Method and apparatus for forming page map to present internet data meaningful to management and business operation

• US 6,175,838 B1
• Filed: 04/29/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Lou, Frank, Papierniak, Karen A., Chiang, Luo-Jen, Thaisz, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US09/067,805
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 707/513, 709/203, 709/217-219, 709/223-226, 709/233-235
• US Class Current: 707/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

Conventionally, a web site stores Internet data indicating file access status for the files that have been accessed in response to requests from web browsers. Unfortunately, the Internet data are kept as a set of separate and non-correlated data records that are chronologically arranged according to the times at which the requests have been received and processed. Consequently, the Internet data are not arranged meaningful to management and business operation. The present invention correlates web page files (HTML, SHTML, DHTML, or CGI files) with other type files (GIF, JPEG, or AVI files), so that the Internet data can be presented in a format meaningful to management and business operation.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing usage patterns in an electronic commerce environment through a server that contains a plurality of web pages and logs, each of the web pages containing a web page file and one or more other type files, each of the logs containing data for indicating user access status of web page files and the other type files, comprising the steps of:

receiving data from the server;

identifying data for a web page file;

identifying data for other type files that are linked in said web page file;

correlating said data for said other type files with said data for said web page file, and

storing said correlated data into an output file;

wherein said web page file, and each of said other type files linked in said web page file, has a file length, and the method further comprises the step of;

combining file lengths of said web page file and said other type files that are linked in said web page file to provide information representative of bandwidth used.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said web page file is an HTML file, an SHTML file, a DHTML file, or a CGI file; and

wherein and said other type files are GIF files, JPEG files, or AVI files.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

filtering non-usable character(s) from said data for indicating access status of said web page file and said data for indicating access status of said other type files.

4. In using with a server that contains a plurality of web pages and logs, each of the web pages containing a web page file and one or more other type files, each of the logs containing data for indicating access status of web page files and other type files, a method comprising the steps of:

receiving data from the server;

identifying data for web page files that have been accessed;

identifying data for other type files that are respectively linked in said accessed web page files; and

correlating said data for said other files that are respectively linked in said accessed web page files into said data for said accessed web page files; and

the web pages being accessed by different types of users, the method further comprising the steps of;

sorting said correlated data in accordance with the different types of users.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

storing said correlated data into an output file.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

filtering non-usable character(s) from said data for indicating access status of said accessed web page files and said data for indicating access status of said accessed other type files.

7. The method of claim 4, each one of said web page files, or each of said other type files having a file size, and the method further comprising the step of:

combining file sizes of said other type files linked in respective web page files to provide information representative of bandwidth used.

8. The method of claim 4,

wherein said web page file is an HTML file, a DHTML file, an SHTML file, or a CGI file;

and

wherein and said other type files are GIF files, JPEG files, or AVI files.

9. A method for analyzing usage patterns in an electronic commerce environment through use of a plurality of servers each containing a plurality of web pages and logs, each of the web pages containing a web page file and one or more other type of files, each of the logs storing data for indicating access status of web page files or other type files, comprising the steps of:

receiving data from any one of the servers;

identifying a server type for said one server;

identifying data for the web page files that are stored in said one server that has been accessed;

identifying information for other type files that are linked in said respective accessed web page files stored in said one server; and

correlating said data for said other type files that are linked in said respective accessed web page files with said data for said accessed web page files stored in said one server; and

further comprising the step of;

filtering non-usable character(s) from said identified data.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

storing said correlated data into an output file.

11. The method of claim 9, the accessed web page files and other type files being accessed by different users, the method further comprising the step of:

sorting said correlated data in accordance with characteristics identifying the different users.

12. The method of claim 9, each of said web page files and each of said other type files having a file size, and the method further comprising the step of:

combining file sizes of said files linked in said respective accessed web page to provide information representative of bandwidth used.

13. The method of claim 9,

wherein said web page file is an HTML file, a DHTML file, an SHTML file, or a CGI file;

and

wherein and said other type files are GIF files, JPEG files, or AVI files.