Granted Patent B1

US 7,647,550 · App. 10/446,623 · Granted Jan 12, 2010

Abstract

Claims (51)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device including program instructions executable by the processor to:

load a first web page in response to a selection by an operator;

identify a link in the first web page pointing to a second web page; and

automatically preload the second web page based on the identified link, the second web page preloaded for later presentation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the link includes an HTML tag.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to present said second web page in response to dynamic selection of said link by said operator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

store said second web page in the storage device; and

present said second web page in response to selection of said link by said operator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the program instructions are further executable to present to said operator a status of said preloading of said second web page.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes displaying a graphic element overlaid with a display of said link.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes:

displaying a partial preview of said second web page; and

altering said partial preview in response to a change in status of said preloading said second web page.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes displaying said link in a first part and a second part, said first part and said second part being distinguished by boldface, brightness, color, font, hue, italics or typeface.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes:

displaying said link in a format having a first part and a second part, said first part and said second part being visually distinct; and

altering said format in response to a change in status of preloading said second web page.

10. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for presenting information in web pages to an operator, said method comprising;

loading a first web page in response to a selection by the operator;

identifying a link in the first web page pointing to a second web page; and

automatically preloading the second web page based on the identified link, the second web page preloaded for later presentation.

11. The program storage device of claim 10 , wherein the link includes an HTML tag.

12. The program storage device of claim 10 , wherein the method further includes presenting said second web page in response to dynamic selection of said link by said operator.

13. The program storage device of claim 10 , wherein the method further includes:

storing said second web page in memory; and

presenting said second web page in response to selection of said link by said operator.

14. The program storage device of claim 10 , wherein the method further includes presenting to said operator a status of said preloading said second web page.

15. The program storage device of claim 14 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes displaying a graphic element overlaid with a display of said link.

16. The program storage device of claim 14 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes:

displaying a partial preview of said second web page; and

altering said partial preview in response to a change in status of said preloading said second web page.

17. The program storage device of claim 14 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes displaying a preview of said second web page in a distinct format.

18. The program storage device of claim 14 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes displaying at least one graphic element.

19. The program storage device of claim 14 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes displaying said link in a first part and a second part, said first part and said second part being distinguished by boldface, brightness, color, font, hue, italics or typeface.

20. The program storage device of claim 14 , wherein presenting to said operator a status of said preloading includes:

displaying said link in a format having a first part and a second part, said

first part and said second part being visually distinct; and

altering said format in response to a change in status of said preloading said second web page.

21. A method implemented by a client having a processor and memory, the method comprising:

loading a first web page, by the client, in response to a selection by an operator;

identifying a link in the first web page, by the client, pointing to a second web page; and

automatically preloading the second web page, by the client, based on the identified link, the second web page preloaded for later presentation.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the link includes an HTML tag.

23. The method of claim 21 , further including presenting said second web page, by the client, in response to dynamic selection of said link by said operator.

24. The method of claim 21 , further including:

storing said second web page in the memory of the client; and

presenting said second web page in response to selection of said link by said operator.

25. The method of claim 21 , further presenting to said operator, by the client, a status of said preloading said second web page.

Assignments (11)