Method and apparatus for mapping a site on a wide area network

Abstract

A method and system for organizing and displaying information about Internet Web pages on Web maps are disclosed. Web maps display a summary of the information that a Web page provides access to, in a format that facilitates a rapid assessment of what may be accessed through a Web site's home page, or through any Web page on the Web site. Preferably, Web maps are displayed on a Web page, or within a frame of a Web page, by an Internet browser application. A set of Web maps may be automatically generated by a search engine or directory in response to a user's search request. Alternatively, a user may request that a Web map be produced for a particular Web page of interest. The Web maps are preferably generated by a Web server, or by an application running in the background of a user's computer, so that the user may perform other tasks on the user's computer while the Web maps are being generated.

1 - 49 . (canceled) 
   
   
       50 . A method for mapping related web pages, comprising:
 receiving related web pages from a first server;   parsing the related web pages at a second server to generate page properties comprising a page address, page title, page file size, and metatags, for each page in the related web pages;   storing the page properties in a database;   parsing the related web pages at the second server to identify objects that exist on the target pages;   defining an object location on page for each of the objects that exist on the target pages;   defining object data for each of the objects that exist on the target pages, wherein the object data comprises at least one textual phrase for text object types, thumbnail image data for each graphical object type, and an object classification for each hyperlink target object; and   storing the object data in the database for use in generating a map page wherein the object data is arranged according to respective object location on page for each of the objects that exist on the target pages.   
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising classifying, at the second server, the objects that exist on the target pages into different object types. 
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising generating, at the second server, object identification data for each one of the objects that exist on the target pages, the object identification data for each object identifying each object in the database and being distinct from the object data for each object. 
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising generating map information at the second server in response to requests from remote clients, for causing display of corresponding map pages at the remote clients wherein the object data is arranged according to respective object location on page for each of the objects that exist on the target pages. 
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising serving the map information to a remote client. 
   
   
       55 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising generating the map information representing a hierarchy of linked pages. 
   
   
       56 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising defining object data for hyperlink objects that exist on the target pages, the object data further comprising respective map links for requesting a web map of each hyperlink object target. 
   
   
       57 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising generating the map links operative to request the web map in response to a mouse-over event. 
   
   
       58 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising generating map information at the second server in response to requests from remote clients, for causing display of corresponding map pages at the remote clients wherein the object data is arranged according to respective object location on page for each of the objects that exist on the target pages and includes the respective map links operative to request a web map of each hyperlink object target. 
   
   
       59 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising deleting the object data from the database after a proscribed period of inactivity. 
   
   
       60 . A computer-readable medium, comprising:
 instructions to receive interlinked web pages;   instructions to analyze the interlinked web pages to generate page properties comprising a page address, page title, page file size, and metatags, for each page in the set of target pages, and to identify objects that exist on the target pages;   instructions to define object properties for the objects that exist on the target pages, wherein object properties for text object types comprise an object location on page, and at least one textual phrase, object properties for graphical object types comprise an object location on page and thumbnail image data for each graphical object and object properties for hyperlink object types comprise an object location on page and an object classification for what each hyperlink object links to, for each hyperlink object; and   instructions to store the page properties and the object properties in the database for generating map pages wherein the object properties are arranged according to their respective properties of object location on page.   
   
   
       61 . The computer-readable media of  claim 60 , further comprising instructions to classify the objects that exist on the target pages into different object types. 
   
   
       62 . The computer-readable media of  claim 60 , further comprising instructions to generate object identification data for each unique one of the objects that exist on the target pages, the object identification data for each object identifying the each object in the database and being distinct from every object property for the each object. 
   
   
       63 . The computer-readable media of  claim 60 , further comprising instructions to generate map information in response to requests from remote clients, for causing display of corresponding map pages at the remote clients wherein the object properties are arranged according to their respective properties of object location on page. 
   
   
       64 . The computer-readable media of  claim 63 , further comprising instructions to serve the map information to a remote client. 
   
   
       65 . The computer-readable media of  claim 63 , further comprising instructions to generate the map information representing a hierarchy of linked pages. 
   
   
       66 . The computer-readable media of  claim 60 , further comprising instructions to define object properties for hyperlink objects that exist on the target pages, further comprising respective map links for requesting a web map of what each hyperlink object links to. 
   
   
       67 . The computer-readable media of  claim 66 , further comprising instructions to generate the map links operative to request the web map in response to a mouse-over event. 
   
   
       68 . The computer-readable media of  claim 64 , further comprising instructions to generate map information in response to requests from remote clients, for causing display of corresponding map pages at the remote clients wherein the object properties are arranged according to their respective properties of object location on page and include the respective map links operative to request a web map of what each respective hyperlink object links to. 
   
   
       69 . The computer-readable media of  claim 64 , further comprising instructions to delete the object properties from the database after a proscribed period of inactivity.