User-driven data network communication system and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a storage medium storing a user portfolio at an administration server; and
a processor in communication with the storage medium, the processor executing instructions causing the apparatus to;
provide access via a user terminal to at least one of a portal and a web site via a user browser and a data network to update the user portfolio which is associated with the user and includes information which relates to messages including message preferences for at least one of a content providing entity, a specified content type, and another user, and the information is updated by the user browser; and
send an electronic signal to display a page to the user via a user browser, the page including a predefined space, which based on the information in the user portfolio, can display a user-specific message, wherein the page content is displayed with the predefined space displaying the user-specific message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is disclosed for messaging over a data network, such as the Internet and interactive TV, which allows every registered user to generate and update one or more user portfolio(s) containing information relative to Providers and/or individuals of which the user is willing to view their messages. The messages are displayed inside the space of the webpage where usually banners are shown. The system may provided benefits to the user upon displaying messages with commercial value to him. The disclosed messaging system allows an easy and effective communication path between providers and users any time publicly or privately in the banner area of a web site, which does not occupy additional space on the user'"'"'s browser, and does not require the user to load another application besides his browser.
21 Citations
62 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a storage medium storing a user portfolio at an administration server; and
a processor in communication with the storage medium, the processor executing instructions causing the apparatus to;provide access via a user terminal to at least one of a portal and a web site via a user browser and a data network to update the user portfolio which is associated with the user and includes information which relates to messages including message preferences for at least one of a content providing entity, a specified content type, and another user, and the information is updated by the user browser; and
send an electronic signal to display a page to the user via a user browser, the page including a predefined space, which based on the information in the user portfolio, can display a user-specific message, wherein the page content is displayed with the predefined space displaying the user-specific message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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storing a user portfolio on an electronic storage medium at an administration server; providing access to a user via a user terminal to at least one of a portal and a web site via a user browser and a data network to update via the administration server via electronic instruction the user portfolio which is associated with the user and includes information which relates to messages including message preferences for at least one of a content providing entity, a specified content type, and another user, and the information is updated by the user browser; and sending an electronic signal to display a page in the user browser to the user, the page including a predefined space, which based on the information in the user portfolio, displays a user specific message. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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accessing by a user via a user browser to browse at least one of a portal and a web site over a data network; accessing by a user via directly from a user browser access to an administration server to generate or update a user portfolio at an administration server which contains information relating to message preferences of the user; and providing personalized electronic messages via the data network which are displayed on the user browser according to the information contained in the user portfolio, wherein the personalized messages are displayed within a space of a page in the user browser, the page belonging to the at least one of the portal and the web site, wherein the space displays non-personalized messages to unregistered users, wherein the personalized messages are displayed without changing the view of the user browser as otherwise displayed to unregistered users. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An apparatus comprising:
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a storage medium storing a user portfolio at an administration server; and
a processor in communication with the storage medium and a user terminal, the processor executing instructions causing the apparatus to;accessing by a user of a user browser to browse at least one of a portal and a web site over a data network; accessing by the user of the user browser to send a message directly from the user browser to generate or update a user portfolio which contains information relating to message preferences of the user; provid personalized messages which are displayed on the user browser according to the information contained in the user portfolio; and the personalized messages are displayed within a space of a page in the user browser, the page belonging to the at least one of the portal and the web site, wherein the space displays non-personalized messages to unregistered users, and wherein the personalized messages are displayed without changing the view of the user browser as otherwise displayed to unregistered users. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method comprising:
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a first user accessing a browser containing at least one of a portal and a web site over a data network to generate or update via an administration server a first user portfolio at the administration server containing information relating to the first user'"'"'s message preferences; the first user accessing a browser to communicate over the data network with at least one of a second user and a content provider by sending messages directly from a user browser; and displaying a page in the user browser to the first user, the page including a predefined banner space which, based on the first user'"'"'s message preferences, can display a user-specific message on the page from a provider without changing a size of the predefined space. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method comprising:
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a first user accessing a browser to communicate over the data network with at least one of a portal and a web site over the data network generate or update via an administration server via electronic implemented instruction a user portfolio at the administration server containing information relating to the first user'"'"'s message preferences; a second user accessing a browser to communicates over the data network with the first user by sending messages directly from the second user'"'"'s browser; and displaying a page in the first user'"'"'s browser, the page including a predefined space which, based on the first user'"'"'s message preferences, displays a user-specific message on the page without changing a size of the predefined space. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A method for tailoring banners displayed on a user terminal, comprising:
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accessing via electronic implemented instruction executed by the user terminal a personalized list including at least one interest category that the user is interested in, the personalized list stored in a user profile; selecting via electronic implemented instruction executed by the user terminal at least one interest category to add to the personalized list, wherein after the added selected interest category is selected, web pages displayed on the user terminal include at least one banner tailored to content related to the selected interest category, and said banner further providing a user specific message from a provider to a user.
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60. A method for tailoring banners displayed on a user terminal, comprising:
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accessing via electronic implemented instruction executed by the user terminal a personalized list including at least one interest category that the user is interested in, the personalized list stored in a user profile; selecting via electronic implemented instruction executed by the user terminal at least one interest category to remove from the personalized list, wherein after the removed selected interest category is selected, web pages displayed on the user terminal include a banner space containing a user specific message from a provider to a user which is tailored to content other than the selected interest category.
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61. A method comprising:
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accessing via a user terminal a list of interest categories that a user may be interested in; selecting via electronic implemented instruction executed by the user terminal at least one interest category that is added to a personalized list that is stored in a user profile on an administration server; and receiving, after the added selected interest category is selected, advertisements on the user terminal that are tailored to content related to the selected interest category.
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62. A method comprising:
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accessing via electronic implemented instruction executed by a user terminal a list of interest categories; selecting via electronic implemented instruction executed by the user terminal at least one interest category to remove from the list; and storing the list in a user profile located at an administration server, wherein after the list is stored, advertisements displayed on the user terminal are tailored to content other than the selected interest category, such advertisements being located on a banner space of a web page provided to a user, said banner space further capable of including a user specific message from a provider to a user.
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Specification