World wide web registration information processing system

• US 7,089,224 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panalogin LLC (Acacia Research Corporation), Customer Communications Group
• Original Assignee: Registrar Systems LLC (Continental Communications Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterson, Thad D., Klug, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US10/411,829
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 6, 707100-104, 707 9- 10, 705/1, 705/14, 705/44, 705 64- 67, 713200-202, 235 2- 3, 235 6- 7, 709200-203, 709223-232
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A World Wide Web registration processing system is disclosed for assisting World Wide Web users in registering at World Wide Web web sites. For each such user, the registration processing system includes a long term repository for the user'"'"'s web site registration information so that this information can be automatically transferred to a plurality of web sites to which the user may at time to time request to be registered. Further, the registration processing system provides the user with the capability to have a common user identification that may be used for accessing services at a plurality of web sites.

Claims

1. A method for registering a user with at least one third party web site by utilizing a registration web site comprising:

establishing a connection between a registration web site and a user'"'"'s client node;

communicating, to the user, a request to provide registration information to the registration web site;

receiving a response from the user, wherein the response provides user registration information identifying the user to the registration web site; and

communicating the user registration information to at least one third party web site for use in registering the user with the at least one third party web site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user registration information is communicated to the at least one third party web site upon user permission.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the user initiates a request to establish the connection.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one third party web site facilitates establishment of the connection.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one third party web site facilitates establishment of the connection by providing a link to the registration web site.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the request further comprises a form containing at least one field in which the user may input registration information.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the form includes a field for specifying an e-mail address associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the response provides a minimum amount of information necessary to uniquely identify the user to the registration web site; and

requesting additional user registration information when the minimum amount of information is not provided.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the minimum amount of information necessary to uniquely identify the user includes an e-mail address.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the minimum amount of information necessary to uniquely identify the user further includes basic information identifying the user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the basic information further comprises at least one of the name of the user, a designation of a state, a zip code, the gender of the user, the date of birth of the user, and a password.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the response includes basic information identifying the user.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the response includes expanded information identifying the user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the expanded information further includes information identifying a purchasing preference of the user.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating to the user information relating to the features and functions supported by the registration web site.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating a user identifier and password with the user registration information;

whereby the user identifier and password are adapted for use in identifying the user to the at least one third party web site.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising saving the user registration information in a database accessible to the registration web site.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising saving the user registration information in a database accessible to the third party web site.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising saving the user registration information in a database accessible to the user.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising saving the user registration information in a database accessible to the third party web site.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection is established between the registration web site and a web browser on a client node used by the user.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection is established via the World Wide Web.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the connection is established via the Internet.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein at least third party web site is associated with an on-line merchant, the user registration information includes user demographic information, and the registration website is in communication with a registration database, comprising:

communicating, from a first networked node associated with the on-line merchant to a second networked node in communication with the registration database containing user demographic information, a request for user registration information which includes a user identifier and a password; and

in response to the request, receiving user demographic information communicated from the second networked node to the first networked node;

wherein the second networked node can access at least one database storing user demographic information and wherein at least one of the first and second networked nodes are connected to the Internet.

25. The method of claim 24, comprising receiving the user identifier and password from the first user.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the user demographic information includes proprietary information.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the user demographic information includes enriched information.

28. The method of claim 24, comprising communicating the user demographic information from the first networked node to a second at least one third party web site.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein at least a portion of the user demographic information is provided by a user.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein a portion of the user demographic information accessible by the second networked node is communicated to the first networked node.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the portion of the user demographic information communicated includes at least one of a billing address and a shipping address.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the portion of the user demographic information communicated includes a credit card number.

33. The method of claim 24 wherein the user demographic information communicated is saved by the first networked node.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the user demographic information saved by the first networked node is user accessible.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes expanded information.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes basic information.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the response includes custom information.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the user registration information communicated includes a credit card number.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication of the user registration information to at least one third party web site comprises:

receiving, at a first Internet location, identifying information from the user;

associating at least one user identifier and password with the user identifying information;

electronically communicating the at least one user identifier to a second Internet location; and

communicating the user identifying information from the first Internet location to the second Internet location;

whereupon reception of and the user identifying information by the second Internet location, the user identifying information is available for use by the second Internet location.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the second Internet location is associated with an on-line merchant.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the user identifying information includes delivery information and payment information.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the user identifying information includes an e-mail address associated with the user.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the user identifying information only includes basic information.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the user identifying information includes only information designated by the user for communication to the second Internet location.

45. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the user registration information to at least one third party web site further comprises:

obtaining user registration information from a data store in communication with the registration web site, wherein at least a portion of the registration information is provided, at least in part, by the user and relates to one or more users;

receiving, at the at least on third party web site, a user identifier and a password, wherein the user identifier and password are associated with registration information;

upon request by the at least on third party web site, for registration information associated with the user, communicating the user identifier and the password from the registration web site to the at least one third party web site; and

upon validation of the user identifier and password by registration web site, receiving at at least one third party web site and from the registration web site registration information for the user.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the validation occurs prior to the request.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the registration information received by the at least one third party web site excludes expanded information.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the registration information received by the at least one third party web site includes at least one of basic, custom and proprietary information.

49. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a request from a user associated with a first on-line node to register with a merchant associated with a at least one fourth party web site, where upon fulfilling the request the user is registered with the merchant;

communicating a second request to provide registration information to the first on-line node; and

in response to the second request,

receiving user registration information from at least one the first on-line node and the registration web site least one;

communicating at least some of the user registration information to the at least one fourth party web site;

wherein at least some of the user registration information is communicated to the at least one fourth party web site by the registration web site subsequent to an authentication of a user identification and password provided by the user, the user identification and password having been previously agreed upon by the user and the registration web site.

50. The method of claim 49, comprising:

communicating, from the registration web site, additional user registration information to the at least one fourth party web site.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the additional user registration information includes expanded information.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein the additional user registration information includes at least one of basic, custom and proprietary information.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the additional user registration information is received from a second web site and contains demographic information useful in monitoring web site usage.

54. A computer system for use in registering a user with one or more web sites comprising:

a network interface adapted for use in establishing a network connection with a user client node; and

a network server adapted for executing a registrar application program, wherein the registrar application program includes instructions for configuring the server to obtain user registration information from the user and provide the obtained user registration information to at least one third party web site.

55. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the registrar application program includes instructions for configuring the network server to associate a user identifier and password with the user registration information.

56. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the registrar application program includes instructions for configuring the network server to save the user registration information in a database.

57. The computer system of claim 56 wherein the registrar application program includes instructions for configuring the network server to communicate, upon user permission, the saved user registration information to the at least one third party web site.

58. The computer system of claim 57 wherein the user permission is established by the at least one third party web site communicating to the network server a user identifier and password associated with the user registration information.

59. The computer system of claim 56 wherein the registrar application program includes instructions for configuring the network server to save the user registration information in a database local to the user client node.

60. The computer system of claim 59 wherein the registrar application program includes instructions for configuring the network server to save the user registration information in a database accessible to the network server.

61. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the registrar application program includes instructions instructing the network server to provide a copy of the registrar application program to the user client node;

whereupon receipt of the registrar application program, the user client node executes the instructions provided in the registrar application program to obtain the user registration information.

62. The computer system of claim 61 wherein the registrar application program further includes instructions instructing the user client node to save the user registration information in a database.

63. The computer system of claim 61 wherein the database is accessible to the network server.

64. The computer system of claim 61 wherein the registrar application program further includes instructions instructing the user client node to communicate the user registration information to the at least one third party web site.

65. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the providing of the user registration information to the at least one third party web site further comprising:

receiving, from a node associated with an on-line merchant, a request for user registration useful in identifying a user;

wherein the request includes a user identifier; and

communicating, to the node, user registration information useful in identifying the user, wherein the user registration information is selected from the group consisting of basic, custom, expanded and proprietary registration information.

66. The computer system of claim 65, comprising receiving a user password.

67. The computer system of claim 65, wherein the user registration information was previously established with a registrar web site.

68. The computer system of claim 65, comprising redirecting a user node, from which the user identifier was received, from the node associated with an on-line merchant to a registrar web site;

whereupon establishment of a communications link between the registrar web site and the user node, the user registration information can be substantially automatically communicated to the registrar web site.

69. The computer system of claim 68, wherein the user information is communicated from a data file accessible to the user node.

70. The computer system of claim 65, comprising redirecting a user node, from which the user identifier was received, from the node associated with the on-line merchant to a registrar web site;

whereupon establishment of a communications link between the registrar web site and the user node, the user registration information may be manually input by the user and communicated to the registrar web site.

71. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the information includes demographic user registration information for the user.

72. The computer system of claim 71, wherein the demographic information includes at least one of a billing address and a shipping address.

73. The computer system of claim 71, wherein the demographic information includes at least one credit card number.

74. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the demographic information includes expanded information.

75. The computer system of claim 73, wherein the user information includes information useful in monitoring web site usage.

76. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the user registration information includes user registration information useful in monitoring web site usage.

77. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the user registration information is stored in a registrar database in a first data store.

78. The computer system of claim 77, wherein the user identifier and user password were previously established by the user with a registrar web site associated with the registrar database.