Method for tracking responses to a forum topic
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of operating an electronic discussion based forum for users, comprising:
- logging said users onto a website having one or more discussion forums;
allowing said users to select a forum;
receiving topics for discussion on said selected forum from said users;
posting said topics for discussion on said selected forum when said topics are received by said forum;
receiving responses to said topics on said selected forum from said users;
posting said responses to said topics on said forum when said responses are received by said forum;
receiving requests from said users to receive periodic emails (i) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum (ii) when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic or (iii) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum and when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic, said periodic emails indicating new topics or new responses have been posted on said forum, said periodic emails based on a posting date or a posting date and posting time of said new topics or said new responses;
providing said periodic emails to said users; and
generating a tracking view, said tracking view including a list of users who have elected to receive said periodic emails and for each user of said users electing to receive periodic emails, user selected forums and topics to be tracked and a temporal indication of when said new topics, said new responses or both said new topics and said new responses were found, said temporal indication selected from the group consisting of a date that the last periodic email was sent, a date and time that a last periodic email was sent, a date that an agent generating said tracking view was run and a date and time that said agent generating said tracking view was run.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of and system for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users. The method comprising: receiving one or more topics for discussion from the users; posting the topics for discussion on the forum; receiving responses to the topics or responses to responses; posting the responses to the topic or the responses to responses on the forum; and providing periodic emails to the users of the forum indicating new responses have been posted.
18 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of operating an electronic discussion based forum for users, comprising:
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logging said users onto a website having one or more discussion forums; allowing said users to select a forum; receiving topics for discussion on said selected forum from said users; posting said topics for discussion on said selected forum when said topics are received by said forum; receiving responses to said topics on said selected forum from said users; posting said responses to said topics on said forum when said responses are received by said forum; receiving requests from said users to receive periodic emails (i) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum (ii) when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic or (iii) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum and when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic, said periodic emails indicating new topics or new responses have been posted on said forum, said periodic emails based on a posting date or a posting date and posting time of said new topics or said new responses; providing said periodic emails to said users; and generating a tracking view, said tracking view including a list of users who have elected to receive said periodic emails and for each user of said users electing to receive periodic emails, user selected forums and topics to be tracked and a temporal indication of when said new topics, said new responses or both said new topics and said new responses were found, said temporal indication selected from the group consisting of a date that the last periodic email was sent, a date and time that a last periodic email was sent, a date that an agent generating said tracking view was run and a date and time that said agent generating said tracking view was run. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users comprising:
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means for logging said users onto a website having one or more discussion forums; means for allowing said users to select a forum; means for receiving topics for discussion on said selected forum from said users; means for posting said topics for discussion on said selected forum when said topics are received by said forum; means for receiving responses to said topics on said selected forum from said users; means for posting said responses to said topics on said forum when said responses are received by said forum; means for receiving requests from said users to receive periodic emails (i) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum (ii) when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic or (iii) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum and when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic, said periodic emails indicating new topics or new responses have been posted on said forum, said periodic emails based on a posting date or a posting date and posting time of said new topics or said new responses; means for providing said periodic emails to said users; and means for generating a tracking view, said tracking view including a list of users who have elected to receive said periodic emails and for each user of said users electing to receive periodic emails, user selected forums and topics to be tracked and a temporal indication of when said new topics, said new responses or both said new topics and said new responses were found, said temporal indication selected from the group consisting of a date that the last periodic email was sent, a date and time that a last periodic email was sent, a date that an agent generating said tracking view was run and a date and time that said agent generating said tracking view was run. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users, said method steps comprising:
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logging said users onto a website having one or more discussion forums; allowing said users to select a forum; receiving topics for discussion on said selected forum from said users; posting said topics for discussion on said selected forum when said topics are received by said forum; receiving responses to said topics on said selected forum from said users; posting said responses to said topics on said forum when said responses are received by said forum; receiving requests from said users to receive periodic emails (i) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum (ii) when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic or (iii) when new topics have been posted on said selected forum and when new responses to said selected topic have been posted to said selected topic, said periodic emails indicating new topics or new responses have been posted on said forum, said periodic emails based on a posting date or a posting date and posting time of said new topics or said new responses; providing said periodic emails to said users; and generating a tracking view, said tracking view including a list of users who have elected to receive said periodic emails and for each user of said users electing to receive periodic emails, user selected forums and topics to be tracked and a temporal indication of when said new topics, said new responses or both said new topics and said new responses were found, said temporal indication selected from the group consisting of a date that the last periodic email was sent, a date and time that a last periodic email was sent, a date that an agent generating said tracking view was run and a date and time that said agent generating said tracking view was run. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification