System and method for automated web site creation and access

• US 6,701,343 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kenyon, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winters, Mareisha N.
• Application Number:
  US09/452,526
• Time in Patent Office: 1,553 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/201, 709/229, 709/217, 709/200, 709/203, 709/219, 707/9, 707/10, 707/204, 715/501.1
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A community of practice server provides system users who establish connections over a data network with the functionality to either create a community of practice web page, view and access existing web pages, or to activate web sites which have been archived. If the system user chooses to create a new website, an interactive display graphic may be provided through which the system user may enter selected information. Once this information has been completed, a template may be accessed from memory and this information used to populate the template. Once this is complete, a predetermined number of links may be provided on the web page to predetermined destinations. The web sites which are created are accessible and updateable by any number of system users who are granted access to it.

Claims

1. A system for generating community of practice websites, comprising:

an interface accessible over a data network configurable to receive custom information for creating the community of practice websites;

a first database which includes at least one template for generating the community of practice websites, wherein each of the community of practice web sites is of a standardized format including a plurality of automatically linked web pages;

a website generation apparatus for entering the custom information into the at least one template to generate the community of practice websites, where the apparatus further stores the community of practice websites in a second database and

a website access module configured to generate and present one or more listings of all the community of practice websites including status information for each of the community of practice websites, wherein access is provided to one or more of the community of practice websites upon selection from the one or more listings.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the standardized community of practice websites include a homepage which has at least one hypertext link, and at least one of the automatically linked additional web pages, wherein the at least one automatically linked web pages is accessible through selection of the at least one hypertext link and the custom information is used to construct at least one of the automatically linked web pages.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one automatically linked web page includes at least one of:

a discussion page which includes functionality to facilitate electronic discussion;

a library page which includes links to a repository of electronic documents, wherein facilities are provided to download documents to said repository;

an events page which includes a listing of events; and

a calendar page.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the library web page includes links to electronic documents stored in a library.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the community of practice websites are configurable to limit access only to selected parties.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data network comprises at least one of:

the Internet; and

an intranet.

7. The system of claim 1 further including an archiving module which is configured to monitor access to the community of practice websites and to archive any of community of practice websites which are not accessed within a predetermined period of time.

8. A community of practice server comprising:

a first screen display accessible which facilitates communication between the server and a data network;

central processor in connection with the interface which provides for routing of data signals within the server;

a first memory accessible by the central processor which includes a plurality of websites accessible over the data network, and a listing of the websites stored in the first memory;

a second memory which includes at least one template for a website which may be populated with custom information received over the data network;

a website creation module in connection with the central processor which is configured to create websites using the at least one template and the custom information received over the data network, the website creation module being further configured to store the created websites in the first memory; and

a website access module configured to present the listing of the websites in the first memory and to provide access to the websites upon selection from the listing;

said first screen display further configured to provide for at least one of;

automatically generating a new website which is configured in a standardized format which includes a homepage and at least one automatically linked page, and viewing the listing of websites.

9. The server of claim 8 further comprising a second screen display for entry of custom information for the automatic generation of a website.

10. The server of claim 8 wherein the listing includes at least one of:

active websites; and

archived websites.

11. The server of claim 10 further including an archiving processing module which monitors usage of the websites resident on the website and automatically deactivates selected websites after a predetermined period of non-use.

12. The server of claim 11 wherein the archiving processing module is further configured to reactivate the selected websites upon selection from the listing.

13. The server of claim 10 wherein the new websites includes a home page which includes hypertext links to at least one other page associated with the new websites and at least one of:

a discussion page which includes functionality to facilitate electronic discussion;

a library page which includes links to a repository of electronic documents, wherein facilities are provided to download documents to said repository;

an events page which includes a listing of events; and

a calendar page.

14. The community of practice server of claim 8 further comprising an archiving module configured to archive active websites on the server which are not accessed after a predetermined of time, the archiving module being further configured to provide a listing of archived wed sites upon request.

15. A method for creating and providing access to a community web site on a web based server comprising the steps of:

presenting an interface accessible over a data network configured for receiving data from a system user;

receiving information from a system user employable to construct the web site, identifying information and storing the system user information in memory;

accessing a database which includes a common template for creating a standardized website, wherein the website includes a home page and at least one automatically linked page;

retrieving the common template and the system user information from memory;

inserting the system user information in designated places in the at least one template to create the website, wherein creating the website includes assigning a URL address and making said website accessible over the data network;

storing the website in memory with at least one other active website;

including the website in a listing of the active websites which are accessible on the web based server; and

presenting the website for review upon selection by a system user accessing the web based server.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the user information includes at least one of:

community name, community description, URL address, primary contact information, authorized users.

17. The method of claim 15 further including the step of automatically generating at least one additional web page wherein a hypertext link is provided on the home page such that the at least one additional web page may be accessed over the data network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one additional web page includes at least one of:

a links page, a library, a forum page, an automated process page, and a calendar page.

19. The method of claim 15 further including the step of presenting an initial screen display accessible over the data network, wherein the initial screen display includes at least one of:

a page creator interface to initiate the process for creating the web page, an access interface to view currently active community of practice web pages, and archive interface to access the community of web pages which have been archived.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of archiving the wedsite upon determining that the wedsite has not been accessed within a predetermined period of time.