US 7461353

Here is a concise summary of US patent 74613353:

Title: Scalable display of internet content on mobile devices

Assignee: SoftView LLC

Inventors: Gary B. Rohrabaugh, Scott A. Sherman

Filing Date: January 28, 2005

Issue Date: December 2, 2008

Abstract: Mobile devices are enabled to support resolution-independent scalable display of Internet (Web) content, allowing Web pages to be scaled (zoomed) and panned for better viewing on smaller screen sizes. The patent describes using software-based processing of original Web content (HTML, XML, CSS, etc.) to generate scalable content. This scalable content is then rapidly rendered, zoomed, and panned, while maintaining the original Web page's layout. The system may employ display lists for rendering speed enhancements and can include hardware-based programmed logic for various operations. Some mobile devices may utilize touch-sensitive displays for user input, such as tap-based zooming on columns, images, or paragraphs, or defining a window for zooming.

Legal Status Note: The patent expired on April 18, 2022.

Litigation Note: The patent family has been involved in significant litigation, with cases filed in various District Courts (e.g., Delaware, Washington Western, Utah, California Northern, Texas Eastern) and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Cases in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) were filed as recently as 2023 (cases 23-1005 and 23-1007). A case in the Texas Eastern District Court (2:25-cv-00246) was filed in 2025. No new CAFC dockets specifically for patent 7461353 were found in 2026 through the performed search.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1: Describes a method for displaying Internet content on a client device in a way that is independent of screen resolution. A proxy server handles this by receiving a content request, retrieving the content (like a web page), converting it into a scalable vector format and compressed images, and then streaming this processed content to the client. The client then renders this content, allowing users to zoom and pan the view.
• Claim 10: Covers a computer program product (software) that enables a client device to achieve resolution-independent display. This software receives scalable web content, creates a list of display elements (vectors), processes these elements based on user-chosen zoom and pan settings, retrieves the relevant parts for display, scales them, and then shows them on the screen.
• Claim 11: Details a method for a content provider's website to deliver resolution-independent Internet content. The web server receives a client's request, gets the content, translates it into scalable vector graphics and compressed images, and streams it to the client. The client then processes and displays it with user-controlled scaling and panning.
• Claim 18: Relates to a computer program product for a web server. This software allows the web server to perform the method described in Claim 11, specifically handling client requests, retrieving content, translating it into scalable vector format and compressed bitmaps, and streaming it for resolution-independent viewing.
• Claim 20: Encompasses a system designed for resolution-independent display of Internet content on a client device. This system includes a proxy server with specialized translators for HTML and images to create scalable vector and compressed bitmap content, along with a client device that has a "thin client" (lightweight browser) to process and render this content with user-adjustable zoom and pan.
• Claim 21: Describes a system for a content provider's web site to offer resolution-independent Internet content display. It comprises a web server equipped with HTML and image translators to generate scalable vector and compressed bitmap content, and a client device featuring a thin client for processing and rendering this content with user-selected scaling and panning.
• Claim 22: Focuses on a method for a client device to process Internet content for resolution-independent display. The client receives content (e.g., an HTML document) from a network, identifies and retrieves additional linked objects (like images), converts all HTML and graphic content into scalable vector and compressed bitmap formats, and then processes, scales, and renders this content based on user interaction.
• Claim 29: Refers to a computer program product for a client device that executes the method of Claim 22. This software allows the client to handle content retrieval, parsing, translation into scalable vector format, and subsequent processing, scaling, and rendering for resolution-independent display.
• Claim 31: Claims a system that allows a client device to process Internet content for resolution-independent display. This system includes a client device configured to receive, parse for external objects, retrieve those objects, translate the HTML and graphic images into scalable vector and compressed bitmap formats, and then process, scale, and render the content according to user input.
• Claim 32: Outlines a method for resolution-independent display where a third-party proxy service performs the content translation. The client sends a request, the proxy retrieves and translates the content into scalable vectors and compressed bitmaps, and the client processes this, building a display list, determining zoom/pan, processing elements, retrieving, scaling, and rendering the display.
• Claim 33: Protects a computer program product for a proxy server. This software enables the proxy server to receive client requests, check its cache for content, retrieve uncached content from the network, translate HTML and images into scalable vector and compressed bitmap formats, and then stream this translated content to the client.
• Claim 40: Presents a method for resolution-independent display where the content translation happens at the content provider's website. The client requests content, the website retrieves and translates it into scalable vectors and compressed bitmaps, and the client then handles the rendering, including building a display list, determining scale and offset, processing elements, retrieving, scaling, and displaying the content.
• Claim 41: Describes a computer program product for a web server. This software enables the web server to receive client requests, check its cache, retrieve content, translate HTML and graphic images into scalable vector and compressed bitmap formats, and stream this content to the client for resolution-independent display.
• Claim 42: Defines a method where the client device itself performs the content translation for resolution-independent display. The client requests content, receives the main HTML document, parses it for and retrieves external objects, translates all HTML and graphic images into scalable vector and compressed bitmaps, and then processes, scales, and renders this content based on user input, using a display list and user-defined zoom/pan.
• Claim 49: Is a computer program product for a client device that performs the comprehensive client-side method of Claim 42, covering content retrieval, parsing, translation, display list generation, scale/offset determination, processing, retrieving, scaling, and rendering for resolution-independent display.
• Claim 51: Describes a system for resolution-independent display where the content translation occurs at the content provider's web site. This system includes a client device that sends requests and processes/renders the translated content, and a web server with HTML and image translators that retrieves, translates, and streams the content.
• Claim 52: Claims a method for resolution-independent display directly on a client device, focusing on the client-side rendering process. This involves receiving scalable vector content, building a vector display list, applying user-selected scale and offset values to define display limits, retrieving only the content visible within those limits, scaling it, and then rendering it on the display.
• Claim 53: Similar to Claim 52, but specifically clarifies that the scaling of the retrieved content includes scaling the font of text portions within the Internet content.