Patent ID: 6920609

Claim:
A computer implemented method of identifying desired content in HTML formatted web pages, comprising the steps of: selecting a model page, wherein the model page includes content data and a plurality of HTML tags for formatting the content data; identifying a first area of interest in the model page; parsing the model page to generate a first string of symbols for the plurality of HTML tags, the generated symbols in the first string representing only HTML tags, wherein the first area of interest is identified by a first portion of the first string of symbols; retrieving a second web page associated with a different URL than the model page; parsing the second web page to generate a second string of symbols for a plurality of HTML tags of the second web page, the generated symbols in the second string representing only HTML tags; and comparing the first and second symbol strings to determine whether the second string includes a second portion similar to the first portion of the first string, wherein the second portion corresponds to a second area of interest in the second page.