Customization of network documents using customization informations stored on the server computer

• US 6,424,981 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1999
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McDaniel, Paul A., Isaac, Steven A., Tuchen, Michael H., Critchfield, Ron E., Gwertzman, James S., Grossman, Mark B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S.
• Application Number:
  US09/464,165
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 707/501, 707/513, 707/530, 707/501.1
• US Class Current: 715/273
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

User-selected customization information for a network (e.g., HTML) document is stored at a server with reference to user identifying information that uniquely identifies the user. Whenever the user navigates back to the network address of the HTML document, the user is identified automatically and receives a customized HTML document formed in accordance with the customization information.

Claims

1. A method of providing a network document over a network to each of multiple users of corresponding client computers, the network document for each user being customized according to predetermined user selections of the user, comprising:

during first accessing of a server computer on the network by each user client computer, obtaining customization information from the corresponding user, assigning to the customization information a user identifier corresponding to the user, storing the customization information in association with the user identifier on the server computer, and returning the user identifier to the client computer; and

during subsequent accessing of a selected address on the network by each user client computer, retrieving the customization information from the server computer by returning the user identifier to the server and returning to the corresponding client computer over the network a document customized according to the customization information stored on the server computer.

2. A method of customizing a network document, comprising:

storing a customizable document on a server computer, the document being associated with a network address;

receiving, at the server computer, customization information from a client computer, the customization information identifying how the document is to be customized for the client computer;

storing the customization information on the server computer along with a identifier associated with the client computer from which the customization information was received;

receiving a request from the client computer to access the customizable document located at the network address; and

retrieving the customization information stored on the server computer, customizing the document using the customization information associated with the client computer, and returning the customized document to the client computer for display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifier is a unique user identifier associated with the client computer;

and

wherein the client computer stores the identifier in a cookie.

4. The method of claim 3, further including passing the unique user identifier to the server computer when a user on the client computer requests the document at the network address.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the document is in HTML format.

6. The method of claim 2 further including providing a form to the client computer that includes topical groupings of customization options and wherein the customization information is associated with a user'"'"'s selection of the customization options.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the network is the Internet.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the network address is a uniform resource locator.

9. A method of customizing network documents, comprising:

upon receiving a first request from a client computer to access a network document stored on a server computer, passing the client computer user-selectable customization options for customizing the document;

receiving, at the server computer, customization information associated with selections made by the user on the customization options;

storing the customization information on the server computer in a database using a unique identifier as an index to the customization information;

upon receiving subsequent requests to access the network document, receiving the unique identifier from the client computer and using the unique identifier to access the customization information;

customizing the document using the customization information stored on the server computer; and

transmitting the customized document to the client computer.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the unique identifier is a GUID that uniquely identifies the client computer;

and

wherein the client computer stores the unique identifier in a cookie.

11. The method of claim 9, further including passing the unique identifier to the server computer when a user on the client computer requests the document at a network address.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the document is in HTML format.

13. The method of claim 9 further including providing a form to the client computer that includes topical groupings of the customization options and wherein the customization information is associated with a user'"'"'s selection of the customization options.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the network is the Internet.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the network address is a uniform resource locator.

16. A method of customizing a network document, comprising:

storing customization information, associated with a client computer, on a server computer;

storing a unique identifier associated with the client computer on the server computer as an index for accessing the customization information;

from a client computer, transmitting over a network a cookie to the server computer, the cookie including the unique identifier;

using the unique identifier as an index to retrieve the customization information on the server computer;

transmitting a customized document to the client computer, the customized document being customized in accordance with the customization information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the document is in HTML format.

18. The method of claim 16 further including providing a form to the client computer that includes topical groupings of customization options and wherein the customization information is associated with the user'"'"'s selection of the customization options.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the network is the Internet.

20. An apparatus for customizing a network document, comprising:

means for storing customization information, associated with a client computer, on a server computer;

means for storing a unique identifier associated with the client computer on the server computer as an index for accessing the customization information;

means for transmitting over a network a cookie to the server computer, the cookie including the unique identifier;

means for using the unique identifier as an index to retrieve the customization information on the server computer;

means for customizing a document on the server computer using the customization information; and

means for transmitting the customized document to the client computer.