Online service development tool with fee setting capabilities

• US 5,819,092 A
• Filed: 10/06/1997
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vermeer Technologies Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ferguson, Charles H., Forgaard, Randy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chavis, John Q.
• Application Number:
  US08/944,365
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 395/701, 705/39
• US Class Current: 717/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/94 Hypermedia Hyperlinking G06F40/134
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

A visual editing system for creating commercial online computer services. The visual editing system creates online services that consist of a number of subservices. Each subservice is a program that provides a particular type of functionality to the online service. Different subservices exist for displaying hypermedia documents, searching directories and databases, displaying classified advertisements, providing a bulletin board system, etc. Each subservice has an associated database of information and a collection of scripts that handle events such as input from a user. The visual editing system of the present invention features a fee setting tool that allows the developer to develop a fee structure for an online service. The fee structure can handle both fees levied against users and third party content providers. For example, users can be levied fees for logging onto an online service, performing searches, or downloading information. Third party content providers can be levied fees for submitting advertisements or for executing a transaction with a user. Similarly, the fee setting tool also allows the developer to assign a payment system whereby users or content providers can be paid for certain actions. A user may be paid when that user that fills out a marketing questionnaire or wins a contest. A third party content provider can be paid when that third party content provider supplies valuable information desired by the users of the online service.

Claims

1. A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising the elements of:

(a) a first editor for enabling a user to edit a data store that contains information comprising the online service;

(b) a second editor for enabling the user to define an interactive behavior of said online service, said second editor having a visual user interface for editing;

(i) a format in which said information from said data store of said online service is displayed;

(ii) a set of functional features provided by said online service; and

(iii) a set of visual objects for accessing said functional features, said set of visual objects being accessed by the user of the online service; and

(c) a fee setting tool, said fee setting tool for enabling the user to set fees associated with said online service for an entity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said fees are triggered by a defined user action.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises access by said user to one of said visual objects on the online service.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises submittal of an object for inclusion in said data store of said online service.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a traverse of a hyperlink.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a connection to the online service.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of said fees are triggered by passage of a defined amount of time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said fee setting tool defines a fee specifier for each fee, said fee specifier comprising a first field specifying a fee action that triggers said fee.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a second field specifying an entity to whom the fee is directed.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a third field specifying an object associated with said fee action.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a fourth field defining a fee computation.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a script editor, said script editor for editing a script specifying said fee computation.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said fourth field comprises a script specifying said fee computation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said script comprises at least one fee setting script primitive.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said online service comprises a plurality of subservice programs.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein if said fee is positive, a fee is charged to said entity, and if said fee is negative, a payment is made to said entity.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said online service distributes information using a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP), said information comprising a hypermedia document.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said online service distributes information on the global Internet.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said hypermedia document comprises a Hyper_-- Text Markup Language (HTML) document.

20. A system for specifying fees for an entity associated with an online service comprising:

(a) means associated with an object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee;

(b) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for the entity;

(c) means for editing a plurality of fee specifications for the entity; and

(d) means for storing the plurality of fee specifications using the editing means.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein each of said fees are triggered by a defined user action.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises access by a user to one of said objects on said online system that is a visual object.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises submittal of an object for inclusion in a data store of said online service.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a traverse of a hyperlink.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a connection to an online service.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein each of said fees are triggered by passage of a defined amount of time.

29. The system of claim 20 wherein said means for defining the fee specification define a fee specifier, wherein the fee specifier comprises a first field specifying a triggering action that triggers said fee.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a second field specifying an entity to whom the fee is directed.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a third field specifying an object associated with said fee.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a fourth field defining a fee computation formula.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

a script editor, said script editor enabling editing a script specifying said fee computation.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein said fourth field comprises a script specifying said fee computation formula.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said script comprises at least one fee setting script primitive.

36. The system of claim 20, wherein if said fee is positive, a fee is charged to an entity, and if said fee is negative, a payment is made to said entity.

37. The system of claim 20, wherein a document object includes a Hyper_-- Text Markup Language (HTML) document.

21. A system for determining a fee for an entity associated with an online service, comprising:

(a) means for detecting at least one of a plurality of actions on an object of the online service, said object being associated with an action;

(b) means, operative in response to detection of the action, for identifying a fee specification for the action and the object associated with the action;

(c) means for utilizing the fee specification to define the fee for the entity; and

(d) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising a fee specifier for specifying fees for the entity associated with the online service, comprising:

(a) means associated with an object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee;

(b) means associated with the triggering action for defining a fee for the entity;

(c) means for editing a plurality of fee specifications for the entity; and

(d) means for storing the plurality of fee specifications using the means for editing.

38. A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising:

(a) a first editing module for displaying and enabling editing of relationships among document objects of the online service;

(b) a second editing module for enabling editing of individual document objects of the online service;

(c) a mechanism for invoking the second editing module in response to selection of a document object in the first editing module;

(d) means associated with said document object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee;

(e) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for an entity;

(f) means for editing the fee specification for the entity; and

(g) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications using at least one of said first editing module and said second editing module.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the relationships among the document objects are hyperlinks between the document objects.

40. A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising:

(a) a viewing module for displaying relationships among and enabling selection of document objects of the online service;

(b) an editing module for editing individual document objects of the online service;

(c) a linking mechanism for invoking the editing module in response to selection of a document object in the viewing module;

(d) means associated with said document object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee;

(e) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for an entity;

(f) means for editing the fee specification for the entity; and

(g) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications using the viewing module and the editing module.

41. A system for editing fee structures of an online service with a computer, comprising:

(a) means for displaying a visual representation of a fee specification having user-modifiable portions, wherein a user-modifiable portion is provided for entry of an indication of a document object of the online service, an indication of an event in connection with the document object, and a fee formula;

(b) means for receiving user input to edit a fee specification using the visual representation and for storing edited fee specifications; and

(c) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications defined using the means for displaying and means for receiving.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the visual representation is a template.

43. The system of claim 41, wherein the fee formula is defined using a scripting language.

44. The system of claim 41, wherein the plurality of fee specifications are stored in a list.