Method and apparatus for collecting and disseminating information over a computer network

• US 7,966,369 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: mBlast, Inc.
• Original Assignee: mBlast, Inc.
• Inventors: Pritchard, Paul W., Briere, Daniel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele; Krista M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eskandarnia; Arvin
• Application Number:
  US12/292,898
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 : based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 : in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 : Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 : User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 : Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 : Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A device of and method for collecting and disseminating information over at least one computer network is disclosed. The apparatus comprises at least one database for storing digital information associated with at least a first user and a second user, at least one links module for the first user to link to at least a portion of said digital information associated with said second user and for the second user to link to at least a portion of said digital information associated with said first user, at least one manipulations module for manipulating said digital information stored in said at least one database, and at least one display device associated with each of the at least first user and second user for respectively displaying at least said linked digital information to each of said at least first user and second user, wherein said linked digital information associated with said first user is automatically updated on at least said display device of said second user when that information is manipulated, and wherein said linked digital information associated with said second user is automatically updated on at least said display device of said first user when that information is manipulated.

Claims

1. An apparatus for collecting and disseminating information over at least one computer network, comprising:

at least one database for storing digital information associated with at least a first user and a second user;

at least one gateway server configured to execute at least one external hosts module, at least one links module, and at least one manipulations module,

said at least one external hosts module being configured to communicate said digital information with at least a first and a second server external to the apparatus, said first external server being configured to host a website of the first user and said second external server being configured to host a website of the second user;

said at least one links module being configured to link at least a portion of said digital information associated with said second user to said website of said first user and to link at least a portion of said digital information associated with said first user to said website of said second user;

said at least one manipulations module being configured to receive input from said first user and said second user for manipulating said digital information stored in said at least one database;

said linked digital information associated with said first user is automatically updated on said website of said second user when that information is manipulated; and

said linked digital information associated with said second user is automatically updated on said website of said first user when that information is manipulated;

at least one profiles module wherein at least the second user places profile information on the at least one database;

at least one contacts module wherein the first user creates a list of contacts from the profile information placed on the at least one database, the list of contacts at least including the profile information of the second user;

at least one forms module wherein the first user creates at least one form to be completed by the contacts on the list of contacts; and

at least one credentialing module that auto-populates digital information from said at least one database into the at least one form before communicating the at least one form to the contacts on the list of contacts; and

at least one notifications module that automatically notifies at least said second user that the at least one form was created, automatically notifies said first user when said at least second user completes the at least one form, and automatically notifies at least said second user whether the at least one submitted form was properly completed.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital information is manipulated with at least one of a computer work station, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, and a GPS system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus automatically determines whether the at least one submitted form was properly completed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first user determines whether the at least one submitted form was properly completed.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one notifications module provides notifications to the first user and at least the second user via at least one of a computer work station, a personal digital assistant, a facsimile machine, a cellular telephone, and a GPS system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one external hosts module is configured to communicate with the first external server and the second external server via an authenticated FTP relationship between the at least one gateway server and the first external server and the second external server.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one gateway server further comprises a spider engine that fetches, analyzes, and tracks data on at least a third website external to the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

at least a portion of said data on said third external website is linked to said website of said first user with the at least one links module; and

said linked data is automatically updated on said website of said first user when said spider engine tracks that said linked data has changed on said third external website.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

at least a portion of said data on said third external website is linked to said website of said first user with the at least one links module;

said linked data is stored on the at least one database; and

said linked data is automatically updated on at least one database when the spider engine tracks that said linked data has changed on said third external website.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first user is notified via at least one of a computer work station, a personal digital assistant, a facsimile machine, a cellular telephone, and a GPS system that the second user manipulated at least a portion of the digital information in the at least one database.