Dynamic Web Page Construction Based on Determination of Client Device Location

• US 20100121718A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: AlanDietz, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,712,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.580
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor

Abstract

A method for serving a web page begins by storing a set of location-specific page elements. In response to a request for the web page from a client browser, a control routine parses the request to locate a geographic location data string identifying a location of the client browser that has made the request. The geographic location data string may be generated at the client browser in a number of different ways, e.g., by a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver coupled to the client computer. At the server, the web page is built dynamically using the geographic location data string to select a given one of the set of location-specific page elements and, preferably, an element having content associated with a physical location in proximity to the location of the client browser. The web page is then served in response to the request. In this way, targeted advertising or other page content is included in the web page as a function of the client browser location.

Claims

1. A method for generating and serving a customized web page by a server data processing system, comprising the steps performed by the server data processing system of:

storing a set of location-specific page elements;

receiving a user-initiated request for a specific web page from a first client browser, the request including (i) a geographic location data string identifying a first location of the first client browser and (ii) an identifier for the specific web page;

responsive to the request being received, generating the customized web page using (i) the geographic location data string to select a given one of the set of location-specific page elements having content associated with a physical location in proximity to the first location of the first client browser and (ii) the specific web page, wherein elements from both the specific web page and the given one of the set of location-specific page elements are included in the customized web page;

serving the customized web page in response to the request;

receiving a subsequent request for the web page from either the first client browser or a second client browser different from the first client browser;

determining if the subsequent request originates from a second location that is proximate to the first location of the first client browser; and

providing a cached version of the customized web page if the second location is proximate to the first location.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the geographic location data string is provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) device coupled to a client computer in which the first client browser is resident.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the location-specific page elements are a set of web page advertisements.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the given one of the set of location-specific page elements is a web page advertisement for a business located in proximity to the location of the first client browser.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the geographic location data string is provided in a browser cookie.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the geographic location data string is provided in a hypertext markup language (HTML) form.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the set of location-specific page elements are stored at a third party server.

8. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the customized web page is built using a Java server page mechanism.

9. A computer program product stored in a computer-readable storage medium and executable by a data processing system for serving a customized web page, the computer program product comprising instructions for performing steps of:

receiving, by a server data processing system, a user-initiated request for a specific web page from a first client browser, the request including (i) a geographic location data string identifying a first location of the first client browser and (ii) an identifier for the specific web page;

generating, by the server data processing system responsive to the request, the customized web page using (i) the geographic location data string to select a given one of a set of location-specific page elements having content including a physical location in proximity to the first location of the first client browser and (ii) the specific web page, wherein elements from both the specific web page and the given one of the set of location-specific page elements are included in the customized web page;

receiving, by the server data processing system, a subsequent request for the web page from either the first client browser or a second client browser different from the first client browser;

determining, by the server data processing system, if the subsequent request originates from a second location that is proximate to the first location of the first client browser; and

providing, by the server data processing system, a cached version of the customized web page if the second location is proximate to the first location.

10. The computer program product as described in claim 9 further including instructions for performing a step of serving the customized web page in response to the request.

11. The computer program product as described in claim 9 wherein the geographic location data string is provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) device coupled to a client computer in which the first client browser is resident.

12. The computer program product as described in claim 9 wherein the location-specific page elements are a set of web page advertisements.

13. The computer program product as described in claim 9 wherein the given one of the set of location-specific page elements is a web page advertisement for a business located in proximity to the location of the first client browser.

14. The computer program product as described in claim 9 wherein the instructions for performing the step of generating the customized web page is a Java server page mechanism.

15. A web server, comprising:

a processor and memory;

first instructions to receive a user-initiated request for a specific web page from a first client browser, the request including (i) a geographic location data string identifying a first location of the first client browser and (ii) an identifier for the specific web page;

second instructions, responsive to the first instructions, to generate a customized web page using (i) the geographic location data string to select a given one of a set of location-specific page elements having content including a physical location in proximity to the first location of the first client browser and (ii) the specific web page, wherein elements from both the specific web page and the given one of the set of location-specific page elements are included in the customized web page;

third instructions to receive a subsequent request for the web page from either the first client browser or a second client browser different from the first client browser;

fourth instructions to determine if the subsequent request originates from a second location that is proximate to the first location of the first client browser; and

fifth instructions to provide a cached version of the customized web page if the second location is proximate to the first location.

16. The web server as described in claim 15 further including fifth instructions to serve the customized web page in response to the request.

17. The web server as described in claim 15 wherein the geographic location data string is provided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) device coupled to a client computer in which the first client browser is resident.

18. The web server as described in claim 15 wherein the location-specific page elements are a set of web page advertisements.

19. The web server as described in claim 18 wherein the given one of the set of location-specific page elements is a web page advertisement for a business located in proximity to the location of the first client browser.

20. The web server as described in claim 15 wherein the second instructions to generate the customized web page is a Java server page mechanism.

21. A method for generating and serving a customized web page by a server data processing system, comprising steps implemented by the server data processing system of:

receiving a user-initiated first request for a specific web page from a client browser, the first request being associated with a geographic location data string identifying a location of the client browser;

responsive to the first request being received, dynamically generating the customized web page using (i) the geographic location data string to select a given location-specific page element and (ii) the specific web page, wherein elements from both the specific web page and the given one of the set of location-specific page elements are included in the customized web page;

caching the customized web page for future use;

serving the customized web page in response to the first request;

responsive to receipt of a second request for the web page, determining whether the second request originates within a given distance from the location; and

if so, retrieving and serving the cached customized web page in response to the second request.

22. (canceled)