METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONICALLY PUBLISHING INFORMATION ON A COMPUTER NETWORK

• US 20110219006A1
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GraphOn Corporation
• Original Assignee: GraphOn Corporation
• Inventors: Coley, Christopher D., Wesinger, Ralph E. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/740
• 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 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for electronically publishing information on a computer network are disclosed. A computer connected to a computer network is provided to host a database. The computer is configured receive a request from a user to electronically publish information on the computer network. The computer then may accept and store input from the user in a database. The computer may then electronically publish the user input by making information stored in the database freely accessible on the computer network.

Claims

1. A network database system comprising:

a. a database server hosting a database, the database containing a plurality of entries, each of said entries including information about an entity, said information including a name, each of said entries being associated with a document;

b. at least some of said documents being associated with one or more categories;

c. a web server operatively coupled to said database server, said web server serving a search page via a URL, said search page presenting at least two navigational aids;

d. a first of said navigational aids allowing a user to browse for a particular document using said one or more categories;

e. a second of said navigational aids allowing a user to search for a particular document by entering a keyword;

f. said web server serving documents associated with said entries in response to said first navigational aid or said second navigational aid; and

g. each of said documents displayed on a page having a third navigational aid that returns a user to said search page.

2. The network database system of claim 1 wherein each of said entries includes information about an entity and wherein said entity is a person.

3. The network database system of claim 1 wherein each of entries includes information about an entity and wherein said entity is a business.

4. The network database system of claim 1 wherein at least one entry displays information about offered products or services.

5. The network database system of claim 1 further comprising an update page, said update page being served by said web server, said update page allowing updating of a document associated with an entry.

6. The network database system of claim 5 wherein said update page prompts for a user name and password before allowing updating of a document associated with an entry.

7. The network database system of claim 5 wherein said database server further stores a category tree comprising said one or more categories, and wherein said update page displays a list of the categories in the category tree.

8. The network database system of claim 7 wherein said update page further allows entry of one or more additional categories.

9. The network database system of claim 1 wherein said web server converts a document to HTML, thereby generating a HTML document, prior to serving the HTML document.