Serving signals

Abstract

Output signals are served from a serving device to a plurality of browsing devices connected to a network. The output signals represent commands executable by each browsable device so as to display viewable data in accordance with specified page formatting. Requests from browsing clients are identified which contain information relating to the data itself and the display format for the data. The data is read and processed so as to combine a representation of the viewable data with executable instructions. The signals are then supplied to requesting browsing devices, after effectively being assembled as a real time on-line process.

1 - 20 . (canceled)  
     
     
         21 . A method of serving output signals from a serving device to a plurality of browsing client devices connected via a network to the serving device, wherein said output signals represent commands executable by said browsing client devices for displaying pages of human viewable data, said method comprising: 
 receiving a request from a browsing device in the form of a URL (uniform resource locator) that identifies human viewable data, said URL including a check sum;    determining the validity of said check sum within said received URL; and    serving output signals to the requesting browsing client device, such that:    (a) when a URL is received that identifies said human viewable data and includes a valid check sum, first signals are processed which represent human viewable data; second signals are processed which represent formatting data that specifies locations on a page of said human viewable data when displayed; and said first signals and said second signals are processed to produce first output signals that are served to the requesting browsing client device; and    (b) when a URL is received that identifies said human viewable data and includes an invalid check sum, second output signals (that are different from said first output signals) are served to the requesting browsing client device.    
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said second output signals served to the requesting browsing client device represent an error message.  
     
     
         23 . A method of serving output signals from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 21 , wherein said received URLs include a user identifier, and said method comprises: 
 determining the validity of user identifiers within received URLs; and    serving output signals to the requesting browsing devices in dependence of the validity of user identifiers, such that (a) when a URL (uniform resource locator) requests specified human viewable data and includes a valid user identifier, output signals are served to the requesting browsing client device; and (b) when a URL requests the same specified human viewable data and includes an invalid user identifier, different output signals are served to the requesting browsing client device.    
     
     
         24 . A method of serving output signals from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 23  wherein, when a URL request includes an invalid user identifier, routines are called enabling the user to be treated as a new user and open an account while remaining on-line.  
     
     
         25 . A method of serving output signals from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 23 , wherein said method further comprises writing to a user database an indication of which pages of human viewable data were viewed and at what time, thereby recording user usage of the serving station.  
     
     
         26 . A method of serving output signals from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 23 , wherein 
 a history of usage is recorded and analysed to identify user preferences; and    prior to said first signals being processed with said second signals, specific first signals are selected in response to a user's own history of use.    
     
     
         27 . A method of serving output signals from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 21 , wherein said received URLs include a formatting element identifying the type of formatting required, and said method comprises: 
 determining the validity of formatting elements within received URLs; and    serving output signals to the requesting browsing devices in dependence of the validity of formatting elements, such that (a) when a URL (uniform resource locator) requests specified human viewable data and includes a valid formatting element, output signals are served to the requesting browsing client device; and (b) when a URL requests the same specified human viewable data and includes an invalid formatting element, different output signals are served to the requesting browsing client device.    
     
     
         28 . A method of serving output signals from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 21 , wherein said received URLs include a formatting element identifying the type of formatting required, and said method comprises: 
 storing a plurality of different function strings;    identifying one of the function strings from the formatting element; and    executing the function string to generate output signals for serving to a browsing client.    
     
     
         29 . A method of serving output signals from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 21 , wherein said output signals represent HTML commands.  
     
     
         30 . A method of serving HTML (hypertext mark-up language) commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices connected by the internet to the serving station, such that said HTML commands are executable by said browsing client devices for generating structured pages of human viewable data, said method comprising: 
 receiving requests in the form of URLs (uniform resource locators) from browsing devices for human viewable data, each of said URLs including a check sum,    determining the validity of check sums within received URLs, and    serving HTML commands to the requesting browsing devices dependent upon the validity of user identifiers, such that:    (a) when a URL (uniform resource locator) requests specific human viewable data and includes a valid check sum, first signals representing human viewable data and second signals representing a selected display structure are processed to produce HTML commands that are served to the requesting browsing client device; and    (b) when a URL requests the same specified human viewable data and includes an invalid check sum, different HTML commands are served to the requesting browsing client device.    
     
     
         31 . A method of serving HTML commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 30 , wherein said different output signals served to the requesting browsing client device represent an error message.  
     
     
         32 . A method of serving HTML commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 30 , wherein said received URLs include a user identifier, and said method comprises: 
 determining the validity of user identifiers within received URLs; and    serving HTML commands to the requesting browsing devices dependent upon the validity of user identifiers, such that:    (a) when a URL (uniform resource locator) requests specified human viewable data and includes a valid user identifier, HTML commands are served to the requesting browsing client device; and    (b) when a URL requests the same specified human viewable data and includes an invalid user identifier, different HTML commands are served to the requesting browsing client device.    
     
     
         33 . A method of serving HTML commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 32  wherein, when a URL request includes an invalid user identifier, routines are called enabling the user to be treated as a new user and to open an account while remaining on-line.  
     
     
         34 . A method of serving HTML commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 32 , wherein said method further comprises writing to a user database an indication of which pages of human viewable data were viewed and at what time, thereby recording user usage of the serving station.  
     
     
         35 . A method of serving HTML commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 32 , wherein 
 a history of usage is recorded and analysed to identify user preferences; and    prior to said first signals being processed with said second signals, specific first signals are selected in response to a user's own history of use.    
     
     
         36 . A method of serving HTML commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 30 , wherein said received URLs include a formatting element identifying the type of formatting required, and said method comprises: 
 determining the validity of formatting elements within received URLs; and    serving HTML commands to the requesting browsing devices in dependence of the validity of formatting elements, such that:    (a) when a URL (uniform resource locator) requests specified human viewable data and includes a valid formatting element, HTML commands are served to the requesting browsing client device; and    (b) when a URL requests the same specified human viewable data and includes an invalid formatting element, different HTML commands are served to the requesting browsing client device.    
     
     
         37 . A method of serving HTML commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices according to  claim 30 , wherein said received URLs include a formatting element identifying the type of formatting required, and said method comprises the steps of: 
 storing a plurality of different function strings;    identifying one of the function strings from the formatting element; and    executing the function string to generate HTML commands for serving to a browsing client.    
     
     
         38 . A method of serving HTML (hypertext mark-up language) commands from a serving station to a plurality of browsing client devices connected by the internet to the serving station, such that said HTML commands are executed by said browsing client devices to generate structured pages of human viewable data, said method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving requests in the form of URLs (uniform resource locators) from browsing devices for human viewable data, each of said URLs including a check sum and user identification data,    determining the validity of check sums within received URLs,    determining the validity of user identification data within received URLs, and    serving HTML commands to the requesting browsing devices dependent upon the validity of check sums and the validity of user identification data, such that    (a) when a URL (uniform resource locator) requests specified human viewable data and includes a valid check sum and valid user identification data, first signals representing human viewable data and second signals representing a selected display structure are processed to produce HTML commands that are served to the requesting browsing client device; and    (b) when a URL requests the same specified human viewable data and includes an invalid check sum or invalid user identification data, different HTML commands are served to the requesting browsing client device.