System and method for implementing intelligent online community message board

• US 6,493,703 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1999
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CXT Systems, Inc. (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Prophet Financial Systems, Inc. (Charles Schwab Corporation)
• Inventors: Gross, J. Nicholas, Knight, Timothy O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Debbie M
• Application Number:
  US09/309,711
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/7, 707/4, 707/10, 709/206, 345/792
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

An online message board system monitors message traffic generated by subscribers so that intelligent decisions can be made concerning what types of content to locate and retrieve, what priority to use for locating such content, how to organize such content for ease of access by the subscribers, etc. A series of software robots are used to locate, retrieve and sort the content as derived from other online news groups. By studying subscriber message traffic, the system can self-tune itself automatically to constantly adjust content retrieval, storage and presentation in response to changing community interests, desires, and the like. Because subscriber feedback is accounted for and incorporated into the design of the message board system, this enhances the experience for online users, resulting in increased system usage, subscriber retention characteristics, etc.

Claims

1. An electronic message board system for use by a community of users, which system operates in part on an online server, said system comprising:

a first routine running on the server for storing message data; and

a second routine running on the server for processing said message data at predetermined intervals to construct searchable collections of said message data, said searchable collections being based on a set of predefined query parameters such that at least some of said message data is accessible to at least some of the community of users; and

a third routine running on the server for interacting with a web browser program executing at user computer systems remote from the online server, said third routine being adapted for handling user queries to said message data, said queries being based on said predefined query parameters so that said third routine uses said searchable collections for responding to said user queries; and

a fourth routine executing within said web browser program for generating said user queries, said fourth routine including an integrated interface for permitting said user to formulate said queries, said integrated interface including;

i) a first display region for providing a visible display of a message list of at least some of any message entries retrieved in response to said queries, said list including at least some identifying parameters for each of said message entries; and

ii) a second display region for providing a visible display of at least some substantive information for a user-selected one of said message entries, said substantive information being simultaneously visible with said message list displayed in said first display region,

wherein the user can perform searching, listing and reviewing operations associated with said message entries simultaneously within a single window of said integrated interface, said reviewing operation including a presentation to the user of all substantive information for at least one of said message entries.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said third routine monitors queries from said users to generate statistical information regarding subject matter and/or authorship information for said message entries.

3. The system of claim 1, further including a fifth routine for receiving message postings from the online users, and for processing said message postings in accordance with said predefined query parameters.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein user profile information is stored by said system, including data corresponding to predefined query parameters previously used by the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the users can peruse said message data in logical groupings of message entries, which logical groupings are based on content of said message entries.

6. A system for sharing information between a community of users, the system comprising:

an online server having a storage routine for storing messages from such users;

said online server further having a sorting routine for classifying said messages based on a rule set provided at least in part by feedback from said users, said sorting routine operating to create collections of said messages that are searchable by at least some of the community of users based on a set of query parameters; and

said online server further having a query processing routine for handling user queries to said messages, said queries being based on query parameters so that said query processing routine uses said collections of said messages for responding to said user queries; and

a query formulation routine adapted to coordinate with said query processing routine and to be executed within web browser programs used by such users, said query formulation routine being capable of generating said user queries so that the query formulation routine can retrieve selected messages from said collections of messages using said query parameters;

wherein the query formulation routine and query processing routine cooperate to allow the community of users to interact dynamically with said collections of said messages;

a posting routine adapted to coordinate with said online server and to be executed within said web browser programs, said posting routine being capable of generating user messages that can be posted to said online server in accordance with said rule set;

wherein the users can perform searching, listing and reviewing operations associated with said messages within a single window of an interface for said query formulation routine, said reviewing operation including a presentation to the user of all substantive information for at least one of said message entries.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said feedback includes parameters contained in or inferred from said user messages posted to said online server.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said feedback includes parameters contained in or inferred from said user queries.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the query formulation routine prioritizes requests from users for retrieving selected messages based on status levels of said users.

10. An electronic message board system comprising:

a first routine for retrieving first information accessible to the message board system in accordance with a variable filtering mechanism, and which filtering mechanism is based on information categories of interest to a group of users of the message board system; and

a second routine for sorting said first information and storing it in a form searchable by said information categories;

a third routine for handling user queries to said first information based on predefined query parameters so that said information categories are used for responding to said user queries; and

a fourth routine for posting user message information, said user message information also being sorted by said second routine such that said user message information is searchable by said group of users using said information categories; and

wherein said filtering mechanism is automatically changed by said system by evaluating which information categories are queried and/or posted to by said users;

further wherein the users can perform searching, listing and reviewing operations associated with said message information within a single window of an interface for said user queries, said reviewing operations including a presentation to the user of all substantive information for at least one message entry.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said information categories are created in part by examining said first information retrieved with said variable filtering mechanism.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said third routine tabulates said query parameters as used by users in said user queries to create a numerical ranking of frequency of usage for said query parameters.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said fourth routine tabulates identifying parameters as used by users in said user postings of message information to create a numerical ranking of frequency of usage for said identifying parameters.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein user profile information is maintained in the system, including information pertaining to information categories queried and/or posted to by each of such users.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said third and fourth routines prioritize user queries and user message postings based on status levels of users performing such queries and postings.

16. A method of operating an electronic message board system used by a community of users, and which system operates in part on an online server, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) storing message data on the online server; and

(b) constructing searchable collections of said message data, said searchable collections being based on a set of predefined query parameters, so that at least some of said message data is accessible to at least some of the community of users; and

(c) handling user queries to said message data by interacting with a web browser program executing at a user computer system remote from the online server, said queries being based on said predefined query parameters; and

(d) configuring an integrated interface for permitting said user to formulate said queries, said integrated interface including;

i) a first display region for providing a visible display of a message list of at least some of any message entries retrieved in response to said queries, said list including at least some identifying parameters for each of said message entries; and

ii) a second display region for providing a visible display of at least some substantive information for a user-selected one of said message entries, said substantive information being simultaneously visible with said message list displayed in said first display region

wherein said integrated interface is configured so that the user can perform searching, listing and reviewing operations associated with said message entries simultaneously within a single window of said integrated interface, said reviewing operations including a presentation to the user of all substantive information for at least one of said message entries.

17. The method of claim 16, further including a step (e):

monitoring queries from said users to generate statistical information regarding subject matter and/or authorship information for said message entries.

18. The method of claim 16, further including a step (e):

receiving message postings from the online users, and processing said message postings in accordance with said predefined query parameters.

19. A method of sharing information between a community of users, said system comprising:

(a) storing messages from such users; and

(b) classifying said messages based on a rule set provided at least in part by feedback from said users, such that collections of said messages are created that are searchable by at least some of the community of users based on a set of query parameters; and

(c) handling user queries to said messages, said queries being based on said query parameters so that said query processing routine uses said collections of said messages for responding to said user queries; and

(d) interacting with a query formulation routine executing within one or more web browser programs used by such users, said query formulation routine being capable of generating said user queries so that the users can retrieve selected messages from said collections of messages using said query parameters;

(e) interacting with a posting routine also executing within said web browser programs, said posting routine being capable of generating user messages that can be posted to said online server in accordance with said rule set

wherein the query formulation routine and query processing routine cooperate to allow the community of users to interact dynamically with said collections of said messages;

further wherein the users can perform searching, listing and reviewing operations associated with said messages within a single window of an interface for said query formulation routine, said reviewing operations including a presentation to the user of all substantive information for at least one of said messages.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said feedback includes parameters contained in or inferred from said user messages posted to said online server.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said feedback includes parameters contained in or inferred from said user queries.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the user queries and user messages are retrieved with a priority based on status levels of said users.

23. A method of operating an electronic message board system comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving first information accessible to the message board system in accordance with a variable filtering mechanism, which filtering mechanism is based on information categories of interest to a group of users of the message board system; and

(b) sorting said first information and storing it in a form searchable by said information categories;

(c) handling user queries to said first information, said queries being based on predefined query parameters so that said information categories are used for responding to said user queries; and

(d) posting user message information, said user message information also being sorted such that said user message information is searchable by said group of users using said information categories; and

wherein said filtering mechanism is modified periodically and automatically by evaluating interest expressed by said group of users for said information categories;

further wherein users can perform searching, listing and reviewing operations associated with said message information within a single window of an interface using said predefined query parameters, said reviewing operations including a presentation to the user of all substantive information for at least one message entry.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said information categories are created in part by examining said first information retrieved in accordance with said variable filtering mechanism.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said query parameters as used by users in said user queries are tabulated to create a numerical ranking of frequency of usage for said query parameters.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said identifying parameters as used by users in said user postings of message information are tabulated to create a numerical ranking of frequency of usage for said identifying parameters.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein said user interface used by said users for generating user queries and user postings is also modified automatically by evaluating which information categories are queried and/or posted to by said users.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said user queries and user message postings are performed with a priority based on status levels of users performing such queries and postings.