Automated interactive classified ad system for the internet

• US 6,253,188 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1996
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Prodigy Services Company
• Original Assignee: Thomson Newspapers Incorporated
• Inventors: Cristiani, Elaine B., Wang, Stanley J., Witek, Anthony L., Helbach, Patrick C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US08/717,164
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/28, 705/29, 705/34, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system and method for providing classified ads over the Internet. The system includes a plurality of regional newspaper World Wide Web servers, and associated newspaper classified ad generators; a central classified ad information collection and distribution facility, and a central World Wide Web application server facility, all connected to the Internet such that Internet users can connect to the Newspaper Web server and central Web application server facility to search for and obtain classified ads. The Web application server facility includes one of more application servers and one or more newspaper classified ad database servers. The system apparatus features elements which enable Internet users to enter the system at the newspaper Web server and subsequently search for classified ads held in the ad databases at the database servers thorugh the application servers at the central Wed application facility. Additionally, the system features elements to enable users to search for the newspaper classified ads at the database servers using a client-server method that includes a common gateway interface procedure. Additionally, the system ad generator includes elements for automatically generating ad records for inclusion at the database servers of the central Web application facility which are derived from the newspaper print ad feed. Still further, the system includes elements at the collection and distribution facility for automatically collecting ads produced at the newspaper ad generators and providing them to the database servers on a scheduled bases. The method features steps for supporting the common-gateway-interface searching procedures which can be carried out in multiple stages. Additionally the method features steps for automatically generating classified ad record information in substantially numerical form which is pre-sorted to support improved speed in search the ad record databases.

Claims

1. A classified ad system provided in an interactive computer network, the computer network including one or more servers and a plurality of client terminals capable of communicating with the servers, the classified ad system for presenting classified ads to a user at a client terminal, the classified ad system comprising:

An application server including means for receiving a request for classified ads from a user at a client terminal, and means for generating request messages concerning the user'"'"' request for ads; and

A database server including a database having classified ad information, the database server further including means for receiving the request messages of the application server;

means for comparing the request messages of the application server to the database classified ad information and identifying the results of the comparison, and means for generating response messages in reply to the request messages, the response messages including the results of the comparison of the request message with the database classified ad information.

2. The classified ad system of claim 1 wherein the database server includes means for sending the response messages generated in reply to the requests messages to the application server, and wherein the application server includes means for presenting a report to the user at the client terminal based on a response message received from the database server in reply to a request message.

3. The classified ad system of claim 2 wherein the application server includes means for enabling the user to submits a request for ads in multiple stages, and wherein the application server generates a request message at each stage of the request, each request message generated successively narrowing the range of ads that would satisfy the user'"'"'s request for ads.

4. The classified ad system of claim 3 wherein the application server includes means for receiving requests to place classified ad information in the database of the database server.

11. The classified ad system of claim 3 wherein the system includes means for automatically generating classified ad information to be included in the database server.

12. The classified ad system of claim 11 wherein the system includes means for automatically collecting classified ad information to be included in the database server from the means for automatically generating the classified ad information.

13. The classified ad system of claim 12 wherein the system includes means for automatically distributing the classified ad information to the database server on a predetermined scheduled basis.

14. The classified ad system of claim 13 wherein the system includes means for pre-sorting the classified ad information included in the database server.

15. The classified ad system of claim 4 wherein the system includes means for automatically generating classified ad information from received request to place classified ad information in the database of the database server.

5. The classified ad system of 3 wherein the ad information included in the ad server database is substantially numerically coded.

6. The classified ad system of claim 5 wherein the application server means for generating request messages includes a common gateway interface process.

7. The classified ad system of claim 6 wherein the classified ad system includes a plurality of different sources of classified ad information and wherein the database server includes a plurality of ad databases each having classified ad information provided by one of the classified ad sources.

8. The classified ad system of claim 7 wherein the classified ad system includes one or more application servers.

9. The classified ad system of claim 8 wherein the classified ad system includes one or more backup ad databases.

10. The classified ad system of claim 7 wherein the application server is common to all of the ad sources, and wherein each ad source includes means for enabling a user to initiate the request for ads.

16. A method for presenting classified ads to users in an interactive network, the computer network including one or more servers and a plurality of client terminals capable of communicating with the servers, the users accessing the network from respective terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

Providing an application server;

Establishing communication over the network between a user at a client terminal and the application server;

Receiving requests for ads at the application server from the user at a client terminal and generating request messages at the application server concerning the user'"'"'s requests for ads;

Providing a database server having a database including classified ad information, and establishing communication between the application server and the database server so that the application server may send request messages to database serve and so that the request messages may be compared with the database classified ad information;

Generating response messages at the database server in reply to the request messages and forward them to the application server;

Generating reports for presentation to the user at a client terminal based on the response messages.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving a request for ads from the user includes receiving the request in multiple stages and wherein the application server generates a request message at each stage of the request, each request message generated successively narrowing the range of ads that would satisfy the user'"'"'s request for ads.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein providing a database server having a database including classified ad information includes providing the classified ad information in substantially numerical form.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein generating the request messages includes use of a common gateway interface process.

20. A classified ad system provided in an interactive computer network, the classified ad system for presenting classified ads to a user, the classified ad system comprising:

An application server including means for receiving a request for classified ads from a user, and means for generating a search request concerning the user'"'"'s request for ads;

A database server including a database having classified ad information, the database server further including means for receiving the application server search request;

means for comparing the search request of the application server to the database classified ad information, and means for generating a search request response in reply to the search request;

A classified ad source for supplying classified ad text; and

Means for automatically generating the classified ad information to be included at the database server;

the means for generating the classified ad information including a parser for interrogating the classified ad text and building substantially numerically coded classified ad information from the ad text.

21. The classified ad system of claim 20 wherein the parser includes means for introducing information for pre-sorting the classified ad information into the classified ad information.

22. The classified ad system of claim 21 wherein the parser includes means for defining the organizational structure of the database classified ad information, and means for identifying the ad text wording to enable encoding of the ad text;

the means for identifying ad text wording being dependent on the structure and organization of the database classified ad information.

23. The classified ad system of claim 22 wherein the organizational structure of the database classified ad information includes multiple divisions, and the parser means for identifying ad text wording includes multiple elements referenced to the multiple divisions of the database classified ad information organizational structure, some of which elements are common to some of the divisions.

24. A classified ad system provided in an interactive computer network, the classified ad system for presenting classified ads to a user, the classified ad system comprising:

An application server including means for receiving a request for classified ads from a user, and means for generating a search request concerning the use request for ads;

A database server including a database having classified ad information, the database server further including means for receiving the search request of the application server;

means for comparing the search request of the application server to the database classified ad information, and means for generating a search request response in reply to the search request;

A classified ad source for supplying classified ad text; and

Means for generating the classified ad information included at the database server from the ad text supplied by the classified ad source; and

Means for automatically distributing the generated classified ad information to the ad database server on a scheduled basis.

25. The classified ad system of claim 24 wherein the means for automatically distributing the classified ad information further includes means for pre-sorting the classified ad information.

26. The classified ad system of claim 25 wherein the means for pre-sorting the classified ad information includes elements for pre-sorting the ad information based on sorting data introduced into classified ad information.

27. The classified ad system of claim 26 wherein the means for generating the classified ad information is automated and includes elements for introducing pre-sorting information into the classified ad information.

28. The classified ad system of claim 24 wherein the means for automatically distributing the classified ad information to the database server includes a distribution processor having an ad information depository means for storing database classified ad information, and means for managing movement of ad information between the means for generating the ad information, the depository means and the database server.

29. The classified ad system of claim 28 wherein the distribution processor further includes means for generating statistical reports concerning usage of the database classified ad information.

30. The classified ad system of claim 28 wherein the information depository means is subdivided into multiple partitions, each partition including classified ad information having a different time reference, and wherein the means for managing movement of the classified ad information also manages movement of the ad information between the multiple partitions.