World wide web document distribution system with compensation for document providers and for document receiving users for distribution costs by users permitting providers to track the users' document access activities on the web

• US 20030225614A1
• Filed: 05/30/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ruyle, Robert R. Jr., Rodriguez, Herman
• Application Number:
  US10/159,508
• Publication Number:
  US 20030225614A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history

Abstract

In a World Wide Web network with user access via a plurality of data processor controlled interactive receiving Web display stations for displaying received hypertext documents accessible from document sources on the Web, a system for compensating Web document providers comprising means enabling a user at a receiving display station to bookmark a received Web document. When a document is thus bookmarked, the user is prompted to select to compensate a provider of said bookmarked document by permitting said provider to track said user'"'"'s document access activities on the Web. Responsive to the prompting, there is an implementation for tracking the user'"'"'s activities on the Web when the user selects to permit such tracking. This immediate current history of every hyperlink that the user has traversed in his path is fresh and dynamic and may be analyzed to focus on the user'"'"'s dynamic and immediate interests. The information may be provided to appropriate sales and advertising organizations, and the resulting fees shared as compensation by the Web document providers and users.

Claims

1. In a World Wide Web (Web) communication network with user access via a plurality of data processor controlled interactive receiving Web display stations for displaying received hypertext documents of at least one display page containing text and images accessible from document sources on the Web, a system for compensating Web document providers comprising:

means enabling a user at a receiving display station to bookmark a received Web document;

prompting means associated with the bookmarking of a Web document by a user for prompting said user to select to compensate a provider of said bookmarked document by permitting said provider to track said user'"'"'s document access activities on the Web; and

means responsive to said prompting means for tracking said user'"'"'s activities on the Web.

2. The Web system of claim 1 further including means for offering the user additional compensation for permitting a source content provider to track the user'"'"'s Web document access activities.

3. The Web system of claim 2 further including:

a Web server for accessing Web documents from content provider sources for said user at said receiving display station; and

said Web server including said means for tracking said user'"'"'s activities on the Web.

4. The Web system of claim 3 wherein said Web server is maintained by a Web Service Provider.

5. The Web system of claim 3 further comprising:

Web browsing means at said receiving display station including;

said means for bookmarking a received Web document; and

said means for prompting said user to select to compensate the content provider of said bookmarked document by permitting said content provider to track said user'"'"'s document access activities on the Web.

6. The Web system of claim 5 wherein said Web browsing means further includes:

means for caching a history list of the Web document sources accessed by the user at the receiving Web station; and

said Web server includes means for accessing said history list from said Web browsing means, and for maintaining said list on behalf of the source content provider.

7. The Web system of claim 6 wherein:

said Web server is maintained by a Web Service Provider; and

said additional compensation offered to the user is a reduction in the Service Provider'"'"'s user fees.

8. In a Web communication network with user access via a plurality of data processor controlled interactive receiving Web display stations for displaying received hypertext documents of at least one display page containing text and images accessible from document sources on the Web, a method for compensating Web document providers comprising:

enabling a user at a receiving display station to bookmark a received Web document;

prompting the user of a bookmarked Web document to select to compensate a provider of said bookmarked document by permitting said provider to track said user'"'"'s document access activities on the Web; and

tracking said user'"'"'s activities on the Web responsive to said user selection to permit said tracking.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of offering the user additional compensation for permitting a source content provider to track the user'"'"'s Web document access activities.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said network further includes a Web server for accessing Web documents from content provider sources for said user at said receiving display station;

and said step of tracking said user'"'"'s activities on the Web is carried out in said Web server.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said Web server is maintained by a Web Service Provider.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

a Web browsing process at said receiving display station including said steps of;

bookmarking a received Web document; and

prompting said user to select to compensate the content provider of said bookmarked document by permitting said content provider to track said user'"'"'s document access activities on the Web.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said Web browsing process further includes the steps of:

caching a history list of the Web document sources accessed by the user at the receiving Web station; and

accessing said history list from said Web browsing process, and maintaining said list on behalf of the source content provider at said Web server.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

said Web server is maintained by a Web Service Provider; and

said additional compensation offered to the user is a reduction in the Service Provider'"'"'s user fees.

15. A computer program having code recorded on a computer readable medium for compensating Web document providers in a Web communication network with user access via a plurality of data processor controlled interactive receiving Web display stations for displaying received hypertext documents of at least one display page containing text and images accessible from document sources on the Web, said program comprising:

means enabling a user at a receiving display station to bookmark a received Web document;

prompting means associated with the bookmarking of a Web document by a user for prompting said user to select to compensate a provider of said bookmarked document by permitting said provider to track said user'"'"'s document access activities on the Web; and

means responsive to said prompting means for tracking said user'"'"'s activities on the Web.

16. The computer program of claim 15 further including means for offering the user additional compensation for permitting a source content provider to track the user'"'"'s Web document access activities.

17. The computer program of claim 16 wherein the Web network further includes:

a Web server for accessing Web documents from content provider sources for said user at said receiving display station; and

said Web server including said means for tracking said user'"'"'s activities on the Web.

18. The computer program of claim 17 wherein said Web server is maintained by a Web Service Provider.

19. The computer program of claim 17 further comprising:

a Web browser program at said receiving display station including;

said means for bookmarking a received Web document; and

said means for prompting said user to select to compensate the content provider of said bookmarked document by permitting said content provider to track said user'"'"'s document access activities on the Web.

20. The computer program of claim 19 wherein said Web browser program further includes:

means for caching a history list of the Web document sources accessed by the user at the receiving Web station; and

said Web server includes means for accessing said history list from said Web browsing means, and for maintaining said list on behalf of the source content provider.

21. The computer program of claim 20 wherein:

said Web server is maintained by a Web Service Provider; and

said additional compensation offered to the user is a reduction in the Service Provider'"'"'s user fees.