METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING AND SHARING A USER'S WEB PRESENCE

• US 20080126484A1
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meebo Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Shen, Jian, Wherry, Elaine, Jen, Sandy, Sternberg, Seth
• Granted Patent: US 8,595,295 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2216/15 Synchronised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A method and system for determining and sharing a user'"'"'s web presence have been disclosed. According to one embodiment, a computer implemented method comprises providing web presence information associated with a first user from a first computer having a first software module. The web presence information is received at a second computer. The web presence information is used to dynamically inform a second user communicating with the second computer of a website that the first user is viewing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing web presence information associated with a first user from a first computer hosting a website and having a first software module;

receiving the web presence information at a second computer;

using the web presence information to dynamically inform a second user communicating with the second computer that the first user is viewing the website.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the web presence information includes one or more of a user ID, a visit duration, a URL of a web page visited, a name of the web page, and a representative image of the web site.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first software module is a FLASH script.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the first software module is a JAVA script.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the second computer gathers the web presence information and generates statistics for use in advertising.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the second computer sends the statistics to a third party web site.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising presenting advertising to the first user dynamically based on the web presence information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising redirecting the second user to the website viewed by the first user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising presenting the first user with a preferences panel through which access to the web presence information is controlled.

10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform:

providing web presence information associated with a first user from a first computer hosting a website and having a first software module;

receiving the web presence information at a second computer;

using the web presence information to dynamically inform a second user communicating with the second computer that the first user is viewing the website.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the web presence information includes one or more of a user ID, a visit duration, a URL of a web page visited, a name of the web page, and a representative image of the web site.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first software module is a FLASH script.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first software module is a JAVA script.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second computer gathers the web presence information and generates statistics for use in advertising.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second computer sends the statistics to a third party web site.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform presenting advertising to the first user dynamically based on the web presence information.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform redirecting the second user to the website viewed by the first user.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, having stored thereon-additional instructions, said additional instructions when executed by a computer, cause said computer to further perform presenting the first user with a preferences interface through which access to the web presence information is controlled.