Link navigator method and system for locating web content

Abstract

A Web browser provides the ability to separate content and hyper-links from a Web page and provides a list of the links for viewing on a mobile device display screen, enabling more effective Web page navigating using the limited mobile device display. In addition to the links from the Web page, further links are created to telephone numbers, addresses, and other communication-related information in the Web page to further enhance usability of the Web page information for mobile device users. Further, once a link is selected using the mobile device, a services portal link is provided to the mobile device display to provide selection of services to be performed on the selected link, such as faxing or printing. Further, the services are made link dependent, or user dependent so that specific services can be displayed depending on factors such as the availability of services provided specifically from a Web page owner for link dependent services, or for the location of a user relative to a printer for user dependent services.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for formatting Web page information for providing to a display comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a Web page data file identified by a URL, wherein the Web page contains both content and links;    extracting the links from the content of the Web page;    providing the links separately from the content for viewing on the display.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the links separately from the content comprises the steps of: 
 separating offsite links from the Web page identified by the URL from onsite links;    placing the offsite links into an offsite folder which may be opened to provide the offsite links to the display;    providing the onsite links and the offsite folder for viewing on the display.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the links separately from the content comprises the steps of: 
 separating offsite links from the Web page identified by the URL from onsite links;    providing the offsite links for viewing on the display in an offsite category separate from the onsite links.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the links separately from the content comprises the steps of: 
 determining if more than one of the links identifies a single destination, and if so providing only one of the links identifying the single destination to the display.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the links separately from the content comprises the steps of: 
 defining names for links identified by text in the Web page using at least a portion of the identifying text;    defining names for links identified by a non-text image in the Web page by using at least a portion of text in an alternative (ALT) tag for the image if text is provided in an ALT tag associated with the image.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of: 
 defining names for links identified by non-text images in the Web page by using at least a portion of a URL code for the link when no text is provided in the ALT tag for the image.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of: 
 defining names for links identified by non-text images in the Web page by using content of documents accessed using the links when no text is provided in the ALT tag for the image.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the content of the documents accessed using the link are titles.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of: 
 defining names for links identified by non-text images in the Web page by using identifications for the links obtained from offsite documents no text is provided in the ALT tag for the image.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing the links comprises the step of: 
 arranging an order of the links for viewing on the display based on a structure of the Web page.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the order of the links for viewing on the display is arranged based on an order of frames identified by the links in the Web page.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing links comprises the step of: 
 arranging an order of links for viewing on the display based on which of the links has been followed the greatest number of times.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing links comprises the step of: 
 arranging an order of links for viewing on the display based on which of the links has been most recently followed.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display is provided on a device consisting of one or more of the following: 
 an Internet phone;    a personal digital assistant; and    a two way pager.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the links are categorized as first links, the method further comprising the steps of: 
 accessing a second Web page data file identified by a second URL, wherein the Web page contains both content and links;    extracting the links from the content of the second Web page to provide second links; and    providing the second links with the first links for viewing on the display.