Method for modifying a toolbar

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method of updating toolbar data on an Internet device with toolbar update data received from the Internet. Data comprising a reference to a network location is received and assessed, then the network location is accessed. The toolbar update data is received in response to access of the network location and includes a content type identifier. The toolbar update data is provided in response to the content type identifier being associated with the toolbar. Update of the toolbar data with the toolbar update data is initiated. The updating includes writing at least one new attribute to the toolbar data, with the writing including at least one of changing the one or more buttons of the toolbar by adding a button, and updating at least one attribute of the toolbar data. The toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data is then displayed.

1 . A method of modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
 displaying, at a user Internet device, a toolbar comprising one or more buttons, the toolbar defined at least partially by toolbar data stored in one or more toolbar-defining databases, the toolbar data comprising a plurality of attributes, one or more of the plurality of attributes associated with a button of the toolbar, wherein for one or more buttons of the toolbar at least one of the plurality of attributes identifies at least one function to be performed when the button is actuated, and such at least one function to be performed when the button is actuated includes retrieving a web page, and;   initiating at the user Internet device, without user request, an operation to update the toolbar data in accordance with toolbar update data received from the Internet;   updating the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data received from the Internet, wherein the updating comprises:
 receiving, at the user Internet device, data comprising a reference to a network location; 
 accessing, at the user Internet device, the network location; 
 receiving, at the user Internet device, the toolbar update data in response to the user Internet device accessing the network location, wherein the received toolbar update data comprises a content type identifier of the toolbar update data; 
 determining, at the user Internet device, that the content type identifier is associated with the toolbar; 
 providing, at the user Internet device, the toolbar update data in response to the user Internet device determining that the content type identifier is associated with the toolbar; 
 initiating, at the user Internet device, the update of the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data, the updating comprising at least one of the following steps (a) and (b), each respectively comprising:
 (a) writing at least one new attribute to the toolbar data, wherein the writing at least one new attribute to the toolbar data comprises changing the one or more buttons of the toolbar by adding a button; and 
 (b) updating at least one attribute of the toolbar data; and 
 
   displaying, at the user Internet device, the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the toolbar is integrated in a web browser at the user Internet device that displays the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data along with a web page. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the toolbar as defined by the updated toolbar data further comprises a plurality of tabs containing the one or more buttons. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more toolbar-defining databases comprises a file containing a plurality of name-value attributes. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contents of the one or more toolbar-defining databases and the contents of the toolbar update data within the user Internet device are not accessible to a user of the user Internet device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the contents of the one or more toolbar-defining databases and the contents of the toolbar update data within the user Internet device are at least partially encrypted. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of attributes for one or more buttons of the toolbar as defined by the toolbar data comprises one or more of the following:
 a button caption;   an enablement attribute specifying whether the button is enabled or disabled;   an execution type identifying the at least one function to be performed;   a description of the button functionality; and   a location attribute specifying either a location of a file for the button function or a URL for the button function.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending to a predetermined network address, without user request, data version information of the one or more toolbar-defining databases;   determining, at a server in communication with the predetermined network address, from the data version information, that the user Internet device should receive the toolbar update data; and   receiving the toolbar update data at the user Internet device.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the data version information is used to determine whether updated data is available. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein displaying at the user Internet device the toolbar, as defined by the updated toolbar data, comprises persistently displaying the toolbar across multiple web pages and multiple web domains. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiating of the operation occurs transparently. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the user Internet device, a script from the Internet, the script comprising the toolbar update data; and   wherein the operation to update the toolbar-defining database in accordance with the toolbar update data comprises the user Internet device executing the script.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating the toolbar data comprises writing at least one new attribute to the toolbar data. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the writing at least one new attribute to the toolbar data comprises changing the one or more buttons of the toolbar by adding a button. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating of the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data comprises inserting at least a portion of the toolbar update data into the one or more toolbar-defining databases. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating of the toolbar data in accordance with the toolbar update data comprises updating an attribute defining a URL to be opened when a button of the toolbar is clicked, the attribute updating from a first URL to a second URL. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of attributes are associated with a second button of the toolbar, and at least one of the one or more of the plurality of attributes associated with the second button of the toolbar identifies at least one function to be performed without user actuation of the second button. 
     
     
         18 . A method of modifying a toolbar, the method comprising:
 transmitting a toolbar program to be installed on a user computer, the toolbar program including a predetermined Internet Protocol address and a toolbar database, the toolbar database including data version information and specifications for generating a toolbar with one or more buttons at the user computer, the specifications comprising:   a plurality of name-value attributes, the plurality of name-value attributes comprising, for at least a first button of the toolbar:
 a button caption; 
 an enablement attribute specifying whether the button is enabled or disabled; 
 an execution type; and 
 a location attribute specifying at least one of a location of a file for the button function or a network location for the button function; and wherein the first button of the toolbar includes: 
 a location attribute comprising a first network location; and 
 an execution type to cause a web browser of the user computer to open a web page from the location attribute; wherein the toolbar program is configured to generate and display the toolbar in the web browser at the user computer in accordance with the toolbar database; wherein the toolbar program is further configured to contact a server, without user interaction, using the predetermined Internet Protocol address, to transmit the data version information of the toolbar database to the server and it may be determined, from the data version information, that the user computer should receive an updated toolbar data for the toolbar program, and to receive the updated toolbar data at the user computer. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the toolbar program is further configured to cause the user computer to insert the updated toolbar data into the toolbar database, thereby producing an updated toolbar database, wherein inserting the toolbar update data includes replacing the first network location with a second network location as the location attribute of the first button. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the determination that the user computer should receive updated toolbar data for the toolbar program is performed remote from the server at the predetermined Internet Protocol address.