Method for characterizing and visualizing patterns of usage of a web site by network users

• US 6,449,604 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2000
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Hansen, Mark Henry, Sweldens, Wim
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Hosain T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kindred, Alford W.
• Application Number:
  US09/588,488
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-5, 707/7, 707/100, 707/102-104, 707/513, 707/526, 709/200-205, 709/213-220, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226-231, 709/250
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/323 Visualisation of programs or trace data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A system is disclosed for displaying information pertaining to the usage of Web pages. The system comprises first and second Web sites. The first Web site comprises plural Web-component files, each having a name in a Web-site directory. The second Web site comprises plural statistics files, each containing usage information about a corresponding Web-component file or sub-directory of Web-component files. The system farther comprises a computing device that has a display screen, is operable by a user, and is in communication with the first and second Web sites. The computing device is operated under the control of Web-browser software effective for displaying, on the screen, Web components of the respective Web sites. Significantly, the computing device is effective for requesting and retrieving, from either of the Web sites, data that correspond to user-designated Web components, and it is effective for directing a data request to either of the Web sites in response to user-designation of a Web component from the other Web site.

Claims

1. A method for navigating first and second Web sites, comprising:

a) on a computer having a screen, running a Web browser program such that at least first and second windows are displayed on the screen, wherein at least one component of the first Web site is displayed in the first window, and at least one component of the second Web site is displayed in the second window;

b) on said computer, via said program, selecting two or more Web components in sequence;

c) in response to each said selection, retrieving, and displaying in the first window, respective components of the first Web site; and

d) in response to each said selection, retrieving, and displaying in the second window, respective components of the second Web site;

wherein at least one of the sequential selecting steps is directed to a component of the first Web site, and at least one of the sequential selecting steps is directed to a component of the second Web site, such that a selection of a component of the first Web site in the first window causes a corresponding display of a component of the second Web site in the second window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the second Web site comprises information about visits to each page of the first Web site;

each selection of a component of the first Web site causes information to be displayed in the second window that describes visits in which the selected component was requested; and

at least one selection of visit information from the second Web site causes a corresponding visited Web component to be displayed in the first window.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a third window on the screen;

in the third window, displaying information about visits to the first Web site;

designating a portion of the information displayed in the third window; and

in response to said designation, displaying corresponding information in at least one of the first, second, and third windows.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the information displayed in the third window is summary information, and said designation results in there being displayed, in the second window, detailed information about the designated portion.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising superimposing an overlay on the first window, wherein the overlay is created in response to a communication from the second Web site.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said overlay comprises visit information pertaining to at least one underlying component displayed in the first window.

7. A method for coupling at least two Web sites, comprising:

a) via a Web browser program running on a computer, establishing contact with a first Web site comprising plural Web components, wherein each said component is accessible through a respective filename;

b) via said Web browser program, establishing contact with at least one second Web site comprising plural Web components, wherein at least some of said components are each accessible through the same filename as a corresponding component of the first Web site;

c) simultaneously displaying, in respective windows on a screen of the computer, Web components of the first Web site and the second Web site, wherein at least one displayed Web component in each said window display has an embedded HyperText link; and

d) upon designation of any displayed Web component having an embedded HyperText link, retrieving and concurrently displaying corresponding information from both Web sites.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first Web site is a content-oriented Web site that attracts visitors, and the second Web site contains information about patterns of usage of the first Web site.

9. A system for displaying information pertaining to the usage of Web pages, comprising:

a) a first Web site that comprises plural Web files, each of said files having a name in a Web-site directory;

b) a second-Web site that comprises plural statistics records, each said record containing usage information about a corresponding Web file or directory or sub-directory of Web files; and

c) a computing device having a display screen and operable by a user, said device in communication with said first and second Web sites and operating under the control of Web-browser software effective for displaying, on the screen, images that correspond to components of said Web sites;

wherein;

(i) the computing device is effective for requesting and retrieving, from either of the Web sites, data that correspond to user-designated displayed images; and

(ii) the computing device is effective for directing a data request to either of the Web sites in response to user-designation of an image from the other Web site.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

each statistics record is indexed by the name of the corresponding Web file or sub-directory of Web files; and

the computing device uses a common name of a file or file directory or subdirectory when it directs a data request to one Web site in response to user-designation of an image from the other Web site.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each statistics record is stored as a separate file.