Internet-based system for managing and delivering consumer product information to consumers along points of presence along the world wide web (WWW), using consumer product information (CPI) requesting and graphical user interface (GUI) displaying subsystems, driven by server-side components embodying universal product numbers (UPNS) and driven by UPN/URL links managed by product manufacturer team members and/or their agents
First Claim
1. An Internet-based system for managing and delivering consumer product information to consumers at points of presence along the World Wide Web (WWW), said Internet-based system comprising:
- a plurality of Web-based information servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, supporting a plurality of Web-sites on the WWW, wherein each said Web-site includes a plurality of HTML-encoded pages;
a plurality of Internet-based consumer product information (CPI) servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, serving a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) resources located on the WWW, and related to a particular consumer product or group of consumer products registered with said Internet-based system and being marketed along the WWW;
a first Internet-based subsystem, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, allowing manufacturer team members associated with said particular consumer product or group of consumer products, and/or authorized parties, to implement a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) serving and graphical user interface (GUI) based displaying subsystems for said plurality of consumer products being marketed along the WWW, so that each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is accessed by consumers at points of presence along the WWW, using a client subsystem supporting a Web browser;
an object-oriented server operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet;
wherein each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is implemented by (i) a consumer product information request (CPIR) enabling servlet stored on and executed within said object-oriented server independent of the operation of said CPI resource servers, and (ii) an HTML servlet tag embodied with a unique URL referencing said CPIR-enabling servlet, and embedded within at least one of said plurality of HTML-encoded pages, at a point of presence on the WWW;
wherein each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem, when generated by said object-oriented server, serves a CPI graphical user interface (GUI) at the point of presence, displaying a set of said plurality of CPI resources for selection by the consumer;
a UPN/URL database, operably connected to said object-oriented server, storing and managing a UPN/URL link structure for each consumer product registered with said Internet-based system,wherein each said UPN/URL link structure includes(i) a Universal Product Number (UPN) assigned to the consumer product registered within said Internet-based system, and(ii) a set of URLs for said plurality of CPI resources being served from said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers;
wherein said CPIR-enabling servlet installed on said object-oriented server, for each said consumer product, includes code stored on a medium operable to execute on the server specifying;
(i) a connection to said UPN/URL database;
(ii) a CPI query to be executed on said UPN/URL database, dependent on the UPN assigned to said consumer product, and returning a set of URLs stored in said UPN/URL database and associated with said UPN; and
(iii) a CPI GUI, object-oriented controlled, displaying the results of the UPN-dependent CPI query at the point of presence where said corresponding HTML servlet tag is embedded within at least one said HTML-encoded page along the WWW;
wherein said HTML servlet tag embodies a unique URL referencing said corresponding CPIR-enabling servlet;
a Web-based servlet tag server serving a library of HTML servlet tags on the WWW, downloading the HTML servlet tag corresponding to each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem implemented within said object-oriented server, so that the downloaded HTML servlet tag can be subsequently embedded within one or more said HTML-encoded pages on the WWW;
a second Internet-based subsystem allowing manufacturer team members associated with a particular consumer product or group of consumer products, and/or authorized parties, to program said set of CPI resources for display in the CPI GUI of each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem; and
wherein, upon the Web-browser of the consumer encountering said HTML serviet tag installed in said HTML-encoded page, the CPIR-enabling servlet corresponding to the HTML servlet tag is automatically executed, and the CPI GUI of the corresponding CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is automatically generated by said object-oriented server,(i) serving said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI to the Web browser at the point of presence where said HTML servlet tag is embedded, and(ii) then displaying, through said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI, information content that is associated with one or more CPI resources having URLs returned by said UPN-dependent CPI query, and served from one or more of said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers, for display and review by the consumer at the point of presence along the WWW where said HTML servlet tag has been encountered by the Web browser.
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Abstract
Method of and system for delivering consumer product related information to consumers over the Internet. The system and method involves creating an UPN-encoded Consumer Product Information (CPIR) enabling Serviet for each consumer product registered within a manufacturer-managed UPN/URL database management subsystem. Each CPIR-enabling Serviet is encapsulated within an executable file and then stored in the UPN/URL database management system. Each CPIR-enabling Serviet is searchable and downloadable by, for example, (1) retailers purchasing products from an electronic-commerce enabled product catalog, (2) advertisers desiring to link consumer product information to Web-based product advertisements, or (3) anyone having a legitimate purpose of disseminating such information within the stream of electronic commerce. After downloading and extraction from its encapsulating file, the CPIR-enabling Servlet is embedded within an HTML-encoded document associated with, for example, an EC-enabled store, on-line auction site, product advertisement, Internet search engine or directory, and the like. Upon encountering such a Servlet-encoded HTML document on the WWW, the consumer need only perform a single mouse-clicking operation to automatically execute its underlying CPIR-enabling Servlet, causing a UPN-directed search to be performed against the manufacturer-defined UPN/URL database management subsystem, and the results thereof displayed in an independent Java GUI, without disturbing the consumer'"'"'s point of presence on the WWW. Preferably, the CPIR-enabling Servlets are realized using Java™ technology, although it is understood that alternative technologies can be used to practice the system and methods of the present invention.
165 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An Internet-based system for managing and delivering consumer product information to consumers at points of presence along the World Wide Web (WWW), said Internet-based system comprising:
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a plurality of Web-based information servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, supporting a plurality of Web-sites on the WWW, wherein each said Web-site includes a plurality of HTML-encoded pages; a plurality of Internet-based consumer product information (CPI) servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, serving a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) resources located on the WWW, and related to a particular consumer product or group of consumer products registered with said Internet-based system and being marketed along the WWW; a first Internet-based subsystem, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, allowing manufacturer team members associated with said particular consumer product or group of consumer products, and/or authorized parties, to implement a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) serving and graphical user interface (GUI) based displaying subsystems for said plurality of consumer products being marketed along the WWW, so that each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is accessed by consumers at points of presence along the WWW, using a client subsystem supporting a Web browser; an object-oriented server operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet; wherein each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is implemented by (i) a consumer product information request (CPIR) enabling servlet stored on and executed within said object-oriented server independent of the operation of said CPI resource servers, and (ii) an HTML servlet tag embodied with a unique URL referencing said CPIR-enabling servlet, and embedded within at least one of said plurality of HTML-encoded pages, at a point of presence on the WWW; wherein each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem, when generated by said object-oriented server, serves a CPI graphical user interface (GUI) at the point of presence, displaying a set of said plurality of CPI resources for selection by the consumer; a UPN/URL database, operably connected to said object-oriented server, storing and managing a UPN/URL link structure for each consumer product registered with said Internet-based system, wherein each said UPN/URL link structure includes (i) a Universal Product Number (UPN) assigned to the consumer product registered within said Internet-based system, and (ii) a set of URLs for said plurality of CPI resources being served from said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers; wherein said CPIR-enabling servlet installed on said object-oriented server, for each said consumer product, includes code stored on a medium operable to execute on the server specifying; (i) a connection to said UPN/URL database; (ii) a CPI query to be executed on said UPN/URL database, dependent on the UPN assigned to said consumer product, and returning a set of URLs stored in said UPN/URL database and associated with said UPN; and (iii) a CPI GUI, object-oriented controlled, displaying the results of the UPN-dependent CPI query at the point of presence where said corresponding HTML servlet tag is embedded within at least one said HTML-encoded page along the WWW; wherein said HTML servlet tag embodies a unique URL referencing said corresponding CPIR-enabling servlet; a Web-based servlet tag server serving a library of HTML servlet tags on the WWW, downloading the HTML servlet tag corresponding to each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem implemented within said object-oriented server, so that the downloaded HTML servlet tag can be subsequently embedded within one or more said HTML-encoded pages on the WWW; a second Internet-based subsystem allowing manufacturer team members associated with a particular consumer product or group of consumer products, and/or authorized parties, to program said set of CPI resources for display in the CPI GUI of each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem; and wherein, upon the Web-browser of the consumer encountering said HTML serviet tag installed in said HTML-encoded page, the CPIR-enabling servlet corresponding to the HTML servlet tag is automatically executed, and the CPI GUI of the corresponding CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is automatically generated by said object-oriented server, (i) serving said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI to the Web browser at the point of presence where said HTML servlet tag is embedded, and (ii) then displaying, through said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI, information content that is associated with one or more CPI resources having URLs returned by said UPN-dependent CPI query, and served from one or more of said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers, for display and review by the consumer at the point of presence along the WWW where said HTML servlet tag has been encountered by the Web browser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification