Computer system and method for securely formatting and mapping data for internet web sites

• US 6,144,988 A
• Filed: 07/23/1998
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions, LLC (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Kappel, George T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/121,291
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 364/DIG. 1 MS File, 364/DIG. 2 MS File, 709/200, 709/202, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer

Abstract

A computer system is provided for processing data for an internet web site. The web site is run by a web server that includes a server interface and a processing servlet. The processing servlet is programmed to accept a message including user data from a user of the internet web site. The user data is then mapped from a native format to a universal format. The computer system further includes a remote server that is connected to the web server by the internet. The remote server is programmed to receive the universal format user data. It also processes the universal format user data to produce final universal format user data which may include standardized user data and additional data which is then sent over the internet to the processing servlet. The processing servlet is further programmed to analyze the final universal format user data and map the final universal format user data to final native format user data. The processing servlet then sends the final native format user data to the server interface. The server interface then sends next page data to the processing servlet. The processing servlet then returns the next page data to the user'"'"'s browser. The processing servlet and the remote server are each programmed to perform all of the above steps in real-time.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing data for an internet web site, the web site being run by a web server that includes a server interface and a processing servlet, said computer system comprising:

a processing servlet being programmed to accept registration information from a user of said internet web site and map said registration information from a native format to a universal format;

a remote server that is connected to said web server by the internet, said remote server being programmed to receive said universal format registration information, process said universal format registration information to produce final universal format registration information, send said final universal format registration information over the internet to said processing servlet;

said processing servlet being further programmed to map said final universal format registration information to final native format registration information;

said processing servlet and said remote server each being programmed to perform all of the above steps in real-time.

2. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to post said final native format registration information to said server interface and receive next page data from said server interface.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to:

receive said message from a web browser;

modify said next page data to insert a request and a user identification number;

return said modified next page data to said web browser; and

wherein said web browser posts a URL that includes said request and said user identification number to said third computer server.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein said third computer server is further programmed to compare said user identification number with a database of user identification numbers to find a match.

5. The computer system of claim 2, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to return said next page data to said user.

6. The computer system of claim 2, further comprising an offer servlet that is programmed to:

receive said next page data from said processing servlet;

add advertising data to said next page data to form new next page data; and

send said new next page data to said processing servlet.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to analyze said final universal format registration information.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein said processing servlet analyzes said final universal format registration information by determining whether said universal format registration information is invalid and, if said universal format registration information is invalid, whether to post an error page.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to:

receive an advertising inquiry from said user;

send said advertising inquiry to an offer servlet, said offer servlet being programmed to form an advertising page; and

return said advertising page to said user.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said remote server is programmed to process said universal format registration information by standardizing said universal format registration information.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said remote server is programmed to process said universal format registration information by appending additional data to produce said final universal format registration information.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to filter said user data into a first category and a second category and wherein said first category of said registration information includes name and address data.

13. A processing servlet for use with a computer system for processing data for an internet web site, the system including a web server and a remote server that standardizes user data, the web server including a server interface and a processing servlet, said system comprising:

a processing servlet being programmed to accept a message including user data from a user of an internet web site, filter said user data into a first category to be processed and a second category to be saved, map said first category of said user data from a native format to a universal format, send said universal format user data over the internet to a remote computer server, receive final universal format user data over the internet from the remote computer server, map said final universal format user data to final native format user data;

wherein said system performs all of the above steps in real-time.

14. The processing servlet of claim 13 wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to:

post said final native format user data to the server interface;

receive next page data from the server interface; and

return said next page data to the user.

15. The processing servlet of claim 14, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to:

receive said message from a web browser;

modify said next page data to insert a request and a user identification number;

return said modified next page data to said web browser; and

wherein said web browser posts a URL that includes said request and said user identification number to the third computer server.

16. The processing servlet of claim 15, wherein the third computer server is programmed to compare said user identification number with a database of user identification numbers to find a match.

17. The processing servlet of claim 14, further comprising an offer servlet that is programmed to:

receive said next page data from said processing servlet;

add advertising data to said next page data to form new next page data; and

send said new next page data to said processing servlet.

18. The processing servlet of claim 13, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to:

receive an advertising inquiry from said user;

send said advertising inquiry to an offer servlet, said offer servlet being programmed to form an advertising page and send said advertising page to said processing servlet; and

return said advertising page to said user.

19. A method of using computer servers to process data for an internet web site, the web site being run by a web server that includes a server interface and a processing servlet, the method comprising the steps of:

using a processing servlet to accept a message from a user of said internet web site, said message including user data;

using said processing servlet to filter said user data into a first category to be processed and a second category to be saved;

using said processing servlet to map said first category of said user data from a native format to a universal format;

using said processing servlet to send said universal format user data over the internet to a remote computer server;

using a remote computer server to receive said universal format user data;

using said remote computer server to process said universal format user data to produce final universal format user data;

using said remote computer server to send said final universal format user data over the internet to said processing servlet;

using said processing servlet to analyze said final universal format user data;

using said processing servlet to map said final universal format user data to final native format user data;

using said processing servlet to post said final native format user data to said server interface;

using said processing servlet to receive next page data from said server interface; and

using said processing servlet to return said next page data to said user;

wherein all of the above steps are performed in real-time.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said processing servlet receives said message from a web browser, said method further comprising the steps of:

using said processing servlet to modify said next page data to insert a request and a user identification number;

using said processing servlet to return said modified next page data to a web browser; and

using said web browser to post a URL that includes said request and said user identification number to said third computer server.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of:

using said third computer server to compare said user identification number with a database of user identification numbers to find a match.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

using an offer servlet to receive said next page data from said processing servlet;

using said offer servlet to add advertising data to said next page data to form new next page data;

using said offer servlet to send said new next page data to said processing servlet; and

using said processing servlet to send said new next page data to said user.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

using said processing servlet to receive an advertising inquiry from said user;

using said processing servlet to send said advertising inquiry to an offer servlet;

using said offer servlet to form an advertising page;

using said offer servlet to send said advertising page to said processing servlet; and

using said processing servlet to send said advertising page to said user.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said first category of said user data includes name and address data.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein said first category of said user data includes address data.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein said first category of said user data includes telephone number data.

27. A computer system for processing data for an internet web site, the web site being run by a web server that includes a server interface and a processing servlet, the computer system comprising:

a processing servlet being programmed to accept a message including user data from a user of said internet web site, filter said user data into a first category to be processed and a second category to be saved and map said first category of said user data from a native format to a universal format;

a remote server that is connected to said web server by the internet, said remote server being programmed to receive said universal format user data, process said universal format user data to produce final universal format user data and send said final universal format user data over the internet to said processing servlet;

said processing servlet being further programmed to analyze said final universal format user data, map said final universal format user data to final native format user data, post said final native format user data to said server interface and receive next page data from said server interface;

said processing servlet and said remote server each being programmed to perform all of the above steps in real-time.

28. The computer system of claim 27, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to receive said message from a web browser, modify said next page data to insert a request and a user identification number, return said modified next page data to said web browser;

wherein said web browser posts a URL that includes said request and said user identification number to said third computer server.

29. The computer system of claim 28, wherein said third computer server is further programmed to compare said user identification number with a database of user identification numbers to find a match.

30. The computer system of claim 27, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to return said next page data to said user.

31. The computer system of claim 27, further comprising an offer servlet that is programmed to receive said next page data from said processing servlet, add advertising data to said next page data to form new next page data and send said new next page data to said processing servlet.

32. The computer system of claim 27, wherein said processing servlet is further programmed to:

receive an advertising inquiry from said user,

send said advertising inquiry to an offer servlet, said offer servlet being programmed to form an advertising page and send said advertising page to said processing servlet; and

and return said advertising page to said user.

33. A computer system for targeting advertisements to a user without knowing the user identify, said system comprising:

a web server including a processing servlet that is programmed to modify next page data to insert a request and a user identification number and return said modified next page data to a web browser;

said web browser posting a URL that includes said request and said user identification number to a third computer server;

said third computer server being programmed to return said requested data and a cookie to said web browser, said cookie including a cookie identification number corresponding to said user identification number;

wherein said system performs all of the above steps in real-time.

34. The computer system of claim 33, wherein when said web browser thereafter requests a page from said third computer server, said browser sends said cookie and said cookie identification number back to said third computer server.

35. The computer system of claim 34, wherein said third computer server correlates said cookie identification number with said user identification number corresponding to said cookie identification number.

36. A remote server for use with a computer system for processing data for internet web sites, the web sites being run by a plurality of web servers that each include a server interface and a processing servlet, each of the processing servlets being programmed to accept a message including user data from a user of one of the internet web sites, each of the processing servlets being further programmed to map the user data from a native format to a universal format, wherein:

a remote server is adapted to be connected to a plurality of web servers by the internet;

said remote server being programmed to receive the universal format user data from a processing servlet, process the universal format user data to produce final universal format user data that includes standardized address data and send said final universal format user data over the internet to the processing servlet that originally sent the universal format user data;

wherein said remote server performs all of the above steps in real-time.

37. The remote server of claim 36, wherein said remote server is further programmed to process the universal format user data by appending additional data to produce the final universal format user data.

38. A method of processing electronically captured address information, the address information being entered into an electronic environment including a processing servlet, the method comprising the steps of:

using a processing servlet to accept said electronically captured address information;

using said processing servlet to map said electronically captured address information from a native format to a universal format;

using said processing servlet to send said universal format address information to a remote computer server;

using a remote computer server to receive said universal format address information;

using said remote computer server to process said universal format address information to produce final universal format address information;

using said remote computer server to send said final universal format address information to said processing servlet;

using said processing servlet to analyze said final universal format address information;

using said processing servlet to map said final universal format address information to final native format address information; and

using said processing servlet to post said final native format address information to said electronic environment;

wherein all of the above steps are performed in real-time.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of:

using said remote computer server to return additional data to said processing servlet, said additional data being associated with said electronically captured address information sent to said remote computer server.

40. A method of providing information obtained from a user to a third computer server without identifying the user, the information being provided by a web browser to a web server that includes a processing servlet, said method comprising the steps of:

using a processing servlet to modify next page data to insert an image request and a user identification number;

using said processing servlet to return said modified next page data to a web browser; and

using a web browser to post a URL that includes said image request and said user identification number to the third computer server.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of:

using the third computer server to return an image to the web browser; and

using the third computer server to compare said user identification number with a database of user identification numbers to find a match.

42. A processing servlet for communicating data about a user to a third computer server without identifying the user to the third computer server, wherein:

a processing servlet is programmed to receive a message from a web browser, modify next page data to insert a request and a user identification number and return said modified next page data to said web browser;

wherein said web browser posts a URL that includes said request and said user identification number to the third computer server.

43. The processing servlet of claim 42, wherein the third computer server is programmed to compare said user identification number with a database of user identification numbers to find a match.

44. A third computer server for receiving information about a user without knowing the identity of said user, the information being provided via a web browser, wherein:

a third computer server is programmed to receive an image request and a user identification number, compare said user identification number with a database of user identification numbers to find a match and retrieve information corresponding to said user identification number.

45. The third computer server of claim 44 wherein said third computer server is further programmed to return an image to the web browser.