System and method for automatic domain-name registration and web publishing

• US 20050234921A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SnapNames.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: SnapNames.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Kelley, Kerry, King, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US11/061,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20050234921A1
• 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

Abstract

A customer having little or no technical training or experience can publish documents, images and other content to the web using the disclosed methods and systems. A simple e-storefront portal guides the user to selection of a desired domain name, if she does not already have one, and the system registers the domain name automatically to the user. It sets up a virtual server associated with the registered domain name for publication of the user'"'"'s content. A client application is configured, downloaded and installed on the user'"'"'s computer desktop. Content dropped into a virtual folder on the desktop is automatically published to the user'"'"'

Claims

1. A method for automatically creating a website comprising:

receiving a user selection of a domain name;

automatically registering the selected domain name;

automatically creating a virtual web server to host user content;

creating a virtual folder client application that links a desktop of the user to the virtual web server; and

downloading the virtual folder client application to the user'"'"'s desktop.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein downloading the virtual folder client application comprises downloading and installing client software to a computer of the user that implements the virtual folder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically registering the domain name comprises associating the selected domain name to an IP address of the virtual web server.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically configuring at least one email account to be accessible via the registered domain name.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first content file added to the virtual folder by the user;

in the user computer, extracting content from the first content file; and

automatically publishing the extracted content on the virtual web server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein automatically publishing comprises automatically converting the content file into a markup language.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the original content file is added to the virtual folder by a graphical user interface drag and drop operation.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said automatically publishing comprises automatically converting at least a portion of the content into HTML.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein automatically publishing comprises automatically converting a graphic from the content file into a predetermined graphic format for publishing the graphic on the virtual web server.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein automatically publishing comprises sending the content to a remote web server for publication on the web at the registered domain name site.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein automatically publishing comprises sending the content to a remote operations platform for processing;

and wherein after said processing, the operations platform updates a web page to incorporate the content for publication on the web at the registered domain name site.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a second document dropped into the virtual folder by the user;

creating a table of contents page listing and providing a link to the first and second documents; and

automatically publishing the table of content page on the virtual web server.

13. A method for automatically creating a website comprising:

establishing an account online for a web publishing customer;

if the customer has a registered domain name, receiving from the customer identification of the registered domain name;

if the customer desires a domain name registration, receiving from the customer a selection of a desired domain name, and automatically registering the selected domain name to become the registered domain name;

automatically creating a virtual web server to host user content;

associating the virtual web server with the registered domain name so that web pages are accessible at a network address corresponding to the registered domain name;

creating a virtual folder that links a desktop of the customer to the virtual web server;

downloading the virtual folder to the user'"'"'s desktop;

monitoring the virtual folder to detect an update event initiated by the user; and

performing a publishing action in response to the update event.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the update event comprises the user modifying a document within the virtual folder, and wherein the publishing event comprises modifying a corresponding document being published on the virtual web server.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the update event comprises the user deleting a document within the virtual folder, and wherein the publishing event comprises removing a corresponding document from the virtual web server.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the update event comprises the user removing a document from the virtual folder, and wherein the publishing event comprises removing a corresponding document from the virtual web server.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the update event comprises the user adding a document to the virtual folder, and wherein the publishing event comprises adding a page to the virtual web server corresponding to the document added to the virtual folder.

18. A web publication method comprising:

establishing an electronic storefront portal for web publication;

at the storefront portal, interacting with a user to select a desired domain name that is either registered to the user, or available for registration to the user;

if not registered to the user, registering the desired domain name to the user;

automatically creating a virtual web server to host user content;

associating the virtual web server with the registered domain name so that web pages are accessible at web site having a network address corresponding to the registered domain name;

creating a virtual folder that links a desktop of the customer to the virtual web server;

downloading the virtual folder to the user'"'"'s desktop; and

publishing content submitted to the virtual folder at the web server.

19. A web publication method according to claim 18 and further comprising:

accessing the web site from a smart phone, camera or other mobile device; and

downloading a web page to the mobile device that reflects the content submitted to the virtual folder in a modified format.

20. A web publication method according to claim 19 and further comprising:

uploading new content to the web server from the mobile device; and

automatically forwarding the new content to the user'"'"'s desktop virtual folder.