System for viewing content over a network and method therefor

• US 7,054,928 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Segan LLC
• Original Assignee: M.H. Segan Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Segan, Marc H., Lewin, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lezak, Arrienne M.
• Application Number:
  US09/747,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029252A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,986 Days
• Field of Search: 395/226, 705 1- 45, 705 50- 80, 709/205, 709217-219, 709227-231, 345/769
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0218 based on score
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for viewing content over the Internet wherein a user accesses a service provider server to view a character icon provided by the service provider to a user interface device. The user will select web site addresses of subscriber target sites where the user can access enhancement content for the character icon to provide functionality to the character icon such as for animating the character icon on the user device. Addresses for such web sites may be provided to the user based on a particular character icon selection which may, in and of itself, signify interests and/or demographic information of the user. Access to enhancement content will be provided by accessing authorization codes present at the target sites. In a preferred embodiment, only certain enhancement content will be operable on certain character icons, thus requiring the user to locate enhancement content that is compatible with the user'"'"'s character icon.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a user device having a processor and comprising;

a browser program capable of being run on said processor for viewing website pages;

a graphical user interface (GUI) application capable of being run on said processor, containing a proprietary communication protocol and providing a GUI for depicting a character icon; and

a unique identifier for identifying the user of the user device;

a service provider for maintaining a user record corresponding to said user, for communicating with said GUI application by means of said proprietary communication protocol, for authorizing the GUI application to depict the character icon, and for providing one or more previously enabled character enhancements for the user'"'"'s character icon depicted in the authorized GUI application, wherein said user record comprises identification of the user'"'"'s character icon, predetermined user preferences, and the one or more previously enabled character enhancements; and

a target website for offering a new character enhancement for the user'"'"'s character icon, wherein the new character enhancement is capable of being enabled in the user'"'"'s record at the service provider without requiring user interaction with the service provider, and wherein the character enhancements are obtained per predefined authorization rules from the service provider and/or the target website in addition to the predetermined user references; and

wherein, when the user visits the target website using the browser program, the target website uses the unique identifier on the user device to access the user'"'"'s record at the service provider without requiring user interaction with the service provider, whereby any new character enhancement offered to the user is appropriate for the user'"'"'s character icon.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cookie.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the previously enabled character enhancement operates from cache memory in the user device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the new character enhancement operates from cache memory in the user device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the new character enhancement and the previously enabled character enhancement comprise applet programs.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the new character enhancement and the previously enabled character enhancement comprise one of abilities, traits and equipment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the service provider provides an Internet location where the user can display the character icon to another user and view a character icon from the other user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the service provider includes means for allowing the user to trade a previously-acquired character enhancement to another user in communication with the service provider.

9. A method for viewing content over the Internet, comprising the steps of:

providing a user device having a processor, said user device having a browser program capable of being run on said processor for viewing website pages;

activating a graphical user interface (GUI) application on a user device having a browser program capable of being run on a user device processor for viewing website pages on the user device, said GUI application containing a proprietary communication protocol, a unique identifier for identifying the user of the user device, and providing a GUI for depicting a character icon on the user device;

communicating between the user device and a service provider, said service provider maintaining a user record corresponding to said user, for communicating with said GUI application by means of said proprietary communication protocol, for authorizing the GUI application to depict the character icon, and for providing one or more previously enabled character enhancements for the user'"'"'s character icon depicted in the authorized GUI application, wherein said user record comprises identification of the user'"'"'s character icon, predetermined user preferences, and the one or more previously enabled character enhancements;

communicating between the user device and a target website to locate a new character enhancement for the user'"'"'s character icon;

communicating between a target website and said service provider for offering a new character enhancement for the user'"'"'s character icon, wherein the new character enhancement is capable of being enabled in the user'"'"'s record at the service provider without requiring user interaction with the service provider, and wherein the character enhancements are obtained per predefined authorization rules from the service provider and/or the target website in addition to the predetermined user references; and

wherein the target website uses the unique identifier to access the user'"'"'s record at the service provider without requiring user interaction with the service provider, whereby any new character enhancement offered to the user is appropriate for the user'"'"'s character icon.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the unique identifier comprises a cookie.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the previously enabled character enhancement operates from cache memory in the user device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the new character enhancement operates from cache memory in the user device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the new character enhancement and the previously enabled character enhancement comprise applet programs.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the new character enhancement and the previously enabled character enhancement comprise one of abilities, traits and equipment.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of providing the user with an Internet location where the user can display the character icon to another user and view a character icon from the other user.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of allowing the user to trade a previously-acquired character enhancement to another user in communication with the service provider.