Method and apparatus for providing and maintaining a user-interactive portal system accessible via internet or other switched-packet-network

• US 6,412,073 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1998
• Issued: 06/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Yodlee Incorporated (Envestnet Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Yodiee.com Incorporated
• Inventors: Rangan, P. Venkat
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Norman M.
• Application Number:
  US09/208,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 713/162, 713/202, 713/201, 705/76, 705/14
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

An Internet Portal is enabled by software executing on an Internet-connected server. The Portal, in response to a log-on by a user, presents a secure and personalized page for and to the user, the personalized page having listed plural Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein upon invocation of a hyperlink by the subscriber, such as by a point-and-click technique, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information for user access at the destination. In an enhanced embodiment a search function is provided wherein a user may configure searches in any or all of the listed destinations on a personalized page. Provision is provided for log-on by limited appliances, such as by a Smartcard or embedded password, and in some embodiments functionality is provided in a browser plug-in wherein a user may navigate to a site, and, in response to a request for log-in data, the subscriber may use a hot key or pointer input, which will cause the browser to access and provide the needed data from the Password-All source.

Claims

1. An Internet Portal, comprising:

an Internet-connected server; and

a portal software executing on the server;

wherein the Portal, in response to log-on by a user from a user'"'"'s Internet-connected appliance, presents a secure and personalized page for the user, the personalized page having a list of Internet destinations, pre-selected by the user and enabled by hyperlinks, wherein, upon invocation of a hyperlink by the user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information required for user access at the destination.

2. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein required log-on information includes a password, and wherein the password is stored at the Internet Portal in an encrypted form, and is exchanged with cooperating software at the user'"'"'s appliance, where it is decrypted and passed on to the destination for log-on.

3. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein the user connects to the Portal through an Internet Service Provider (ISP), and after transparent log-on to an invoked destination, the page at the destination is conveyed to and displayed for the user.

4. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein the Portal is enabled by software executing at a server hosted by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to which the user subscribes.

5. The Internet Portal of claim 1 further comprising a search function adapted to search selected ones of listed destinations for defined search criteria.

6. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein, after a user invokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invoked destination, the Portal software accesses and displays one or more informative displays to the user.

7. The Internet Portal of claim 6 wherein the informative displays comprise one or more advertisements.

8. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein the Portal software, interacting with a logged-on user, upon the user creating a new account at a WEB site and providing a pre-determined signal, automatically adds the new destination for the user'"'"'s Portal page.

9. The Internet Portal of claim 1 wherein the Portal periodically summarizes account information for accounts at destinations listed on the user'"'"'s WEB page.

10. The Internet Portal of claim 9 wherein the summarization is automatic in period and scope, subject to edit by the user.

11. An Internet Portal, comprising:

an Internet-connected server; and

a portal software executing on the server;

wherein the portal interacts with a browser plug-in executing on a user'"'"'s Internet-connected appliances such that, when the user invokes a destination from the browser, wherein the destination requires a secure log-on, the portal software cooperates with the browser plug-in to furnish the data necessary for a successful log-on transparent to the user.

12. The Internet Portal of claim 11 wherein required log-on information includes a password, and wherein the password is stored at the Internet Portal in an encrypted form, and is exchanged with cooperating software at the user'"'"'s appliance, where it is decrypted and passed on to the destination for log-on.

13. The Internet Portal of claim 11 wherein, after a user invokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invoked destination, the Portal software cooperates with the user'"'"'s browser plug-in to access and display one or more informative displays to the user.

14. The Internet Portal of claim 12 wherein the informative displays comprise one or more advertisements.

15. The Internet Portal of claim 11 wherein the Portal software, interacting with a logged-on user, upon the user creating a new account at a WEB site and providing a pre-determined signal, automatically adds the new destination for the user'"'"'s Portal page.

16. The Internet Portal of claim 11 wherein the Portal periodically summarizes account information for accounts at destinations listed on the user'"'"'s WEB page.

17. The Internet Portal of claim 16 wherein the summarization is automatic in period and scope, subject to edit by the user.

18. An Internet Portal software application executing on an Internet-connected server, comprising:

a log-on portion providing an interactive display for users to enter log-on information from an Internet-connected appliance for access to the Portal application; and

a plurality of displayable stored personal pages associated each with one or more specific users;

wherein individual personalized pages, rendered in an interactive display, list plural Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, the destinations pre-selected by the associated users, and upon invocation of a hyperlink by the associated user, the portal software invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information for user access at the destination.

19. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein log-on information includes a password, and wherein the password is stored at the Internet server in an encrypted form, and is exchanged with cooperating software at the user'"'"'s appliance, where it is decrypted and passed on to the destination for log-on.

20. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein, after transparent log-on to an invoked destination, the page at the destination is conveyed to and displayed for the user.

21. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 adapted to execute on a server hosted by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to which the users subscribe.

22. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 further comprising a search function adapted to search selected ones of listed destinations in user'"'"'s pages for defined search criteria.

23. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein, after a user invokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invoked destination, the Portal software accesses and displays one or more informative displays to the user.

24. The Internet Portal application of claim 23 wherein the informative displays comprise one or more advertisements.

25. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein the Portal application enables users to pre-select destinations by interacting with a logged-on user, upon the user creating a new account at a WEB site and providing a predetermined signal, automatically adds the new destination for the user'"'"'s Portal page.

26. The Internet Portal application of claim 18 wherein the Portal periodically summarizes account information for accounts at destinations listed on the user'"'"'s WBB page.

27. The Internet Portal application of claim 26 wherein the summarization is automatic in period and scope, subject to edit by the user.

28. An Internet Portal software application executing on an Internet-connected server, comprising:

a log-on portion providing an interactive display for users to enter log-on information for access to the Portal application; and

a plurality of displayable stored personal pages associated each with one or more specific users;

wherein the portal application interacts with a browser plug-in executing on a subscriber'"'"'s Internet-connected appliance, such that, when the user invokes a destination, pre-selected by the associated user, from the browser, accessing the associated user'"'"'s personal page, the portal software cooperates with the browser plug-in to furnish the data necessary for a successful log-on transparent to the user.

29. The Internet Portal application of claim 28 wherein required log-on information includes a password, and wherein the password is stored at the Internet Portal in an encrypted form, and is exchanged with cooperating software at the user'"'"'s appliance, where it is decrypted and passed on to the destination for log-on.

30. The Internet Portal application of claim 28 adapted to execute on a server hosted by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to which the users subscribe.

31. The Internet Portal application of claim 28 wherein, after a user invokes a hyperlink, during navigation time to the invoked destination, the Portal software, in cooperation with the browser plug-in, accesses and displays displays one or more informative displays to the user.

32. The Internet Portal application of claim 31 wherein the informative displays comprise one or more advertisements.

33. The Internet Portal application of claim 28 wherein the Portal application enables users to pre-select destinations by interacting with a logged-on user, upon the user creating a new account at a WEB site and providing a pre-determined signal, automatically adds the new destination for the user'"'"'s Portal page.

34. The Internet Portal application of claim 28 wherein the Portal periodically summarizes account information for accounts at destinations listed on the user'"'"'s WEB page.

35. The Internet Portal of claim 34 wherein the summarization is automatic in period and scope, subject to edit by the user.

36. A method for accessing and interacting with WEB pages on the Internet, comprising steps of:

(a) using an Internet-capable appliance, logging on to a Portal server, which returns a personalized page for the user logging on, the personalized page having listed plural Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, the destinations pre-selected by the user;

(b) selecting a hyperlink in the personalized page, thereby invoking a URL for a destination, and, upon connection to the destination, automatically providing user log-on information for the user; and

(c) interacting with the page automatically provided.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the Portal server is a part of an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising a step for invoking a search function adapted to search selected ones of listed destinations for defined search criteria.

39. A method for accessing and interacting with WEB pages on the Internet, comprising steps of:

(a) using an Internet-capable appliance, logging on to a Portal server as a subscriber, the portal server storing data associated with Internet destinations pre-selected by the subscriber;

(a) using a browser with a plug-in for interacting with a Portal server executing on the Internet-capable appliance, invoking a URL to a destination WEB page;

(b) upon being presented with a log-in interface by the destination WEB page, calling the Portal server by the plug-in; and

(c) furnishing necessary log-in data by the Portal server, and accomplishing secure log-in for the subscriber substantially transparently to the subscriber.