Browser system having simplified URL address registering method

Abstract

The present invention relates to a browser apparatus for browsing a variety of homepages supplied from servers over e.g. the Internet. In the browser apparatus, the address of a homepage is classified and registered through a user carrying out with a mouse a drag-and-drop action of its pointer to shift an item displayed in a region of the screen where the homepage is displayed to one of classifications determined by the user and displayed on the screen. This allows the registration of e.g. a homepage address to be much simplified.A browser apparatus includes a display unit having a screen including a first region for displaying data supplied from a server and a second region for displaying an icon image. The browser apparatus also includes a commander responsive to an action for controlling a pointer displayed on the screen. The browser apparatus further includes a controller responsive to a selected icon image displayed in the second region, selected by the commander for displaying a pull-down menu having a title list associated with URL addresses and responsive to a title selected from the pull-down menu by the commander for accessing a URL address associated with the selected title and displaying data supplied from the server corresponding to the accessed URL address in the first region. The icon image is displayed in the second region when the data supplied from the accessed URL address is displayed in the first region.

1. A browser apparatus for displaying data supplied from a server over a communication network, comprising:
 a display unit having a screen including a first region for displaying said data supplied from said server and a second region for displaying at least one icon image; 
 a storage for storing a plurality of URL addresses associated with said icon image; 
 a commander responsive to an action of a user for controlling a location of a pointer displayed on said screen of said display unit; and 
 a controller responsive to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer from an item displayed in said first region of said screen to said second region of said screen to control said storage to store a URL address corresponding to said item in said storage, and responsive to a selected icon image displayed in said second region, selected by said commander for displaying a pull-down menu having a title list associated with said plurality of URL addresses in said display unit and responsive to a title selected from said pull-down menu by said commander for accessing a URL address associated with said selected title and displaying data supplied from said server corresponding to said accessed URL address in said first region, wherein said icon image is displayed in said second region when said data supplied from said accessed URL address is displayed in said first region. 
 
     
     
       2. The browser apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said display unit has said second region for displaying a plurality of icon images associated with a classification respectively. 
     
     
       3. The browser apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein said storage stores a plurality of user named classifications associated with said icon image, each of said classifications assigned to a plurality of URL addresses associated with a respective plurality of data from said server. 
     
     
       4. The browser appartaus apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein a controller is responsive to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer for dragging a URL address associated with said data displayed in said first region from said first region of said screen to one of said plurality of said user named classifications displayed as icon images in said second region of said screen and dropping said dragged URL address in one of said plurality of said user name classifications displayed as an icon image in said second region of said screen by said commander for controlling to control said storage to store said dropped URL address corresponding to said data displayed in said first region in association with said one of said plurality of said user named classification classifications thereof displayed in said second region. 
     
     
       5. A browsing method comprising the steps of:
 displaying data supplied from a server in a first region of a screen of a display unit and displaying an icon image in a second region of said screen; 
 storing a URL address corresponding to an item displayed in said first region of said screen in response to a drag-and-drop action of a pointer from said item to said second region of said screen;  
 selecting said icon image displayed in said second region by a said pointer; 
 displaying a pull down menu having a title list associated with a plurality of URL addresses registered in said selected icon image; 
 selecting a title from said pull down menu; 
 accessing a URL address associated with said selected title; and 
 displaying data supplied from said server corresponding to said accessed URL address in said first region, wherein said icon image is displayed in said second region when said data supplied from said accessed URL address is displayed in said first region. 
 
     
     
       6. The browser method according to  claim 5 , wherein said display unit has said second region for displaying a plurality of icon images associated with a classification respectively. 
     
     
       7. A non-transitory storage medium for storing a browser software program, the browser software program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:
 displaying data supplied from a server in a first region of a screen of a display unit and displaying an icon image in a second region of said screen; 
 storing a URL address corresponding to an item displayed in said first region of said screen in response to a drag-and-drop action of a pointer from said item to said second region of said screen;  
 displaying a pull-down menu having a title list associated with a plurality of URL addresses registered in said icon image displayed in said second region selected by a said pointer; 
 accessing a URL address associated with a title selected from said pull-down menu; and 
 displaying data supplied from said server corresponding to said accessed URL address in said first region, wherein said icon image is displayed in said second region when said data supplied from said accessed URL address is displayed in said first region. 
 
     
     
       8. The storage medium according to  claim 7 , wherein said display unit has said second region for displaying a plurality of icon images associated with a classification respectively. 
     
     
       9. The browsing method according to claim 5, wherein said pointer is a touch panel.  
     
     
       10. The browsing method according to claim 5, wherein the displaying the data supplied from said server corresponding to said accessed URL address comprises displaying image data or text data from said server.  
     
     
       11. The browser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the browser apparatus is connected to a local area network.  
     
     
       12. The browser apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the browser apparatus comprises an Internet television function.  
     
     
       13. A browser apparatus for displaying data supplied from a server over a communication network, comprising:
 a screen that displays a first area for displaying said data supplied from said server, a second area for displaying a URL address associated with said data displayed in said first area and a third area for displaying at least one icon image in a pull down menu having a title list associated with a plurality of URL addresses;   storing means for storing at least one URL address associated with said icon image;   command means for controlling a location of a pointer on said screen according to a user input; and   control means for controlling said storing means to store a URL address corresponding to an item displayed in said first area of said screen in response to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer from said item to said third area of said screen, and for controlling said storing means to store a URL address displayed in said second area in association with an icon image displayed in said third area in response to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer from said second area to said icon image displayed in said third area by said command means.    
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a tree of a plurality of icon images is displayed in said third area.  
     
     
       15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said third area is displayed on a side of said first area, and said second area is displayed on top of said first and third areas.  
     
     
       16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said third area is displayed on a left side of said first area.  
     
     
       17. The browser apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the browser apparatus is connected to a local area network.  
     
     
       18. The browser apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the browser apparatus comprises an Internet television function.  
     
     
       19. An address registering method, comprising:
 displaying, to a screen, a first area for displaying data supplied from a server, a second area for displaying a URL address associated with said data displayed in said first area and a third area for displaying at least one icon image in a pull down menu having a title list associated with a plurality of URL addresses;   storing a URL address corresponding to an item displayed in said first area in response to a drag-and-drop action of a pointer from said item to said third area; and   storing a URL address displayed in said second area in association with an icon image displayed in said third area in response to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer from said second area to said icon image displayed in said third area.    
     
     
       20. The address registering method according to claim 19, wherein said pointer is a touch panel.  
     
     
       21. The address registering method according to claim 19, wherein the displaying comprises displaying image data or text data from said server.  
     
     
       22. A non-transitory storage medium for storing a browser software program, the browser software program, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform a method comprising:
 displaying, to a screen, a first area for displaying data supplied from a server, a second area for displaying a URL address associated with said data displayed in said first area and a third area for displaying at least one icon image in a pull down menu having a title list associated with a plurality of URL addresses;   storing a URL address corresponding to an item displayed in said first area in response to a drag-and-drop action of a pointer from said item to said third area; and   storing a URL address displayed in said second area in association with an icon image displayed in said third area in response to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer from said second area to said icon image displayed in said third area.    
     
     
       23. A browser apparatus for displaying data supplied from a server over a communication network, comprising:
 a display device configured to display, with a screen, a first area for displaying said data supplied from said server, a second area for displaying a URL address associated with said data displayed in said first area and a third area for displaying at least one icon image in a pull down menu having a title list associated with a plurality of URL addresses;   a storage device configured to store at least one URL address associated with said icon image;   a commander device configured to control a location of a pointer on said display device according to a user input; and   a controller configured to control said storage device to store a URL address corresponding to an item displayed in said first area of said display device in response to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer from said item to said third area of said display device and to control said storage device to store a URL address displayed in said second area in association with an icon image displayed in said third area in response to a drag-and-drop action of said pointer from said second area to said icon image displayed in said third area by said commander device.