Managing Transfers of Information in a Communications Network

• US 20100332963A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Soverain IP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Soverain Software LLC
• Inventors: Ellis, John R., Treese, G. Winfield, Gifford, David K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/209
• 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 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1471 splitting of costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The invention features various techniques for managing transfers of information in public packet switched communications networks. In one aspect, the invention provides a system for identifying updated items of network-based information, such as pages, to users in a network. A master server receives the data from each of a plurality of network servers and merges them into one or more master logs. The logs have entries that pertaining to creation of or changing of pages of information. Another aspect of the invention features a system for implementing security protocols. A proxy server translates links from a protocol incompatible with the network tool to a protocol compatible with the network tool and back-translates the link. Another aspect of the invention features a system for managing authenticating credentials of a user. A proxy server manages a user'"'"'s authenticating credentials automatically on behalf of the user. Another aspect of the invention features a system for inducing advertisers to target advertisements to consumers. An advertising broker receives advertisements and messages indicating that users have read the advertisements, and causes an offer having monetary value to be executed. Another aspect of the invention features a system for extracting data from sources of network-based information in a communications network. An object embedding-program locates a script program and causes the script program to extract data from a page of information.

Claims

1. A method of extracting data from network-based information in a communication network comprising a plurality of network servers programmed to transmit network- based information over the network, comprising:

causing an object embedding program, executed by a computer in the communication network, to locate a script program from a link associated with the object embedding program, and to apply the script program to network-based information provided by one of the network servers, and to which the object embedding program is linked by a link associated with the object embedding program;

causing the object embedding program to execute the script program to extract data from the network-based information provided by one of the network servers, wherein the link from which the object embedding program can locate the script program is a link to the network-based information, and the network-based information in turn comprises a link to the script program; and

causing the object embedding program to continue executing the script program to embed the data in a compound document displayed on the computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the script program is configured to remove content from the network-based information when extracting the data from the network-based information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the script program is configured to convert the extracted data from a first format into a second format.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first format is an HTML format and the second format is a word processor format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object embedding program includes links to a plurality of different pages of network-based information and each of the different pages of network-based information includes a link to a different script program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the different script programs is specific to stock market information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the different script programs is specific to mortgage rate information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the different script programs is specific to weather report information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the script program is encoded into the network-based information in HTML comments.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the HTML comments are not displayed to a user of the object embedding program.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based information and the script program are both provided by the same entity.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the script program is digitally signed by a trusted third party.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the script program is configured to automatically detect a change in the network-based information and, in response, re-apply the script program to the network-based info nation.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the script program automatically detects a change in the network-based information by polling the network-based information at regular intervals.

15. A method of extracting data from network-based information in a communication network comprising a plurality of network servers programmed to transmit network- based information over the network, comprising:

executing an object embedding program at a computer in the communication network, to locate a script program from a link associated with the object embedding program, and to apply the script program to network-based information provided by one of the network servers, and to which the object embedding program is linked by a link associated with the object embedding program;

executing the script program to extract data from the network-based information provided by one of the network servers, wherein the link from which the object embedding program can locate the script program is a link to the network-based information, and the network-based information in turn comprises a link to the script program; and

embedding the data in a compound document and displaying the compound document at the computer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the script program is configured to remove content from the network-based information when extracting the data from the network-based information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the script program is configured to convert the extracted data from a first format into a second format.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first format is an HTML format and the second format is a word processor format.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the object embedding program includes links to a plurality of different pages of network-based information and each of the different pages of network-based information includes a link to a different script program.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the different script programs is specific to stock market information.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the different script programs is specific to mortgage rate information.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein at least one of the different script programs is specific to weather report information.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the script program is encoded into the network- based information in HTML comments.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the HTML comments are not displayed to a user of the object embedding program.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the network-based information and the script program are both provided by the same entity.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the script program is digitally signed by a trusted third party.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the script program is configured to automatically detect a change in the network-based information and, in response, re-apply the script program to the network-based information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the script program automatically detects a change in the network-based information by polling the network-based information at regular intervals.

29. A method of extracting data from network-based information in a packet-switched communications network, comprising the steps of:

obtaining an information page from a network server via the packet-switched communications network;

locating a script program from a link encoded within the information page;

applying the script program to network-based information, provided via the packet-switched communications network, and extracting a portion of data from the network-based information; and

embedding the portion of data within a document;

wherein the script program is configured to automatically update the displayed document in response to changes in the portion of data from network-based information.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

displaying the document.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the script program updates the displayed document by re-applying the script program to the network-based information.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the script program automatically detects changes in the portion of data from the network-based information by polling the network-based information at regular intervals.

33. A method of extracting data from network-based information in a packet-switched communications network, comprising the steps of:

executing a web browser on a client computer and obtaining an HTML page from a network server via the packet-switched communications network;

displaying the HTML page at the client computer using the web browser;

locating a script program from a link encoded within the HTML page, wherein the encoded link is not displayed at the client computer;

applying the script program to network-based information, provided via the packet-switched communications network, and extracting a portion of data from the network-based information; and

embedding the portion of data within a compound document.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

displaying the compound document at the client computer using the web browser.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the web browser executes the script program to extract the portion of data from the network-based information.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the web browser continues executing the script program to embed the portion of data within the compound document.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the script program is configured to remove content from the network-based information when extracting a portion of data from the network- based information.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the script program is configured to convert the extracted portion of data from a first format into a second format.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the first format is an HTML format and the second format is a word processor format.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the script program is encoded within the HTML page in HTML comments.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the network-based information and the script program are provided by the same entity.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein the script program is digitally signed by a trusted third party.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the script program is configured to automatically detect a change in the network-based information and, in response, re-apply the script program to the network-based information.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the script program automatically detects a change in the network-based information by polling the network-based information at regular intervals.

45. A method of extracting data from network-based information in a packet-switched communications network, comprising the steps of:

obtaining an information page from a network server via the packet-switched communications network;

locating a script program from a link encoded within the information page;

applying the script program to network-based information, provided via the packet-switched communications network, and extracting a portion of data from the network-based information; and

embedding the portion of data within a document and displaying the document;

wherein the script program is configured to transform the portion of data from a first representation as provided via the packet-switched communications network into a second representation suitable for the document to be displayed.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the first representation is in an HTML format and the second representation is in a word processor format.

47. A method of extracting data from network-based information at a client computer coupled to a plurality of network servers via a packet-switched communication network, comprising:

obtaining an HTML page from a network server at the client computer, the HTML page having a link to a script program;

locating the link within the HTML page and executing the script, at the client computer, in order to extract data from network-based information associated with the network server; and

embedding the extracted data within a compound document.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising:

displaying the compound document at the client computer.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the script program is executed by a web browser executing on the client computer.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the script program continues executing to embed the extracted data within the compound document.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the script program is configured to remove content from the network-based information when extracting data from the network-based information.

52. The method of claim 47, wherein the script program is configured to convert the extracted data from a first format into a second format.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the first format is an HTML format and the second format is a word processor format.

54. The method of claim 47, wherein the script program is encoded within the HTML page in HTML comments.

55. The method of claim 47, wherein the network-based information and the script program are provided by the same entity.

56. The method of claim 47, wherein the script program is digitally signed by a trusted third party.

57. The method of claim 47, wherein the script program is configured to automatically detect a change in the network-based information and, in response, re-apply the script program to the network-based information.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the script program automatically detects a change in the network-based information by polling the network-based information at regular intervals.