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 generating output data at a server for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said server over a network, comprising the steps of: 
 maintaining a plurality of sets of formatting instructions;    receiving a request for viewable data from a browsing device, wherein said request includes a format identifier;    selecting text/graphics data in response to said format identifier;    combining said selected text/graphics data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said format identifier to produce output data; and    transmitting said output data to said browsing device, wherein    said sets of formatting instructions differ from one another by positioning portions of said selected text/graphics data at different locations on a page.    
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said text/graphics data is stored in at least one database.  
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said sets of formatting instructions are stored in a database.  
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises at least one function.  
     
     
         25 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises an HTML template.  
     
     
         26 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said request includes a checksum.  
     
     
         27 . A method according to  claim 21  wherein said request is a URL.  
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said output data is in HTML.  
     
     
         29 . A method of generating output data at a server for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said server over a network, comprising the steps of: 
 maintaining a plurality of sets of formatting instructions;    maintaining a set of records;    receiving a request for viewable data from a browsing device, wherein the request includes a format identifier;    selecting text/graphics data from at least two of said records in response to said format identifier;    combining said selected text/graphics data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said format identifier to produce output data; and    transmitting the output data to said browsing device, wherein    said sets of formatting instructions differ from one another by positioning portions of said selected text/graphics data at different locations on a page.    
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein said sets of formatting instructions are stored in a database.  
     
     
         31 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises at least one function.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises an HTML template.  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein said request is a URL.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein said output data is in HTML.  
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein said request additionally includes a user identifier, and said set of formatting instructions is selected in response to said format identifier and said user identifier.  
     
     
         36 . A method of generating output data at a server for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said server over a network, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request for viewable data from a browsing device, wherein the request includes a format identifier;    selecting text data and graphics data in response to said format identifier;    combining said selected data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said format identifier to produce output data, wherein    a plurality of possible sets of formatting instructions are available that differ from one another by positioning portions of said selected data at different locations on a page; and    transmitting the output data to said browsing device.    
     
     
         37 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein said sets of formatting instructions are stored in a database.  
     
     
         38 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises at least one function.  
     
     
         39 . A method according to claim  16 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises an HTML template.  
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein said request is a URL.  
     
     
         41 . A method according to  claim 36 , wherein said output data is in HTML.  
     
     
         42 . A method of generating output data at a server for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said server over a network, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a request for viewable data from a requesting browsing device, wherein the request includes a format identifier and a user identifier;    reading text/graphics data in response to said received request;    combining said text/graphics data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said user identifier and said format identifier to produce output data, wherein a plurality of possible sets of formatting instructions are available that differ from one another by positioning one or more portions of the text/graphics data at different locations on a page displayed at a browsing device; and    transmitting the output data to said requesting browsing device.    
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein said text/graphics data is stored in at least one database.  
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein said sets of formatting instructions are stored in a database.  
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises at least one function.  
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises an HTML template.  
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein said request is a URL.  
     
     
         48 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein said output data is in HTML.  
     
     
         49 . Apparatus for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said apparatus over a network, comprising a processor, storage, memory and a network connection, wherein said processor is configured to perform the steps of: 
 maintaining a plurality of sets of formatting instructions;    receiving a request for viewable data from a browsing device, wherein said request includes a format identifier;    selecting text/graphics data in response to said format identifier;    combining said selected text/graphics data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said format identifier to produce output data; and    transmitting said output data to said browsing device, wherein    said sets of formatting instructions differ from one another by positioning portions of said selected text/graphics data at different locations on a page.    
     
     
         50 . Apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein said text/graphics data is stored in at least one database.  
     
     
         51 . Apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein said sets of formatting instructions are stored in a database.  
     
     
         52 . Apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises at least one function.  
     
     
         53 . Apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein each of said sets of formatting instructions comprises an HTML template.  
     
     
         54 . Apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein said request includes a checksum.  
     
     
         55 . Apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein said request is a URL.  
     
     
         56 . Apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein said output data is in HTML.  
     
     
         57 . Apparatus for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said apparatus over a network, comprising a processor, storage, memory and a network connection, wherein said processor is configured to perform the steps of: 
 maintaining a plurality of sets of formatting instructions;    maintaining a set of records;    receiving a request for viewable data from a browsing device, wherein the request includes a format identifier;    selecting text/graphics data from at least two of said records in response to said format identifier;    combining said selected text/graphics data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said format identifier to produce output data; and    transmitting the output data to said browsing device, wherein    said sets of formatting instructions differ from one another by positioning portions of said selected text/graphics data at different locations on a page.    
     
     
         58 . Apparatus for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said apparatus over a network, comprising a processor, storage, memory and a network connection, wherein said processor is configured to perform the steps of: 
 receiving a request for viewable data from a browsing device, wherein the request includes a format identifier;    selecting text data and graphics data in response to said format identifier;    combining said selected data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said format identifier to produce output data, wherein    a plurality of possible sets of formatting instructions are available that differ from one another by positioning portions of said selected data at different locations on a page; and    transmitting the output data to said browsing device.    
     
     
         59 . Apparatus for the distribution of data to one or more browsing devices connected to said apparatus over a network, comprising a processor, storage, memory and a network connection, wherein said processor is configured to perform the steps of: 
 receiving a request for viewable data from a requesting browsing device, wherein the request includes a format identifier and a user identifier;    reading text/graphics data in response to said received request;    combining said text/graphics data with a set of formatting instructions selected in response to said user identifier and said format identifier to produce output data, wherein a plurality of possible sets of format instructions are available that differ from one another by positioning one or more portions of the text/graphics data at different locations on a page displayed at a browsing device; and    transmitting the output data to said requesting browsing device.