Software and method for automatically sending a data object that includes user demographics

• US 20020129094A1
• Filed: 04/20/2000
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TMI Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Richard R. Reisman
• Inventors: Reisman, Richard R.
• Granted Patent: US 6,611,862 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/18 Address timing or clocking circuits; Address control signal generation or management, e.g. for row address strobe [RAS] or column address strobe [CAS] signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• 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 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A method for operating a user station that is configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network includes steps for creating a send data object that includes user demographics, and automatically sending the send data object to a selected one of the data sources upon establishing the communication link, without any triggering user action. Corresponding software and user stations are also described.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user station that is configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network, comprising:

creating a send data object that includes user demographics; and

automatically sending the send data object to a selected one of the data sources upon establishing the communication link, without any triggering user action.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the user demographics are used for market analysis.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises an information distribution server.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises an information update distribution server.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises a news update service.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises an information update service.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises a product update service.

9. A method for operating a user station that is configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network, comprising:

creating a send data object that includes user demographics; and

automatically sending the send data object to a selected one of the data sources in response to activation of the data transport function.

10. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the network is the Internet.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the one or more fetched updates comprise data updates.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the one or more fetched updates comprise news updates.

13. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the one or more fetched updates comprise product updates for a product already installed on the user station.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13, further comprising automatically storing the one or more fetched product updates in a storage location at the user station.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to an existing version of the product already installed on the user station.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14, farther comprising automatically integrating the one or more fetched product updates with the existing version of the product already installed on the user station.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11, further comprising automatically storing the one or more fetched data updates in a storage location at the user station.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to an existing database application already installed on the user station.

19. The method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising automatically integrating the one or more fetched data updates with an existing database on the user station.

20. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the automatically sending operation is performed in accordance with a send object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the send data object.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20, wherein the data transport function fetches the one or more updates from the selected one of the data sources in accordance with a fetch object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the one or more updates to be fetched.

22. The method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the data transport function fetches the one or more updates from the selected one of the data sources in accordance with a fetch object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the one or more updates to be fetched.

23. The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the step of creating the send data object is performed during installation of the product to which the one or more fetched product updates pertain.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23, further comprising storing the send data object in a user data storage location at the selected one of the data sources.

25. The method as set forth in claim 24, wherein the user data storage location is identified by a user ID assigned to the user at the user station.

26. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising storing the send data object in a user data storage location at the selected one of the data sources.

27. The method as set forth in claim 26, wherein the user data storage location is identified by a user ID assigned to the user at the user station.

29. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the network is the Internet.

30. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the user information comprises user demographic information.

31. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises an information update service.

32. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises a product update service.

33. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the user information comprises user information entered by the user during a process of installing a product on the user station.

34. The method as set forth in claim 33, wherein the one or more data objects comprise product updates for the product installed on the user station.

35. The method as set forth in claim 34, further comprising automatically storing the one or more product updates in a storage location at the user station.

36. The method as set forth in claim 35, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to the product installed on the user station.

37. The method as set forth in claim 34, further comprising automatically integrating the one or more product updates with the product installed on the user station.

38. The method as set forth in claim 28, further comprising storing the send data object in a user data storage location at the selected one of the data sources.

39. The method as set forth in claim 38, wherein the user data storage location is identified by a user ID assigned to the user at the user station.

40. The method as set forth in claim 28, wherein the user information comprises subscription request information.

28. A method for operating a user station that is configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network, comprising:

creating a send data object that includes user information;

automatically and repeatedly transporting one or more data objects from a selected one of the data sources in accordance with a user-modifiable schedule; and

automatically sending the send data object to the selected one of the data sources in response to the transporting.

41. A method for operating a user station that is configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network, comprising:

creating a send data object that includes user information,

establishing a communication link with a selected one of the data sources; and

automatically sending the send data object to the selected one of the data sources in response to a triggering user action, wherein the automatically sending is performed using a send object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the send data object.

42. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein the network is the Internet.

43. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises a news update service.

44. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises an information update service.

45. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein the selected one of the data sources comprises a product update service.

46. The method as set forth in claim 41, wherein the user information comprises user information entered by the user during a process of installing a product on the user station.

47. The method as set forth in claim 46, further comprising fetching one or more product updates for the product installed on the user station from the selected one of the data sources via the established communication link.

48. The method as set forth in claim 47, further comprising automatically storing the one or more product updates in a storage location at the user station.

49. The method as set forth in claim 48, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to the product installed on the user station.

50. The method as set forth in claim 47, further comprising automatically integrating the one or more product updates with the product installed on the user station.

51. The method as set forth in claim 41, further comprising storing the send data object in a user data storage location at the selected one of the data sources.

52. The method as set forth in claim 51, wherein the user data storage location is identified by a user ID assigned to the user at the user station.

53. The method as set forth in claim 51, wherein the user information comprises subscription request information.

54. The method as set forth in claim 51, wherein the user information comprises user demographic information.

55. Software stored on a computer-readable storage medium at a user station configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network, comprising:

a fetch data transport function that fetches one or more data objects from a selected one of the data sources; and

a send data transport function that automatically sends a send data object to the selected one of the data sources in response to activation of the fetch data transport function,

wherein the send data object comprises user information.

56. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the network is the Internet.

57. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the one or more fetched data objects comprise data updates.

58. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the one or more fetched data objects comprise news updates.

59. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the one or more fetched data objects comprise product updates for a product installed on the user station.

60. The software as set forth in claim 59, further comprising a store function that automatically stores the one or more fetched product updates in a storage location at the user station.

61. The software as set forth in claim 60, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to the product installed on the user station.

62. The software as set forth in claim 60, further comprising an integration function that automatically integrates the one or more fetched product updates with the product installed on the user station.

63. The software as set forth in claim 55, further comprising a store function that automatically stores the one or more fetched data objects in a storage location at the user station.

64. The software as set forth in claim 63, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to a database application installed on the user station.

65. The software as set forth in claim 63, further comprising an integration function that automatically integrates the one or more fetched data objects with an existing database on the user station.

66. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the send data transport function uses a send object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the send data object.

67. The software as set forth in claim 66, wherein the fetch data transport function uses a fetch object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the one or more data objects to be fetched.

68. The software as set forth in claim 66, wherein the fetch data transport function uses a fetch object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the one or more data objects to be fetched.

69. The software as set forth in claim 59, wherein the user information comprises user information entered by the user during installation of the product to which the one or more fetched product updates pertain.

70. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the send data object is stored in a user data storage location at the selected one of the data sources.

71. The software as set forth in claim 70, wherein the user data storage location is identified by a user ID assigned to the user at the user station.

72. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the user information comprises user demographic information.

73. The software as set forth in claim 55, wherein the user information comprises user demographics for market analysis.

74. A user station configured for communications with a multiplicity of independently-operated data sources via a non-proprietary network, comprising:

means for fetching one or more data objects from a selected one of the data sources; and

means for automatically sending a send data object to the selected one of the data sources in response to the fetching operation, wherein the send data object comprises user information.

75. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the network is the Internet.

76. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the one or more fetched data objects comprise data updates.

77. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the one or more fetched data objects comprise news updates.

78. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the one or more fetched data objects comprise product updates for a product installed on the user station.

79. The user station as set forth in claim 78, further comprising means for automatically storing the one or more fetched product updates in a storage location at the user station.

80. The user station as set forth in claim 79, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to the product installed on the user station.

81. The user station as set forth in claim 79, further comprising means for automatically integrating the one or more fetched product updates with the product installed on the user station.

82. The user station as set forth in claim 74, further comprising means for automatically storing the one or more fetched data objects in a storage location at the user station.

83. The user station as set forth in claim 82, wherein the storage location comprises a designated temporary storage location known to a database application installed on the user station.

84. The user station as set forth in claim 82, further comprising means for automatically integrating the one or more fetched data objects with an existing database on the user station.

85. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the means for automatically sending uses a send object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the send data object.

86. The user station as set forth in claim 85, wherein the means for fetching uses a fetch object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the one or more data objects to be fetched.

87. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the means for fetching uses a fetch object manifest that includes at least a source address of the selected one of the data sources and an identification of the one or more data objects to be fetched.

88. The user station as set forth in claim 78, wherein the user information comprises user information entered by the user during installation of the product to which the one or more fetched product updates pertain.

89. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the send data object is stored in a user data storage location at the selected one of the data sources.

90. The user station as set forth in claim 89, wherein the user data storage location is identified by a user ID assigned to the user at the user station.

91. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the user information comprises user demographic information.

92. The user station as set forth in claim 74, wherein the user information comprises user demographics for market analysis.