Source: {"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"}

The Internet is a well-known, global network of cooperatively interconnected computer networks. The World Wide Web portion of the Internet is a collection of server computers (referred to as “web sites”) on the Internet, which store hyper text transfer language “HTML” documents that can be publicly accessed by computer users having a connection to the Internet.
Most basically, the Internet comprises a network of computer networks capable of transmitting messages to one another using a common set of operating rules, called communication protocols. Networks comprise addressable devices (computers) connected or “linked” by communication channels. More specifically, the World Wide Web—comprises an amalgamation of linked-together “web pages” accessible by linked web-based users, with the web pages typically presenting information to the user in a graphical fashion.
World Wide Web (“web”) is used herein to refer generally to both (i) a distributed collection of interlinked, user-viewable Hypertext documents (commonly referred to as web documents or web pages) that are accessible via the Internet, and (ii) the client and server software components that provide user access to such documents using standardized Internet protocols. Currently, the primary standard protocol for allowing applications to locate and acquire web documents is hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), and the web pages are encoded using HTML.
However, the terms “web” and “World Wide Web” are intended to encompass future markup languages and transport protocols that may be used in place of (or in addition to) HTML and HTTP.
A user at an individual web-based device (e.g., a workstation) that wishes to access a web page on the Internet typically does so using a graphical user interface software application known as a “web browser.” A variety of commercial web browsers are currently available. Well-known web browsers include Netscape's Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Web browsers function to initiate connections via the Internet to responsive computers known as “web servers” and to receive information from the web servers that is displayed on the user's workstation. Web browsers accordingly support HTTP, the current underlying communications protocol used by the Internet. In addition, web browsers may support other protocols, such as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) as well as protocols currently used or yet to be developed.
To connect to a desired web site having retrievable information, a user typically enters a network address designated as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) into the web browser. The URL identifies both the location of the web site and one or more pages of information contained at that web site, the web site being supported by a particular web server. The web page that a URL refers to can be pre-existing or can be generated on demand when requested, depending on the web page in question. At each URL, text, graphics, or other information may be stored on the web server in a predefined hierarchy. The URL address may be supplied by the user in a variety of ways, to include direct keyboard entry of the address, selection of a previously stored “bookmarked” address, or “clicking” on an appropriate hyper-text link appearing on a web browser control bar or on a displayed web page.
Using the URL, the web browser sends a command in the form of a retrieval request to the web server identified in the URL address. For example, when a URL is entered into a web browser, the web browser sends an HTTP command to the designated web server directing the web server to fetch (download), and then transmit, the requested data (web page) identified by the URL. Information displayed to the user is typically organized into pages that are constructed using HTML or other, similar languages such as XML, etc. The transfer of information between the web browser and the web server is done in the context of a client/server relationship with the web browser being a client of the web server.
Most commonly, networks rely on client/server architectures to perform network operations. A mainframe computer, for instance, communicates with a series of client workstations or “dummy” terminals over a series of coextensive interconnections. The interconnections that connect the mainframe with workstations are implemented using any of a variety of technologies, including various forms of physical medium, such as copper wire (“twisted-pair”), coaxial cable and fiber optic cable, and wireless, electromagnetic transmission either at low-level, such as microwave links and cellular mobile networks, or via satellite.
Typically, “clients” are applications that run on workstations and rely on mainframe/servers to perform certain operations. For example, an e-mail client is an application that enables a workstation to send and receive e-mail via a local area network (LAN) server and an e-mail server. The term “server” is thus used herein to denote a linked computing device or group of such devices acting as a single unit to provide centralized services to one or more workstations. Clients may rely on servers for any number of functions, including interconnection with other devices, web access, resources (such as database storage of files), and, in some cases, processing power. Web servers respond to a web browser's request by transmitting a web page, or other types of web content. Web content, as used herein, is a set of executable instructions a server serves to a client and which is intended to be executed by the client so as to provide the client with certain functionality.
In order to ensure proper routing of messages between networked devices, messages are first broken up into data packets, each of which receives a destination address according to a consistent protocol, and which are reassembled upon receipt by the target computer. Commonly accepted protocols for use over the Internet are Internet Protocol (IP), which dictates routing information, and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), according to which messages are broken up into IP packets for transmission, collection, and reassembly.
Given the advances in network technology, a demand for software and systems capable of taking full advantage of these advancements is growing. In this regard, many organizations dependent on information technology are presently attempting to manage complex network environments (e.g., distributed environments) that incorporate diverse hardware, software, applications, networks, and database systems. For example, the microprocessors of devices in a distributed environment may be totally dissimilar from each other. Also, device components of distributed environments often run entirely different operating systems and are entirely independent of each other but strive to cooperate in the sharing of data. The communications protocols used by such distributed environments thus tend to be industry standards, such as Systems Network Architecture™ (“SNA”) and TCP/IP. Still, modes of cooperation between networked devices are far from optimal.
Thus, there has been an increasing demand for software and systems capable of fully integrating and optimizing use of these disparate components. Moreover, it would be desirable for these integrated systems, documents, and software to be hardware independent, support multiple users, and be based on a distributed architecture.
One particular situation where hardware independence would be desirable is printing via device drivers. A conventional, but inefficient, method of controlling and managing the flow of data to and from diverse input/output (I/O) devices in a distributed environment is through the use of device drivers. Device drivers are software programs that act as an interface between the device and programs that use the device. Generally, each device, such as a particular printer, has a set of specialized commands translatable by a driver for that device. In contrast, most programs access devices by using generic commands. The driver, therefore, accepts generic commands from a program and then translates them into specialized commands for the device.
Universal device drivers have been created in an effort to eliminate or reduce the numerous differing device drivers required by various operating systems in running various peripheral devices. Generally, universal drivers incorporate most of the code necessary for devices in a particular class of devices (such as printers or modems) to communicate with the appropriate operating system components (such as the printer or communications subsystems). Most often, universal drivers are used in combination with mini-drivers, which contain any additional instructions needed to operate a specific device.
However, universal device drivers often lack true platform independence in that the OS specific device drivers are programmed for preexisting, but not newer, peripherals. Additionally, while the device driver core is operating system independent, the OS specific device drivers are not. Thus, the OS specific device drivers often have to be replaced in order to conform to a newly installed operating system. Also, often, the operating system independent driver still must include information regarding peripheral device operation and peripheral specific data object. Thus, universal drivers do not completely solve the problems of software application and platform independence in the operation of networked peripherals.
A second area in which the resources of a distributed environment are not efficiently utilized is in the realm of web-based image retrieval, manipulation, and utilization. Presently, systems and services exist which allow web users to extract and share various imaging information over the Internet.
On-line information systems typically include one computer system (the server) that makes information available so that other computer systems (the clients) can access the information. The server manages access to the information, which can be structured as a set of independent on-line services. The server and client communicate via messages conforming to a communication protocol and sent over a communication channel such as a computer network or through a dial-up connection. Typical uses for on-line services include document viewing, electronic commerce, directory lookup, on-line classified advertisements, reference services, electronic bulletin boards, document retrieval, electronic publishing, keyword searching of documents, technical support for products, and directories of on-line services, among others. The service may make the information available free of charge, or for a fee, and may be on publicly accessible or private computer systems.
The user of an on-line service uses a program on the client system to access the information managed by the on-line service. Possible user capabilities include viewing, searching, downloading