Page element identifier pre-classification for user interface behavior in a communications system

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for modifying user interface behavior according to page element identifier pre-classification. For example, a number of content page (e.g., webpage) element identifiers (e.g., object classes or identifiers) are pre-classified as linking to associated media objects. When a content page or domain is requested by a user's web interface, the response is intercepted and analyzed to see if it has pre-classified element identifiers. If so, a script is injected in the webpage code or otherwise communicated to the requesting web interface, and the script is executed at the client side. Having executed the script, when a user interacts with a page element having one of the pre-classified element identifiers, the user interface is modified to provide enhanced functionality relating to the media object linked to by the page element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for modifying graphical user interface behavior according to element identifier pre-classification, the method comprising:
 intercepting, by a server system, webpage code being communicated from a content source in response to a browser request from a user system;   determining that the webpage code corresponds to a webpage having a set of pre-classified element identifiers, each pre-classified element identifier indicating that a corresponding one or more page elements of the webpage links to an associated media object; and   communicating a script with the webpage code to the user system in response to the determining step, the script executable by a web interface of the user system to modify graphical user interface behavior of the webpage when a user interfaces with any of the page elements of the webpage according to the set of pre-classified element identifiers.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 fetching and analyzing the webpage code prior to the intercepting step to pre-classify the page element identifiers by determining which page elements link to an associated media object or to a page including an associated media object; and   generating the set of pre-classified element identifiers for the webpage according to the analyzing.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein analyzing the webpage code to pre-classify the page element identifiers comprises:
 parsing the webpage code to identify the page elements of the webpage, each page element associated in the webpage code with an object class or ID;   determining, for each page element, whether the associated object class or ID indicates that the page element links to an associated media object; and   adding the associated object class or ID for the page element to the set of pre-classified element identifiers when the associated object class or ID indicates that the page element links to an associated media object.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the script comprises the set of pre-classified element identifiers for the webpage.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a second browser request from the user system in response to the web interface of the user system executing the script; and   communicating the set of pre-classified element identifiers for the webpage to the user system in response to the second browser request.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting, by the server system, the browser request from the user system, the browser request including a request for the webpage from the content source; and   issuing, by the server system, a redirect response to the user system that causes the user system to issue a second browser request to a redirect address,   wherein the script is communicated to the user system from the redirect address in response to the second browser request.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the script is operable, when executed by the web interface, to:
 detect that a mouse event of the graphical user interface is in a location associated with one of the page elements associated with one of the pre-classified page element identifiers; and   modify the graphical user interface behavior by displaying, in response to the detecting, a graphical element in graphical association with the one of the page elements, the graphical element displaying information relating to the media object linked to by the one of the page elements.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the script is operable, when executed by the web interface, to:
 detect that a mouse event of the graphical user interface is in a location associated with one of the page elements associated with one of the pre-classified page element identifiers;   determine the media object linked to by the one of the page elements; and   query outside the web interface to determine a present local availability of the media object linked to by the one of the page elements.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the present local availability of the media object linked to by the one of the page elements indicates whether at least a portion of the media object is stored at a local data store. 
     
     
         10 . A server system disposed in a communications network between a plurality of user systems and a plurality of content sources, the system comprising:
 a server optimizer operable to:
 intercept webpage code being communicated from one of the content sources in response to a browser request from one of the user systems; 
 determine that the webpage code corresponds to a webpage having a set of pre-classified element identifiers, each pre-classified element identifier indicating that a corresponding one or more page elements of the webpage links to an associated media object; and 
 communicate a script with the webpage code to the user system in response to the determining step, the script executable by a web interface of the user system to modify graphical user interface behavior of the webpage when a user interfaces with any of the page elements of the webpage according to the set of pre-classified element identifiers. 
   
     
     
         11 . The server system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a pre-classifier operable to:
 fetch and analyze the webpage code to pre-classify the page element identifiers by determining which page elements link to an associated media object or to a page including an associated media object; and 
 generate the set of pre-classified element identifiers for the webpage. 
   
     
     
         12 . The server system of  claim 11 , wherein the pre-classifier is configured to analyze the webpage code to pre-classify the page element identifiers by:
 parsing the webpage code to identify the page elements of the webpage, each page element associated in the webpage code with an object class or ID;   determining, for each page element, whether the associated object class or ID indicates that the page element links to an associated media object; and   adding the associated object class or ID for the page element to the set of pre-classified element identifiers when the associated object class or ID indicates that the page element links to an associated media object.   
     
     
         13 . The server system of  claim 10 , wherein the server optimizer is further configured to:
 receive a second browser request from the user system in response to the web interface of the user system executing the script; and   communicate the set of pre-classified element identifiers for the webpage to the user system in response to the second browser request.   
     
     
         14 . The server system of  claim 10 , wherein the server optimizer is a transparent proxy. 
     
     
         15 . The server system of  claim 10 , wherein the server optimizer is configured to intercept the webpage code by:
 detecting the browser request from the user system, the browser request including a request for the webpage;   issuing a first server request causing the content source not to respond to the browser request;   issuing a second server request to the content source for the webpage; and   receiving the webpage code from the content source in response to the second server request.