APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION OVER A NETWORK-BASED ENVIRONMENT, METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION TO USERS, AND METHOD FOR ASSOCIATING CONTENT OBJECTS WITH A DATABASE WHEREIN THE CONTENT OBJECTS ARE ACCESSIBLE OVER A NETWORK COMMUNICATION MEDIUM BY A USER

• US 6,769,010 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 07/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: HowZone.com Inc
• Inventors: Knapp, John R., Snyders, Edward K. E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/569,361
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/205, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 707/10, 705/1, 705/8
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for distributing information over a network-based environmente. The apparatus includes a first client, a server, and a second client. The server communicates with the first client via a communication link and includes a database operative to store indicia associated with at least one content object and user identifiers. The second client communicates with the server over a communication link. The second client is remote from the first client and is operative to submit indicia and a user identifier to the server. In response to submission of the indicia and the user identifier, at least one of: (a) a content object, and (b) a link to the content object are received into a personalized access point of the server. The user can access the personalized access point of the server with the first client. Methods are also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for distributing information over a network-based environment, comprising:

a first client;

a server communicating with the first client via a communication link and including a database operative to store indicia associated with at least one content object and user identifiers; and

a second client communicating with the server over a communication link, the second client remote from the first client and operative to submit indicia and a user identifier to the server pertaining to a particular user;

wherein, in response to submission of the indicia and the user identifier, at least one of;

(a) a content object, and (b) a link to the content object are received into a personalized access point of the server dedicated solely for use by the particular user, and wherein the particular user can access the personalized access point of the server with the first client to retrieve at least one of;

(a) a content object, and (b) a link to the content object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first client comprises a client computer and the second client comprises a wireless web appliance.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the second client further comprises a wireless network, and the wireless web appliance comprises a web browser having a user interface operative to display a web document and submit the indicia and the user identifier to the server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication link comprises the Internet, and the wireless communication link comprises a wireless network that interconnects with the Internet.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the indicia comprises a link to a content object resident on another server that communicates with the Internet.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicia is provided on a token that is affixed to a product and provided at a visually perceptible location to a user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicia is provided in a visually perceptible location on at least one of:

a label, a brochure, a pamphlet, a product, product documentation, a product package, a billboard, a sign, and an advertisement.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the indicia is provided on a token associated with a product, the user encounters the token at a visually perceptible location, the personalized access point comprises a personal web page, and the indicia is submitted to the server, wherein at least one content object associated with the indicia and the product is then associated with the personal web page.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least one link to a content object is delivered to the personal web page by the server.

10. A method of distributing information to users, comprising:

providing a database capable of being associated with content objects that are accessible over a communication medium by a user at a client;

associating at least one content object with a distribution mechanism;

requesting a desired one of the at least one content object;

receiving at least one of;

(a) the requested content object, and (b) a link to the requested content object, into a network-based personalized access point; and

accessing the personalized access point to enable viewing of the requested content object.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of associating at least one content object with a distribution mechanism comprises assigning indicia to identify at least one content object, and affixing the indicia to the distribution mechanism.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the distribution mechanism comprises a token that is visually perceptible to a potential user of the at least one content object.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the token is physically affixed onto a product package.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of associating at least one content object with a distribution mechanism comprises assigning the at least one content object to an indicia, and wherein the step of requesting a desired content object comprises identifying the indicia from a visually perceptible medium and submitting the indicia to the database.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein, in response to submitting the indicia to the database, receiving the at least one content object assigned to the indicia into the network-based personalized access point.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the network-based personalized access point comprises a personal web page, and the at least one content object is received within the personal web page.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of requesting comprises selecting the desired content object from a perceptible medium including indicia visually displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI).

18. The method of claim 10 wherein the desired content object is selected from a perceptible medium comprising content from a web page presented as a web document on a web browser of a communications device.

19. The method of claim 10 wherein the desired content object is selected from a perceptible medium comprising content resident on a web site and viewable on a client.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of associating at least one content object with a distribution mechanism comprises assigning at least one content object to indicia, and further comprising rendering the indicia visually perceptible to a user.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of requesting a desired content object comprises visually identifying the indicia and requesting the indicia over the communication medium such that a user can retrieve the content objects over the communication medium from the personalized access point.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the desired content object is selected by requesting the indicia that correspond with the at least one content object, and wherein the step of receiving the selected content object comprises receiving a link to the content object that enables a user to retrieve the content object over the communication medium.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the link comprises an address to a content object located on the Internet.

24. A method of distributing information to users, comprising:

providing a database on a server at a first location operative to store indicators that are associated with content objects, wherein the content objects are accessible over a communication link;

presenting an indicator at a visually perceptible location to a user;

while at a second location, submitting the indicator and a user identifier to the server at the first location; and

in response to submitting the indicator and the user identifier, subscribing to at least one of;

(a) a content object, and (b) a link to the content object; and

receiving the at least one of the content object and the link into a personalized access point;

wherein the personalized access point is viewable at a third location provided in communication with the web-based server over a communication link.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the indicator comprises indicia.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the client comprises a client computer and the server and the client computer are provided within a network, and further comprising a wireless system client communicating with the network, wherein the step of submitting the indicia and the user identifier comprises transmitting the indicia and the user identifier via the wireless system client to the server.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the network comprises the Internet and the wireless system client comprises a wireless web appliance including a web browser that interconnects with the Internet.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the indicator comprises indicia associated with a product and resident to a user at a visually perceptible location.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the indicator is provided on at least one of a label, a brochure, a pamphlet, a product, product documentation, a product package, a billboard, a sign, and an advertisement.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the first location comprises the server, the second location comprises a communications device, and the third location comprises a client computer, and wherein, in response to subscribing to the link to the content object, further comprising retrieving the content object over the communication link at the third location.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the communications device comprises a networked device comprising at least one of a wireless web appliance, a networked cash register, a bar code scanner, and an electronic product code reader.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the communications device comprises an Internet device, and wherein the step of presenting an indicator to a user comprises displaying an indicator on a web page.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein another person at the second location interacts with the communications device on behalf of the user.

34. The method of claim 24 wherein the user comprises one user, the indicator is presented to another user at the second location, and the another user submits the indicator and the user identifier on behalf of the one user.

35. An apparatus for distributing information over a network-based environment, comprising:

a first client configured to display at least one read-only content object;

a server communicating with the first client via a communication link and including a database operative to store indicia associated with at least one content object and user identifier; and

a second client configured to subscribe to one or more read-only content objects and communicating with the server over a communication link, the second client remote from the first client and operative to submit indicia and a user identifier to the server for the purpose of subscribing to one or more read-only content objects;

wherein, in response to submission of the indicia and the user identifier, at least one of;

(a) a content object, and (b) a link to the content object is received into a personalized access point of the server, and wherein the user can access the personalized access point of the server with the first client, to view the read-only content object.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the server is further configured to restrict modification of a content object by a user at the first client.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the server is configured to enable a contributor to manage the content object submitted by the contributor to the server.