Method and apparatus for providing and maintaining a user-interactive portal system accessible via internet or other switched-packet-network
First Claim
1. An Internet portal, comprising:
- an Internet-connected server; and
a portal software executing on the server;
wherein the portal, by executing the software, in response to log-on by a user at client-side equipment, presents a secure and personalized page for the user, the personalized page having a list of Internet destinations pre-selected by the user, wherein, upon invocation of a destination by the user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information required for user access at the destination.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An Internet Portal is enabled by software executing on an Internet-connected server. The Portal, in response to a log-on by a user, presents a secure and personalized page for and to the user, the personalized page having listed plural Internet destinations enabled by hyperlinks, wherein upon invocation of a hyperlink by the subscriber, such as by a point-and-click technique, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information for user access at the destination. In an enhanced embodiment a search function is provided wherein a user may configure searches in any or all of the listed destinations on a personalized page. Provision is provided for log-on by limited appliances, such as by a Smartcard or embedded password, and in some embodiments functionality is provided in a browser plug-in wherein a user may navigate to a site, and, in response to a request for log-in data, the subscriber may use a hot key or pointer input, which will cause the browser to access and provide the needed data from the Password-All source.
77 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An Internet portal, comprising:
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an Internet-connected server; and a portal software executing on the server; wherein the portal, by executing the software, in response to log-on by a user at client-side equipment, presents a secure and personalized page for the user, the personalized page having a list of Internet destinations pre-selected by the user, wherein, upon invocation of a destination by the user, the portal invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information required for user access at the destination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An Internet portal, comprising:
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an Internet-connected server; and a portal software executing on the server; wherein the portal interacts with a browser plug-in executing on a user'"'"'s Internet-connected appliance, such that, when the user invokes a destination requiring a secure log-on at the destination, the portal software cooperates with the browser plug-in to furnish the data necessary for a successful log-on transparent to the user. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An Internet Portal software application operating on a computer processor on an Internet-connected server providing services to users communicating on the Internet, comprising:
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a log-on portion providing an interactive display for users to enter log-on information from an Internet-connected appliance for access to the Portal application; and a plurality of displayable stored personal pages associated each with one or more specific users; wherein individual personalized pages, rendered in an interactive display, list plural Internet destinations, the destinations pre-selected by the associated users, and upon invocation of a destination by the associated user, the portal software invokes a URL for the destination, and upon connection with the destination, transparently provides any required log-on information for user access at the destination. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An Internet Portal software application executing on an Internet-connected server, comprising:
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a log-on portion providing an interactive display for users to enter log-on information for access to the Portal application; and a plurality of displayable stored personal pages associated each with one or more specific users; wherein the portal application interacts with a browser plug-in executing on a subscriber'"'"'s Internet-connected appliance, such that when the user invokes a destination the portal software cooperates with the browser plug-in to furnish the data necessary for a successful log-on transparent to the user. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method for accessing and interacting with WEB pages on the Internet, comprising steps of:
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(a) using an Internet-capable appliance, logging on to a Portal server, which returns a personalized page for the user logging on, the personalized page having listed plural Internet destinations, the destinations pre-selected by the user; (b) selecting a destination in the personalized page, thereby invoking a URL for the destination, and, upon connection to the destination, automatically providing user log-on information for the user; and (c) interacting with the page automatically provided. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38)
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39. A method for accessing and interacting with WEB pages on the Internet, comprising steps of:
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(a) using an Internet-capable appliance, logging on to a Portal server as a subscriber, the portal server storing data associated with Internet destinations pre-selected by the subscriber; (a) using a browser executing on the Internet-capable appliance, invoking an Internet destination; (b) upon being presented with a log-in interface at the destination, furnishing necessary log-in data by the Portal server, and accomplishing secure log-in for the subscriber substantially transparently to the subscriber.
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Specification