Systems and methods for enabling a user to operate on displayed web content via a web browser plug-in

Abstract

A method and apparatus is disclosed that transmits a plug-in module to a web browser of a client computer. The web browser displays web content in a main window. The plug-in module, when activated, causes the web browser to display a user interface to a user of the client computer. The user interface is separate from the main window of the web browser, displays at least a portion of the web content, and is configured to enable the user to operate on the displayed at least a portion of the web content.

1 . A method comprising:
 transmitting, by a server computer, a module to a browser of a first client computer, the browser displaying content in a window;   transmitting, by the server computer, the module to a second client computer;   receiving, at the server computer, a link from the module at the second client computer;   identifying, by the server computer, the content via an index based on the link received from the second client computer; and   transmitting, by the server computer, an advertisement to the second client computer for display.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the module to the browser further comprises transmitting the module to the browser to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to provide a rating for the content. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the module to the browser further comprises transmitting the module to the browser to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to provide a comment for the content. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the module to the browser further comprises transmitting the module to the browser to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to submit the content to a search engine. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the module to the browser further comprises transmitting the module to the browser to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to identify the content for submission to a search engine. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the module to the browser further comprises transmitting the module to the browser to cause the browser to display the user interface, the user interface being further configured to transmit the link of the displayed content to the server computer for an extraction of the displayed at least one portion of the content. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising extracting, by the server computer, the at least one portion of the content from the displayed content after receiving the link. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the module to the browser further comprises transmitting the module to the web browser to cause the browser to display the user interface, the user interface further configured to facilitate the user to post at least some of the content to a social networking site. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying of the web content in a user interface further comprises displaying representative information of the web content comprising a picture, an icon, a sentence, or a paragraph in the content. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the module further comprises transmitting the module to the browser to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to display advertisements posted by other users who have communicated with the server computer for a module. 
     
     
         11 . A server computer comprising:
 a processor; and   a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
 first transmission logic executed by the processor and configured to transmit a module to a browser of a first client computer, the browser displaying a content in a window; 
 second transmission logic executed by the processor and configured to transmit the module to a browser of a second client computer; 
 receive logic executed by the processor and configured to receive a link from the module at the second client computer; 
 identification logic executed by the processor and configured to identify the content via an index based on the link received from the second client computer; and 
 third transmission logic executed by the processor and configured to transmit an advertisement to the second client computer for display. 
   
     
     
         12 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first transmission logic further comprises transmission logic is configured to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to provide a rating for the content. 
     
     
         13 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first transmission logic further comprises transmission logic is configured to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to provide a comment for the content. 
     
     
         14 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first transmission logic further comprises transmission logic is configured to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to submit the content to a search engine. 
     
     
         15 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first transmission logic further comprises transmission logic is configured to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to identify the web content for a submission to a search engine. 
     
     
         16 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first transmission logic further comprises transmission logic is configured to cause the web browser to display the user interface, the user interface further configured to transmit the link of the displayed content to the server computer for an extraction of the displayed at least a portion of the content. 
     
     
         17 . The server computer of  claim 16 , further comprising extraction logic executed by the processor and configured to extract the at least one portion of the content from the displayed content after receiving the link. 
     
     
         18 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first transmission logic further comprises transmission logic is configured to cause the browser to display a user interface, the user interface being further configured to facilitate the user to post at least some of the content to a social networking site. 
     
     
         19 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first transmission logic further comprises transmission logic is configured to cause the browser to display the user interface, the user interface being further configured to display a representative information of the content comprising a picture, an icon, a sentence, or a paragraph in the content. 
     
     
         20 . A system, comprising:
 a server computer comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising:
 first transmission logic executed by the processor and configured to transmit a module to a browser of a first client computer, the browser displaying a content in a window; 
 second transmission logic executed by the processor and configured to transmit the module to a browser of a second client computer; 
 receive logic executed by the processor and configured to receive a link from the module at the second client computer; 
 identification logic executed by the processor and configured to identify the content via an index based on the link received from the second client computer; and 
 third transmission logic executed by the processor and configured to transmit an advertisement to the second client computer for display.