IP Library Granted Patent US 9,053,500
Granted Patent B2
US 9,053,500 · App. 10/443,149 · Granted Jun 9, 2015

Internet-based education support system and method with multi-language capability

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,053,500
App. No.
10/443,149
Granted
Jun 9, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system, method and medium for determining and displaying one or more locales on a web browser. The method can include the steps of providing in the web browser a plurality of display regions, associating a locale with a plurality of web pages, selecting by a user a user-specified locale, associating the locale with one or more particular display regions, and determining whether the locale is mandatory. If the locale is mandatory, content associated with the user-specified locale can be translated to content associated with the locale. Finally, content is displayed in the one or more particular frames in accordance with the locale.

Claims (88)

1. A method for providing data to a web browser, comprising the steps of:

generating the data which includes a display region having associated content;

determining if a pre-selected locale is mandatory;

if the pre-selected locale is mandatory, formatting at least a portion of the associated content according to the pre-selected locale when generating the data;

if the pre-selected locale is not mandatory:

identifying a user-selected locale, and

formatting at least a portion of the associated content according to the user-selected locale when generating the data; and

transmitting the data to the web browser of a computer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data and the pre-selected locale are related to a course.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of generating the data further includes the step of:

receiving from a memory store one or more objects associated with the course.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-selected locale is set by an instructor or administrator of the course.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data includes a plurality of display regions, each having respective, associated content.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of:

formatting at least a portion of the associated content for every display region according to the user-selected locale when generating the data.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of:

formatting at least a portion of the associated content for every display region according to the pre-selected locale when generating the data.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the steps of:

formatting the associated content of one display region according to the user-selected locale and formatting the associated content of another display region according to the pre-selected locale, when generating the data.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

determining whether the user selected locale is supported;

if the user-selected locale is not supported then, formatting the associated content according to a default locale when generating the data.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

receiving the user-selected locale from the web browser.

11. A method of providing course materials via a network comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for content associated with a course;

if the course has an associated mandatory pre-selected locale, then formatting, according to the pre-specified locale, at least a first portion of the content for display in a web browser;

if the course does not have an associated mandatory pre-selected locale, then formatting, according to a user-specified locale, at least a first portion of the content for display in the web browser; and

transmitting the content to the web browser of a computer.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the request includes the user-specified locale.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the respective conditional steps of formatting, further include the step of:

translating the first portion of the content from a first language to a second language, the second language identified by either the pre-selected locale or the user specified locale, respectively.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the respective conditional steps of formatting, further include the step of:

selecting the first portion formatted according to the pre-selected or user selected locale, respectively, from among a plurality of differently formatted data.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:

associating the mandatory pre-selected locale with the course.

16. A system for providing data to a web browser, the system comprising:

a computer-accessible memory configured to store a plurality of objects;

a receiver configured to receive a request for a set of one or more of the plurality of objects;

a data generator configured to generate data based on the set of objects; wherein when generating the data, the data generator is further configured to:

determine if a pre-specified locale is mandatory;

if the pre-specified locale is mandatory, retrieve and format at least one member of the set of objects according to a pre-specified format, and

if the pre-specified locale is not mandatory, retrieve and format at least one member of the set of objects according to a user-specified format; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the data to the web browser.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein a user-specified locale is received from the web browser.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of objects are related to a course.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the pre-specified locale is set by an instructor or administrator of the course and is associated with the course.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the respective associated content for every display region is formatted according to the pre-specified locale.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein at least a portion of the respective associated content for every display region is formatted according to a user-specified locale.

22. The system of claim 19 , wherein the respective associated content for one display region is formatted according to a user-specified locale and the respective associated content for another display region if formatted according to the pre-specified locale.

23. The system of claim 16 , wherein the data comprises a plurality of display regions, each having respective, associated content.

24. A system comprising:

a plurality of objects associated with a course; and

a pre-specified locale associated with the course, wherein the pre-specified locale has associated therewith an attribute identifying the pre-specified locale as mandatory or elective,

wherein the plurality of objects and the pre-specified locale are stored in a computer-accessible memory.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the pre-specified locale and attribute are set by an instructor or administrator of the course.

26. The system of claim 24 , further comprising:

a plurality of available locales and wherein the pre-specified locale is limited to being one of the available locales.

27. The system of claim 24 , wherein one or more of the objects are formatted according to a locale different than the pre-specified locale.

28. The system of claim 24 , wherein the pre-specified locale identifies a particular language.

29. The system of claim 24 , wherein the pre-specified locale identifies a format for numbers.

30. The system of claim 24 , wherein the pre-specified locale identifies a character-set.

31. The system of claim 24 , wherein the pre-specified locale identifies a preferred spelling of one or more words.

32. The system of claim 24 , wherein the pre-specified locale identifies a format for currency values.

33. The system of claim 24 , wherein the pre-specified locale identifies at least a combination of two or more of the following: a language, a format for numbers, a format for currency values, one or more a preferred spelling rules, a character-set.

34. A non-transitory computer readable medium bearing instructions for providing data to a web browser, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereof to perform the steps of:

generating the data which includes a display region with associated content;

determining if a pre-selected locale is mandatory;

if the pre-selected locale is mandatory; formatting at least a portion of the associated content according to the pre-selected locale when generating the data;

if the pre-selected locale is not mandatory:

identifying a user-selected locale, and

formatting at least a portion of the associated content according to the user-selected locale when generating the data; and

transmitting the data to the web browser.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34 , wherein the request is received from the web browser.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 34 , wherein the request includes the user-specified locale.

37. A non-transitory computer readable medium bearing instructions for providing course material via a network, said instructions being arranged to cause one or more processors upon execution thereof to perform the steps of:

receiving a request for content associated with a course and the course having a pre-specified locale associated therewith;

if the pre-selected locale is mandatory, then formatting at least a first portion of the content for display in a web browser according to the pre-specified locale;

if the pre-selected locale is not mandatory, then formatting at least a first portion of the content for display in the web browser according to the user-specified locale; and

transmitting the content to the web browser.

38. A method of providing course material for a course to a web browser, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for content associated with the course;

determining whether the course has an associated mandatory pre-specified locale;

when the determination indicates that the course has an associated mandatory pre-specified locale, and at least a first portion of the content is not in a language or format based on the associated mandatory pre-specified locale, translating the at least a first portion of the content for display in the web browser from a first language to a second language based on the mandatory pre-specified locale, or a first format to a second format based on the mandatory pre-specified locale;

when the determination indicates that the course does not have an associated mandatory pre-specified locale, translating the at least a first portion of the content for display in the web browser from the first language to the second language based on the user-specified locale, or the first format to the second format based on the user-specified locale; and

transmitting the content to the web browser for display in the web browser,

wherein the pre-specified locale is specified by an instructor or administrator of the course, and

wherein the user-specified locale is specified by the user.

Assignments (12)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2026
From: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC
To: BLACKBOARD LLC (F/K/A BLACKBOARD INC.); BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 073932/0199 →
ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Jul 13, 2025
From: BLACKBOARD INC.
To: BLACKBOARD LLC
Reel/Frame 071930/0172 →
SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 058081 / FRAME 0073) Recorded Jul 11, 2025
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
To: ANKURA TRUST COMPANY, LLC, AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 071890/0005 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2024
From: BLACKBOARD LLC (F/K/A BLACKBOARD INC.)
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 067172/0148 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Oct 27, 2021
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; EDLINE LLC; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 057941/0752 →
SECOND LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH
Reel/Frame 058081/0073 →
FIRST LIEN SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 058081/0025 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT COLLATERAL Recorded Oct 26, 2021
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 058298/0577 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE, INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
Reel/Frame 050953/0361 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: BLACKBOARD, INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050965/0354 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 20, 2016
From: BLACKBOARD INC.; BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE INC.; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; PARLANT TECHNOLOGY, INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 040435/0932 →
RELEASE OF LIEN ON PATENTS Recorded Nov 19, 2013
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: BLACKBOARD INC.; EDLINE LLC; BLACKBOARD CONNECT INC.; TEACHERWEB, INC
Reel/Frame 031689/0871 →