HTML guided web tour

Claim 2

A computer implemented method for providing a guided tour of some portion of the World Wide Web (WWW) as part of an ordinary web page comprising the steps of: initializing an array of tour web site Uniform Resource Locators (URLs); initializing global variables including a number of pages to be displayed and a next page to be displayed, wherein the global variables initialized further include a display mode and a display timer; creating a first frame for displaying a web page and a second frame for displaying controls for the guided tour; calling a first routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a specific page of a Web site in the first frame; calling a second routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a next page of a Web site in the first frame; calling a third routine from the second frame to change a mode of display of pages in the first frame between a run mode and a single step mode, and when in the single step mode turning the display timer off; initializing an array of comment web site URLs; creating a third frame for displaying comments; and accessing the array of comment web site URLs to display a comment corresponding to a displayed Web page in the first frame.

Claim 3

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps: querying a user in said third frame for displaying comments; accepting responses to said queries; and storing said responses for later retrieval.

Claim 4

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 1, wherein said third frame for displaying comments may be used for Hyper Text Mark-up Language (HTML) formatting, graphics, applets, media complements, and links.

Claim 5

A computer implemented method for providing a guided tour of some portion of the World Wide Web (WWW) as part of an ordinary web page comprising the steps of: initializing an array of tour web site Uniform Resource Locators (URLs); initializing global variables including a number of pages to be displayed and a next page to be displayed, wherein the global variables initialized further include a display mode and a display timer; creating a first frame for displaying a web page and a second frame for displaying controls for the guided tour; calling a first routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a specific page of a Web site in the first frame; calling a second routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a next page of a Web site in the first frame; and calling a third routine from the second frame to change a mode of display of pages in the first frame between a run mode and a single step mode, and when in the single step mode turning the display timer off; wherein when in run mode, further receiving input from a user adjusting a time period of the display timer which calls the second routine to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a next page of a Web site in the first frame.

Claim 6

A computer implemented method for providing a guided tour of some portion of the World Wide Web (WWW) as part of an ordinary web page comprising the steps of: initializing an array of tour web site Uniform Resource Locators (URLs); initializing global variables including a number of pages to be displayed and a next page to be displayed, wherein the global variables initialized further include a display mode and a display timer; creating a first frame for displaying a web page and a second frame for displaying controls for the guided tour; calling a first routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a specific page of a Web site in the first frame; calling a second routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a next page of a Web site in the first frame; and calling a third routine from the second frame to change a mode of display of pages in the first frame between a run mode and a single step mode, and when in the single step mode turning the display timer off; wherein when in run mode, further receiving input from a user adjusting a time period of the display timer which calls the second routine to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a next page of a Web site in the first frame.

Claim 7

A computer implemented method for providing a guided tour of some portion of the World Wide Web (WWW) as part of an ordinary web page comprising the steps of: initializing an array of tour web site Uniform Resource Locators (URLs); initializing global variables including a number of pages to be displayed and a next page to be displayed, wherein the global variables initialized further include a display mode and a display timer; creating a first frame for displaying a web page and a second frame for displaying controls for the guided tour; calling a first routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a specific page of a Web site in the first frame; calling a second routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a next page of a Web site in the first frame; and calling a third routine from the second frame to change a mode of display of pages in the first frame between a run mode and a single step mode, and when in the single step mode turning the display timer off; wherein said array of tour web site URLs comprises entries stored on a user's workstation.

Claim 8

A computer implemented method for providing a guided tour of some portion of the World Wide Web (WWW) as part of an ordinary web page comprising the steps of: initializing an array of tour web site Uniform Resource Locators (URLs); initializing global variables including a number of pages to be displayed and a next page to be displayed, wherein the global variables initialized further include a display mode and a display timer; creating a first frame for displaying a web page and a second frame for displaying controls for the guided tour; calling a first routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a specific page of a Web site in the first frame; calling a second routine from the second frame to access the array of tour web site URLs and display a next page of a Web site in the first frame; and calling a third routine from the second frame to change a mode of display of pages in the first frame between a run mode and a single step mode, and when in the single step mode turning the display timer off; wherein said array of tour web site URLs comprises entries stored on a user's workstation.

Claim 9

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein said tour web site URLs are selected from said user's "bookmarks".

Claim 10

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein said tour web site URLs are selected from said user's web browser "history" file.

Claim 11

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein said tour web site URLs are selected from results of a database search performed by said user.

Claim 12

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, wherein said tour web site URLs are selected from a list created by a history of free-ranging web surfing by said user.

Claim 13

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 5, further comprising the steps of: initializing an array of comment web site URLs; creating a third frame for displaying comments; and accessing the array of comment web site URLs to display a comment corresponding to a displayed Web page in the first frame.

Claim 14

A computer implemented method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the steps of: accepting input from a user, adding commentary to said third frame for displaying comments; storing said user input in said array of comments, thereby allowing newly added comments to be displayed when said third frame is displayed at a later time in a current tour or subsequent tour of the same web page URLs.