Alternating display of web browsers for simulating single-browser navigation

Abstract

A browser application has at least two web browser objects for browsing Private PAIR while hiding multi-page navigation from a user. The browser application is configured to automatically download XML data from Private PAIR, and generate one or more reports therefrom, including a Daily Updates report, a Cross Checker report, and a Docket Listing report. The browser application is preferably configured to selectively provide limited access to Private PAIR by restricting user navigation to programmatic navigation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing access to Private PAIR to a user, comprising:
 (a) displaying, via a monitor, a graphical user interface element prompting a user to identify, via one or more peripheral devices, a location of a security certificate for use in logging in to Private PAIR;   (b) displaying, via a monitor, a graphical user interface element prompting a user to input, via one or more peripheral devices, a password associated with the security certificate for use in logging in to Private PAIR;   (c) storing, in a computer readable medium at a computing device under control of the user, the location of the security certificate for use in logging in to Private PAIR, an identification of the location having been input by a user via one or more peripheral devices;   (d) storing, in a computer readable medium at a computing device under control of the user, the password associated with the security certificate for use in logging in to Private PAIR, the password having been input by a user via one or more peripheral devices;   (e) upon launching of an application, effecting navigation to a login page for Private PAIR;   (f) automatically effecting login to Private PAIR, said automatically effecting login including inputting, via the login page, the location of the security certificate and the password associated with the security certificate; and   (g) displaying, to a user via a monitor, a Private PAIR page.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising steps of:
 (a) receiving, from a user via a program user interface, a navigation request; and   (b) effecting navigation to fulfill the navigation request.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of displaying, via a monitor, a graphical user interface element prompting a user to acknowledge, via one or more peripheral devices, export control regulations. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to said steps of storing the location and password, a step of confirming that the export control regulations were acknowledged. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the security certificate is a PKI certificate. 
     
     
         6 . A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . A method, comprising:
 (a) displaying, to a user via a monitor, a first web page via a first browser;   (b) receiving, from the user via a program user interface, a navigation request;   (c) effecting navigation, based on the received user navigation request, utilizing a second browser, the second browser not being visible to the user;   (d) determining that navigation based on the received user navigation request is completed; and   (e) displaying, to the user via the monitor, web content via the second browser, wherein, upon such displaying, the first browser is no longer visible to the user.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the first web page is a first Private PAIR web page, and wherein the received navigation request is a request to navigate to a second Private PAIR web page. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the received navigation request includes an application number input by the user via the program user interface, and wherein the second Private PAIR web page includes data associated with that application number, and further comprising a step of determining that a text string input by the user is an application number. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the received navigation request includes an attorney docket number input by the user via the program user interface, and wherein the second Private PAIR web page includes data associated with that attorney docket number, and further comprising a step of determining that a text string input by the user is an attorney docket number. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said step of determining that a text string input by the user is an attorney docket number includes a step of determining that the text string begins with a particular character. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the received navigation request includes an indication of a Private PAIR tab selected by the user via the program user interface, and wherein the second Private PAIR web page displays that tab. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, after a user attempts to navigate Private PAIR via clicking on a link or button on a Private PAIR web page displayed via the first browser, a step of canceling navigation of the first browser to prevent the user from navigating utilizing such link or button. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising steps of
 (a) receiving, from the user via the program user interface, a second navigation request;   (b) effecting navigation, based on the received second user navigation request, utilizing the first browser, the first browser not being visible to the user;   (c) determining that navigation based on the received user navigation request is completed; and   (d) displaying, to the user via the monitor, web content via the second browser.   
     
     
         15 . A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of  claim 7 . 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 (a) upon launching of an application, effecting navigation via a first browser to a login page for Private PAIR;   (b) automatically effecting login to Private PAIR, said automatically effecting login including inputting, via the login page, a location of the security certificate and a password associated with the security certificate; and   (c) displaying, to a user via a monitor, a Private PAIR page via a first browser;   (d) effecting navigation, via a second browser that is not visible to the user, to a Private PAIR download page; and   (e) automatically downloading, via the Private PAIR data download page, data associated with the security certificate.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the data associated with the security certificate is data associated with customer numbers associated with the security certificate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the data associated with the security certificate is XML data. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising steps of generating one or more reports based on automatically downloaded data and displaying one of the one or more reports to a user via a monitor. 
     
     
         20 . A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of  claim 16 .