System and method for aggregating information over a wide area network

• US 20010056371A1
• Filed: 04/18/2001
• Published: 12/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Brian Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A system and method is provided for aggregating information from a plurality of remote information systems, such as bulletin boards, over a wide area network, such that a reception device operating on an aggregated information system can receive message data contained on the plurality of remote information systems. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention an aggregating application operating on the aggregated information system is adapted to retrieve original message data (OMD), such as a previously posted new message, and response message data (RMD), such as a previously posted response message, from a plurality of remote information systems. This retrieved message data (i.e., OMD, RMD) can then be provided to at least one reception device communicating with the aggregated information system. In another embodiment of the present invention, the aggregating application is further adapted to receive additional original message data (AOMD), such as a new message, and additional response message data (ARMD), such as a response message responding to a previously posted message, from the at least one reception device. This received message data (i.e., AOMD, ARMD), along with the retrieved message data (i.e., OMD, RMD), is then provided to the plurality of remote information systems along with advertisement data, such that it can be provided to any additional reception devices communicating with the plurality of remote information systems.

Claims

1. An aggregated information system comprising:

a memory device;

a server adapted to be connected to a plurality of reception devices and a plurality of remote information systems via a wide area network, whereby each one of said plurality of remote information systems is adapted to receive original message data and response message data from at least one of said plurality of reception devices and provide said original message data and said response message data to at least one of said plurality of reception devices; and

an aggregating application connected to said memory device and said server, said aggregating application adapted to;

retrieve said original message data and said response message data from one of said plurality of remote information systems;

store said original message data and said response message data in said memory device; and

provide said original message data and said response message data to a requesting one of said plurality of reception devices.

2. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said plurality of remote information systems further comprises at least one remote information system comprising:

a remote memory device adapted to store said original message data and said response message data, wherein said response message data corresponds to at least a portion of said original message data; and

a remote server adapted to;

receive said original message data and said response message data from at least one of said plurality of reception devices via said wide area network; and

provide said original message data and said response message data stored in said remote memory device to a requesting one of said plurality of reception devices via said wide area network;

3. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said plurality of remote information systems further comprises at least one bulletin board.

4. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to receive additional response message data and additional original message data from at least one of said plurality of reception devices.

5. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to:

receive additional response message data from at least one of said plurality of reception devices, wherein said additional response message data corresponds to at least a portion of said original message data; and

provide said additional response message data to at least one of said plurality of remote information systems such that said at least one of said plurality of remote information systems can provide said additional response message data to at least one of said plurality of reception devices.

6. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to:

receive additional original message data from at least one of said plurality of reception devices; and

provide said additional original message data to at least one of said plurality of remote information systems such that said at least one of said plurality of remote information systems can provide said additional original message data to a requesting one of said plurality of reception devices.

7. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to provide said original message data and said response message data to at least one other one of said plurality of remote information systems.

8. The aggregated information system according to

claim 5

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to add advertisement data to said additional response message data before said additional response message data is provided to said at least one of said plurality of remote information systems.

9. The aggregated information system according to

claim 8

, wherein said advertisement data further includes hyper-link data adapted to provide an interacting one of said plurality of reception devices with additional advertisement data.

10. The aggregated information system according to

claim 6

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to add advertisement data to said additional original message data before said additional original message data is provided to said at least one of said plurality of remote information systems.

11. The aggregated information system according to

claim 10

, wherein said advertisement data further includes hyper-link data adapted to provided an interacting one of said plurality of reception devices with additional advertisement data.

12. The aggregated information system according to

claim 7

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to add advertisement data to said original message data and said response message data before said original message data and said response message data are provided to said at least one other one of said plurality of remote information systems.

13. The aggregated information system according to

claim 12

, wherein said advertisement data further includes hyper-link data adapted to provide an interacting one of said plurality of reception devices with additional advertisement data.

14. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to:

add advertisement data to said original message data; and

provide said original message data together with said advertisement data to said one of said plurality of remote information systems.

15. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said aggregating application is further adapted to:

add advertisement data to said response message data; and

provide said response message data together with said advertisement data to said one of said plurality of remote information systems.

16. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said aggregating application further includes a search application that uses pre-defined search criteria to locate said one of said plurality of remote information systems containing said original message data.

17. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said one of said plurality of remote information systems is selected by a managing user.

18. The aggregated information system according to

claim 1

, wherein said one of said plurality of remote information systems is selected by at least one of said plurality of reception devices.

19. The aggregated information system according to

claim 18

, wherein said one of said plurality of remote information systems is further selected by at least one of said plurality of reception devices nominating said one of said plurality of remote information systems.

20. The aggregated information system according to

claim 19

, wherein said one of said plurality of remote information systems is further selected by at least one of said plurality of reception devices voting for said one of said plurality of remote information systems.

21. A method for aggregating information from a plurality of remote information systems adapted to receive original message data and response message data from at least one reception device, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying one of said plurality of remote information systems containing said original message data and said response message data;

retrieving said original message data and said response message data from one of said plurality of remote information systems;

storing said original message data and said response message data; and

providing said original message data and said response message data to a reception device.

22. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said plurality of remote information systems further comprises at least one bulletin board.

23. The method of

claim 21

, further including the step of receiving additional response message data and additional original message data from said reception device.

24. The method of

claim 21

, further including the steps of:

receiving additional response message data from said reception device, wherein said additional response message data corresponds to at least a portion of said original message data; and

providing said additional response message data to at least one of said plurality of remote information systems.

25. The method of

claim 21

, further including the steps of:

receiving additional original message data from said reception device; and

providing said additional original message data to at least one of said plurality of said remote information systems.

26. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said step of providing said original message data and said response message data further includes providing said original message data and said response message data to at least one other one of said plurality of remote information systems.

27. The method of

claim 24

, wherein said step of providing said additional response message data further includes providing advertisement data to said at least one of said plurality of remote information systems such that a requesting reception device receives said advertisement data along with said additional response message data.

28. The method of

claim 27

, wherein said step of providing said additional response message data further includes providing hyper-link data to said one of said plurality of remote information systems such that an interacting reception device receives additional advertisement data.

29. The method of

claim 26

, wherein said step of providing said original message data and said response message data further includes providing advertisement data to said at least one other one of said plurality of remote information systems such that a requesting reception device receives said advertisement data along with said original message data.

30. The method of

claim 29

, wherein said step of providing said original message data further includes providing hyper-link data to said at least one other one of said plurality of remote information systems such that an interacting reception device receives additional advertisement data.

31. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said step of identifying said one of said plurality of remote information systems further includes searching said plurality of remote information systems for pre-defined search criteria.

32. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said step of identifying said one of said plurality of remote information systems further includes receiving address location data from a managing user, wherein said address location data corresponds to said one of said plurality of remote information systems.

33. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said step of identifying said one of said plurality of remote information systems further includes receiving address location data from said reception device, wherein said address location data corresponds to said one of said plurality of remote information systems.

34. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said step of identifying said one of said plurality of remote information systems further includes receiving nomination data from said reception device.

35. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said step of identifying said one of said plurality of remote information systems further includes receiving voting data from said reception device.

36. The method of

claim 21

, wherein said step of retrieving said original message data further includes searching said plurality of remote information systems for topical search criteria, wherein said topical search criteria corresponds to said original message data.