity groups as described below.

Although it may operate on any network, such as a corporate intranet or extranet, the invention may find particular application if the network on which it operates is the internet. The utility manager may then be located at a particular URL or web address.

4 6 0 Advantageously the invention may be implemented in Java, the program downloaded to the user's network access device being an applet which interacts with a servlet at the server.

In a preferred aspect, the invention may enable the implementation of affinity groups. These are groups of bookmarks, access to each group optionally being limited to predetermined users, for example by means of a user name and password or through another appropriate access 10 control scheme. The bookmarked addresses in an affinity group may be collated and maintained by a particular user, preferably after the user obtains approval from a manager of the online network utility. The affinity group may then be displayed as an affinity group on an affinity 15 groups page of the utility and other users may view the group and choose to add or link the group to their own collection of bookmarks. In a further preferred aspect, the invention may provide a type of affinity group termed a corporate affinity group. 20 To implement such an affinity group, a corporation or other commercial or non-commercial body may nominate a user to set up and maintain an affinity group containing bookmarked addresses relating to information which the corporation or other body considers useful and relevant to 25 member of its staff, or members of the body. These members can then be given access to the corporate affinity group, for example by being provided with a requisite user name and password or on through the granting of access rights by the nominated user. According to the 30 requirements of the corporation or other body, any appropriate access scheme, for example allowing different users different levels of access to an affinity group, may be implemented. Advantageously, such members should also be users of the online network utility in their own right, which may be required to access the utility.

Corporate affinity groups may advantageously be implemented within a corporate,' or other, intranet or extranet, or on the Internet.

Description of Specific Rmbodiments and Best Mode of the

Invention Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates an applet embodying the invention, as seen on a user's VDU screen; Figure 2 illustrates a pull-down menu within the applet of figure 1; and Figure 3 is a block diagram of an online system embodying the invention.

As noted above, embodiments of the invention may advantageously provide an online utility on any network, for example to enable network addresses to be stored centrally by each network user. Although the invention therefore has application to, for example, corporate intranets or extranets, an important application is for the storage of URL addresses on the Internet which users wish to retrieve later. This is the application of the specific embodiments described below. The skilled man would without inventive input, be able to modify appropriate aspects of the described embodiment to implement it on other types of network.

overview of Specific Embodiment The preferred embodiment of the invention is termed online Favourites and provides its user with a menu driven facility to store, sort, administer and revisit web site addresses (bookmarks) from any web-enabled, and in this preferred embodiment Javaenabled, device. The bookmark data is stored in a remote database and as such is machine independent. Users access the data through an online Favourites web site, access being controlled by user name and password to ensure no unauthorised access to a user's data on the database.

Users have a dynamic link via the online Favourites site to the database and data is viewed in an editable, data driven, menu structure. Users can also advantageously store and reaccess information about their stored bookmarks, such as a brief description and rating of the bookmarked site in their own words.

In the preferred embodiment, the Online Favourites site is dedicated to this functionality, thus offering users an efficient, flexible bookmark system accessible from any Java-enabled device, including their own PC and other PCS.

Implementation of online Favourites Online Favourites is written in Java, and consists of a servlet backend and an applet front end. The applet, as illustrated in figure 1, is downloaded to the user's web access device when the user accesses the Online Favourites web site. The servlet interacts with the database to service requests from the applet, which displays a list of favourite URL's structured in a tree format consisting of folders and subfolders. The applet also shows a menu of functions enabling full editing and online updating of the database.

Regarding the database, an oracle database is suitable but any JDBC/ODBC (Java database compliant/open database compliant (middleware)) database would do.

3-5 Unlike HTML delivered URL's, the Online Favourites applet will download at the beginning of the user's session and will continue to run even though the user's connection to the network may be closed or lost. Users may continue to edit their bookmarks and can save them to the Online Favourites database once a connection to the network has been reestablished.

Users of Online Favourites may have an option to download Java Applets of differing complexity - for example a light version enabling read only access to the database and more complex (heavier) versions enabling varying levels of online interaction with the database. The light read-only applet may advantageously be able to call upon another applet to enable simple editing (e.g. to add a URL to the database).

The applet may contain an HTML viewer to enable display of additional information - for example advertising banners, communications from the Online Favourites site to users etc.

Online Favourites may also operate through an HTML interface to allow the user to download (add, replace and merge) URLs to conventional bookmark systems stored in the user's PC, such as Netscape "Bookmarks" or Microsoft "Favorites". Users may also advantageously be able to upload URL's from "Bookmarks" and "Favorites" to Online Favourites.

How to Use Online Favourites There are just a few steps to get started.

Step 1 - Register Registration is quick and easy. Go to the Registration page and fill in the 'necessary' details, or more, if you like. (See Registration Page below) You will be asked for a password; don't panic if you forget it, we will ask you a prompting question or e-mail you.

When you have filled in the required Registration details click "SUBMIT". A window will pop up and ask you if you wish to read the terms & conditions. When you are happy to continue click "ProceedO.

Step 2 - Congratulations You have now registered. Your Online Favourites applet will appear in a few seconds, as illustrated in figure 1.

You will see the applet loading in the top left of your screen. Whilst the applet loads a new window will appear on the right of your screen. This is your "Viewing Window" which will display the web pages you select in the applet. You will notice that it is set to the Online Favourites "Check it out" page which enables you to refer to diagrams for reference whilst you familiarise yourself with the applet.

Steip 3 - Have a go Click on the Parent Folder symbol 28 next to your name 20 on the top left of the applet. It will open up to reveal a "Starter Pack". Here we have included a few well known web sites you can use to test the applet. We have also included the Online Favourites Home Page so that you can 20 quickly f ind your way back to the site if you wish to ref er to the instructions. Just click on a web site name to watch it open in your "Viewing Window". Stelp 4 - Everything OK? You are now using Online Favourites. Remember to click on 25 the options symbol 22 or right click your mouse to open the menu and from there you can access all the functions you'll need. If you get stuck click the "Help" symbol 24 I at the bottom of the applet.

Registration Page In order to register with Online Favourites users are required to fill in the 'necessary' fields which are;

Forename Surname Date of Birth Country E-Mail address Username: (please insert your preferred username) Password: (make up a password you will remember) Password Prompt: (insert a prompt we can use to remind you of your password if need be.) Users can also supply additional information and set is preferences in the 'optional' section, as follows; Title Gender City/Town Country/State Private Password (if you wish to use the private function please insert another password here.) Download Option (leave this as "All at once" for now; see below) Homepage (choose a web page you wish to download when you log on) Highlight Colour (choose a colour for the highlight - top left is the default.) Starting to Use Online Favourites The Help Page of the Online Favourites site is accessible by clicking the 'Help' symbol 24 at the bottom of the Online Favourites applet. This explains how to get started with the service and where to refer for further information. It should be read in context, bearing in mind that the user can look at the applet itself and can ref er to the Check It Out page. On the Check It Out page there is an image of the applet, as shown in figure 1, showing Folders and Bookmarks in various states along with the other controls available to the users. These are listed below and shown as they appear in the same order as in the image of the applet in f igure 1; Add Bookmark 26 (Click here to add a bookmark to your applet.) Orange Circle 28 (The 'Parent' folder contains all folders and bookmarks.) folder icon with an F in it 30 (Folder that contains bookmarks and/or sub folders. Chosen name appears beside icon e.g. Search Engine) f older icon with F and! 32 (Indicates an unsaved folder e.g. Music) oT)en folder icon 34 (Opened folder. Contents displayed below folder e.g. News & Information, Shopping and Travel) bookmark icon 36 (Saved website. Bookmark name appears beside icon e.g. all bookmarks with the exception of EasyLJet.) Bookmark Unsaved icon 38 (Bookmark not saved e.g.

easyJet) EmptV folder icon 40 (Created and named folder with no contents e.g. Weather) Pop ulp menu icon 22 (This image has the word Options' next to it. Click here to display the Applet pop up menu. A right click of your mouse, if available, will do the same) Ayplet status window 42 (This is the applet status bar which will display information to you as you use the applet (e.g. "Remember to save changes". It will also show your bookmark rankings as you move your mouse over the bookmark name. (e.g, "Exceptional"," Good" etc - e.g. applet image below is showing "Ranked as: good".

Selected Item 44 (Bookmark and Folder names will change colour when the item is selected. e.g.

QXL) Help 24 (This will open the Help Page) Save 46 (This will save any changes made by the user)_ Home 48 (This will open the Online Favourites Home Page) Now I have opened the Awlet what can I do? Open Folders double click on the Parent Folder Icon 28 (top lef t of the applet next to your First Name and Surname) and this will reveal the Folders it contains. If you have just started to use Online Favourites this should contain the "Starter Pack" f older.

Show Bookmarks - If you double click the icon (e.g. icon 30, search engines in figure 1) it will open the Folder and list out the sites it contains underneath it.

- 13 Open a Web Site -to open a web site, double click on its name (bookmark) and it will open in your viewing window.

How do I add and edit Folders and Bookmarks? Most of what you will want to do can be achieved using the Applet Menu 50, as shown in figure 2. This is your toolkit and can be accessed either by clicking on the Options icon 22 at the bottom of the applet or by right clicking your mouse if available.

The Menu 50 should now appear and will list the functions you can perform. For a full explanation, return to the "Check It Out" page where each function is described. Remember that functions are performed upon the item (Bookmark or Folder) which is highlighted at the time. To highlight an item click on it.

Notice that when you choose Add Folder 52 or Add Bookmark 26 you will be taken to an appropriate screen where you can fill in the necessary fields. You can use keyboard short cuts for Copy & Paste (Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V respectively) in these fields. So for example, if you wish to save a web address simply paste the URL into the -URL" field. You can modify the information you keep about Folders and Bookmarks by visiting their Properties form accessible from the menu.

How do I move Folders and Bookmarks around in the applet? To move Bookmarks position up and down underneath a Folder, select it with a right click and then click the - 14 appropriate Move Up 54 or Move Down 56 function. The Bookmark will be moved up or down in the list accordingly.

You can also move Bookmarks and Folders around using the Cut & Paste function 58 found in the Menu. When using Paste, select the item above where you want to perform the paste.

Where has the applet gone? If you can't see the applet on your screen it is probably being obscured by something else. Try minimizing some of the things on your screen and see if the applet is revealed. Alternatively, look along the bottom of your screen and you should see the icon for the applet window in your toolbar. You should be able to see all or part of the words "Online Favourites" written on the button.

Click on it to bring the applet back to the fore.

If the above does not work you may have accidentally closed your applet. You will then need to return to the Home Page and log in again.

Where has the Viewing Page gone? If you can't see the Viewing Page follow the same procedure as for finding the applet described above.

How can I add my favourite bookmarks on my PC to online Favourites? Simply select "Upload" from the Applet Menu and follow the instructions. You will now be able to view your old favourite bookmarks along with your new favourites from any PC, which is connected to the internet.

The procedure for Upload is outlined on the Upload Page as follows; Ulploading bookmarks Upload all of your existing Bookmarks into online Favourites using the following steps.

Firstly, which browser do you use, Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer? To upload your Bookmarks from Netscape; 1. Click the "Browse" button at the bottom of this page.

2. Browse to find a file called "bookmarks. htmlff.

It should be in C:\program files\Netscape\Users\ default (or this will be your user name)\ bookmarks.html 3. When you have located the f ile click on the Upload, button. Your Bookmarks will be uploaded into your Online Favourites account.

4. In order to view your bookmarks select the Reload function in the applet menu. Alternatively, they will be available next time you log on.

5. Your bookmarks will now be in a folder called "Upload" To upload your Favorites from Microsoft Internet Explorer; 1. Download a copy of MicrosoftIsO Favorites Converter program (favtool. exe).

2. Click "OK" to the option "Save this program to disk" 3. Choose a location for the file to be saved 4. After a few seconds when the download is complete select "Open" 5. The Favorites Folder Location should read is C:\WINDOWS\Favorites 6. Click "Save Favorites As Bookmarks" 7. Choose a location to save the file "bookmark.html" to.

8. Click the "Browse" button at the bottom of this page to locate the file "bookmark.html" 9. When you have located the file click on the Upload' button. Your bookmarks will be uploaded into your Online Favourites account.

10. In order to view your bookmarks select the Reload function in the applet menu. Alternatively, they will be available next time you log on.

11. Your bookmarks will now be in a folder called "Upload".

Applet Menu Functions The Applet Menu shown in figure 2 contains the functions you can use to manage your online Favourites. It will appear when you click the options icon on the applet itself or perform a right click with your mouse if you are able. Actions will be performed upon whichever item is highlighted.

Menu Functions- Reload 60 - this acts as a refresh and will reload your Online Favourites Add Folder 52 - click here to go to the Add Folder screen Add Bookmark 26 - click here to go to the Add Bookmark screen. The applet includes an icon providing a short cut to this function as shown in figure 1.

Edit 62 - click here and you will have the option to Move Up S4, Move Down 56, Cut, Paste 58 or Delete 64 the item you have selected.

Set Private On 66 - click here and you will be able to hide your private bookmarks and unhide them again by selecting Set Private Off. You will be asked for your Private Password, which you specify upon registration.

Properties 68 - this will take you to an area where you can add and modify information about the current Folder or Bookmark.

Person Profile 70 - click here to add or make changes to your registration information.

Affinity Groups 72 - this will take you to a page containing categories of bookmarks which you can view and then assimilate or link into your own collection of online Favourites Upload 74 - click here to upload bookmarks from the PC you are sitting at now into your Online Favourites.

Save 76 - this will save any changes you have made to your Online Favourites. When you have made changes the applet will remind you to save them by showing the text "Remember is to save changes" in the information field at the bottom.

This function can also be performed by clicking the Save icon 46 on the applet itself.

Save and Exit 78 - as above but this will also close your session with your Online Favourites Detailed Description of Im'Dlementation of Online Favourites

Introduction

The structure of the Online Favourites systems is illustrated in figure 3. "Online Favourites" is essentially a bookmark maintenance application which is built as a combination of a Java Applet 2 that runs on a client (user' s) PC 3 and a Java Servlet 4 which runs on a remote server 6 and interacts with a remote Database 8.

Functionality is split between the Applet, Servlet and Database so as to advantageously reduce the size of the Applet. When many users use Online Favourites, each downloads an Applet 2 which is paired with a Servlet 4, so that many Servlets (one for each user) may operate in a servlet pool 10 at the server. Applets and servlets communicate over a network 12 to which the user and the server are connected. The network may be the internet. The following description relates to an internet embodiment of the invention.

Communication The Applet and Servlet communicate via a combination of a gzip stream and an object stream 14 over a http connection. These are all individually provided in known manner using Java. The gzip stream compresses any data that is passed through it, while the object stream allows the transfer of complex data structures such as Person Profile information, and row information for folders and bookmarks. The http connection ensures that communication can occur through firewalls which would possibly deny other connection types, such as TCP/IP or Corba.

The applet and servlet communicate using known Java principles. Requests are sent and replies are received using an implementation of the standard URL connection and data stream classes.

- 20 The Applet The Applet preferably contains the minimum amount of code needed to perform its task of communicating with its Servlet counterpart, including allowing a user to load a tree structure of folders and bookmarks, edit the data contained in that tree structure, and then send only the modifications to the data back to its Servlet counterpart to be stored in a remote database.

Reducing the amount of code in the Applet decreases the time required to download it and the space it occupies in the user's PC or other web device. If the web device is, f or example, a WAP telephone, then space may be at a premium and downloading time significant. As described above applets of reduced functionality, termed "light" applets, may advantageously be used in such circumstances.

When a fully functional Applet is invoked, it sends a request for an array of folders and bookmarks from the Servlet. When it receives the array, it reads the data from start to end and builds a tree structure of folders and bookmarks and displays them in a window. The Array is ordered so that the tree can be built from root (top) to leaf nodes (bottom) from left to right. Parent Child information in the array is represented by ID and parent ID values in each record of the array. Changes in the parent ID values from one record to the next represent the transitions from one folder to the next and back again. As the array is processed, a stack is used to hold pointers to all of the active folders processed into the tree so f ar. As new folders are encountered, they are pushed onto the stack and become current. When a record is encountered in an array that has a parent ID which points to a folder which is not the current one, folders are popped from the stack until the corresponding parent is found. The current folder being referred to by the current pointer in the processing of the array is always at the top of the stack.

The Applet then provides a simple window editing environment in which the user can maintain an 'In" deep tree of folders and URL bookmarks. The editing environment provides the following functions:

1. Add a f older under the current row in the tree 2. Add a bookmark under the current row in the tree is 3. Move a bookmark or folder (and its children) up or down among other folders or bookmarks within the scope of their parent folder 4. Cut a bookmark or folder (and its children) from its current position in the tree and place them in the paste buffer S. Paste the contents of the paste buffer into the tree under the current row 6. Permanently Delete a folder or bookmark from its current position in the tree 7. Modify the property fields that are stored for a folder or bookmark. These consist of a Name, URL, Description, Ranking and private flag for a bookmark.

Properties for a folder are the same as those for a bookmark, but exclude the URL and Ranking.

8. Reload from the database without saving changes 9. Upload a set of folders and bookmarks from a standard format bookmark file as used by Netscape or generated by the favtool.exe program provided by Microsoft.

This function is made available through an additional web page and servlet combination which is not directly part of the Applet.

10. Add or link to sets of folders and bookmarks maintained by somebody else in the online Favourites database if they are published as an Affinity Group.

This function is made available through an additional web page and servlet combination which is not directly part of the Applet.

11. Save any changes that are made back to the database 12. Switch between the ability to view and not view is folders & bookmarks which are flagged as private within the current user 13. Edit Person Profile to change any personal information or settings for future sessions. This function is made available through an additional web page and servlet combination which is not directly part of the Applet.

14. Displaying the site which corresponds to a bookmark entry by double clicking on that bookmark in the displayed tree The user has the ability to access editing commands via a pop-up menu 50 (see figure 2) which can be activated by a right mouse click.

As modifications are made to the tree structure, folders and bookmarks, the changes are noted by the applet against the records that are affected,in preparation for a save - 23 operation. As the user adds and changes the position of folder and bookmark records in the tree, the applet maintains a sequence value for each of the folder and bookmark records, so that the position of folders and bookmarks in the tree in relation to other folders and bookmarks is fixed.

When the user has finished making any changes and chooses to save those changes, the Applet packages only those changes into an array and sends them back to the servlet to be applied to the database. This packaging process results in an array data structure of changes which refers only to those folders and bookmarks which have changed, in the order that the changes should be applied to the database by the servlet. The creation of this array is done in two stages: First, any deleted bookmarks and folders are loaded into the array; Second, the updated tree structure is scanned from root (top) to leaf nodes (bottom), left to right and any inserted or updated folder or bookmark is added to the array. This results in an array of changes that can be applied sequentially from the first element to the last element without the risk of compromising the integrity of the tree structure. This array is posted by the applet back to the Servlet as part of a request to save changes, and the Applet waits for a response to confirm that modifications were successfully made.

If the Applet receives a negative response for the save request, it displays a message to say that the save failed. If the response was for a successful save, the Applet clears its copy of the data and refreshes from the database via the Servlet, so that it has a consistent copy of the data, ready to continue.

Reference has been made to applets having reduced functionality in order to reduce applet size. An example is the read-only version of the applet. This provides a smaller applet which can be downloaded more quickly, and does not provide the same editing functionality as outlined above.

The Servlet The Servlet in the internet embodiment runs within a servlet pool 10 in a Java Web Server 6. This means that there are multiple copies of the same servlet which form a pool of servlets f or any applet to send a request to.

Request /Response pairs between an Applet and a Servlet are distinct from each other, so that the connection between an Applet and a given Servlet only exists from the point (or time) where a request sent by an Applet is handled by a Servlet to the point (or time) where the complete response has been received by the Applet. Servlets do not shut down between requests from Applets, they become part of the running Java Web Server, so that the connections which they have established with the database remain open and any other global information which they have set up remains available for the next request. This means that servlets can service requests without any startup and initialisation costs once they have started running.

- 25 The Servlet acts as the interface between the Applet and the Database 8 where the user, f older and URL bookmark information is stored. When requests come from the Applet, the Servlet executes methods which correspond to the types of requests that come from the Applet. Request types which can come from the Applet include the following:

1. Get Person Profile Information 2. Get the array of graphic images (e.g. icons) 3. Get the sequenced array of folders and bookmarks for a particular person (user) 4. Get the sequenced array of folders and bookmarks within a particular folder 5. Save an array of changes to folders and bookmarks to the database 6. Change the privacy state of a Session, determining whether or not private folders and bookmarks will be included For all but the Save request, the servlet simply reads the data returned from a call to the database, repackages it into an appropriate array or object structure and sends it to the applet through the appropriate object stream 14, thus minimizing the transaction time. The save request from the Applet is the most complex, since the servlet must read through the array of changes that was sent from the Applet, generate corresponding update, insert or delete statements and execute them against the database.

I Interaction of the Applet and the Servlet Pool When the Applet is first invoked by a user logging on via the first page of the Online Favourites web site, it requests the corresponding person profile record from the Servlet. The servlet checks to see if session information exists for the user's browser session and returns the appropriate person profile record. If no session information exists it sends back an empty person profile record which causes the Applet to terminate.

Session information is created when a user logs in via the first page of the Online Favourites website. A LoginHandler Servlet creates a HttpSession object and a unique Session ID if a supplied username and password combination are correct. The session ID identifies the user and is used to match the user with the HttpSession object in subsequent requests. The HttpSession Object and the unique Session ID are set up using known functionality of the web sever.

When the Applet is first invoked, it also sends a request to the Servlet for an array of graphic images. All of the graphic images displayed in the Applet window are stored as records in an icon table of the database. The Servlet reads these from the database and inserts them into an array. Applets request the array of images each time they are invoked, and so the Servlet only reads the graphic images from the database and creates the array once at startup.

Once the Applet has a valid person profile record and has therefore established that there is a current session for the user, it sends a request to the servlet f or a sequenced array of folders and bookmarks for the person associated with the current session. The servlet runs a single SQL (standard query language) statement which extracts both the folder and the bookmark records f rom respective tables in the database, and orders them in the same sequence that the user last saved them in. Each folder and bookmark record contains a sequence column which is maintained for this purpose.

When the user has completed making any changes, a request is sent by the applet to save the changes back to the database. The request itself contains the array of changes to be saved, so when the Servlet receives the request it works its way through the array from start to end performing the corresponding delete, insert or update as specified for each record in the array. once it has completed processing the array, it performs an overall update SQL statement which updates the sequence number against each folder and bookmark to be a whole integer value, ready for the next editing session.

Finally, if the user chooses to display or hide any folders or bookmarks which have been flagged as private, the Applet can send a request to the Servlet which changes a corresponding flag in the current Session.

The Oracle Database An Oracle RDBMS (relational database management system) provides the ability to construct sophisticated SQL statements, and in the embodiment this is used to construct views of the folder and bookmark tables which both filter and order the records which are returned following a request by the servlet. This means that the Servlet only needs to package the data returned from the Database and send it to the Applet, making each transaction as fast as possible.

Offline Alp1plet Operation once an applet has been downloaded to a user's PC, it can be used on that PC to edit or administer the user' s bookmarks even if the network connection is lost or is broken. While there is no network connection the applet cannot communicate with a servlet at the server and so its functions requiring such communication cannot be performed but, for example, a user may still use the applet offline to edit, rearrange or annotate their bookmarks. When a network connection is reestablished, the applet can advantageously automatically reestablish contact with the server; in the internet embodiment the applet would find the Online Favourites web site. The user can then perform, for example, a save operation to save to the database any offline modifications made to their bookmarks.

Claims (24)

Claims

1. An online network utility for managing a user's bookmarked network addresses, comprising; a database for storing the bookmarked network addresses of the user; server coupled to the database and to the network; and plurality of network access devices usable by the user; in which the user can access the database via the server from any of the plurality of network access devices to retrieve the stored bookmarked network addresses.

2. A network utility according to claim 1, further comprising a utility manager coupled to the network, from which the user downloads a program to one of the plurality of network access devices, the program enabling is communication with the server to retrieve the stored bookmarked network addresses.

3. A network utility according to claim 2, in which the program is a Java applet and the server comprises a servlet pool enabling communication with the applet.

4. A network utility according to claim 1, in which the user can access the database via the server from any of the plurality of network access devices to administer their stored bookmarked network addresses.

- 30 S. A network utility according to claim 1, in which the user can access the database via the server from any of the plurality of network access devices to update and store their bookmarked network addresses.

6. A network utility according to any preceding claim, in which the network is the internet.

7. A network utility according to claim 2, in which the network is the internet and the utility manager is at a web site.

8. A network utility according to claim 2, in which communications between the utility manger and the user's network access device form a dynamic link established only as data communication is required.

9. A network utility according to claim 2, in which the is program downloaded from the network manager is selected from a plurality of types of program of different sizes and different functionality.

10. A network utility according to claim 9, in which a program of limited functionality can call a program of greater functionality as required to respond to the user's requirements.

11. A network utility according to any preceding claim, in which the database stores bookmarked network addresses of each of a plurality of users, each of the users being able to access the database from any of the plurality of i V t 0 network access devices or from any of a respective plurality of network access devices.

12. A network utility according to claim 11, in which each user can only access their own stored bookmarked network addresses and/or any affinity groups to which they have access.

13. A network utility according to claim 1, in which the user can annotate or assign ratings to their bookmarked network addresses for storage with the bookmarked network addresses in the database.

14. A utility manager as def ined in claim 2.

15. A method for managing a user's bookmarked network addresses on a computer network, comprising the steps of; the user accessing the network from any of a plurality of network access devices coupled to the network; the network access device being used by the user communicating with a server coupled to the network; and the server communicating with a database coupled thereto to enable one or more of the user's bookmarked network addresses to be retrieved from the database, via the server, to the network access device being used by the user.

16. A method according to claim 15, in which the step of the network access device communicating with the server comprises the steps of the network access device communicating with a utility manager at a network address accessible from the network access device, and the utility manager communicating with the server.

17. A method according to claim 16, in which the network is the internet and the utility manager's network address is a URL or web site address.

18. A method according to claim 15, in which a user's bookmarked network addresses can be retrieved, in part or in full, from the database to the network access device in use, updated by the user at the network access device, and information sent from the network access device to the database to update the user's bookmarked network addresses stored therein.

19. A method according to claim 18, in which the user can update their bookmarked network addresses using the network access device while the network access device is temporarily decoupled from the network.

20. A method according to any of claims 15 to 19 for managing the bookmarked network addresses of a plurality of users, each user's bookmarked network addresses being stored in the database.

21. An online network utility substantially as described herein with reference to th drawings.

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22. A method for managing a user's bookmarked network addresses substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

23. A computer program for downloading from the utility manager to the one of the plurality of network devices as defined in claim 2.

24. A program according to claim 23, in which the program is a Java applet.