Method and apparatus for providing and maintaining a user-interactive portal system accessible via internet or other switched-packet-network
DCFirst Claim
1. An Internet portal, comprising:
- an Internet-connected server;
a portal software executing on the server; and
a data repository accessible to the server, the repository storing user-specific data comprising profiles and directions for user-defined functions;
wherein the server, through execution of the portal software, in response to log-on by an individual user from a user'"'"'s Internet-connected appliance, presents a secure and personalized web page for the user, the personalized page having a list of Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein, upon invocation of a hyperlink by the user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information required for user access at the destination, and wherein the server automatically performs individual ones of the user-defined functions.
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Abstract
An Internet Portal is enabled by software executing on an Internet-connected server. The Portal, in response to a log-on by a user, presents a secure and personalized page for and to the user, the personalized page having listed plural Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein upon invocation of a hyperlink by the subscriber, such as by a point-and-click technique, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information for user access at the destination. In an enhanced embodiment a search function is provided wherein a user may configure searches in any or all of the listed destinations on a personalized page. Provision is provided for log-on by limited appliances, such as by a Smartcard or embedded password, and in some embodiments functionality is provided in a browser plug-in wherein a user may navigate to a site, and, in response to a request for log-in data, the subscriber may use a hot key or pointer input, which will cause the browser to access and provide the needed data from the Password-All source.
175 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An Internet portal, comprising:
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an Internet-connected server;
a portal software executing on the server; and
a data repository accessible to the server, the repository storing user-specific data comprising profiles and directions for user-defined functions;
wherein the server, through execution of the portal software, in response to log-on by an individual user from a user'"'"'s Internet-connected appliance, presents a secure and personalized web page for the user, the personalized page having a list of Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein, upon invocation of a hyperlink by the user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information required for user access at the destination, and wherein the server automatically performs individual ones of the user-defined functions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An Internet Portal application executable on an Internet-connected server, comprising:
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a log-on facility for users to enter log-on information for access to the Portal application;
a plurality of stored personal pages associated each with one or more specific users; and
a facility for interacting with a data repository storing user-specific data comprising profiles and directions for user-defined functions;
wherein the application, in response to log-on by an individual user from a user'"'"'s Internet-connected appliance, presents the personal page for the user, the personal page having a list of Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein, upon invocation of a hyperlink by the user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information required for user access at the destination, and wherein the server automatically performs individual ones of the user-defined functions. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for accessing and interacting with WEB pages on the Internet, comprising steps of:
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(a) using an Internet-capable appliance, logging on to a Portal server, which returns from a data repository also storing user-defined functions, a personalized page for the user logging on, the personalized page listing plural Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks;
(b) selecting a hyperlink in the personalized page, thereby invoking a URL for a destination, and, upon connection to the destination, automatically providing user log-on information for the user; and
(c) performing one or more of the user-defined functions. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification