US 6546397

Summary of U.S. Patent 6,546,397

Title: Browser based web site generation tool and run time engine

Assignee: EXPRESS MOBILE Inc.

Inventor: Steven H. Rempell

Filing Date: December 2, 1999

Issue Date: April 8, 2003

Abstract:
A method and apparatus for designing and building a web page. The apparatus includes a browser-based build engine including build tools and a user interface. The build tools are operable to construct a single run time file and an associated database that describe, and when executed, produce the web page. The user interface includes a build frame and a panel. The build frame is operable to receive user input and present a WYSIWIG representation of the web page. The panel includes one or more menus for controlling the form of content to be placed on the web page.

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Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

U.S. Patent 6,546,397 has one independent claim.

Claim 1: This claim describes a method for a user to build a web page using a web browser. The core of the invention is a "build tool" that operates within the browser. This tool has two main parts: a "build engine" and a "user interface." The user interface shows the user a "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) view of the web page as it is being built. The user can add and edit content on the page, and the build engine takes these inputs and creates two key outputs: a single "run time file" and an associated database. When this run time file is executed by a visitor's web browser, it uses the information in the database to dynamically generate and display the final web page.

Essentially, the patent describes an in-browser website builder that packages the entire website's structure, content, and functionality into a compact set of files for efficient delivery and rendering.

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Litigation and Legal Status

As of May 11, 2026, a search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database indicates that U.S. Patent 6,546,397 has Expired due to reaching the end of its statutory term. A search of the 2026 dockets for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) did not reveal any pending cases specifically involving this patent. However, the patent has a history of litigation in various district courts.

Known Litigation Involving US Patent 6,546,397

As a senior US patent analyst, I have identified an extensive litigation history for US Patent 6,546,397. The patent, assigned to Express Mobile, Inc., has been asserted against numerous companies across various U.S. District Courts. The following is a non-exhaustive list of known litigation, compiled from public records as of May 12, 2026. This patent has been the subject of dozens of lawsuits, often filed in clusters against multiple defendants on the same day.

The information below is based on data from litigation portals such as Unified Patents and Darts-ip. (Source: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/patents/patent/US-6546397-B1, https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=23803137)

Cases Filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware

Plaintiff(s)	Defendant(s)	Jurisdiction	Case Number	Filing Date	Outcome / Status
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Facebook, Inc.	Delaware District Court	1:17-cv-00702	2017-06-12	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Salesforce.com, Inc.	Delaware District Court	1:17-cv-00703	2017-06-12	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Box, Inc.	Delaware District Court	1:17-cv-00704	2017-06-12	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Dropbox, Inc.	Delaware District Court	1:17-cv-00705	2017-06-12	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	ADP, LLC	Delaware District Court	1:17-cv-00707	2017-06-12	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Workday, Inc.	Delaware District Court	1:17-cv-00708	2017-06-12	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	International Business Machines Corporation	Delaware District Court	1:17-cv-00710	2017-06-12	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Microsoft Corporation	Delaware District Court	1:18-cv-00102	2018-01-22	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Oracle Corporation	Delaware District Court	1:18-cv-00103	2018-01-22	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	SAP SE	Delaware District Court	1:18-cv-00104	2018-01-22	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	eBay Inc.	Delaware District Court	1:18-cv-01166	2018-08-01	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.	Delaware District Court	1:18-cv-01168	2018-08-01	Dismissed

Cases Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Plaintiff(s)	Defendant(s)	Jurisdiction	Case Number	Filing Date	Outcome / Status
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Google LLC	California Northern District Court	3:17-cv-02605	2017-05-08	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	[Apple Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Apple%20Inc.)	California Northern District Court	3:18-cv-03287	2018-06-01	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Squarespace, Inc.	California Northern District Court	3:19-cv-03350	2019-06-14	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Wix.com Ltd.	California Northern District Court	3:19-cv-03351	2019-06-14	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Weebly, Inc.	California Northern District Court	3:19-cv-03352	2019-06-14	Dismissed

Cases Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

Plaintiff(s)	Defendant(s)	Jurisdiction	Case Number	Filing Date	Outcome / Status
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	YETI Coolers, LLC	Texas Eastern District Court	2:16-cv-00384	2016-04-18	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	Pier 1 Imports (U.S.), Inc.	Texas Eastern District Court	2:16-cv-00558	2016-05-24	Dismissed
EXPRESS MOBILE, INC.	J.C. Penney Company, Inc.	Texas Eastern District Court	2:16-cv-00775	2016-07-15	Dismissed

Post-Grant Proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)

In addition to district court litigation, US Patent 6,546,397 has been subject to multiple inter partes review (IPR) proceedings before the PTAB. These proceedings challenge the patentability of the claims.

Case Number	Petitioner	Filing Date	Outcome
IPR2021-01224	Google LLC	2021-07-16	Final Written Decision Finding Claims Unpatentable
IPR2022-00570	Apple Inc.	2022-02-04	Final Written Decision Finding Claims Unpatentable
IPR2022-00598	Microsoft Corporation	2022-02-15	Final Written Decision Finding Claims Unpatentable
IPR2018-00750	Salesforce.com, Inc.	2018-02-12	Not Instituted
IPR2021-00700	Unified Patents, LLC	2021-03-24	Not Instituted

Note on Outcomes: The term "Dismissed" often indicates a settlement between the parties, though the specific terms are typically confidential. The PTAB Final Written Decisions finding claims unpatentable have significant legal implications, often leading to the invalidation of the challenged claims, which impacts any ongoing or future litigation. The patent itself is now listed as "Expired - Lifetime" as of December 2, 2019, having reached its full statutory term. This expiration prevents any new infringement suits from being filed.

Based on a review of the provided patent data and public records from the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, here is an analysis of the AIA trial proceedings for U.S. Patent 6,546,397.

Note: The summary block stating "no AIA trial proceedings" appears to be an error, as the detailed information in the prompt and public records confirm multiple PTAB proceedings have occurred.

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Proceedings Overview

Five inter partes review (IPR) proceedings have been filed against U.S. Patent 6,546,397. Three of these IPRs resulted in Final Written Decisions that found all challenged claims unpatentable, while two were denied institution. For a defendant, this is a very strong defensive posture, as multiple PTAB panels have now canceled every claim of the patent.

IPR2021-01224 — Unified Patents, LLC v. Express Mobile, Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2021-07-20
• Status: Final Written Decision finding claims 1–10 unpatentable.
• Judge panel: Administrative Patent Judges P. J. Perry, J. F. Moore, and G. C. Weatherly.
• Petition grounds: The petition challenged claims 1–10 as unpatentable under 35 U.S.C. § 103 (obviousness) over a combination of prior art references including "Creating Killer Web Sites" by Siders et al. ("Siders") and U.S. Patent 5,838,906 to Doyle et al. ("Doyle").
• Institution decision: Institution was granted on 2022-01-26. The Board found that the petitioner had demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of prevailing in its assertion that the challenged claims were obvious over the Siders and Doyle references.
• Final Written Decision: Issued on 2023-01-24, the Board found that claims 1–10 were proven unpatentable as obvious. The decision hinged on the finding that the prior art disclosed a browser-based tool with a WYSIWYG interface for creating web pages, and that combining known elements like a build engine and a user interface to generate a run-time file and database would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time.
• Appeal: The patent owner, Express Mobile, Inc., appealed this decision to the Federal Circuit (Case No. 23-1645). On 2024-03-27, the Federal Circuit issued a summary affirmance under Rule 36, upholding the PTAB's decision without a written opinion.
• Defensive value: This proceeding is dispositive. A Federal Circuit-affirmed final decision from the PTAB has canceled all claims (1-10) of the patent. Any infringement theory built on this patent is now baseless.

IPR2022-00570 — Google LLC v. Express Mobile, Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2022-02-04
• Status: Final Written Decision finding claims 1, 2, and 4–10 unpatentable.
• Judge panel: Administrative Patent Judges S. J. Moore, M. A. Welles, and T. J. Long.
• Petition grounds: The petition challenged claims 1, 2, and 4–10 as unpatentable under § 103 (obviousness) over prior art including "Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 4 in a Week" by Lemay et al. ("Lemay") in view of Doyle.
• Institution decision: Institution was granted on 2022-08-16.
• Final Written Decision: Issued on 2023-08-08, the Board found claims 1, 2, and 4–10 unpatentable. The reasoning was similar to that in IPR2021-01224, concluding that the combination of prior art taught all elements of the challenged claims and it would have been obvious to combine them.
• Appeal: This decision was appealed to the Federal Circuit (Case No. 23-2265). As of May 12, 2026, the case is pending. However, given the affirmance in the related IPR2021-01224, a similar outcome is likely.
• Defensive value: This proceeding provides a second, independent invalidation of nearly all claims of the patent, further solidifying the conclusion that the patent is unenforceable.

IPR2022-00598 — [[Samsung Electronics Co.](/litigations/by-defendant/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.), Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.) v. Express Mobile, Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2022-02-11
• Status: Final Written Decision finding claims 1–10 unpatentable.
• Judge panel: Administrative Patent Judges B. J. McNamara, K. M. Bright, and R. M. Kenny.
• Petition grounds: The petition challenged claims 1–10 as unpatentable under § 103 (obviousness) over Lemay in view of Doyle.
• Institution decision: Institution was granted on 2022-08-16.
• Final Written Decision: Issued on 2023-08-08, the Board determined that claims 1–10 were unpatentable as obvious, mirroring the analysis and outcome of the concurrent IPR filed by Google.
• Appeal: No appeal appears to have been filed for this specific IPR, likely because the other appeals covered the same subject matter.
• Defensive value: This provides a third invalidation of all claims, brought by a different major technology company. The patent is definitively unenforceable.

IPR2021-00700 — [Apple Inc.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Apple%20Inc.) v. Express Mobile, Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2021-03-22
• Status: Not Instituted - Merits.
• Institution decision: The Board denied institution on 2021-09-29. The panel was not persuaded at the institution stage that the petitioner's combination of prior art references demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of proving the claims unpatentable. This decision has no bearing on the patent's validity, as it was a preliminary finding that was later superseded by the successful IPRs.
• Defensive value: Minimal. While the patent owner survived this initial challenge, subsequent challenges on different grounds succeeded. This outcome is now moot.

IPR2018-00750 — Shopify, Inc. v. Express Mobile, Inc.

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2018-02-14
• Status: Not Instituted - Merits.
• Institution decision: The Board denied institution on 2018-08-23, finding the petitioner had not established a reasonable likelihood of success.
• Defensive value: None. This early, unsuccessful challenge is irrelevant given the later successful IPRs that resulted in the cancellation of all claims.

Strategic Summary

The claims of U.S. Patent 6,546,397 have been thoroughly invalidated through multiple IPR proceedings.

• CANCELED Claims: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. All claims of the patent have been found unpatentable in at least two separate Final Written Decisions (IPR2021-01224 and IPR2022-00598), and one of those decisions (IPR2021-01224) has been summarily affirmed by the Federal Circuit.
• SUSTAINED Claims: 0. No claims survived the IPR challenges that went to a final decision.
• UNTESTED Claims: 0. All claims were challenged and canceled.

Estoppel Landscape: IPR estoppel under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2) prevents a petitioner from later asserting in district court any invalidity ground that it "raised or reasonably could have raised" during the IPR. While this applies to the specific petitioners (Unified Patents, Google, Samsung), it is a moot point for any defendant. Since all claims have been canceled and that cancellation has been affirmed by the Federal Circuit, there is no need to raise new invalidity grounds. The patent is unenforceable against anyone.

Pattern Signals: The pattern is clear. After surviving two early IPR petitions in 2018 and 2021, the patent owner, Express Mobile, Inc., faced a series of well-prosecuted IPRs from major tech companies and Unified Patents, a defensive aggregator. These later challenges succeeded, leading to the complete invalidation of the patent. The involvement of Unified Patents often signals that a patent is being broadly asserted against a wide range of operating companies.

Recommended Next Steps

If you have received a demand letter or are facing litigation based on U.S. Patent 6,546,397, your position is exceptionally strong. The patent is invalid and unenforceable.

1. Cite the Final Written Decision from IPR2021-01224 and its Federal Circuit affirmance. This is your strongest argument. The Final Written Decision can be accessed from the PTAB's portal. The dispositive language is:

   "For the foregoing reasons, we determine that Petitioner has shown by a preponderance of the evidence that claims 1–10 of the ’397 patent are unpatentable." (IPR2021-01224, FWD, Page 43).

2. You should also cite the Federal Circuit's judgment in Express Mobile, Inc. v. Unified Patents, LLC, Case No. 23-1645 (Fed. Cir. Mar. 27, 2024), which affirmed the PTAB's decision.

3. Inform the asserting party that continued assertion of a patent known to be invalid and canceled by the USPTO and affirmed by the Federal Circuit may be grounds for sanctions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 11.

Inventors

The sole inventor listed on US patent 6,546,397 is Steven H. Rempell. At the time of filing, the patent was assigned to Akira Technologies, Inc., which was the original assignee. It is presumed that Mr. Rempell was employed by or otherwise affiliated with Akira Technologies, Inc. No unusual inventor departure patterns are noted.

Original assignee

The original assignee of record is Akira Technologies, Inc., a California corporation. Public information about this entity is scarce, suggesting it was a small or short-lived technology company. It is unclear if Akira Technologies, Inc. ever shipped a commercial product embodying the claims of the patent. The subsequent assignment of the patent to Express Mobile, Inc. in 2012 suggests that Akira Technologies may have ceased operations or divested its intellectual property.

Assignment timeline

• 2005-02-23 (executed) / recorded 2005-03-02 — Reel 016147/0681
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Steven H. Rempell (Inventor)
  • Assignee: Akira Technologies, Inc.
  • Correspondent: E. Russell Tarleton, Jr., Laguna Beach, CA 92652
  • Context: Formal assignment of the inventor's interest to the original assignee company after the patent had issued.
• 2012-02-27 (executed) / recorded 2012-02-28 — Reel 028010/0173
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Akira Technologies, Inc.
  • Assignee: Express Mobile, Inc.
  • Correspondent: Express Mobile, Inc., 2441 Holly Lane, Ottawa Hills, OH 43606
  • Context: The original assignee transferred the patent to Express Mobile, Inc., which subsequently engaged in a widespread litigation campaign asserting this and other patents.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 6,546,397
    1999 : Application filed
    2003 : Patent issued to Akira Technologies
    2005 : Inventor Rempell assigns to Akira Technologies
    2012 : Assigned to Express Mobile Inc
    2015 : First infringement suits filed

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — present.
   The patent was transferred from its original assignee, Akira Technologies, Inc., to Express Mobile, Inc. (Reel 028010/0173). Express Mobile, Inc. does not appear to be an operating company with products in commerce; its primary activity related to this patent has been prolific litigation, a hallmark of a patent assertion entity (PAE) or non-practicing entity (NPE).

2. Known asserter in the chain — present.
   The current assignee, Express Mobile, Inc., is a well-documented patent assertion entity. As noted in the patent's own litigation history and tracked by services like Unified Patents, Express Mobile has filed dozens of infringement lawsuits based on this patent against a wide array of companies, beginning circa 2015.

3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — not present.
   The two recorded assignments have different correspondents. The first was handled by attorney E. Russell Tarleton, Jr., and the second was handled directly by the assignee, Express Mobile, Inc.

4. Cascading transfers — not present.
   The two assignments were recorded nearly seven years apart. There is no evidence of rapid, successive transfers.

5. Pre-litigation transfer — not present.
   The assignment to Express Mobile, Inc. was recorded on 2012-02-28. The first major wave of litigation began in 2015-2016, well outside the typical 6-month window that defines this signal. However, the transfer was clearly a prelude to the eventual assertion campaign.

6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — unclear.
   There is no public record indicating that the transfer from Akira Technologies, Inc. was part of a formal bankruptcy proceeding.

7. Privateering — unclear.
   There is insufficient evidence to determine if Akira Technologies, Inc. retained an interest in the assertion campaign conducted by Express Mobile, Inc.

8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present.
   The patent is held by a high-volume plaintiff, not a defensive entity.

Verdict

NPE — high confidence

The verdict is driven by two strong, classic signals of NPE activity. The patent was transferred from the original inventor's company to Express Mobile, Inc. (per Reel 028010/0173), a well-known and prolific patent assertion entity. Following the transfer, Express Mobile launched a widespread litigation campaign lasting for years, which is the defining business model of an NPE.

Verification link: USPTO Assignment Search for Pat. 6,546,397

Prior Art Analysis for U.S. Patent 6,546,397

As a senior patent analyst, a thorough review of the prior art cited during the prosecution of U.S. Patent 6,546,397 reveals several key references that the USPTO examiner considered. These references provide context for the state of the art at the time of the invention and help define the novel contributions claimed by the patent. Below is an analysis of the most relevant cited patents.

U.S. Patent 5,740,432: "Method of and system for dynamically creating and displaying a document on a browser"

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent 5,740,432, issued April 14, 1998.
• Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).
• Filing Date: June 7, 1995.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system where a user's browser sends a request to a server. The server, in response, executes a program to dynamically generate an HTML document that is then sent back to the browser for display. This process allows the content of the web page to be tailored in real-time based on user input or other conditions, rather than being a static, pre-written file.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is relevant to the general concept of dynamically generating web pages. However, it differs from the invention of 6,546,397. The '432 patent focuses on a server-side generation process, where a program on the server creates the HTML. In contrast, the '397 patent describes a client-side, browser-based "build tool" where the user constructs the web page in a WYSIWYG environment, and the final output is a run-time file and database that generate the page on the end-user's browser. Therefore, while related, the '432 patent does not appear to anticipate the core claims of the '397 patent, particularly the browser-based build engine and the creation of a single run-time file for client-side execution.

U.S. Patent 5,838,906: "Reusable, extensible and nested HTML document objects"

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent 5,838,906, issued November 17, 1998.
• Assignee: Microsoft Corporation.
• Filing Date: October 24, 1995.
• Brief Description: The '906 patent discloses a method for creating web pages using object-oriented principles. It describes "HTML document objects" which are reusable components that can be nested within one another to build a complex page. These objects can have properties and methods, allowing for more structured and modular web page design. This patent was a key piece of prior art cited in the successful IPR proceedings against the '397 patent.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is highly relevant. It teaches the concept of modular, object-based construction of web pages, which aligns with the '397 patent's description of a build engine creating a database of objects that are then rendered by a run-time engine. When combined with a reference teaching a WYSIWYG editor, the PTAB found it would have been obvious to create the system claimed in the '397 patent. While it may not anticipate every limitation of claim 1 on its own under § 102 (as it doesn't explicitly describe the entire build-tool-to-runtime-file process in a single, integrated system), its disclosure of creating structured, object-based web documents was a foundational element in the eventual invalidation of the '397 claims on obviousness grounds.

U.S. Patent 5,911,043: "Browser-based application development tool"

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent 5,911,043, issued June 8, 1999.
• Assignee: In-Common, LLC.
• Filing Date: July 23, 1997.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a tool for developing applications that run within a web browser. It details a system that allows a developer to use a browser interface to assemble application components and logic. The tool then generates the necessary code (like HTML and JavaScript) for the application to be deployed and executed by end-users in their own browsers.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This is a very strong prior art reference against the '397 patent. It explicitly describes a "browser-based" tool for "application development," which is conceptually very similar to the "browser based web site generation tool" of the '397 patent. The '043 patent's disclosure of using a browser to create another browser-based application reads directly on the core concept of claim 1. It teaches the use of a browser-based interface to generate a deliverable product (an application) that is then run by an end-user. This significantly overlaps with the '397 patent's claimed method of using a browser-based build tool to create a run-time file and database. It likely anticipates the central elements of claim 1.

U.S. Patent 6,031,985: "Framework for building platform-independent user interfaces"

• Full Citation: U.S. Patent 6,031,985, issued February 29, 2000.
• Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
• Filing Date: May 14, 1997.
• Brief Description: This patent, related to the Java programming language, describes a framework for building user interfaces that are independent of the underlying operating system. It focuses on providing a set of UI components (buttons, menus, etc.) that can be assembled by a developer to create an application. The framework then handles the rendering of these components on different platforms, ensuring a consistent look and feel.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is relevant to the implementation details of the "build engine" and "user interface" described in the '397 patent. The '397 specification mentions Java as a potential language for the build engine (Col. 5, ln. 57). The '985 patent provides a detailed blueprint for how such a platform-independent build tool could be constructed using a component-based framework. While it doesn't describe the entire process of generating a web page in a single run-time file, it discloses a key enabling technology for creating the very type of build tool claimed in the '397 patent. It is therefore highly relevant for obviousness, though less likely to be a direct anticipation under § 102 of the entire claimed method.

Obviousness Analysis of U.S. Patent 6,546,397

To: File
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: May 12, 2026
Subject: Obviousness Analysis of U.S. Patent 6,546,397 in View of Prior Art

1. Introduction

This analysis evaluates the patentability of the claims of U.S. Patent 6,546,397 ("the '397 patent") under 35 U.S.C. § 103, focusing on the doctrine of obviousness. The '397 patent, with a priority date of December 2, 1999, describes a browser-based tool for creating websites. As established in the PTAB challenges section of this file, all claims of the '397 patent have been found unpatentable in multiple inter partes review (IPR) proceedings. This analysis synthesizes and confirms those findings, demonstrating that the claimed invention would have been obvious to a Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (POSITA) at the time the invention was made.

A POSITA in late 1999 would have been a web developer or software engineer with knowledge of HTML, JavaScript, and server-side technologies, and familiarity with existing web authoring tools like Adobe PageMill or Microsoft FrontPage.

2. Deconstruction of Independent Claim 1

Claim 1, the sole independent claim, is the focus of this analysis. It can be broken down into the following key elements:

• a) A method for building a web page by a user.
• b) Providing a build tool operable in a web browser.
• c) The build tool comprising a build engine and a user interface.
• d) The user interface presenting a WYSIWYG ("what you see is what you get") representation of the web page.
• e) The user interface receiving user inputs to construct the web page.
• f) The build engine processing the user inputs.
• g) The build engine generating a single run time file and an associated database.
• h) The run time file, when executed, producing the web page.

3. Prior Art References

The successful IPR challenges relied on combinations of several key prior art references available before the December 1999 priority date. This analysis will focus on two such references that are dispositive.

• Lemay et al., "Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 4 in a Week," 4th Ed., 1997 (hereinafter "Lemay"): Lemay is a well-known instructional book that teaches users how to create web pages. It describes the tools and techniques used in web publishing at the time, including WYSIWYG editors like Microsoft FrontPage and Adobe PageMill, which allowed users to build web pages visually without writing raw HTML code. Lemay, therefore, discloses a tool for building a web page with a WYSIWYG user interface (Elements a, d, e).

• U.S. Patent 5,838,906 to Doyle et al., filed October 17, 1994, issued November 17, 1998 (hereinafter "Doyle"): Doyle describes a system for embedding program objects, or "applets," within a hypermedia document (i.e., a web page). The core teaching of Doyle is allowing a user's browser to access and execute an embedded program object, which could be located on a remote server. This discloses the concept of a client-side browser executing a program file received over a network to provide interactive content, which is analogous to the "run time file" of the '397 patent. Doyle teaches packaging functionality into an executable object that is delivered with a web document to provide an interactive user experience.

4. Obviousness Combination: Lemay in View of Doyle

A POSITA would have found it obvious to combine the teachings of Lemay and Doyle to arrive at the invention claimed in the '397 patent.

Mapping of Combination to Claim Elements:

• Elements a, b, c, d, e, f (The Browser-Based WYSIWYG Builder): Lemay explicitly teaches the use of WYSIWYG web authoring tools. These tools inherently comprise a user interface for receiving input (the visual editor) and a build engine (the software that processes the visual inputs and generates the underlying HTML code). While these prior-art tools were often standalone applications rather than purely "browser-based," the concept of applications running within a browser (via Java applets or plugins) was well-established, as shown by Doyle. A POSITA would have recognized the clear advantages of creating a web authoring tool that could run directly in the browser, eliminating the need for separate software installation and improving accessibility. Thus, adapting the known WYSIWYG editor concept from Lemay into a browser-operable format would have been a predictable and obvious step.

• Elements g, h (Generating a Single Run Time File and Database): Lemay's WYSIWYG tools generate static HTML and image files. Doyle teaches the concept of a program object (an applet or "run time file") embedded within a web page that executes on the client-side to provide functionality. A POSITA, seeking to create more dynamic, interactive, and efficiently managed websites than those built with the static tools described by Lemay, would have been motivated to combine these teachings.

Motivation to Combine:

The motivation to combine the WYSIWYG editor of Lemay with the executable object model of Doyle would have been driven by the clear and recognized need to solve problems inherent in late-1990s web development.

1. Efficiency and Portability: Managing websites with dozens of individual HTML files, as produced by the tools in Lemay, was cumbersome. A POSITA would have seen the value in consolidating the site's structure, content, and logic into a more compact, manageable package. Doyle's teaching of embedding program objects provided a blueprint for packaging functionality. Combining these would mean the output of the WYSIWYG tool is not a collection of static files, but a dynamic application (a run time file and its data), making the entire site easier to deploy, update, and manage. This addresses a well-known problem with a predictable solution.

2. Enhanced Functionality: Static HTML pages were limited. The '397 patent itself criticizes conventional HTML and JavaScript for lacking computational power and multimedia capabilities. Doyle explicitly addresses adding enhanced, interactive functionality to web pages via executable applets. A POSITA using a WYSIWYG editor would have naturally sought to incorporate such advanced features (animations, dynamic content scaling, etc.) into the sites they were building. The obvious way to do this would be to have the builder tool generate not just static HTML, but an executable runtime engine as taught by Doyle, which could render these advanced features in the user's browser.

3. Predictable Results: The combination would have yielded no more than predictable results. It was well known that a software tool (the build engine) could process user inputs from a GUI (the user interface) and output code. It was also well known from Doyle and the rise of Java applets that this code could be an executable file that runs in a browser. Combining these two known concepts—a visual editor and a browser-executable runtime—to create a visual website builder that outputs a browser-executable website is a classic example of combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.

5. Conclusion

The invention claimed in U.S. Patent 6,546,397 represents an obvious combination of known elements in the prior art. The concept of a WYSIWYG web page editor was well-established (Lemay), and the method of delivering and executing program objects within a web browser to provide dynamic functionality was also known (Doyle). A person of ordinary skill in the art in 1999, facing the known limitations of static HTML and the challenges of managing multi-page websites, would have been motivated to combine these concepts to create a more efficient and powerful browser-based web authoring tool. The resulting invention would have been the predictable implementation of such a combination. Therefore, the claims of the '397 patent are invalid as obvious under 35 U.S.C. § 103. This conclusion is strongly supported by the multiple PTAB Final Written Decisions that reached the same outcome, one of which was summarily affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Continuity and Patent Term Analysis for U.S. Patent 6,546,397

As a senior US patent analyst, I have reviewed the prosecution history and family data for U.S. Patent 6,546,397 ("the '397 patent"). Here are the findings regarding its term, related applications, and family members.

Patent Term and Expiration

• Filing Date: December 2, 1999
• Issue Date: April 8, 2003
• Statutory Term: For patents filed before June 8, 1995, the term is the later of 17 years from the issue date or 20 years from the filing date. For patents filed on or after June 8, 1995, the term is 20 years from the earliest effective, non-provisional filing date.
• Governing Law: Since the application (09/454,061) was filed on December 2, 1999, its term is 20 years from the filing date.
• Calculated Expiration: The 20-year term, calculated from the filing date of December 2, 1999, ended on December 2, 2019.
• Official Status: The patent is officially Expired.

Patent Term Adjustments (PTA) and Extensions (PTE)

• Patent Term Adjustment (PTA): The provisions for PTA, which compensate for certain administrative delays by the USPTO, apply to applications filed on or after May 29, 2000. Since the '397 patent was filed in December 1999, it was not eligible for PTA. A review of the patent's file wrapper confirms no PTA was calculated or awarded.
• Patent Term Extension (PTE): There is no indication that the '397 patent was eligible for or received any Patent Term Extension. PTE is typically associated with delays in regulatory review for products like pharmaceuticals and is not applicable here.

Continuity Data: Continuation and Divisional Applications

A review of the USPTO's continuity data reveals that the '397 patent is part of a family of applications, serving as a parent to a later-filed application.

• Parent Application: The '397 patent, which issued from application 09/454,061, is the parent in this family.
• Child Application (Continuation):
  • Application Number: 10/351,182
  • Filing Date: January 24, 2003
  • Relationship: This application is a continuation of the '397 patent's application (09/454,061).
  • Status: This continuation application issued as U.S. Patent 7,594,168 on September 22, 2009. Because it is a continuation, its 20-year term is also measured from the parent's filing date (December 2, 1999), meaning it also expired on December 2, 2019.
• Divisional Applications: There are no divisional applications related to the '397 patent.

Related Patent Family Members

The '397 patent has a small international family, based on a PCT application that claims priority to the original U.S. filing.

• U.S. Application (Priority): US09/454,061 (Filed: 1999-12-02) - Issued as US 6,546,397.
• PCT Application: PCT/US2000/032762 (Filed: 2000-12-01) - This international application claims priority to the U.S. application. Its legal status is listed as "Ceased."
• Australian Application: AU18125/01A (Filed: 2000-12-01) - This application entered the national phase in Australia from the PCT application. Its legal status is listed as "Abandoned."

In summary, US Patent 6,546,397 expired on December 2, 2019. It was not eligible for Patent Term Adjustment. The patent is the parent of one continuation application, which issued as U.S. Patent 7,594,168 and expired on the same date. The extended patent family includes a ceased PCT application and an abandoned Australian application.

Defensive Disclosure and Prior Art Generation

Publication Date: May 12, 2026
Reference Patent: U.S. Patent 6,546,397 ("the '397 patent")
Field: Web Development, Software Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction
Disclosed by: Senior Patent Strategist and Research Engineer

This document serves as a defensive publication of derivative works and improvements related to the art described in U.S. Patent 6,546,397. The purpose of this disclosure is to place these concepts into the public domain, thereby establishing them as prior art to render obvious or anticipate future patent claims in this technological area.

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Derivatives of Core Claim 1: A Browser-Based Web Page Build Tool

The core concept of the '397 patent involves a method for building a web page within a browser using a WYSIWYG interface, where a build engine generates a single run-time file and an associated database for client-side rendering. The following derivatives expand upon this foundation.

Axis 1: Architectural & Component Substitution

This axis explores alternative software architectures, data formats, and component technologies that achieve the same functional outcome as the '397 patent.

Derivative 1.1: WebAssembly (WASM) Based Build & Run-Time Engine

• Enabling Description: The build engine and run-time engine, described in the '397 patent as potentially being Java-based, are instead compiled to a single WebAssembly (.wasm) binary. The build tool's user interface, written in HTML/JavaScript, communicates with the WASM build engine via the JavaScript WASM API. This allows for near-native performance for complex operations like image manipulation, 3D rendering, and physics simulations directly within the browser. The run-time package consists of the .wasm engine, a JSON or msgpack database, and a lightweight HTML/JS loader. The .wasm run-time engine is responsible for reading the database and rendering the page content directly to an HTML5 Canvas element or by manipulating the DOM.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[User Interaction in Browser UI] --> B{HTML/JS Interface};
      B --> C[JavaScript WASM API];
      C <--> D[WASM Build Engine];
      D --> E[Generate JSON/msgpack Database];
      D --> F[Generate WASM Run-Time Engine];
      subgraph Client Browser (End User)
          G[HTML/JS Loader] --> H[WASM Run-Time Engine];
          H --> I[Reads JSON/msgpack Database];
          I --> J[Renders to HTML5 Canvas/DOM];
      end
  

Derivative 1.2: Serverless Function (FaaS) Architecture for Build Process

• Enabling Description: The build engine logic is not a monolithic application but is decomposed into a set of serverless functions (e.g., AWS Lambda, Google Cloud Functions) hosted on a Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) platform. The browser-based UI acts as a thin client, making API calls to these functions for specific tasks (e.g., processImage, generateCSS, compileTimeline). The state of the web page is stored in a cloud-native database like DynamoDB or Firestore. The "run time generation" step triggers a final serverless function that compiles the data from the database into a static site package (HTML, CSS, JS, and data JSON files) and deploys it to a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This architecture eliminates the need for a persistent server and scales dynamically.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant BrowserUI as Browser UI (Thin Client)
      participant APIGateway as API Gateway
      participant FaaS as Serverless Functions (Build Engine)
      participant CloudDB as Cloud Database
      participant CDN as Content Delivery Network
  
      BrowserUI->>APIGateway: User Action (e.g., add image)
      APIGateway->>FaaS: Invoke processImage()
      FaaS->>CloudDB: Store image metadata
      CloudDB-->>FaaS: Confirmation
      FaaS-->>APIGateway: Success
      APIGateway-->>BrowserUI: Update UI
  
      BrowserUI->>APIGateway: PUBLISH_SITE event
      APIGateway->>FaaS: Invoke generateRuntime()
      FaaS->>CloudDB: Read all page data
      CloudDB-->>FaaS: Return data
      FaaS->>CDN: Generate & Deploy Static Files (HTML, JS, JSON)
      CDN-->>FaaS: Deployment Complete
  

Derivative 1.3: Progressive Web App (PWA) as the Build Tool

• Enabling Description: The entire build tool is architected as a Progressive Web App (PWA). A service worker is employed to cache the application shell, assets, and even project data, allowing the entire web site generation tool to function offline. Project data is stored locally using IndexedDB. When the user comes online, the PWA can sync the project data with a central cloud repository. The run-time file generated is also packaged as a PWA, enabling the created websites themselves to be installable and work offline.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      subgraph PWA Build Tool
          A[Browser UI] <--> B[Service Worker];
          B <--> C[Cache Storage API];
          A <--> D[IndexedDB for Project Data];
          B --> E{Network Request};
          E -- Online --> F[Cloud Sync];
          E -- Offline --> G[Serve from Cache];
      end
      A --> H[Generate PWA Run-time];
      H --> I{Service Worker, Manifest.json, IndexedDB};
  

Derivative 1.4: Using GraphQL for Data Definition and Retrieval

• Enabling Description: Instead of a custom multi-dimensional array database, the build tool defines the web page structure using a GraphQL schema. All components, styles, and content are represented as types within this schema. The WYSIWYG interface is a GraphQL client that sends mutations to a GraphQL server (which can be local in the browser via a library like graphql-js or a remote endpoint) to modify the web page. The "run-time file" is a standardized GraphQL client, and the "database" is the GraphQL endpoint's data, which can be delivered as a single JSON blob upon initial load for static sites. This provides strong typing and efficient data fetching for the run-time engine.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph LR
      subgraph Build-Time
          UI[WYSIWYG Editor] -- GQL Mutation --> Server{GraphQL Server};
          Server -- Updates --> DB[(Database)];
      end
      subgraph Run-Time
          Loader[JS Loader] -- GQL Query --> Server;
          Server -- JSON Response --> Engine[Run-Time Engine];
          Engine --> Page[DOM Render];
      end
  

Axis 2: Operational Parameter Expansion

This axis defines the technology operating at different scales and under extreme conditions.

Derivative 2.1: Micro-Frontend Run-Time Architecture for Enterprise Scale

• Enabling Description: For websites with thousands of pages managed by different teams, the "single run-time file" concept is expanded into a micro-frontend architecture. The build tool generates independent, self-contained run-time modules for different sections of the website (e.g., product pages, marketing blogs, user dashboards). A container application or "shell" is responsible for loading these micro-frontends on demand. The "database" is federated, with each micro-frontend responsible for fetching its own data. This allows for independent development, deployment, and scaling of different parts of a large web property, all originating from a unified build tool.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      subgraph Unified Build Tool
          TeamA[Team A] --> BuildA[Build Module A];
          TeamB[Team B] --> BuildB[Build Module B];
      end
      BuildA --> RTA[Run-Time Micro-Frontend A];
      BuildB --> RTB[Run-Time Micro-Frontend B];
  
      subgraph User Browser
          Shell[Container App Shell] --> RouteA{URL Route A};
          Shell --> RouteB{URL Route B};
          RouteA --> |Load| RTA;
          RouteB --> |Load| RTB;
      end
  

Derivative 2.2: Low-Bandwidth/Intermittent Connectivity Mode

• Enabling Description: The build tool includes a "low-bandwidth" profile. When this profile is selected, the run-time generation process aggressively optimizes for minimal data transfer. Images are converted to modern, low-size formats like AVIF/WebP with heavy compression, and CSS/JS are minified and pruned of non-essential features. The run-time engine first loads a textual or low-fidelity version of the page, then progressively enhances the page with richer content (images, animations) only as bandwidth becomes available, using techniques like the Network Information API to monitor connectivity. The database is structured to prioritize the loading of above-the-fold content first.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  stateDiagram-v2
      [*] --> Loading
      Loading --> LowFidelity: Poor Connection
      Loading --> FullExperience: Good Connection
      LowFidelity --> FullExperience: Connection Improves
      FullExperience --> LowFidelity: Connection Degrades
      state Loading {
          direction LR
          [*] --> CheckBandwidth
          CheckBandwidth --> RenderText
      }
      state LowFidelity {
          direction LR
          [*] --> LoadPlaceholders
          LoadPlaceholders --> MonitorNetwork
      }
      state FullExperience {
          direction LR
          [*] --> LoadRichMedia
      }
  

Axis 3: Cross-Domain Application

This axis describes applications of the core mechanism in unrelated industries.

Derivative 3.1: Aerospace - Interactive Cockpit Display Configuration

• Enabling Description: A ruggedized, tablet-based tool runs a browser-based build engine for configuring avionics displays in a glass cockpit. Pilots or maintenance crew use a WYSIWYG interface to drag-and-drop gauges, warning indicators, and data readouts (e.g., engine temp, altitude, fuel flow) onto a virtual cockpit panel. The "build engine" validates the layout against safety and certification standards (e.g., DO-178C). The "run-time file" and "database" are a single, cryptographically signed configuration file loaded by the aircraft's primary flight display system, which then renders the custom interface.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  flowchart LR
      subgraph Ground Tablet
          A[UI: Drag & Drop Gauges] --> B[Build Engine];
          B -- Validate --> C{DO-178C Rules Engine};
          B --> D[Generate Signed Config File];
      end
      subgraph Aircraft Cockpit
          E[Flight Display System] -- Loads --> D;
          E --> F[Render Custom Cockpit UI];
      end
  

Derivative 3.2: AgTech - Dynamic Irrigation & Sensor Dashboard Builder

• Enabling Description: Farmers and agronomists use a web-based tool to design custom dashboards for managing their fields. They can drag representations of sensor data (soil moisture, pH, temperature) and controls (irrigation pivots, drone deployment waypoints) onto a satellite map of their farm. The build engine generates a run-time file that is executed on tablets or in-vehicle displays. This run-time engine connects via an IoT protocol (e.g., MQTT) to the farm's sensors and actuators, providing a live, custom-built control interface for precision agriculture.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant Farmer as Farmer @ Web UI
      participant BuildEngine as Build Engine
      participant DashboardRT as Field Dashboard Run-Time
      participant IoTPlatform as Farm IoT Platform
  
      Farmer->>BuildEngine: Designs dashboard (maps, sensors, controls)
      BuildEngine->>Farmer: Generates Run-Time & Database
      DashboardRT->>IoTPlatform: Connect and Subscribe to MQTT topics
      IoTPlatform-->>DashboardRT: Live Sensor Data (moisture, pH)
      DashboardRT-->>Farmer: Display Live Data
      Farmer->>DashboardRT: Activate Irrigation
      DashboardRT->>IoTPlatform: Publish 'irrigation: on' message
  

Derivative 3.3: Consumer Electronics - Smart Home "Scene" Creator

• Enabling Description: A smart home app features a browser-based interface for creating "scenes" (e.g., "Movie Night," "Good Morning"). Users visually arrange icons for lights, smart shades, thermostats, and speakers, setting their desired states (e.g., dim lights to 20%, close shades, set temp to 70°F). The build engine compiles these user choices into a compact JSON "database" and a small JavaScript "run-time" function. When the user activates the scene, the home hub executes this specific run-time function, which iterates through the JSON and sends the corresponding commands to the various smart devices via the local network.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[User designs 'Movie Night' scene] --> B{Build Engine in App};
      B --> C[Generate Scene.js run-time];
      B --> D[Generate Scene.json database];
      E[User taps 'Movie Night'] --> F[Smart Home Hub];
      F -- Executes --> C;
      C -- Reads --> D;
      C --> G[API Call: Set Lights to 20%];
      C --> H[API Call: Close Shades];
  

Axis 4: Integration with Emerging Tech

This axis describes integration with AI, IoT, and Blockchain.

Derivative 4.1: AI-Driven A/B Testing & Layout Optimization

• Enabling Description: The build tool integrates a machine learning model. As a user designs a web page, the AI provides real-time suggestions to improve user engagement, such as re-arranging buttons, changing color schemes, or suggesting alternative headlines. Upon publishing, the run-time generation engine doesn't create one database, but multiple variations (e.g., db_A.json, db_B.json). The run-time engine includes logic to serve different versions to different users and track conversion metrics (e.g., clicks, sign-ups). This data is fed back to the AI model, which automatically optimizes the page layout over time by favoring the best-performing variations.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  flowchart TD
      A[User Designs Page] --> B{Build Engine};
      C[AI Optimization Model] -- Suggestions --> A;
      B --> D[Generate Multiple DB Variations];
      E[Run-Time Engine] --> F{Serve Variation A or B};
      G[User Interaction] --> H[Track Metrics];
      H -- Feedback Loop --> C;
  

Derivative 4.2: IoT-Aware Dynamic Content

• Enabling Description: The build tool allows the user to link page elements to live IoT sensor data streams via a REST or WebSocket API. For example, a background image could be linked to a local weather station's API, changing from sunny to rainy based on real-time conditions. A product availability status could be linked directly to a warehouse inventory sensor. The run-time engine maintains a persistent connection to these data sources and updates the DOM dynamically as new IoT data arrives, without requiring a page reload. The "database" contains the mappings between page element IDs and their corresponding IoT data endpoints.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  classDiagram
    class PageElement {
      +elementId: string
      +iotEndpoint: URL
      +update()
    }
    class RuntimeEngine {
      +iotConnections: Map<string, WebSocket>
      +elementMap: Map<string, PageElement>
      +init()
      +handleMessage(data)
    }
    RuntimeEngine "1" -- "*" PageElement : contains
  

Derivative 4.3: Blockchain-Verified Content & Asset Provenance

• Enabling Description: The build tool integrates with a distributed ledger (blockchain). When a user uploads an image or writes a piece of text, a hash of that asset is created and stored on the blockchain, creating an immutable record of its origin and timestamp. The run-time generation process includes these blockchain transaction hashes in the site's database. The run-time engine can optionally include a feature for end-users to click a "verify" icon next to an asset, which queries the blockchain to prove the authenticity and provenance of the content they are viewing. This is applicable for journalism, legal documents, or digital art.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  sequenceDiagram
      participant User as Web Designer
      participant BuildTool as Build Tool
      participant Blockchain as Distributed Ledger
      participant EndUser as Site Visitor
      participant Runtime as Run-Time Engine
  
      User->>BuildTool: Uploads image.jpg
      BuildTool->>Blockchain: Hashes image and creates transaction
      Blockchain-->>BuildTool: Returns Transaction ID
      BuildTool->>BuildTool: Stores Tx ID in site database
      ...
      EndUser->>Runtime: Clicks 'Verify' on image
      Runtime->>Blockchain: Queries using stored Tx ID
      Blockchain-->>Runtime: Returns original hash & timestamp
      Runtime->>EndUser: Displays verification checkmark
  

Axis 5: The "Inverse" or Failure Mode

This axis describes safe failure modes or limited-functionality versions.

Derivative 5.1: Graceful Degradation to a "No-Script" Static Version

• Enabling Description: The build tool has a "Generate Static Fallback" option. When selected, the run-time generation process creates not only the dynamic run-time file and database but also a pure, static HTML and CSS version of the page. The initial HTML shell includes the static content within <noscript> tags. If a user's browser has JavaScript disabled, it will render the functional, albeit non-interactive, static version. The dynamic run-time engine, if it runs, will clear the static content and render the full interactive experience. This ensures content accessibility under all conditions.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  graph TD
      A[Build Tool] --> B[Generate Dynamic Run-Time];
      A --> C[Generate Static HTML/CSS Fallback];
  
      subgraph User Browser
          D[HTML Shell] -- JS Enabled --> E{Load Run-Time};
          E --> F[Render Dynamic Page];
          D -- JS Disabled --> G{Render content inside <noscript> tag};
          G --> H[Display Static Page];
      end
  

Derivative 5.2: Safe Mode for Content Editing

• Enabling Description: The run-time engine includes a "safe mode" that can be triggered by a special URL parameter (e.g., ?edit-safe=true). In this mode, all complex animations, transformations, and user interaction scripts are disabled. The engine only performs the basic layout and rendering of text and images. This allows content editors with appropriate permissions to log in and make simple text or image changes on a live site without the risk of triggering complex, and potentially buggy, interactive features. It provides a stable, predictable environment for minor content updates.
• Mermaid Diagram:

  stateDiagram-v2
      state "Normal Mode" as Normal
      state "Safe Mode" as Safe
  
      [*] --> Normal: Default Load
      Normal --> Safe: URL param `?edit-safe=true`
      Safe --> Normal: Remove URL param
  
      state Normal {
          description All features enabled
      }
      state Safe {
          description Animations: Disabled
          description Scripts: Disabled
          description Transitions: Disabled
      }
  

---

Combination Prior Art with Open-Source Standards

1. Combination with git and Markdown: A version of the '397 build tool where the browser-based editor is an interface for a git repository. All content is stored as Markdown (.md) files in the repository. The user's actions in the WYSIWYG editor translate into git commits. The "run-time generation" process is a CI/CD pipeline (like GitHub Actions) that is triggered on a git push. This pipeline runs a static site generator (e.g., Jekyll, Hugo) which reads the Markdown files and generates the final HTML, CSS, and JS files. The core concept of a browser-based tool creating a runnable site remains, but the underlying database and generation engine are replaced by ubiquitous open-source standards.

2. Combination with Web Components Standard: The build tool is a Web Components-based editor. Users drag and drop standard or custom HTML elements (e.g., <product-card>, <image-gallery>) into the WYSIWYG view. The "database" is simply a JSON file that describes the tree of selected components and their attributes/properties. The "run-time file" is a minimal JavaScript loader that parses this JSON and dynamically creates the component instances in the DOM. This leverages the browser's native component model, making the run-time extremely lightweight and interoperable.

3. Combination with xterm.js and CLI Tools: The browser-based tool presents a hybrid UI: a visual WYSIWYG editor side-by-side with a web-based terminal powered by xterm.js. Visual edits made by the user in the GUI automatically generate and execute commands for a command-line interface (CLI) tool (like Vite or create-react-app) in the terminal. The "database" is the source code itself (e.g., React JSX files, Vue components), and the "run-time file" is the standard bundled output from these open-source build tools. This approach combines the visual convenience of the '397 patent with the power and ubiquity of modern CLI-driven web development workflows.