Method and system for embellishing web content during transmission between a content server and a client station

• US 7,568,002 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2002
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Anderson, David J., Vacanti, Daniel S., Geddes, Martin, Conley, Todd M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barqadle; Yasin M
• Application Number:
  US10/189,941
• Time in Patent Office: 2,582 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709201-203, 705 26- 27
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A method and system for embellishing web content during transmission of the content between a content server and a client station. An intermediation system receives web content that is being transmitted via an HTTP communication path from the content server to the client station. The system then adds into the content at least one explanatory object and then sends the content with the explanatory object along the HTTP communication path to the client station. The explanatory object could take various forms. For instance, it could be an explanation of what will happen when a user clicks on a particular hyperlink in the web content.

Claims

1. A method of embellishing web content, the method comprising carrying out the following functions within an HTTP communication path between a content server and a client station:

receiving web content that is being transmitted via the HTTP communication path from the content server to the client station, wherein the received web content includes a hyperlink that specifies a target address;

adding at least one explanatory object into the received web content so as to establish embellished web content but maintaining the target address specified by the hyperlink, wherein the at least one explanatory object comprises an explanation of what will happen when a user selects the hyperlink, wherein the explanation comprises advice that when the user selects the hyperlink, a location of the user will be conveyed to the content server, wherein the location comprises at least one of (i) location coordinates and (ii) a street address; and

sending the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory object, along the HTTP communication path to the client station,

whereby, the client station presents the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory object, and thus, the explanation, to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an intermediation system within the HTTP communication path; and

carrying out the receiving, adding and sending functions at the intermediation system.

3. In a system of the type in which a client station is communicatively linked by an access channel to a data network, and a content server is communicatively linked with the data network, so that web content can pass from the content server to the client station over a communication path comprising both the data network and the access channel, a method comprising:

within the access channel, between the client station and the data network, (i) receiving web content that is being transmitted over the communication path from the content server for ultimate receipt and presentation by the client station, wherein the received web content includes a hyperlink that specifies a target address, (ii) adding at least one explanatory presentation object into the received web content so as to establish embellished web content but maintaining the target address specified by the hyperlink, and thereafter (iii) sending the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, along the access channel for ultimate receipt and presentation by the client station,

wherein adding the at least one explanatory presentation object into the received web content comprises adding an explanatory presentation object into the received web content in conjunction with the hyperlink, such that, when the embellished web content is presented at the client station, the explanatory presentation object is presented in conjunction with the hyperlink and provides an explanation about the hyperlink, and

wherein the explanatory presentation object provides an explanation about what will happen when a user invokes the hyperlink, wherein the explanation is presented to the user in conjunction with the hyperlink, and wherein the explanation advises the user that, when the user invokes the hyperlink, a location of the user will be conveyed to the content server, wherein the location comprises at least one of (i) location coordinates and (ii) a street address.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, into a web browser at the client station; and

the web browser presenting the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, and thus the explanation, to a user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the web content is defined by markup language in an HTTP response message, and wherein receiving the web content comprises receiving the HTTP response message.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein adding the at least one explanatory presentation object into the received web content comprises adding into the markup language an element selected from the group consisting of (i) the explanatory presentation object and (ii) a reference to the explanatory presentation object.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the explanatory presentation object is selected from the group consisting of (i) display text, (ii) a graphic, (iii) audio, and (iv) video.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the explanatory presentation object reflects that there is a user-cost for web content referenced by the hyperlink.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the explanatory presentation object indicates a specific cost for web content referenced by the hyperlink.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the explanatory presentation object indicates that the user will be presented with an interstitial screen if the user invokes the hyperlink.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the explanatory presentation object indicates that the user will be presented with an interstitial screen served by a provider of the access channel.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the explanatory presentation object comprises a logo of the access channel provider.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the explanatory presentation object indicates that the user will be presented with a charge-advice screen if the user invokes the hyperlink.

14. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing an intermediation system within the access channel, the intermediation system carrying out the receiving, adding and sending functions.

15. The method of claim 3, wherein sending the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, along the access channel for ultimate receipt and presentation by the client station comprises:

sending the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, to a web portal; and

at the web portal, (i) aggregating the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, with other web content, so as to produce aggregated content, and (ii) sending the aggregated content from the web portal to the client station, for receipt and presentation by the client station.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein the access channel includes an air interface link to the client station, and wherein sending the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, along the access channel for receipt and presentation by the client station comprises:

sending the embellished web content, including the at least one exemplary presentation object, via the air interface link to the client station.

17. In a wireless communication system of the type including an access channel between a mobile station and a packet-switched network, wherein the mobile station communicates, via a path comprising the access channel and the packet-switched network, with a content server on the packet-switched network, and wherein the mobile station includes a web browser for requesting, receiving and presenting web content, a method comprising:

at an intermediation system in the access channel between the mobile station and the packet-switched network, receiving web content that is being transmitted over the path from the content server to the mobile station for receipt and presentation by the web browser, wherein the received web content includes a hyperlink that specifies a target address;

at the intermediation system, embellishing the received web content with at least one explanatory presentation object so as to establish embellished web content but maintaining the target address specified by the hyperlink, such that, when the embellished web content is presented by the web browser, the explanatory presentation object is presented by the web browser and provides an explanation about the hyperlink, wherein presenting the explanatory object by the web browser and providing the explanation about the hyperlink comprises presenting to a user of the web browser advice that, when the user invokes the hyperlink, a location of the user will be conveyed to the content server, wherein the location comprises at least one of (i) location coordinates and (ii) a street address; and

sending the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory presentation object, from the intermediation system along the access channel to the mobile station, for presentation by the web browser.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one explanatory presentation object comprises an explanatory presentation object indicative of cost associated with web content referenced by the hyperlink.

19. An intermediation system disposed within an access channel between a client station and a packet-switched network, the intermediation system comprising:

a network interface for receiving and sending communications along the access channel;

detection-logic for detecting web content provided by a content server on the packet-switched network, wherein the detected web content includes a hyperlink that specifies a target address; and

embellishment logic for inserting an explanatory presentation object into the detected web content so as to establish embellished web content while maintaining the target address specified by the hyperlink,

wherein the embellishment logic inserts the explanatory presentation object into the detected web content in conjunction with the hyperlink, so that the browser will present the explanatory presentation object in conjunction with the hyperlink, and wherein the explanatory presentation object provides an indication of what will happen upon invocation of the hyperlink, wherein the indication comprises an indication that, when a user of the browser invokes the hyperlink, a location of a user will be conveyed to the content server, wherein the location comprises at least one of (i) location coordinates and (ii) a street address,

wherein the network interface sends the embellished web content along the access channel for ultimate receipt and presentation of the embellished web content by a browser running on the client station.

20. The intermediation system of claim 19, wherein:

the detection-logic comprises a set of machine language instructions executable by a processor; and

the embellishment logic comprises a set of machine language instructions executable by a processor.

21. The intermediation system of claim 19, wherein the client station is a mobile station, and the access channel comprises an air interface and a radio access network.

22. The intermediation system of claim 19, wherein the explanatory presentation object is indicative of cost associated with web content referenced by the hyperlink.

23. The intermediation system of claim 19, wherein the access channel is operated by an access-channel provider, and wherein the explanatory presentation object indicates that the hyperlink references an interstitial web page hosted by or on behalf of the access-channel provider.

24. The intermediation system of claim 23, wherein the explanatory presentation object comprises a graphic symbol associated with the access-channel provider.

25. An access channel comprising the intermediation system of claim 19.

26. A system comprising the intermediation system of claim 19 and further comprising a web portal disposed in the access channel between the intermediation system and the client station, wherein:

the network interface sends the embellished web content, along the access channel to the web portal;

the web portal aggregates the embellished web content with other web content so as to establish aggregated web content; and

the web portal sends the aggregated web content, including the embellished web content, along the access channel to the client station, for ultimate receipt and presentation of the aggregated web content, including the embellished web content, by the browser running on the client station.

27. A system for embellishing web content, the system comprising, within an HTTP communication path between a content server and a client station:

means for receiving web content that is being transmitted via the HTTP communication path from the content server to the client station, wherein the received web content includes a hyperlink that specifies a target address;

means for adding at least one explanatory object into the received web content so as to establish embellished web content while maintaining the target address specified by the hyperlink, wherein the at least one explanatory object comprises an explanation of what will happen when a user selects the hyperlink, wherein the explanation comprises advice that when the user selects the hyperlink, a location of the user will be conveyed to the content server, wherein the location comprises at least one of (i) location coordinates and (ii) a street address; and

means for sending the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory object, along the HTTP communication path to the client station,

whereby, the client station presents the embellished web content, including the at least one explanatory object, and thus, the explanation, to a user.