Updating content within a container document for user groups

• US 20080034441A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jesse Shieh, Jon Snitow, Jun Yang, Shoumen Saha
• Inventors: Yang, Jun, Shieh, Jesse, Saha, Shoumen, Snitow, Jon
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A computer-implemented system and method to distribute a content document with security, customization, and scalability is provided. One or more servers provides a customizable content document associated with a first entity, enables a second entity to specify content to be included for users associated with the entity in the customizable content document, and delivers the customized content document incorporating the specified content in a secure manner to users associated with the second entity.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a customizable content document associated with a first entity;

enabling a second entity to specify content to be included for users associated with the entity in the customizable content document; and

delivering the customized content document incorporating the specified content in a secure manner to users associated with the second entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second entity selects content from a source other than the first entity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selections are stored on a scalable storage system platform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content is dynamic.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling the second entity to specify an authentication method to authenticate the users associated with the second entity.

31. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing a reference to the customized container document in a dynamic table that is maintained by the first entity.

5. A method comprising:

receiving one or more selections associated with a user group, the one or more selections identifying content to be served to users associated with the user group for one or more container documents; and

serving a user a container document, the container document including content identified by the one or more selections for the user group with which a user is associated, the content being incorporated securely into the container document.

32. The method according to claim 5, the one or more selections further identifying a domain name to be associated with the user group.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising:

storing the domain name in a dynamic table.

34. The method according to claim 5, the one or more selections further identifying an authentication method to authenticate the user associated with the user group.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising:

storing the authentication method in a dynamic table.

6. A method comprising:

receiving one or more selections associated with a user group, the one or more selections identifying content to be served to users associated with the user group for one or more container documents; and

transmitting the selections to a container server system that serves a container document to users of the user group based on a request for the content.

36. The method according to claim 6, the one or more selections further identifying an authentication method to authenticate the user associated with the user group.

37. The method according to claim 6, the one or more selections further identifying an authentication method to authenticate the user associated with the user group.

7. A system that serves content in a container document, comprising:

a first server to receive a request for a container document, determine whether the request is for a container document associated with a user group, request configuration information from a configuration server based on a determination that the request is for a container document associated with a user group, receive the configuration information from the configuration server, and serve the requested container document using the configuration information,

wherein the configuration server enables configuration of at least a portion of a container document, and

wherein the container document is associated with a user group.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the server further determines whether a requestor of the request for the container document is known.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the server retrieves information associated with the requestor based on a determination that the requester is known.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the server serves the requested container document using the configuration information and the information associated with the requestor.

11. The system according to claim 7, wherein the container document includes at least one module comprising a content element and one or more optional preference elements to enable the second server to provide preferences to the module.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the server further determines whether a requestor of the request for the container document is known.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the server retrieves information associated with the requester based on a determination that the requestor is known.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the server serves the requested container document using the configuration information and the information associated with the requestor.

15. The server system according to claim 7, wherein the configuration server comprises a first layer to provide a user interface to a user system and receive data from the user interface.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the configuration server further comprises a second layer to verify the data received from the user interface by the first layer and convert the data into a predetermined format.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the configuration server further comprises a third layer to execute instructions.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the configuration server further comprises a fourth layer to interact with one or more of the first, second, and third layers.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the first layer to uploads data to a storage system.

20. The system according to claim 7, wherein the configuration information is defined by the user group.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein the information associated with the requestor comprises preferences of the requester.

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein the configuration information defines content available for inclusion in a portion of the container document and options for configuring the content, and wherein the information associated with the requestor is based on the options for configuring the content.

23. The system according to claim 7, wherein the container document comprises a module to receive search terms and provide search results based on the search terms.

24. The system according to claim 23, wherein the search results include advertisements, and wherein the user group receives payment when the advertisement is acted upon.

38. The system of claim 8, wherein to determine whether a requestor is known, the server determines a previously stored authentication method to authenticate users associated with the user group and authenticates the requester based on the previously stored authentication method.

25. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for a container document;

determining whether the request is for a container document associated with a user group;

requesting configuration information based on a determination that the request is for a container document associated with a user group;

receiving the configuration information; and

serving the container document using the configuration information,

wherein the configuration information defines at least a portion of the container document associated with the user group.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising:

determining whether a requestor of the request for the container document is registered.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

retrieving information associated with the requestor based on a determination that the requestor is registered.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising:

serving the requested container document using the configuration information and the information associated with the requester.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the configuration information is defined by a representative of the user group.

39. The method of claim 25, wherein the determining whether the request is for a container document associated with a user group includes retrieving information associated with a domain name, wherein the domain name is selectable by the user group, and the information associated with the domain name is stored in a dynamic table.