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US 20020087667A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. N0.: US 2002/0087667 A1 Andersen (43) Pub. Date: Jul. 4, 2002 (54) MULTI-LEVEL MULTIPLEXOR SYSTEM (57) ABSTRACT FOR NETWORKED BROWSER A multi-level multiplexor system enables a networked browser client to access content information over a net (76) Inventor: Benjamin H. Andersen, Golden Valley, worked computer system, such as the Internet. The multi MN (US) level multiplexor system has at least one program executing on a server operably connected to the networked computer Correspondence Address: system that receives a service request from the networked PATTERSON, THUENTE, SKAAR & browser client. In response, the program packages a reply CHRISTENSEN, RA. that is returned to the networked browser client and causes 4800 IDS CENTER that browser to automatically issue a plurality of service 80 SOUTH 8TH STREET requests to sources of content information on the networked MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-2100 (US) computer system. The packaged reply also causes the browser to present the responses to the plurality of service Appl. No.: requests to sources of content information such that each (21) 09/863,095 response is selectively displayed as one of a cascaded series Filed: May 22, 2001 of pages of content information within a single window (22) frame in the browser. In this way, the present invention is Related US. Application Data implemented as a thin-client solution with the advantages of minimizing network traffic while at the same time allow for (63) Non-provisional of provisional application No. increased speed of access to multiple sources of content 60/206,440, ?led on May 22, 2000. information. The multi-level multiplexor system afford the user a simple, yet efficient mechanism to access to multiple Publication Classi?cation sources of content information that retains the integrity of the content information without subjecting the user to the (51) Int. Cl.7 ..................................................... .. G06F 7/00 disadvantages of opening a new browser window for each (52) US. Cl. ............................................................ .. 709/220 new source of content information. 20 Ell \ Patent Application Publication Jul. 4, 2002 Sheet 1 0f 14 US 2002/0087667 A1 Figure 2 Prior Art Patent Application Publication Jul. 4, 2002 Sheet 2 0f 14 US 2002/0087667 A1 10 K // I / // '~‘ IE1 / ,1 -v ,1 30 j Figure 3 Prior Art _\ v I r :55 i Figure 4 Prior Art Patent Application Publication Jul. 4, 2002 Sheet 3 0f 14 US 2002/0087667 A1 / .. l0 1 / / / " / / I,"/ / _ _. / l// / / / // /// / // I’ _ / / /’ ,1”, f ’ // / "’ ‘1”’ é ,4 <1’ ,/” ',_’v 51;”, ","r’’ I,’ / ">Q \ \ — . 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In addition, When a user NETWORKED BROWSER Wants to access information from a particular primary search engine beyond the ?rst page of original information, a neW FIELD OF THE INVENTION broWser WindoW is typically opened and the ability of the user to navigate by backtracking, for example, to previously [0001] The present invention relates generally to the ?eld vieWed sites from the original broWser WindoW is not of interfaces and techniques for accessing computerized possible. networks, such as the Internet. More speci?cally, the present invention relates to a multi-level multiplexor system for a [0005] Other meta search engines, such as gogettem.com networked broWser that increases the speed and ef?ciency and searchspaniel.com present their results by opening up a With Which a user can access information on a computeriZed neW broWser WindoW for each of the different primary netWork. search engines. Although this format of presentation is sometimes more manageable than the concatenated scrolling BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION format, the opening of a neW broWser WindoW consumes additional computer resources of the user for each neW [0002] The groWth of the computeriZed netWorks such as broWser that is opened and has the same problem of limiting the Internet has brought about an explosion in the amount of the ability of the user to navigate by backtracking. When information available to users. One of the challenges With several primary search engines are accessed in this manner, this Wealth of information is hoW to ?nd and access relevant the spontaneous spaWning of neW broWser WindoWs can be information easily. Various search engines have been devel quite annoying as the user’s cursor is constantly being oped to meet this need, such as yahoo.com, altavista.com, redirected to the most recently opened WindoW until all of infoseek.com, askjeeves.com and google.com. To search for the search results have been returned. information on the Internet, a user goes to the Web site for [0006] Avariation on this theme is used by totalneWs.com one of the search engine and enters one or more Words Which also spaWns a neW broWser WindoW each time a user knoWn as search terms. The search engine then uses the clicks on one of a series of buttons on the home page that search terms to generate lists of Web sites and/or Web pages identify and link to various third-party neWs Web sites. that best match the search terms. Various indexing and Originally, the home page for totalneWs.com used a framing cataloging techniques can be used by the search engine to approach in Which the content of the selected third-party accomplish the search, such as list based searches, spider neWs Web site corresponding to the button selected by the based searches or natural language based searches. More user Was framed in the middle of the totalneWs.com home recently, meta search engines have been developed that page. To make the content information ?t into this frame, the alloW a user to enter a single set of search terms at a Web site totalneWs.com home page sometimes Would strip off adver and retrieve a single set of ?ltered results that are combined tisements and other content from the third-party neW Web from matches found by multiple different primary search site. Ultimately, copyright and source confusion claims by engines. Examples of these meta search engines include some of the third-party neWs Web sites forced totalneWs.com dogpile.com, chubba.com, thunderstone.com, ixquick.com to abandon this framing approach in favor of the spaWning and metacraWler.com. For a more detailed explanation hoW of a neW broWser WindoW. search engines Work and a comparison of primary search engines and meta search engines, refer to lib.berkeley.edu/ [0007] Another approach to improving broWsing and TeachingLib/Guides/Intemet/FindInfo.html#Outline, search capabilities is to replace and/or modify -the user’s cui.unige.ch/meta-index.html, and searchengineWatch.com. broWser program. Such approaches are often referred to as Examples of hoW search engines can be implemented and a “thick-client” solution because they require the user or return combined results are described in US. Pat. Nos. client to doWnload and run a program in addition to the 5,864,845, 5,873,080 and 5,974,409. user’s broWser program. Most Web sites doWnload content information formatted in a markup language that can be [0003] While meta search engines increase the available directly decoded by the user’s broWser program. This is resources a user can revieW, the problem is hoW to present referred to as “thin-client” because the only program that is the results in a useable format.