BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The Internet is a global network of millions of computers belonging to various commercial and non-profit entities such as corporations, universities, and research organizations. The computer networks of the Internet are connected by gateways that handle data transfer and conversion of messages from a sending network to the protocols used by a receiving network. The Internets collection of networks and gateways use the TCP/IP protocol. TCP/IP is an acronym for Transport Control Protocol/interface Program, a software protocol developed by the Department of Defense. The increasing use of wide area networks such as the Internet has resulted in an explosion in the provision of on-line services. Computer users can access a vast wealth of information and services by utilizing a wide area network to establish a connection with other computers connected to the network.

Typically, the computers connected to a wide area network such as the Internet are identified as either servers or clients. A server is a computer that stores files that are available to other computers connected to the network. A client is a computer connected to the network that accesses the files and other resources provided by a server. To obtain information from a server, a client computer makes a request for a file or information located on the server using a specified protocol. Upon receipt of a properly formatted request, the server downloads the file to the client computer.

The World Wide Web is a system of Internet servers using specified Internet protocols and supporting specially formatted documents. The HyperText Transfer Protocol ("HTTP") is the underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and what actions Web servers and browsers

should take in response to various commands. The other main standard of the World Wide Web is Hyper-Text Markup Language ("HTML"), which covers how documents and files are formatted and displayed. HTML supports links to other documents, as well as graphics, audio, and video files.

Users access the content contained on the Internet and the World Wide Web with an Internet Browser, which is a software application used to locate and display web pages. A Web page is a document or file on the World Wide Web. Every Web page or file on a web server is identified by a unique Uniform Resource Locator. A Uniform Resource Locator ("URL") is the global address of files and other resources on the Internet.

The address indicates the protocol being used and specifies the IP address or the domain name where the file or resource is located. Typically, a URL identifies the name of the server and the path to a desired file on the server. For example, a URL for particular file on a web server may be constructed as follows :"http ://< server>/< f i lepath >", where <server> identifies the server on which the file is located and <filepath> identifies the path to the file on the server. Thus, with the name of the server and the correct path to a file, a properly formatted URL accesses a desired file on a server connected to the World Wide Web.

Prior art web browsers generally include a field, which displays the URL of the currently viewed web page. Users often access web sites by initially directing their browser to the home page of a particular web site. The home page is generally intended to be the starting point for a particular user's session on that web site since it typically serves as a table of contents and informs users of new content available on the site. The computer network address for many home pages is commonly in the form of http://www. < merchantname>. com. However, a particular merchant web site may be supported by several web servers, each having a different URL. Accordingly, when the user navigates to another page available on the web site, the browser address location field may display an address having little or no resemblance to the address of the web site's home page. In fact, the address appearing in the location field of the web browser may be an I P address, which is a unique string of numbers giving the user no indication of the home page address or the corresponding entity. As the user navigates the Internet

with his browser, he must therefore remember the home page address or repeatedly click the"Back"button in order to navigate back to it and, for example, create a bookmark.

In addition, similar problems are encountered with the use of search engines.

Search engines are a way of locating desired information on the Internet or other computer network. Typically, a user enters key words or search terms into a search engine, which returns a list of URLs corresponding to files on web sites or USENET groups where the key words or search terms were found. A search engine returns a list of links to particular web pages. Often, the particular web pages addresses bear no indication of the home page address.

Accordingly, as users of the Internet's World Wide Web encounter increasing amounts of Web-delivered information and services, they need a method and system that identifies in real time the home page address and the particular entity corresponding to the web page currently being viewed. In addition, there exists a need in the art for a method and system that allows creating a bookmark pointing to the home page of a particular web site without having to navigate one's browser to the home page. The present invention substantially fulfills these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a real time-time site identification system for use on a computer network. According to the invention, the home page address of a particular web site is embedded in each page corresponding to that web site. As used herein,"embedded"means that the home page address is contained in each page in a form that does not affect how the page is displayed in the browser's display window.

Rather, the user's browser is configured to recognize the embedded home page information and display it separately to the user. Preferred embodiments of the invention allow the user the option to create a bookmark from the embedded home page address.

In this manner, the present invention allows for the creation of a bookmark corresponding to the home page of a particular web site, while a subsequent page on that web site is being viewed.

More specifically, the present invention provides a method for identifying the home page address corresponding to the currently viewed page. The method comprises

(a) receiving a request for a page by a user; and (b) transmitting the page to the user, the page including the home page address corresponding to the page, wherein the home page address is embedded in the page. In preferred form, the page further includes the corresponding entity name also embedded in the page. In one embodiment, the home page address is embedded as a hidden field in the currently viewed page.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a method at the client side for identifying the home page address corresponding to a particular page on a computer network. The method comprises (a) receiving a page from a server, the page including the home page address corresponding to the page, the home page address being embedded in the page; (b) detecting the home page address embedded in the page; and (c) displaying the home page address. In preferred form, the method also comprises (d) creating a bookmark for the home page address of the currently viewed page.

In addition, the present invention also provides an apparatus for identifying the home page address corresponding to the currently viewed page on a computer network, wherein the currently viewed page has embedded therein the corresponding home page address. The apparatus comprises means for receiving a page from a server; means for detecting the home page address embedded in the page; and means for displaying the home page address to the user. In preferred form, the apparatus further comprises means for allowing the user to create a bookmark corresponding to the home page address currently displayed to the user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of the present invention as applied to the Internet.

Figure 2 is a flow-chart diagram illustrating a preferred method of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention as applied to the Internet 60. Of course, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that the present invention can be applied across any computer network.

As Figure 1 shows, the method and system of the present invention generally

involves at least one merchant or other web site 30 and at least one user 20 connected to the I nternet 60. As is conventional, merchant or web site 30 is supported by web or Internet servers 32, which receive requests submitted by users and transmit files and other documents to users. In one preferred embodiment, servers 42 are connected to the Internet 60. Servers 32 may be implemented in hardware or software, or preferably a combination of both. In preferred form, the server is implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers each comprising at least one processor, a data storage system (including volatile and non-volatile media), at least one input device, and at least one output device.

As Figure 1 shows, one embodiment of the present invention works in conjunction with a conventional computer having Internet Browsing Software and a connection to the Internet. The user's computer 20 can be any conventional personal computer known in the art. In preferred form, the user's computer includes at least one processor, a data storage system (including volatile and non-volatile media), a keyboard, a display, at least one input device and at least one output device. In one preferred embodiment, the user's computer is connected to the Internet via a modem dial-up connection or through a network line. Such communication could also be wireless.

Operation Figure 2 illustrates the steps involved in the present invention. A preferred embodiment of the present invention features the use of hidden fields in an HTML form.

More specifically, a user accesses merchant site 30 with Internet browsing software and requests a page from server 32, as is conventional (Step 102). Typically, a user accesses merchant site 30 by entering the URL corresponding to the home page of merchant site 30. For didactic purposes, the home page of merchant site is http://www. homepage. com/. As is conventional, home page is an HTML document containing links to other documents and files available on merchant site 30. As is conventional, the user may browse the contents of merchant site 30 by clicking on the links provided in each page.

In response to the user's request, server 32 transmits the requested page to the user's computer 20 (step 104). According to the invention, embedded in the page is the

home page address corresponding to that page. In one preferred embodiment, each page or HTML document sent from server 32 to the user's computer 20 contains a form having two hidden fields. One hidden field identifies the home page ("www. homepage. com," in this example) corresponding to the currently viewed page, while a second hidden field identifies the name of the entity associated with merchant or web site 30. As one skilled in the art will recognize, these hidden fields can be implemented in the Document Object Model. More specifically, the elements of a form include, among other things, (1) input boxes, which are displayed by a browser, and (2) hidden fields, which are not displayed. The HTML standard maps both visible and invisible elements into the Document Object Model, where the use of a scripting langage, such as JavaScript, can access the hidden field. Again, for didactic purposes, the hidden field declaration will appear in the body of the HTML document and will generally follow the syntax: < html > < body> <form-name="merchantsite"> < input_type= hidden value="www. homepage. com">.

Similarly, the hidden field declaration corresponding to the name of the merchant may be, for example, <html> <body> <form_name="merchantname"> <input-type=hidden value ="merchant">.

According to the invention, the user's computer 20 is equipped with browsing software that is configured to match on the form names"merchantsite"and "merchantname". In preferred form, the browser is configured to include a small box which displays both the"merchantsite"and"merchantname"values of the currently viewed page. In addition, preferred browsers also include the option to create a bookmark corresponding to the then-current"merchantsite"value. In this manner, a user can create a bookmark corresponding to the home page of a web site, while viewing a subsequently appearing page on that web site. Prior art browsers and systems require the user to navigate back to the home page and then create a bookmark.

Alternatively, other preferred embodiments take advantage of so-called meta tags in the head of an HTML document. As one skilled in the art will recognize, a meta tag is

a HTML tag that provides information about a Web page. Unlike normal HTML tags, meta tags do not affect how the page is displayed. Instead, they contain information about the page, such as its author and keywords representing the content of the page.

According to this embodiment, each HTML document or page sent to the user inclues a head having a property called, for example,"homepage"having a value "http://www. homepage. com./" The HTML document may further include another property called"merchantname"having a value corresponding to the name of the entity corresponding to merchant site 30. More specifically, the declaration may follow the form: <html><head><meta name="homepage"value="www. homepage. com">.

According to the invention, the functionality of the user's browsing software is augmented to key on or recognize the"homepage"and"merchantname"tags and display them to the user as described above. Furthermore, as above, preferred browsers also include the ability to create a bookmark corresponding to the then-current"homepage" value.

Yet other embodiments feature the use of LINK elements in the heads of HTML pages. More specifically, a new LINK type is declared, such as <Link REL="homepage" contents ="www. homepage. com">, or <Link REL="name"contents="merchant name">. As with above, the functionality of the user's browsing software must be augmented to recognize the LINKs declared in the HTML document.

SUMMARY With respect to the above-provided description, one skilled in the art will readily recognize that the present invention has application in a variety of contexts. The foregoing description illustrates the principes of the present invention and provides examples of its implementation. For example, although the preferred embodiment is described as working in conjunction with an Internet browser and HTML documents, the present invention may be used in connection with any suitable software application for accessing files according to any suitable format. Moreover, the present invention has application over any computer network. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the scope of the claims to the exact embodiments shown and described.