Automated system and method for approving web site content

• US 6,247,032 B1
• Filed: 06/19/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Karra, Elena, Logan, Christopher, Bernardo, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/100,135
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 707/530, 707/513, 707/517, 707/501, 707/531, 345/329, 345/331
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/131 Fragmentation of text files, e.g. creating reusable text-blocks; Linking to fragments, e.g. using XInclude; Namespaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/151 Transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates

Abstract

A software tool is provided for use with a computer system for simplifying the creation of Web sites. The tool comprises a plurality of pre-stored templates, comprising HTML formatting code, text, fields and formulas. The templates preferably correspond to different types of Web pages and other features commonly found on or available to Web sites. Each feature may have various options. To create a web site, a Web site creator (the person using the tool to create a web site) is prompted by the tool through a series of views stored in the tool to select the features and options desired for the Web site. Based on these selections, the tool prompts the web site creator to supply data to populate fields of the templates determined by the tool to correspond to the selected features and options. Based on the identified templates and supplied data, the tool generates the customized Web site without the web site creator writing any HTML or other programming code. Automated routing for site approval to authorized approvers specified during creation of the web site is provided.

Claims

1. A tool for creating a Web site having user specified features, the tool comprising:

means for accessing a database of users that are enabled to collaborate in preparing content for the Web site;

means for enabling a user using the tool to specify features for a Web site, wherein the features comprise one or more content approval features;

means for designating options for specified content approval features, wherein the means for designating options further comprise;

means for designating an approval criterion to be satisfied before the content is published on the Web site;

means for designating one or more specified collaborators from the database of users; and

means for setting a schedule to route content to the one or more specified collaborators;

means for building a Web site based on the content and the specified features;

means for determining whether the approval criterion is satisfied; and

means for posting the content to the Web site when the approval criterion is determined to be satisfied.

2. The tool for creating a Web site of claim 1 further comprising;

means for storing a library of templates corresponding to a plurality of predefined features available in a web site, wherein the specified features are selected from among the predefined features.

3. The tool for creating a Web site of claim 2, wherein said templates comprise fields that require input from the user to customize the feature for the Web site being created.

4. The tool for creating a Web site of claim 1, wherein the means for designating one or more specified collaborators further comprise:

means for identifying the one or more specified collaborators by user directors information.

5. The tool for creating a Web site of claim 1, wherein one or more of the users have an assigned privilege level, the assigned privilege level corresponding to actions that user is permitted to take with respect to the Web site.

6. The tool for creating a Web site according to claim 5, wherein the assigned privilege levels comprise creation, editing, or approval privileges.

7. The tool for creating a Web site according to claim 6, wherein the means for designating an approval criterion further comprises:

means for setting a number of users with approval privileges that are to approve the content.

8. The tool for creating a Web site according to claim 1, wherein the means for setting a schedule to route content further comprises:

means for scheduling routing of the content to users with approval privileges.

9. A method for using a tool for creating a Web site having user specified features, the method comprising:

enabling a user, selected from a database of users that are enabled to collaborate in preparing content for the Web site, to use the tool to specify features for a Web site, wherein the features comprise one or more content approval features;

designating options for specified content approval features, wherein the step of designating options further comprises;

designating an approval criterion to be satisfied before the content is published on the Web site;

designating one or more specified collaborators from the database of users; and

setting a schedule to route content to the one or more specified collaborators;

building a Web site based on the content and the specified features;

determining whether the approval criterion is satisfied; and

posting the content to the Web site when the approval criterion is determined to be satisfied.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of storing a library of templates corresponding to a plurality of predefined features available in a web site, wherein the user specified features are selected from among the predefined features.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of assigning a privilege level, the assigned privilege level corresponding to actions the user is permitted to take with respect to the Web site.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of providing the one or more specified collaborators with a predetermined time period in which to take action.

13. A storage medium having processor readable code embodied therein for enabling a processor to enable a tool for creating a Web site having user specified features, said storage medium comprising:

processor readable code for enabling a user, selected from a database of users that are enabled to collaborate in preparing content for the Web site to use the tool to specify features for a Web site, wherein the features comprise one or more content approval features;

processor readable code for designating options for specified content approval features, wherein the code for designating options further comprises;

processor readable code for designating an approval criterion to be satisfied before the content is published on the Web site;

processor readable code designating one or more specified collaborators from the database of users; and

processor readable code for setting a schedule to route content to the one or more specified collaborators;

processor readable code for building a Web site based on the content and the specified features;

processor readable code for determining whether the approval criterion is satisfied; and

processor readable code for posting the content to the Web site when the approval criterion is determined to be satisfied.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13, further comprising processor readable code that stores a library of templates corresponding to a plurality of predefined features available in a web site, wherein the user specified features are selected from among the predefined features.

15. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the users have an assigned privilege level, the assigned privilege level corresponding to actions that user is permitted to take with respect to the Web site.

16. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the processor readable code for designating options for specified content approval features comprises processor readable code for providing the one or more specified collaborators with a predetermined time period in which to take action.

17. A tool for creating a Web site having user specified features, the tool comprising:

at least one accessing module for accessing a database of users that are enabled to collaborate in preparing content for the Web site;

at least one enabling module for enabling a user using the tool to specify features for a Web site, wherein the features comprise one or more content approval features;

at least one option designating module for designating options for specified content approval features, wherein the at least one option designating module further comprise;

an approval module for designating an approval criterion to be satisfied before the content is published on the Web site;

a collaborator designation module for designating one or more specified collaborators from the database of users; and

a schedule module for setting a schedule to route content to the one or more specified collaborators;

at least one building module for building a Web site based on the content and the specified features;

at least one approval determining module for determining whether the approval criterion is satisfied; and

a posting module for posting the content to the Web site when the approval criterion is determined to be satisfied.

18. The tool of claim 17, further comprising a storing module that stores a library of templates corresponding to a plurality of predefined features available in a web site, wherein the user specified features are selected from among the predefined features.

19. The tool of claim 17, wherein the users have an assigned privilege level, the assigned privilege level corresponding to actions that user is permitted to take with respect to the Web site.

20. The tool of claim 17, wherein the at least one option designating module comprises a time period providing module that provides the one or more specified collaborators with a predetermined time period in which to take action.