Method and apparatus for providing web site preview information

• US 20020073058A1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Prev-U Israel Ltd.
• Inventors: Aricha, Amiram, Kremer, Oren
• Granted Patent: US 7,031,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Client-server system for providing web site preview information of web site content and features to users. The user enters a web site URL they want to preview into a client application, which generates preview information about the web site content and features. The client generates the web site preview information by building the preview information from preview information sources including the web site and/or requesting preview information from the server/back-end of the client-server system. Both the client and the server build preview information by accessing preview information sources such as web pages and web page information databases, extracting the requested preview information, formatting the preview information in a standard preview format, and returning the preview information to the user for display. While the client and server system build preview information from preview information sources in real-time, the server system also builds preview information in non-real-time by storing preview information in a preview information archive, and transmitting this pre-built preview information to clients in response to client preview information requests. In addition to providing web site preview information, the present invention may also be used to provide real-time or near real-time promotional information associated with a web site. The promotional information or announcement may be provided in conjunction with the preview information presented to the user. Specifically, when the user requests or is provided with preview information for a particular web site, the system “goes” to the web site and retrieves announcement information prepared by the web site sponsor. The announcement information may be in the form of an HTML file prepared by the web site'"'"'s owner or marketing/promotional team. The HTML file is then presented to the user in conjunction with the presentation of the web site preview information.

Claims

1. A method for providing preview information for a website, comprising the following steps:

for a selected website, providing an indication that preview information is available for the selected website;

receiving a request for previous information for the selected website from a user;

generating preview information for the selected website, the preview information including at least one of pre-stored preview information, and real-time preview information;

determining whether or not the selected website includes an announcement feature;

if the selected website includes the announcement feature, then submitting a request to the selected website to provide predetermined announcement information; and

transmitting the preview information and the announcement information to the user;

wherein the request for preview information is submitted by the user prior to the user accessing the website for which preview information is requested.