Method and apparatus for network access

• US 20030140120A1
• Filed: 12/29/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amicus Software Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Amicus Software Pty Limited
• Inventors: Hartman, Alex James
• Application Number:
  US10/149,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20030140120A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web

Abstract

A system and method for providing user access to a network. The system includes a client computer executing a resident client application. The client application presents a user interface which facilitates browser access to a plurality of network sites, and the client application presents the user interface in accordance with a user profile which defines characteristics of the user interface. The system further includes a server which executes a resident server application. The server application can communicate with the client application, and stores and alters the user profile. The user profile and alterations of the user profile are communicated by the server to the client application. Client and server applications corresponding to the system are also provided.

Claims

1. A system for providing user access to a network, including:

client computing means executing a resident client application, the client application presenting a user interface facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites, the user interface being presented in accordance with a user profile which defines characteristics of the user interface; and

server computing means executing a resident server application, the server application operable to communicate with the client application, to store the user profile, to alter the user profile, and to communicate the user profile and alterations of the user profile to the client application.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said network is the internet.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said server computing means is provided by an Internet Service Provider which connects said client computing means to the internet

4. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the client application is operable to undertake click-stream analysis of use of the user interface.

5. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the server application is operable to undertake click-stream analysis of use of the user interface.

6. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the client application is operable to present a first user interface of a plurality of user interfaces based on a corresponding one of a plurality of user profiles.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first user interface is dependent on a current user'"'"'s identity.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the client application is operable to perform a routine login procedure to establish the current user'"'"'s identity.

9. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said first user interface is dependent on a current date.

10. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the user profile includes user-defined portions and server-defined portions.

11. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the server application is operable to store a plurality of user profiles.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the server application is operable to analyse the plurality of user profiles and to define a characteristic of a first user profile by analysis of a corresponding characteristic of each of the plurality of user profiles.

13. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the user profile defines visible attributes of the user interface.

14. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the user profile defines functional attributes defining a manner of operation of the client application in presenting the user interface.

15. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the client application is operable to cooperate with a network browser to present network content to a user.

16. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein alterations of the user profile are communicated to the client application upon completion of the alterations.

17. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the client application is operable to provide user access to more than one network.

18. A system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the server application is operable to perform one or more of the following:

provide authentication and session management services to one or more client applications;

provide messaging to one or more client applications;

communicate an updated client application to replace an existing client application;

export collected usage data to warehousing facilities; and

provide industry standard interfaces for operational monitoring and management

19. A client application for residing on client computing means and for providing user access to a network,

wherein the client application is operable to receive a user profile which is stored by a server application and which defines characteristics of a user interface,

wherein the client application is operable to receive alterations of the user profile,

and wherein the client application is operable to present the user interface in accordance with the user profile, the user interface facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites.

20. A client application as claimed in claim 19 wherein said network is the internet

21. A client application as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20 wherein the client application is operable to undertake click stream analysis of use of the user interface.

22. A client application as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 21 wherein the client application is operable to present a first user interface of a plurality of user interfaces based on a corresponding one of a plurality of user profiles.

23. A client application as claimed in claim 22 wherein said first user interface is dependent on a current user'"'"'s identity.

24. A client application as claimed in claim 23 wherein the client application is operable to perform a routine login procedure to establish the current user'"'"'s identity.

25. A client application as claimed in claim 22 wherein said first user interface is dependent on a current date.

26. A client application as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 25 wherein the user profile includes user-defined portions and server-defined portions.

27. A client application as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 26 wherein the user profile defines visible attributes of the user interface.

28. A client application as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 27 wherein the user profile defines functional attributes defining a manner of operation of the client application in presenting the user interface.

29. A client application as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 28 wherein the client application is operable to cooperate with a network browser to present network content to a user.

30. A client application as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 29 wherein alterations of the user profile are communicated to the client application upon completion of the alterations.

31. A client application as claimed in any one of claims 19 to 30 wherein the client application is operable to provide user access to more than one network

67. A storage medium storing in machine-readable form the client application of any one of claims 19 to 31.

69. A computing means operating under the control of the client application of any one of claims 19 to 31.

32. A server application for residing on server computing means and for facilitating user access to a network,

wherein the server application is operable to store a user profile defining characteristics of a user interface, the user interface facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites,

wherein the server application is operable to alter the user profile, and

wherein the server application is operable to communicate the user profile and alterations of the user profile to a client application resident on and executed by client computing means, for presentation of the user interface by the client application.

33. A server application as claimed in claim 32 wherein said network is the internet.

34. A server application as claimed in claim 33 wherein said server application is provided by an Internet Service Provider which connects said client application to the internet.

35. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 34 wherein the server application is operable to undertake click-stream analysis of use of the user interface.

36. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 35 wherein the user profile includes user-defined portions and server-defined portions.

37. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 36 wherein the server application is operable to store a plurality of user profiles.

38. A server application as claimed in claim 37 wherein the server application is operable to determine a user profile to be communicated to a client application based on a current user'"'"'s identity.

39. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 38 wherein the server application is operable to perform a routine login procedure to establish a current user'"'"'s identity.

40. A server application as claimed in claim 37 or 38 wherein the server application is operable to analyse the plurality of user profiles and to define a characteristic of a first user profile by analysis of a corresponding characteristic of each of the plurality of user profiles.

41. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 40 wherein the user profile defines visible attributes of the user interface.

42. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 41 wherein the user profile defines functional attributes defining a manner of operation of the client application in presenting the user interface.

43. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 42 wherein the server application is operable to communicate alterations of the user profile to the client application upon completion of the alterations.

44. A server application as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 43 wherein the server application is operable to perform one or more of the following:

provide authentication and session management services to one or more client applications;

provide messaging to one or more client applications;

communicate an updated client application to replace an existing client application;

export collected usage data to warehousing facilities; and

provide industry standard interfaces for operational monitoring and management

68. A storage medium storing in machine-readable form the server application of any one of claims 32 to 44.

70. A computing means operating under the control of the server application of any one of claims 32 to 44.

45. A method for providing user access to a network, including the steps of:

receiving at a client site a user profile which defines characteristics of a user interface;

presenting at the client site a user interface in accordance with the user profile, the user interface facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites;

storing the user profile at a server site;

altering the user profile at the server site; and

communicating the user profile and alterations of the user profile to the client site.

46. The method of claim 45 further including the step of performing, at the server site, click-stream analysis of use of the user interface.

47. The method of claim 45 or claim 46 wherein the step of presenting includes presenting one of a plurality of user interfaces based on a corresponding one of a plurality of user profiles.

48. The method of claim 47, further including the step of establishing a current user'"'"'s identity.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the current user'"'"'s identity is established by a login procedure.

50. The method of any one of claims 45 to 49 wherein the step of storing includes storing a plurality of user profiles.

51. The method of claim 50 including the further step of defining a characteristic of a first user profile by analysis of a corresponding characteristic of each of the plurality of user profiles.

52. The method of any one of claims 45 to 51 wherein the step of communicating alterations of the user profile is performed upon completion of said alterations.

53. The method of any one of claims 45 to 52 wherein the step of communicating alterations of the user profile is performed upon establishment of network access by a user.

54. The method of any one of claims 45 to 53, further including one or more of the following steps:

providing authentication and session management services to one or more client applications;

providing messaging to one or more client applications;

communicating an updated client application to replace an existing client application;

exporting collected usage data to warehousing facilities; and

providing industry standard interfaces for operational monitoring and management.

55. A method of providing user access to a network at a client site, including the steps of:

receiving at the client site a user profile which defines characteristics of a user interface and which is stored at a server site;

receiving at the client site alterations of the user profile; and

presenting a user interface in accordance with the user profile, the user interface facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites.

56. The method of claim 55 wherein the step of presenting includes presenting one of a plurality of user interfaces based on a corresponding one of a plurality of user profiles.

57. The method of claim 56 wherein the step of presenting is dependent upon a current user'"'"'s identity.

58. The method of any one of claims 55 to 57 including the further step of establishing a current user'"'"'s identity.

59. A method of facilitating, from a server site, user access to a network, the method including the steps of:

storing at the server site a user profile defining characteristics of a user interface, the user interface facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites;

altering the user profile; and

communicating the user profile and alterations of the user profile to a client site for presentation of the user interface.

60. The method of claim 59 further including the step of performing, at the server site, click-stream analysis of use of the user interface.

61. The method of claim 59 or 60 further including the step of establishing a current user'"'"'s identity.

62. The method of any one of claims 59 to 61 wherein the step of storing includes storing a plurality of user profiles.

63. The method of claim 62 further including the step of defining a characteristic of a first user profile by analysis of a corresponding characteristic of each of the plurality of user profiles.

64. The method of any one of claims 59 to 63 wherein the step of communicating alterations of the user profile is performed upon completion of said alterations.

65. The method of any one of claims 59 to 64 wherein the step of communicating alterations of the user profile is performed upon establishment of network access by a user.

66. The method of any one of claims 59 to 65 further including one or more of the following steps:

providing authentication and session management services to one or more client applications;

providing messaging to one or more client applications;

communicating an updated client application to replace an existing client application;

exporting collected usage data to warehousing facilities; and

providing industry standard interfaces for operational monitoring and management.

71. A system for providing user access to a network, comprising:

client computing means executing a resident client application, the client application presenting a user interface, the user interface operable to facilitate non-browser access to a plurality of network sites and to facilitate browser access to a plurality of network sites, the user interface being presented in accordance with a user profile which defines characteristics of the user interface; and

server computing means executing a resident server application, the server application operable to communicate with the client application, to store the user profile, to alter the user profile, and to communicate the user profile and alterations of the user profile to the client application.

72. A client application for residing on client computing means and for facilitating user access to a network,

wherein the client application is operable to receive a user profile which is stored by a server application and which defines characteristics of a user interface,

wherein the client application is operable to receive alterations of the user profile,

and wherein the client application is operable to present the user interface in accordance with the user profile, the user interface facilitating non-browser access to a plurality of network sites, and facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites.

73. A server application for residing on server computing means and for facilitating user access to a network,

wherein the server application is operable to store a user profile defining characteristics of a user interface, the user interface facilitating non-browser access to a plurality of network sites and facilitating browser access to a plurality of network sites,

wherein the server application is operable to alter the user profile, and

wherein the server application is operable to communicate the user profile and alterations of the user profile to a client application resident on and executed by client computing means, for presentation of the user interface by the client application.