MR. PETER NGOC PHAM, D.D.S.
Dentist at Jackson Ave, San Jose, CA

2003020, Nov 6, 2003

Jan 23, 2003

10/427082

Peter Pham - San Jose CA, US

G06F015/16, G06F017/00, G06F007/00

707/002000, 709/203000, 707/104100

A method and apparatus for transparently linking keywords displayed in a document viewer on a display monitor attached to the said computer system to information on a remote web-based information retrieval system (or web site) comprises of an access agent executing on a computer system. The said web site is coupled to the said computer system over a computer network and executes a keyword lookup server as a server-side program (CGI) for providing a keyword-based information retrieval service which is remotely accessible using standard Universal Resource Locator (URL) web access method (or HTTP). The said access agent installs one or more input device handlers for intercepting and scanning user input for one or more pre-configured hot key. Each of the said hot keys is mapped to one or more URLs which contain a special marker to be replaced by a keyword selected by the user and is used to access the said lookup service for retrieving information associated with the said user-selected keyword. The user selects the said keyword displayed in a document viewer by highlighting it or positioning an input device's cursor on or at it and then applies a said hot key. The said hot key consequently triggers the said access agent to retrieve the said URL associated with the said hot key and the said user-selected keyword from the display buffer associated with the said document viewer window. Next, the said access agent replaces the special marker in the said URL with the said user-selected keyword and then invoke a web browser using the said URL for retrieving information associated with the said keyword and handling the retrieved information.