Method and apparatus for serving electronic information to a user over a computer network

• US 20050114349A1
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Christopher D. Coley, Ralph E. Wesinger Jr
• Original Assignee: Christopher D. Coley, Ralph E. Wesinger Jr
• Inventors: Coley, Christopher D., Wesinger, Ralph E. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/830,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114349A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for serving electronic information to a user over a computer network are disclosed. A computer connected to the network and hosting a database is provided. The computer is configured to receive a request from a user to view electronic information stored in a networked database over the network, and retrieve the information from the database. The computer may then transform the information on-the-fly into a hardware independent page description language representation of said information and serve the information to the user over the network.

Claims

1. A method for serving electronic information to a user over a computer network comprising:

receiving a request from a user to view electronic information stored in a networked database over the network;

retrieving the information to be viewed from said database;

transforming said information on-the-fly into a hardware independent page description language representation of said information; and

serving said hardware independent version of said information to said user over the network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said page description language comprises HTML.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said computer network comprises the World Wide Web.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said information comprises graphics.

5. The method of claim 1, further including the act of processing associated billing using on-line credit card processing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said credit card processing is automated.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said credit card processing is processed in a secure fashion.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said credit card processing is password-protected.

9. The method of claim 4, further including the act of processing associated billing using on-line credit card processing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said credit card processing is automated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said credit card processing is processed in a secure fashion.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said credit card processing is password-protected.

13. An apparatus for serving electronic information to a user over a computer network comprising:

a computer connected to the network and hosting a database, said computer being configured to;

receive a request from a user to view electronic information stored in a networked database over the network;

retrieve the information to be viewed from said database;

transform said information on-the-fly into a hardware independent page description language representation of said information; and

serve said hardware independent version of said information to said user over the network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said page description language comprises HTML.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said computer network comprises the World Wide Web.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said information comprises graphics.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further including the act of processing associated billing using on-line credit card processing.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said credit card processing is automated.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said credit card processing is processed in a secure fashion.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said credit card processing is password-protected.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further including the act of processing associated billing using on-line credit card processing.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said credit card processing is automated.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said credit card processing is processed in a secure fashion.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said credit card processing is password-protected.

25. An apparatus for serving electronic information to a user over a computer network comprising:

means for receiving a request from a user to view electronic information stored in a networked database over the network;

means for retrieving the information to be viewed from said database;

means for transforming said information on-the-fly into a hardware independent page description language representation of said information; and

means for serving said hardware independent version of said information to said user over the network.