Method, system, and computer program product for propagating remotely configurable posters of host site content

• US 8,266,242 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2006
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Archeron Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Foulger, Michael G., van Gorder, Peter B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SERRAO, RANODHI N
• Application Number:
  US11/436,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,308 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/227, 715/205, 715/209
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A method, system, and computer readable medium for propagating a poster of host site content to remote clients over the World Wide Web includes hosting a configuration session at a host site, in real time, including receiving input from a remote client to configure at the host site a propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input by the remote client; generating a propagative poster identifier that references the propagative poster; generating a Web code segment that includes the propagative poster identifier and a link to the host site; and forwarding the Web code segment to the remote client, wherein the Web code segment is configured to be inserted into a Web page of the remote client, to create a propagative poster on the Web page of the remote client.

Claims

1. A method for propagating a poster of host site content, from a host site to remote clients over the World Wide Web, comprising:

hosting a configuration session at the host site, in real time, comprising;

receiving, by the host site, input from a first remote client that is used to configure at the host site a propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input at the first remote client;

generating, by the host site, a propagative poster identifier that references the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client;

generating, by the host site, a Web code segment that includes the propagative poster identifier and link information to the host site; and

forwarding the Web code segment by the host site to the first remote client,

wherein the Web code segment is configured to be inserted into a Web page at the first remote client, in real time, to create on the Web page at the first remote client a link from the Web page at the first remote client to the propagative poster of host site content at the host site.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing at the host site a Web connection from a second remote client to the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client in response to an input at the Web page at the first remote client by the second remote client that selects at least a portion of the Web page at the first remote client corresponding to the Web code segment.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one configuration selection input by the first remote client includes a search query of host site content for at least one search parameter,

wherein the method further comprises periodically executing the search query of host site content based on the at least one search parameter to obtain an updated search result;

and

wherein said establishing at the host site a Web connection from the second remote client to the propagative poster configured by the first remote client comprises connecting the second remote client to the propagative poster including the updated search result.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one configuration selection input by the first remote client includes a search query of host site content for at least one search parameter;

and

wherein said establishing at the host site a Web connection from the second remote client to the propagative poster comprises executing the search query of host site content based on the at least one search parameter to obtain a current search result, and the propagative poster includes the current search result.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

transmitting, by the host site to the second remote client, data configured to display the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client in an overlay window within a display view of a browser of the second remote client.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

hosting a second configuration session at the host site, in real time, comprising receiving, by the host site, input from the second remote client to configure at the host site a second propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input at the second remote client.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client includes an input portion configured to receive input from the second remote client to configure at the host site the second propagative poster, the method further comprising initiating said hosting a second configuration session in response to an input by the second remote client selecting the input portion of the first propagative poster.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said hosting a configuration session further comprises:

transmitting, by the host site to the first remote client, data configured to display a first configuration screen that includes at least one sample propagative poster that is configurable by input from the first remote client, wherein the at least one sample propagative poster includes text, an image, or both;

receiving, by the host site, input from the first remote client that elects one of the at least one sample propagative poster;

transmitting, by the host site to the first remote client, data configured to display a second configuration screen that includes a template configured to receive input from the first remote client to configure the selected sample propagative poster at the host site; and

receiving, by the host site, input from the first remote client corresponding to the template, the input representing configuration selections input by the first remote client.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting, by the host site to the first remote client, data configured to display a third configuration screen that includes the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the Web code segment comprises a HTML code segment configured to connect a browser to the host site and display the propagative poster configured at the host site;

wherein said forwarding the Web code segment to the first remote client comprises transmitting to the first remote client data configured to display a fourth configuration screen that includes the HTML code segment; and

wherein the HTML code segment is configured to be copied from the fourth configuration screen displayed by the browser to the Web page at the first remote client.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said forwarding the Web code segment to the first remote client comprises forwarding data configured to automatically insert the Web code segment into the Web page at the first remote client.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a propagative poster identifier includes generating a unique propagative poster number.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating a propagative poster identifier includes:

passing a respective private key and a unique propagative poster number of the first remote client through a hash function to obtain a secure fingerprint.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a propagative poster record that includes information related to the propagative poster configured at the host site.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said storing a propagative poster record comprises storing fields of information related to the propagative poster including at least:

the propagative poster identifier, a bitmap, the Web code segment, an executable code, at least one search parameter, an active/inactive flag, and originator profile data.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking URL addresses of servers with Web pages that contain the Web code segment including the link to the propagative poster configured at the host site.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the host site, a request from a second remote client to establish a Web connection to the host site and the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client; and

determining whether the request includes a valid propagative poster identifier to access the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

converting a pair of screen space coordinates of an input from a second remote client to a pair of coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space;

determining whether the coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space correspond to an input portion of the propagative poster configured by the first remote client; and

in response to determining that the coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space correspond to the input portion of the propagative poster configured by the first remote client, either

hosting a second configuration session at the host site, in real time, including receiving, by the host site, input from the second remote client to configure a second propagative poster at the host site, or

transmitting by the host site, for display at the second remote client, detailed information from the host site content related to summary information displayed at the input portion corresponding to the pair of coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting, by the host site, a flag that indicates whether the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client is active or inactive based on a number of accesses made to the propagative poster by the first remote client or other remote clients; and

responsive to determining that the flag is set to indicate the propagative poster configured at the host site is active, periodically executing, by the host site, code corresponding to the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client, to generate an updated bitmap image of the propagative poster according to current data at the host site.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating, by the host site, a report based on data in a propagative poster record corresponding to the propagative poster configured at the host site.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the Web code segment includes a copy of the propagative poster of host site content.

22. A system for propagating a poster of host site content, from a host site to remote clients over the World Wide Web, comprising:

means for hosting a configuration session at the host site, in real time, including;

means for receiving at the host site input from a first remote client to configure at the host site a propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input by the first remote client;

means for generating at the host site a propagative poster identifier that references the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client;

means for generating at the host site a Web code segment that includes the propagative poster identifier and link information to the host site; and

means for forwarding the Web code segment from the host site to the first remote client,

wherein the Web code segment is configured to be inserted into a Web page at the first remote client to create on the Web page at the first remote client a link from the Web page at the first remote client to the propagative poster of host site content at the host site.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for establishing, at the host site, a Web connection, from a second remote client to the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client, in response to an input at the Web page at the first remote client by the second remote client that selects at least a portion of the Web page at the first remote client corresponding to the Web code segment.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one configuration selection input by the first remote client includes a search query of host site content for at least one search parameter,

wherein the system further comprises means for periodically executing the search query of host site content based on the at least one search parameter to obtain an updated search result;

and

wherein said means for establishing at the host site a Web connection from the second remote client to the propagative poster establishes a connection with the propagative poster including the updated search result.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one configuration selection input by the first remote client includes a search query of host site content for at least one search parameter;

and

wherein said means for establishing at the host site a Web connection from the second remote client to the propagative poster executes the search query of host site content based on the at least one search parameter to obtain a current search result, and the propagative poster includes the current search result.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for transmitting, from the host site, data configured to display the propagative poster in an overlay window within a display view of a browser at the second remote client.

27. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for hosting a second configuration session at the host site, in, real time, including;

means for receiving at the host site input from the second remote client to configure a second propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input by the second remote client.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client includes an input portion configured to receive input from the second remote client to configure the second propagative poster, and the system further comprises means for initiating hosting the second configuration session in response to an input by the second remote client selecting the input portion of the first propagative poster.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for hosting a configuration session includes:

means for transmitting, from the host site, data configured to display at the first remote client a first configuration screen including at least one sample propagative poster that is configurable by input from the first remote client, wherein the at least one sample propagative poster includes either text, an image, or both;

means for receiving, at the host site, input from the first remote client that selects one of the at least one sample propagative poster;

means for transmitting, from the host site, data configured to display at the first remote client a second configuration screen including a template configured to receive input from the first remote client to configure the selected one of the at least one sample propagative poster at the host site; and

means for receiving, at the host site, input from the first remote client corresponding to the template, the input representing configuration selections input by the first remote client.

30. The system of claim 29, farther comprising:

means for transmitting, from the host site to the first remote client, data configured to display a third configuration screen including the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the Web code segment comprises a HTML code segment configured to connect a browser to the host site and display the propagative poster configured at the host site;

wherein said means for forwarding the Web segment transmits, from the host site to the first remote client, data configured to display a fourth configuration screen including the HTML code segment; and

wherein the HTML code segment is configured to be copied from the fourth configuration screen displayed by the browser to the Web page at the first remote client.

32. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for generating a Web code configures the Web code segment for automatic insertion into the Web page at the first remote client.

33. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for generating a propagative poster identifier includes means for generating a unique propagative poster number.

34. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for generating a propagative poster identifier includes:

means for passing a respective private key and a unique propagative poster number of the first remote client through a hash function to obtain a secure fingerprint.

35. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for storing a propagative poster record that includes information related to the propagative poster configured at the host site.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said means for storing stores fields of information related to the propagative poster including at least:

the propagative poster identifier, a bitmap, the Web code segment, an executable code, at least one search parameter, an active/inactive flag, and originator profile data.

37. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for tracking URL addresses of servers with Web pages that contain the Web code segment including the link to the propagative poster configured at the host site.

38. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for receiving, at the host site, a request to establish a Web connection to the host site and the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client; and

means for determining, at the host site, whether the request includes a valid propagative poster identifier to access the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client.

39. The system of claim 22, farther comprising:

means for converting a pair of screen space coordinates of an input from a second remote client to a pair of coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space;

means for determining whether the coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space correspond to an input portion of the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client; and

means, responsive to determining that the coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space correspond to the input portion of the propagative poster, for either

hosting a second configuration session at the host site, in real time, including receiving, at the host site, input from the second remote client to configure a second propagative poster at the host site, or

transmitting from the host site, for display at the second remote client, detailed information from the host site content related to summary information displayed at the input portion corresponding to the pair of coordinates (x,y) in bitmap space.

40. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for setting, at the host site, a flag that indicates whether the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client is active or inactive based on a number of accesses made to the propagative poster by the first remote client or other remote clients; and

means for determining that the flag is set to indicate the propagative poster configured at the host site is active and, responsive thereto, periodically executing, at the host site, code corresponding to the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client, to obtain an updated bitmap image of the propagative poster according to current data at the host site.

41. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for generating, at the host site, a report based on data in a propagative poster record corresponding to the propagative poster configured at the host site.

42. The system of claim 22, wherein the Web code segment includes a copy of the propagative poster of host site content.

43. A system for managing propagation of host site content to remote clients over the World Wide Web, comprising:

a host site including;

at least one processor and memory;

a propagative poster configuration module that hosts a configuration session at the host site, in real time, including receiving input from a first remote client to configure at the host site a propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input at the first remote client; and

a propagative poster generator that generates, at the host site, a propagative poster identifier and a Web code segment, wherein the propagative poster identifier references the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client, and the Web code segment includes the propagative poster identifier and link information to the host site, wherein the propagative poster generator is configured to forward the Web code segment from the host site to the first remote client, in real-time, and wherein the Web code segment is configured to be inserted into a Web page at the first remote client to create on the Web page at the first remote client a link from the Web page at the first remote client to the propagative poster of host site content at the host site.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein said propagative poster generator further establishes at the host site a Web connection from a second remote client to the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client in response to an input at the Web page at the first remote client by the second remote client that selects at least a portion of the Web page at the first remote client corresponding to the Web code segment.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the at least one configuration selection input by the first remote client includes a search query of host site content for at least one search parameter, wherein said propagative poster generator executes the search query of host site content based on the at least one search parameter to obtain a search result, and wherein the propagative poster configured at the host site includes the search result.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein said propagative poster configuration module further hosts at the host site a second configuration session, including receiving input from the second remote client to configure at the host site a second propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input at the second remote client.

47. The system of claim 43, wherein said propagative poster configuration module transmits data configured to display at the first remote client a first configuration screen that includes at least one sample propagative poster that is configurable by input from the first remote client, receives input from the first remote client that selects one of the at least one sample propagative poster, transmits data configured to display at the first remote client a second configuration screen that includes a template configured to receive input from the first remote client to configure the selected sample propagative poster at the host site, and receives input from the first remote client corresponding to the template, the input representing configuration selections input by the first remote client.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein said propagative poster configuration module transmits data configured to display at the first remote client a third configuration screen that includes the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client.

49. The system of claim 43, wherein said propagative poster generator generates a unique propagative poster number.

50. The system of claim 43, wherein said propagative poster generator further comprises a hash function generator that receives a respective private key and a unique propagative poster number, and outputs a secure fingerprint;

and wherein said propagative poster generator concatenates the secure fingerprint and the URL of the first remote client to obtain the propagative poster identifier.

51. The system of claim 43, wherein the memory stores fields of information related to the propagative poster configured at the host site including at least:

the propagative poster identifier, a bitmap, the Web code segment, an executable code, and originator profile data.

52. The system of claim 43, further comprising:

a database that stores a propagative poster record that includes information related to the propagative poster configured at the host site.

53. The system of claim 52, further comprising a propagative poster tracker that tracks URL addresses of remote clients accessing the propagative poster configured at the host site.

54. The system of claim 53, further comprising a propagative poster maintenance module that generates a report based on at least one propagative poster record and data tracked by the propagative poster tracker.

55. The system of claim 43, wherein the Web code segment includes a copy of the propagative poster of host site content.

56. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, execution of which by a processing device causes the processing device to perform operations for propagating host site content to remote clients over the World Wide Web, in real-time, the operations comprising:

hosting a configuration session at a host site including the processing device, in real time, comprising;

receiving, at the host site, input from a first remote client to configure at the host site a propagative poster of host site content based on at least one configuration selection input at the first remote client;

generating, at the host site, a propagative poster identifier that references the propagative poster configured at the host site by the first remote client;

generating, at the host site, a Web code segment that includes the propagative poster identifier and link information to the host site; and

forwarding the Web code segment from the host site to the first remote client,

wherein the Web code segment is configured to be inserted into a Web page at the first remote client, in real time, to create on the Web page at the first remote client a link from the Web page at the first remote client to the propagative poster of host site content at the host site.

57. The computer readable storage medium of claim 56, wherein the Web code segment includes a copy of the propagative poster of host site content.