Systems, methods and computer program products for assigning, generating and delivering content to intranet users

• US 6,564,260 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kaminsky, David Louis, Blount, Brian, Baber, Stephen C., Britton, Kathryn Heninger, OʼMeara, Ann Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Philip B.
• Application Number:
  US09/697,748
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/220, 709/223-225
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products allow intranet administrators to assign, generate and deliver content to users of an intranet. Intranet users are defined and assigned to various defined user groups. Units of content available to users of an intranet are also defined and assigned to various defined content groups. The defined content groups are then associated with the defined user groups such that each of the defined user groups has at least one of the defined units of content associated therewith. A content page creation profile is provided for each defined user and is configured to control how content is displayed within a user'"'"'s customized content page. Through identified relationships of user groups and content groups, the units of content assigned to a user can be determined and a content page containing the assigned units of content can be created and delivered to a user.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content to a user of a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

prefetching units of content assigned to a content group, the content group comprising a group of content units such that a number of the content units in the group is static;

exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package; and

transmitting the content package to the user device.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of prefetching units of content assigned to a content group comprises prefetching content accessible from hypertext links embedded within each unit of content.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

prefetching changed units of content if one or more units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a content package; and

transmitting the content package to the user device.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of exporting the prefetched changed units of content comprises exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a compressed content package.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of transforming prefetched units of content from a first format to a second format prior to exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package.

6. A system of delivering content to a user of a computer network comprising:

means for prefetching units of content assigned to a content group, the content group comprising a group of content units such that a number of the content units in the group is static;

means for exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package; and

means for transmitting the content package to the user device.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein the means for prefetching units of content assigned to a content group comprises means for prefetching content accessible from hypertext links embedded within each unit of content.

8. A system according to claim 6 further comprising:

means for determining whether units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

means for prefetching changed units of content if one or more units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a content package; and

means for transmitting the content package to the user device.

9. A system according to claim 8 wherein the means for means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content comprises means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a compressed content package.

10. A system according to claim 6 further comprising means for transforming prefetched units of content from a first format to a second format prior to exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package.

11. A computer program product for delivering content to a user of a computer network, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for prefetching units of content assigned to a content group, the content group comprising a group of content units such that a number of the content units in the group is static;

computer readable program code means for exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package; and

computer readable program code means for transmitting the content package to the user device.

12. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer readable program code means for prefetching units of content assigned to a content group comprises computer readable program code means for prefetching content accessible from hypertext links embedded within each unit of content.

13. A computer program product according to claim 11 wherein the computer readable program code means for exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package comprises computer readable program code means for exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package.

14. A computer program product according to claim 11 further comprising:

computer readable program code means for determining whether units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

computer readable program code means for prefetching changed units of content if one or more units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

computer readable program code means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a content package; and

computer readable program code means for transmitting the content package to the user device.

15. A computer program product according to claim 11 further comprising computer readable program code means for transforming prefetched units of content from a first format to a second format prior to exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package.

16. A method of delivering content to a user of a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

prefetching units of content assigned to a content group;

exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package;

transmitting the content package to the user device;

determining whether units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

prefetching changed units of content if one or more units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a content package; and

transmitting the content package to the user device.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the step of exporting the prefetched changed units of content comprises exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a compressed content package.

18. A system of delivering content to a user of a computer network comprising:

means for prefetching units of content assigned to a content group;

means for exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package;

means for transmitting the content package to the user device;

means for determining whether units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

means for prefetching changed units of content if one or more units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a content package; and

means for transmitting the content package to the user device.

19. A system according to claim 18 wherein the means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content comprises means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a compressed content package.

20. A computer program product for delivering content to a user of a computer network, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code means comprising:

computer readable program code means for prefetching units of content assigned to a content group;

computer readable program code means for exporting the prefetched units of content into a content package;

computer readable program code means for transmitting the content package to the user device;

computer readable program code means for determining whether units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

computer readable program code means for prefetching changed units of content if one or more units of content assigned to a content group have changed;

computer readable program code means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a content package; and

computer readable program code means for transmitting the content package to the user device.

21. A computer program product according to claim 20 further comprising computer readable program code means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content comprises means for exporting the prefetched changed units of content into a compressed content package.