Data communication system that transmits the selected contents and menu onto the network for delivery to the client computer

• US 6,564,217 B2
• Filed: 10/15/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bunney, William, Tetsuya, Kozo
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/418,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20020059244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/5, 707/10, 707/100-104, 707/200-206, 707/104.1, 725/93, 725/116, 713/187, 713/200, 705/54, 705/52, 705/80, 705/14, 345/749, 345/760, 345/763
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/917 Text
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A server computer for a data communication system and adapted to transmit a document via a network, such as the Internet or an intranet, to a client computer in response to a request therefrom. The server includes an article memory for storing a plurality of article documents and respective bibliographic data; processing circuitry for receiving from a system administrator and storing an article document selection rule, and for retrieving from the article memory a subset of the plurality of article documents and assembling a table of contents-type document from at least part of each of the subset of article documents. The subset of article documents is selected according to the respective bibliographic data using the article document selection rule. Transmission circuitry is responsive to the request for transmitting the assembled document onto the network for delivery to the client computer.

Claims

1. A server computer adapted to communicate with a user of a client computer via a network, said server computer comprising:

personal edition memory means for storing data relating to users accessing said server;

contents memory means for storing a plurality of contents;

database management means for requesting from said user personal information relating to the user and storing said personal information in said personal edition memory means;

automatic content assembly means for retrieving from said contents memory means one of said plurality of contents, constructing a menu on the basis of the user'"'"'s personal information and requests of the user, and incorporating said menu in contents to be transmitted to said client computer, said menu including an autoload icon separate from all menu items associated with the user'"'"'s personal information; and

transmission means for transmitting the retrieved content and menu onto the network for delivery to said client computer;

wherein when said user logs in to said server computer, said automatic contents assembly means selects the contents and menu to retrieve according to the personal information relating to that user stored in said personal edition memory means, and said transmission means transmits the selected contents and menu onto said network for delivery to said client computer;

said personal information including a plurality of addresses of resources on the network, said addresses being grouped in at least one link set, and said menu including link information to the at least one link set whereby said automatic contents assembly means is further adapted to supplement said menu with links information to the addresses of a link set, when the user selects link information to that link set; and

said server computer further comprising autoload means responsive to selection of said autoload icon by said user for assembling an autoload document adapted to cause said client computer to access concurrently each resource addressed by link information in said menu and to transmit said autoload document to said user'"'"'s client computer.

2. A server computer according to claim 1 wherein said autoload document is adapted to cause the client computer to divide the available area of its screen into a plurality of frames corresponding in number to said resources addressed in said menu and to load each resource into a respective one of said frames.

3. A server computer according to claim 2 wherein said autoload document is further adapted to cause the client computer to divide the available area of its screen into a further frame and to load an additional resource into said further frame.

4. A server computer according to claim 3 wherein said additional resource is an advertisement selected by said automatic document assembly means according to said personal information stored in said personal edition memory means.

5. A method for transmitting content to a user at a client over a network, comprising:

storing data relating to users accessing a server;

storing a plurality of contents;

requesting from said user personal information relating to the user and storing said personal information;

constructing a menu on the basis of the user'"'"'s personal information and requests of the user and incorporating said menu in contents to be transmitted to said client;

retrieving, at the time that the user logs in to said server, one of said stored plurality of contents and said menu selected according to the stored personal information relating to that user; and

transmitting the retrieved content and menu onto the network for delivery to said client;

wherein,

said menu is supplemented with an autoload icon separate from all menu items associated with the user'"'"'s personal information;

said personal information includes a plurality of addresses of resources on the network, said addresses being grouped in at least one link set;

said menu including link information to the at least one link set, and said menu being supplemented with links information to the addresses of a link set when the user selects link information to that link set; and

said method further comprising assembling and transmitting an autoload document to said client responsive to selection of said autoload icon by said user, said autoload document adapted to cause said client to access concurrently each resource addressed by link information in said menu.

6. A method according to claim 5, further comprising storing a plurality of advertisements, selecting at least one of said stored advertisements on the basis of said personal information relating to this user, and incorporating the at least one selected advertisement in contents to be transmitted to that user.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising storing a log of requests made by each user, and selecting at least one of said stored advertisements on the basis of said log in addition to said personal information.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising storing a log of advertisements which have previously been transmitted to said user, and selecting a stored advertisement on the basis of said log in addition to said personal information.

9. A method according to claim 5 wherein said personal information includes data relating to at least one of the group comprising:

the user'"'"'s age, the user'"'"'s gender, the user'"'"'s place of work or residence and the user'"'"'s interests.

10. A method according to claim 5 wherein said personal information includes the address of at least one resource on the network and said menu includes link information to said resource.