User guidance method, content advertizing method, user guidance system, object control system, moving object, storage medium and program transmission apparatus

• US 20010056498A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 12/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Koyanagi, Teruo, Kohda, Takenori, Masumitus, Ken
• Application Number:
  US09/855,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20010056498A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A user guidance system comprises: a moving object manager for managing the location of a moving object on a network; a radar information generator for generating information concerning the location of the moving object, and for providing the information to a user who is accessing the network; and a zero distance performer for, when the moving object is found by a predetermined user, performing a predetermined process associated with the discovery of the moving object, wherein the moving object manager arranges the moving object at a desired location in order to guide the user to desired contents on the network.

Claims

1. A user guidance method comprising the steps of:

permitting an object, which is so defined that it can be obtained by a user, to appear at a specific location of a specific site; and

moving said object,

whereby a user who desires to obtain said object is guided to predetermined content available at said specific site.

2. The user guidance method according to

claim 1

, wherein said step of moving said object includes the steps of:

waiting, after said object has appeared at said specific location, until said object is obtained by users; and

permitting said object, after said object has been obtained by any of said users, to appear at a different location at said specific site.

3. The user guidance method according to

claim 1

, further comprising the step of:

providing information, after said object has appeared, concerning the location of said object for said user who desires to obtain said object.

4. The user guidance method according to

claim 1

, wherein, at said step of moving said object, said object is moved along a predetermined route, and said user who desires to obtain said object is guided to said predetermined content in accordance with a specific order based on said route.

5. The user guidance method according to

claim 1

, wherein, at said step of permitting said object to appear, said object appears at specific locations at multiple connected sites across a network;

and wherein at said step of moving said object, said object is moved across said network.

6. The user guidance method according to

claim 5

, wherein, at said step of moving said object, said object is moved along a predetermined route across said multiple sites on said network, and said user who desires to obtain said object is guided to predetermined content available in a specific sequential order based on said route.

7. A content advertisement method comprising the steps of:

permitting an object, defined so that it can be obtained by a user, to appear on a network in contents multiple users desire to browse; and

moving said object, when a predetermined user browses said contents, to contents multiple users desire to browse,

whereby said user, who desires to obtain said object, is guided to and enabled to browse said contents.

8. The content advertisement method according to

claim 7

, wherein, at said step of moving said object, movement of said object is effected along a route that includes said contents multiple users desire to browse.

9. A user guidance system comprising:

an object manager for managing the location of an object on a network;

a position information generator for generating information concerning said location of said object, and for providing said information to a user who is accessing said network; and

a processor for, when said object is selected by a predetermined user, performing a predetermined process associated with the object selection,

wherein said object manager arranges said object at a desired location in order to guide said user to desired contents on said network.

10. The user guidance system according to

claim 9

, wherein, when said object is selected, said processor transmits a notification to that effect to said object manager, and upon the receipt of said notification, said object manager deletes said object selected by said user, and positions another object at a different location on said network.

11. A user guidance system according to

claim 9

, wherein, when said object is selected by a specific user, said processor transmits, together with information concerning said specific user, a notification to that effect to said object manager;

wherein, upon the receipt of said notification, said object manager manages said information concerning said specific user, who is regarded as the person who has obtained said object;

wherein, if said object is selected by multiple users, only said specific user is regarded as the person who has obtained said object.

12. An object control system comprising:

web servers, for storing web pages; and

a main server, for communicating with a predetermined web server,

wherein said main server permits a specific object to appear in a specific web page or delete from a specific web page stored in said specific web server.

13. The object control system according to

claim 12

, wherein said object is selected when said object is present in a web page that a user is currently browsing;

and wherein, when said object is selected by said user, said main server deletes said object from said web page and permits said object to appear in another web page.

14. The object control system according to

claim 12

, wherein said main server provides, for said user who accesses said specific web server, information concerning the location of said object that is appearing.

15. The object control system according to

claim 14

, wherein said information concerning said location of said object, which is provided for said user, indicates the ease with which said object can be reached from said web page browsed by said user.

16. An object control system comprising:

an object to be embedded in a web page stored at a web site on a network; and

object management means for managing the location of said object on said network,

wherein said object management means changes the location of said object on said network in order to move said object across said network.

17. The object control system according to

claim 16

, wherein said object management means correlates the location of said object with a web page browsed by a predetermined user, and changes said location of said object web pages are browsed by said user.

18. An object control system comprising:

an object stored in a predetermined server;

link setting means, for setting a link in a web page stored at a web site on said network in order to move to said object; and

object position management means, for determining a web page for setting a link thereto,

wherein, under the control of said object position management means, said link setting means changes a target web page for setting a link thereto.

19. The object control system according to

claim 18

, wherein said object position management means defines a web page browsed by a predetermined user as said target web page to which said link with said object is to be set, and changes said target web page as said predetermined user browses said web pages;

and wherein said link setting means, under the control of said object position management means, changes said link with said object.

20. A moving object, to be embedded in a web page stored at a web site on a network, whose location on said network is managed by specific management means, and which moves from a predetermined web page to another web page.

21. A storage medium on which input means of a computer stores a program in an input-enabled form, said program permitting said computer to perform:

a process for permitting a specific object to appear on a specific web page stored in a specific web server;

a process for, when a user browses said specific web page and selects said specific object, moving said object to another web page.

22. A program transmission apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a program permitting a computer to perform

a process for permitting a specific object to appear on a specific web page stored in a specific web server,

a process for, when a user browses said specific web page and selects said specific object, moving said object to another web page; and

transmission means for reading said program from said storage means and for transmitting said program.