Patent ID: 6182133
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
In a computer system that, in response to user interaction with the system, requests items of information, as desired by a user, from a source accessible by the system, a method of obtaining the items of information comprising the steps of:accessing, in response to a request from the user, a first item of information from the source and rendering the first item so accessed to the user;determining a second item of information in response to a predefined aspect of the first item and a predefined user model; andwhile the first item is being so rendered:prefetching the second item from the source and storing the second item so obtained in a memory, for subsequent access, in the event of a request for said access from the user;providing an indication to the user that the second item has been prefetched, wherein the indication comprises changing a formatting attribute of a displayed link associated with the second item, or providing, through a graphical user interface, a corresponding predefined visual perceptible feature, visual attribute or visual cue; andchanging the indication to reflect a period of time during which the second item remains stored in the memory for subsequent access.