Abstract:
A viewer in the form of a browser displays a Web page which is accessible by an associated unique identifying information. The associated identifying information is a URL. The viewer includes a definition management note which stores a number of times of display of any Web page which has been accessed by an associated URL. The viewer also includes an importance degree control unit to count a number of times of display of any Web page accessed by the unique URL. The importance degree control unit outputs a number for storage by the definition management note. When the counted number of times of access of a unique URL exceeds a threshold value, the associated Web page is automatically updated to a bookmark by way of the unique URL. A number of different processes may be executed to sort the URLs registered in the bookmark according to a degree of importance. The different processes include assigning different colors to the URLs or changing a display in a Web page accessed by a registered URL.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This application is based upon and claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 10-269277 filed Sep. 24, 1998, the contents being incorporated herein by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to the art of counting a number of times that images accessed by unique identifying information is displayed during a display of images. More particularly, the present invention relates to the art of executing particular displays and processes during a display of images when the unique identifying information is displayed greater than a threshold value.  
           [0003]    [0003]FIG. 14 (PRIOR ART) is an example of a conventional WWW browser for a terminal-server system according to the related art. As illustrated, a Web page is generated from WWW data  23  in a WWW server  10  and is down-loaded to a terminal  12  via network  11 . The down-loaded Web page is then displayed by a WWW browser functioning unit  13 .  
           [0004]    A filter registering unit  21  and a filter functioning unit  22  are included in the WWW server  10  and strictly select an amount of information from the WWW data  23  by registering necessary information for each user.  
           [0005]    The conventional WWW browser functioning unit  13  has only a function to realize a visual display which includes changing a color of a URL for a certain constant period when a displayed URL of the Web page is used, without reference to a number of times of display. In this regard, a user may only designate a Web page having a higher frequency of use by registering a URL to a bookmark  19 . The URL registered to the bookmark  19  can then be displayed through selection from bookmark  19  without designating the actual address.  
           [0006]    In the method according to the related art, the Web pages having a higher usability are accessed through registration with the bookmark  19 . However, the number of times of display for each of the registered Web pages cannot be detected from the URLs which are accumulated in the bookmark  19 . Moreover, since each URL displayed by an original Web page is registered as one Web page in the bookmark, an amount of information in the bookmark substantially increases.  
           [0007]    Furthermore, when a URL of a Web page is used without relation to the number of times of display, the color of URL may change for a certain constant period but the information which is used for a certain user cannot be managed on the Web page. Thus, individual management is required for a user resulting in troublesome procedures.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    It is therefore an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problem by setting a degree of importance for a display depending on a number of times of display in a WWW browser.  
           [0009]    It is a further object of the present invention to display a mark indicating a degree of importance of a URL in a Web page itself.  
           [0010]    Moreover, it is an even further object of the present invention to provide a URL having a predetermined degree of importance which is automatically sorted and registered to a bookmark.  
           [0011]    It is still a further object of the present invention to realize management of information by a user easily and conveniently by automatically generating a Web page from information in a bookmark.  
           [0012]    It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a browser which displays a URL on the Internet in order to register a number of times of display, a threshold value, and an importance degree process for each URL. Thereby, an importance degree process is executed by inspecting an adequacy of the degree of importance process registered for each display of a URL, such that a selected URL is registered to the bookmark upon exceeding the threshold value. The URL is then subsequently registered to a designated group at the time of registration to the bookmark, and the sequence in the bookmark is changed depending on the number of times of display of each registered URL.  
           [0013]    By way of the present invention, a degree of importance can be set for a URL and displayed depending on a number of times of display for each of a plurality of users even in the same home page. Moreover, the page having a larger number of times of display can be registered automatically to the bookmark of the WWW browser and the Web page may be automatically generated with the registered bookmark information. Therefore, a user can easily realize information management and operation of the Web pages.  
           [0014]    Objects of the present invention are achieved by a viewer to display images which are accessible by an associated identifying information, the viewer including a definition management note to store a number of times of display of any image which has been accessed by an associated unique identifying information; and an importance degree control unit to count a number of times of display of any image accessed by the unique identifying information, wherein the importance degree control unit outputs the number for storage by the definition management note.  
           [0015]    Further objects of the present invention are achieved by a viewing method using a browser to display Web pages having associated URLs, including the steps of counting a number of times of display of a Web page accessed by an associated URL; and executing a particular process when the counted number of times exceeds a threshold value.  
           [0016]    Even further objects of the present invention are achieved by a display method of an image which is accessible by an associated identifying information, the display method including the steps of storing a number of times of display of any image which has been accessed by an associated unique identifying information; and counting a number of times of display of any image accessed by the unique identifying information.  
           [0017]    Moreover, objects of the present invention are achieved by a browser to display a Web page accessed via the Internet by an associated URL, the browser including a definition management note to store a number of times of display of any Web page which has been accessed by an associated URL; and an importance degree control unit to count a number of times of display of any Web page accessed by the URL, wherein the importance degree control unit outputs the number for storage by the definition management note.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a WWW browser which can set a degree of importance in a display according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a format of a management note according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an image format of a WWW browser according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a degree of importance of a registering image.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example of an image to be deleted in a definition management note.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an image to be changed in a definition management note.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a Web page accessed by a WWW browser according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a Web page accessed according to a degree of importance.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a Web page that was automatically generated from a bookmark.  
         [0028]    FIGS.  10 A- 10 D are flowcharts of a display process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a registering process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a deleting process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a changing process according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 14 (PRIOR ART) is a block diagram of a conventional WWW browser according to the related art. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]    Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a WWW browser which can set a degree of importance in a display according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, WWW server  10  includes WWW data  23 , filter registering unit  21  and filter functioning unit  22 . Terminal  12  includes a WWW browser functioning unit  13 , display control unit  14 , an importance degree control unit  15 , a definition control unit  16 , an automatic registration control unit  17 , a definition management note  18 , a bookmark  19  and an automatic page generating unit  24 . The WWW server  10  and the terminal  12  are connected through a network  11  such as the Internet, etc. According to the structure explained above, the Web page generated from the WWW data  23  in the WWW server  10  is down-loaded by the WWW browser functioning unit  13  of terminal  12  via network  11 . The down-loaded Web page is transferred to the importance degree control unit  15  to check whether the URL in the Web page is registered or not in the definition management note  18 .  
         [0035]    When a URL is not yet registered in the definition management note  18  or the number of times of display has not reached the degree of importance, the WWW browser functioning unit  13  displays the down-loaded web page “as is.” If the number of times of display reaches a degree of importance, such Web page is updated to be a Web page in which a degree of importance mark is given to the associated URL. In this case, registration of the URL to the bookmark is defined, such that the importance degree control unit  15  calls the automatic registration control unit  17  to automatically register the relevant URL to bookmark  19 . Moreover, the automatic registration control unit  17  may call the automatic page generating unit  24  to automatically generate the Web page from the URL information in bookmark  19 . The WWW browser functioning unit  13  displays each page depending on the updated definition management note  18 .  
         [0036]    Moreover, registration/deletion control unit  16 , hereinafter “definition control unit  16 ”, is called by selecting an icon with the WWW browser functioning unit  13 , and the image to be registered or deleted is displayed by the WWW browser via the display control unit  14 . Criteria for registration of an image to the definition management note  18  can be made by inputting a predetermined number of times of display, an importance degree, an importance degree mark, or a bookmark registration instruction. Meanwhile, when an image is to be deleted from definition management note  18 , the definition information and the number of times of display registered to the definition management note can also be deleted.  
         [0037]    Numeral  20  designates a medium for storing a program in relation to the present invention. This medium stores information which may be read from a computer, such as a CD-ROM, and may store a program to be operated in the terminal  12 . The program of the terminal  12  of this invention is read to the terminal from the CD-ROM for execution.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a structure of a definition management note according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The definition management note  18  is structured to include a URL name, an importance degree, a threshold value, an importance degree mark, a number of times of use (display), and automatic registration information. The URL of a registered Web page is managed by the URL name. For one URL name, a plurality of importance degree levels can be set. The number of times of use is set as a corresponding importance degree when the number of times of display has reached the threshold value. The importance degree mark corresponds to the degree of importance and is formed of a format and a mark.  
         [0039]    As a format of a mark, examples may include characters, images, voices or colors to be set. The mark is used to display the degree of importance which corresponds to the set format. However, since image and voice require a large amount of data, file names of images and voices are preferably pre-set. The number of times of use is a column used to set a number of times for display of a relevant URL and this number of times is counted up when the relevant URL is used. This is then compared with the threshold value.  
         [0040]    The automatic registering information is formed of a registering flag and a category name. For the registering flag, whether the relevant URL should be registered automatically to the bookmark or not when the number of times of display reaches the relevant importance degree and the category name of the bookmark for automatic registering is set to the category name. The category name is valid when registering is “YES”. For example, when registering is “YES”, the relevant URL is automatically registered to the designated category in the bookmark when the number of times of display reaches the relevant importance degree.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an image structure of a WWW browser according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated, image  130  of the WWW browser is formed of tool bar  131 , address section  132 , and display area  133 . The tool bar  131  is formed by adding, to the tool bar of the related art, registering icon  134  for registering an importance degree to the definition management note  18 , deleting icon  135  for deleting information of the definition management note  18  and change icon  136  for modifying information of the definition management note  18 .  
         [0042]    URL information is displayed in address section  132 . In the display area  133 , the page is displayed and input information for the other registration and information of the definition management note  18  to be deleted is also displayed.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the degree of importance registering image. In the display area  133  of the registering image, a menu for setting the URL information (information which is the same as address  132 ) as the registering object, importance degree and threshold value, importance degree mark to be displayed, and a “YES” or “NO” for requirement of automatic registering and category name of a bookmark for automatic registering is displayed. A user can perform registering by selecting a radio button given before “REGISTERING” and then clicking determination button  138 . For the contents to be registered, the registering information can effectively be determined by selecting a radio button given before each information. Here, for the degree of importance mark, a character to be displayed may be designated directly or a path name of the file storing the information to be displayed may be designated. Moreover, it is also possible to set a plurality of importance degrees which cannot be displayed in one image by manipulating the scroll bar  137 .  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of an image to be deleted in the definition management note  18  among the images registered. In the display area  133  of the image to be deleted, a list of information of all URLs registered in the definition management note  18  is displayed. When a large amount of information is registered, the scroll bar  137  must be manipulated. A user can delete the relevant definition information by selecting the radio button given in front of the “deletion of definition” and then clicking the determination button  138 . Moreover, a user can also delete only the number of times of display by selecting the radio button in front of the “deletion of the number of times of display”.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of image to be changed in the definition management note. In the display area  133  of the image to be changed, a list is provided of the information registered of all URLs of the definition management note  18 . When a large amount of information is registered, it is required to manipulate the scroll bar  137 . A user can change the relevant definition information by selecting the radio button in front of “change” and then clicking the determination button  138 . The information to be changed is the information (given the underline in the image) registered in the image registered. However, automatic registering can be changed by selecting the radio button in front of “YES” and “NO”. Here, when the category name is changed, the relevant URL registered with the old category name of bookmark is automatically transferred to the new category name.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a display example of the Web page to the WWW browser. The URL (http://aaa.co.jp/) of the Web page is displayed in the address area  133 . “What&#39;s New”, “INQUIRY”, “NEW PRODUCTS”, “V SERIES PRODUCT” which are given the underlines in the display area  133  indicate the URL of another Web page or URL of file data. This figure indicates that a figure is displayed in the Web page.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a display example of importance degree to the Web page. In the display area  133 , a Web page similar to FIG. 7 should be displayed. The URL of “V SERIES PRODUCT”, given the underline, is registered to the definition management note  18  and the number of times of display has therefore reached the threshold value of the degree of importance of the definition management note  18 . In this case, “Importance” is the degree of importance mark which is displayed as an underline in “V SERIES PRODUCT”.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of automatically generating a Web page from the bookmark. Since the storing format to the bookmark is different depending on the WWW browser, the information stored in the bookmark generally includes the category name and URL of the Web page. The automatic page generation unit  24  generates the Web page  25  from the information of bookmark  19 . The underline indicates that the name one the Web page is URL. For example, a user clicks the “V series product” of the Web page  25 , and the Web page of “http://bbb.co.jp/b.html” is displayed. Moreover, the Web pages are displayed in the Web page  25  in the sequence of the larger number of times of display because the URLs of bookmark are sorted in the sequence of the larger number of times of display by the automatic registration control unit.  
         [0049]    FIGS.  10 A- 10 D represent a flowchart indicating the display process. In explanation of this flowchart, the number following the letter S indicates the step number. In step, S 101 , the WWW browser waits, upon activation, for instruction for manipulation from a user. In step S 102 , when an end request is issued from the WWW browser, the process of WWW browser is completed. In other cases, the process goes to the step S 103 .  
         [0050]    In step S 103 , the page corresponding to the URL designated by the WWW browser is down-loaded from the server. However, when the latest page exists at the terminal where the WWW browser operates, it is not required to down-load the pages from the server. Turning to step S 104 , all processes are completed for the URL described in the page, the process goes to the step S 114  and in other cases, the process goes to the step S 105 .  
         [0051]    In step S 105 , URLs described in the page are sequentially extracted. Likewise, in step S 106 , when the extracted URL is registered to the definition management note, the process goes to the step S 107 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 104 . Step S 107  updates the number of times of display of the relevant URL of the definition management note (counted up). In step S 108 , when the number of times of display of the relevant URL reaches the threshold value corresponding to the degree of importance of the definition management note, the process goes to the step S 109  and in other cases, the process goes to the step S 104 .  
         [0052]    In step S 109 , the degree of importance mark is set (update of the Web page) to the relevant URL in the page with letters, images, voices or density of color, etc. In step S 110 , automatic registering to the bookmark of the WWW browser is designated to the relevant URL of the definition management note, the process goes to the step S 111  and in other cases, the process goes to the step S 104 .  
         [0053]    In step S 111 , when the category for registering the relevant URL exists within the bookmark of the WWW browser, the process goes to the step S 113  and in other cases, the process goes to the step S 112 . For step S 112 , when the category (folder or directory) to which the relevant URL is registered is newly generated in the bookmark of the WWW browser.  
         [0054]    In step S 113 , the relevant URL is additionally registered to the category of bookmark of the WWW browser and the additionally registered URLs of the category are sorted in the sequence of the number of times of display and the process goes to the step S 104 . In step S 114 , a Web page is generated (when it is already generated, it is updated) with the URL of the bookmark  19 . For step S 115 , the Web page (down-loaded Web page or Web page displaying the degree of importance) is displayed in the WWW browser and the process goes to the step S 101 .  
         [0055]    [0055]FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the registering process. The number following the letter “S” indicates the step number in the explanation of the flowchart. According to step S 201 , when the registration icon of the tool bar of WWW browser is clicked, the registered image of the URL being displayed is then displayed. In step S 202 , the browser waits for input of registering information from a user.  
         [0056]    As shown by step S 203 , when the WWW browser issues the end instruction, the process of WWW browser is completed. In other cases, the process goes to the step S 204 . Likewise in step S 204 , when the scroll request is issued, the process goes to the step S 205 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 206  because the registering information is input.  
         [0057]    In step S 205 , the information of registered image is scrolled and the process goes to the step S 202 . For step S 206 , when the designated importance degree is correct (for example, a value within the allowable range), the process goes to the step S 207 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 211 .  
         [0058]    Turning to step S 207 , when the designated threshold value is correct (for example, a value within the allowable range), the process goes to the step S 208 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 211 . Likewise, in step S 208 , when the designated registering mark is correct (for example, letters or designated file exists), the process goes to the step S 209 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 211 .  
         [0059]    In step S 209 , when the designated category name is correct (for example, alphanumeric letters in the allowable range), the process goes to the step S 210 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 211 . For step S 210 , the degree of importance, threshold value, registering mark, “YES” or “NO” of automatic registering to bookmark, category name and URL name input from the registered image are registered to the definition management note and the process goes to the step S 201 .  
         [0060]    Turning to step S 211 , an error message to request re-input is output to the registered image and the process goes to the step S 202 .  
         [0061]    [0061]FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the deleting process. In the explanation of this flowchart, the number following the letter S indicates the step number.  
         [0062]    In step S 301 , when the deleting icon of the tool bar of WWW browser is clicked, a list of the URLs registered in the definition management note is displayed in the image to be deleted. In step S 302 , the WWW browser waits for input of the registering information from a user.  
         [0063]    For step S 303 , when the WWW browser issues an end instruction, the process of WWW browser is completed. In other cases, the process goes to the step S 304 . In step S 304 , when the scroll request is issued, the process goes to the step S 305 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 306  because the deleting information is input.  
         [0064]    In step S 305 , information in the registered image is scrolled, and the process goes to the step S 302 . For step S 306 , when the definition deleting request is issued, the process goes to the step S 307 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 308 . As illustrated in step S 307 , after the URL information selected from the definition management note is all deleted, the process goes to the step S 310 .  
         [0065]    In step S 308 , when the number of times of display deleting request is issued, the process goes to the step S 309 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 310 . According to step S 309 , after only the number of times of display of the URL selected from the definition management note is cleared, the process goes to the step S 310 . In step S 310 , when process is completed for all URLs designated, the process goes to the step S 301 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 306 .  
         [0066]    [0066]FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the changing process. In the explanation of this flowchart, the number following the letter S indicates the step number. As shown in step S 401 , when the changing icon of the tool bar of WWW browser is clicked, a list of the URLs registered in the definition management note is displayed in the image to be changed. By way of step S 402 , the WWW browser waits for input of changing information from a user. For step S 403 , when the WWW browser issues an end request, the process of WWW browser is completed. In other cases, the process goes to the step S 404 .  
         [0067]    As illustrated in step S 404 , when the scroll request is issued, the process goes to the step S 405 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 406  because the changing information is input. In step S 405 , after the information of image to be changed is scrolled, the process goes to the step S 402 . In step S 406 , when the change of URL is selected, the process goes to the step S 408 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 407 .  
         [0068]    By way of step S 407 , when process is completed for all URLs designated, the process goes to the step S 401 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 406 . Likewise, in step S 408 , when the degree of importance is changed (when the degree of importance is different from the preceding contents), the process goes to the step S 409 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 410 .  
         [0069]    For step S 409 , when the designated importance degree is correct (for example, a value within the allowable range), the process goes to the step S 410 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 418 .  
         [0070]    Turning to step S 410 , when the threshold value is changed (threshold value is different from the preceding contents), the process goes to the step S 411 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 412 . By way of step S 411 , when the designated threshold value is correct (for example, a value within the allowable range), the process goes to the step S 412 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 418 .  
         [0071]    As illustrated in step S 412 , when registering mark is changed (registering mark is different from the preceding contents), the process goes to the step S 413 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 414 . By way of step S 413 , when the designated registering mark is correct (for example, letters or designated file exists), the process goes to the step S 414 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 418 .  
         [0072]    For step S 414 , when the category name is changed (category name is different from the preceding contents), the process goes to the step S 415 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 417 . Likewise, in step S 415 , when the designated category name is correct (for example, an alphanumeric latter in the allowable range), the process goes to the step S 416 . In other cases, the process goes to the step S 418 .  
         [0073]    By way of step S 416 , the relevant URL in the old category name of the bookmark is transferred to the new category name. For step S 417 , the information of the definition management note of the relevant URL name is changed with the degree of importance, threshold value, registering mark, “YES” or “NO” of automatic registering to bookmark and category name input from the image to be changed and the process goes to the step S 401 . After an error message to request re-input is output to the registered image, the process goes to the step S 402 .  
         [0074]    Although a few preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.