CUSTOMIZING CONTENT DISPLAYED FOR A USER BASED ON USER PREFERENCES OF ANOTHER USER

• US 20110231778A1
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ifwe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Black Drumm, Inc.
• Inventors: Fitch-Cook, Elisha J., Hoag, Andrew J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,053,189 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9536 Search customisation based on social or collaborative filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation

Abstract

In one embodiment, a server receives a request from a first user to share content from a first forum (e.g., a webpage) with a second user. In response, the server generates a link to the content for use by the second user. This link includes a pointer to a first user preference associated with the first user. In some instances, the first user preference is stored in conjunction with a unique identifier associated with the first user. Subsequently, when the second user attempts to access the content, the server generates a second webpage that includes the content. The server customizes the webpage (that is to be displayed to the second user) by using the user preferences associated with the first user.

Claims

1. A method for displaying personalized information, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user to share a content from a first forum with a second user;

generating a link to the content for use by the second user, wherein the link includes a pointer to a first user preference associated with the first user; and

customizing a presentation of a second forum to the second user upon the second user accessing the link, wherein the second forum presented to the second user is customized according to the first user preference associated with the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking a usage of the first user to record the first user preference associated with the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a first unique identifier for the first user; and

storing the first user preference in conjunction with the first unique identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to customizing the presentation of the second forum to the second user, the method further comprises:

identifying a request from the second user to access the link;

retrieving the first user preference;

generating the second forum to include the content shared by the first user, wherein the generation of the second forum includes customizing the second forum based on the retrieved first user preference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first forum is a first webpage, and the second forum is a second webpage.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first webpage and the second webpage are customized variations of web content displayed by a given website provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the link to the content is a URL to the second forum.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a second user preference associated with the second user in conjunction with a second unique identifier pertaining to the second user.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first user or the second user to share a given content with a third user;

generating a second link to the given content for use by the third user, wherein the second link includes pointers to the first user preference and/or the second user preference;

customizing a presentation of a third forum to the third user upon the third user accessing the second link, wherein the third forum presented to the third user is customized according the combination of the first user preference and the second user preference.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

maintaining a preference network comprising links to the first user preference, the second user preference, and a third user preference associated with the third user, wherein the preference network includes a combination of the first user preference, the second user preference, and the third user preference.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring, by the administration server, the first user'"'"'s usage pattern to generate the first user preference.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

monitoring the second user'"'"'s usage pattern to generate a second user preference associated with the second user; and

storing the second user preference in conjunction with a second unique identifier associated with the second user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, subsequent to storing the second user preference, the method further comprises:

identifying a request by the first user to access a given webpage provided by the first website provider; and

customizing the given webpage based on the second user preference.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, subsequent to storing the second user preference, the method further comprises:

identifying a request by the first user to access a given webpage provided by the first website provider; and

customizing the given webpage based on a combination of the first user preference and the second user preference.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing a link between the first user preference and the second user preference;

maintaining a common set of user preferences that store a combination of the first user preference and the second user preference; and

utilizing the common set of user preferences for customizing webpages requested by the first user and/or the second user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, subsequent to storing the second user preference, the method further comprises:

identifying a request by the first user to access a given webpage provided by the first website provider; and

customizing the given webpage based on the second user preference.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, subsequent to storing the second user preference, the method further comprises:

identifying a request by the first user to access a given webpage provided by the first website provider; and

customizing the given webpage based on a combination of the first user preference and the second user preference.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

tracking a usage of the first user to record the first user preference associated with the first user.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

establishing a first unique identifier for the first user; and

storing the first user preference in conjunction with the first unique identifier.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein, prior to customizing the presentation of the second forum to the second user, the method further comprises:

identifying a request from the second user to access the link;

retrieving the first user preference;

generating the second forum to include the content shared by the first user, wherein the generation of the second forum includes customizing the second forum based on the retrieved first user preference.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the first forum is a first webpage, and the second forum is a second webpage.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first webpage and the second webpage are customized variations of web content displayed by a given website provider.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the link to the content is a URL to the second forum.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing a second user preference associated with the second user in conjunction with a second unique identifier pertaining to the second user.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

receiving a request from the first user or the second user to share a given content with a third user;

generating a second link to the given content for use by the third user, wherein the second link includes pointers to the first user preference and the second user preference;

customizing a presentation of a third forum to the third user upon the third user accessing the second link, wherein the third forum presented to the third user is customized according the combination of the first user preference and the second user preference.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

maintaining a preference network comprising links to the first user preference, the second user preference, and a third user preference associated with the third user, wherein the preference network includes a combination of the first user preference, the second user preference, and the third user preference.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising an identifier module to generate the first unique identifier of the first user.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising a preference manager in communication with the link address generation module, the preference manager configured to monitor the first user'"'"'s usage pattern to generate the first user preference.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the preference manager is further configured to:

monitor the second user'"'"'s usage pattern to generate a second user preference associated with the second user; and

store the second user preference in conjunction with a second unique identifier associated with the second user.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein, subsequent to storing the second user preference:

the identification module is further configured to identify a request by the first user to access a given webpage provided by the first website provider; and

the content generation module is further configured to customize the given webpage based on the second user preference.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the preference manager is further configured to:

store a link between the first user preference and the second user preference;

maintain a common set of user preferences that store a combination of the first user preference and the second user preference; and

utilize the common set of user preferences for customizing webpages requested by the first user and/or the second user.

11. A method for customizing content displayed in a webpage, the method comprising:

receiving, by an administration server, a request from a first user to share, with a second user, a target link associated with a first webpage provided by a first website provider;

generating, by the administration server, a link address to the target link, wherein the link address includes a pointer to a first unique identifier associated with the first address, further wherein the administration server stores a first user preference associated with the first user in conjunction with the first unique identifier;

providing the link address to the first user to enable the first user to share the link address with the second user;

identifying, by the administration server, a request by the second user to access the target link; and

generating, by the administration server, content of a second webpage associated with the target link, wherein the administration server customizes the second webpage that is to be displayed to the second user based on the first user preference associated with the first user.

17. A method for customizing content displayed in a webpage, the method comprising:

identifying, by an administration server, a first user of a first webpage provided by a first website provider;

assigning, by the administration server, a first unique identifier to the first user;

storing, by the administration server, a first user preference associated with the first user, wherein the administration server stores the first user preference in conjunction with the first unique identifier;

receiving, by the administration server, a request from the first user to share a given target associated with the first webpage with a second user;

generating, by the administration server, a link address to the given target, wherein the link address includes a pointer to the first unique identifier;

identifying, by the administration server, a request by the second user to access the target link; and

generating, by the administration server, content of a second webpage associated with the target link, wherein the administration server customizes the second webpage that is to be displayed to the second user based on the first user preference associated with the first user.

20. A method for displaying personalized content, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first user to share a content from a first forum with a second user;

generating a link to the content for use by the second user, wherein the link includes a pointer to a first user preference associated with the first user; and

customizing a presentation of a second forum to the second user upon the second user accessing the link, wherein the second forum presented to the second user is customized according to the first user preference associated with the first user.

30. A system for customizing content displayed in a webpage, the system comprising:

a first receiver module configured to receive a request from a first user to share, with a second user, a target link associated with a first webpage provided by a first website provider;

a link address generation module configured to;

generate a link address to the target link, wherein the link address includes a pointer to a first unique identifier associated with the first address, further wherein the link address generation module stores a first user preference associated with the first user in conjunction with the first unique identifier;

provide the link address to the first user to enable the first user to share the link address with the second user;

a second receiver module configured to identify a request by the second user to access the target link; and

a content generation module configure to generate a content of a second webpage associated with the target link, wherein the content generation module customizes the second webpage that is to be displayed to the second user based on the first user preference associated with the first user.

35. The system of system 32, wherein, subsequent to storing the second user preference:

the identification module is further configured to identify a request by the first user to access a given webpage provided by the first website provider; and

the content generation module is further configured to customize the given webpage based on a combination of the first user preference and the second user preference.