Internet-based method of and system for managing and delivering consumer product information at points along the world wide web using consumer product information (CPI) requesting and graphical user interface (GUI) displaying subsystems driven by server-side objects and managed by consumer product manufacturers and/or authorized parties
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, serving a plurality of Web-sites on the WWW, wherein each said Web-site includes a plurality of HTML-encoded documents;
a plurality of Internet-based consumer product information (CPI) servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, and serving a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) resources located on the WWW having information content, 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, and configured to allow 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) requesting and graphical user interface (GUI) 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 object stored on and executed within said object-oriented server independent of the operation of said Internet-based CPI servers, and (ii) an HTML tag embodied with a unique URL referencing said CPIR-enabling object, and embedded within at least one of said plurality of HTML-encoded documents at a point of presence on the WWW;
wherein said object-oriented server generates each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem and serves a CPI graphical user interface (GUI) at the point of presence, for displaying a set of said plurality of CPI resources for selection by the consumer;
a database, operably connected to said object-oriented server, and storing and managing a link structure for each consumer product registered with said Internet-based system,wherein each said link structure includesa product identifier assigned to the consumer product registered within said Internet-based system, anda set of URLs for a set of said plurality of CPI resources being served from said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers;
wherein said CPIR-enabling object installed on said object-oriented server, for each said consumer product, includes code stored on a medium operable to execute on the object-oriented server, and specifying;
(i) a connection to said database;
(ii) a CPI query to be executed on said database, dependent on the product identifier assigned to said consumer product, and returning a set of URLs stored in said database and associated with said product identifier; and
(iii) a CPI GUI, object-oriented controlled, displaying the results of the product identifier dependent CPI query at the point of presence where said corresponding HTML tag is embedded within at least one said HTML-encoded document along the WWW;
wherein said HTML tag embodies the unique URL referencing said corresponding CPIR-enabling object;
a second Internet-based subsystem configured to allow 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 tag installed in said HTML-encoded document,(a) the CPIR-enabling object corresponding to the HTML tag is automatically executed,(b) the CPI GUI of the corresponding CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is automatically generated by said object-oriented server,(c) said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI is served to the Web browser at the point of presence where said HTML tag is embedded, and(d) then said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI displays information content that is (i) associated with one or more CPI resources having URLs returned by said product identifier dependent CPI query, and (ii) 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 tag has been encountered by the Web browser.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method of and system for delivering consumer product related information to consumers over the Internet. The system and method involves creating a Consumer Product Information (CPIR) enabling object for each consumer service registered within a service-provider managed database management system. The HTML tag associated with each CPIR-enabling object is encapsulated within an executable file and then stored in the database management system. Each CPIR-enabling object is searchable and its HTML tag downloadable and then embedded within an HTML-encoded document. Upon encountering the HTML document, the underlying CPIR-enabling object is automatically executed on an object-oriented server, causing a service-directed search to be performed against the database management system, and the results thereof, from one or more Web-based product information servers, displayed in an independent GUI, without disturbing the consumer'"'"'s point of presence on the WWW.
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Citations
21 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, serving a plurality of Web-sites on the WWW, wherein each said Web-site includes a plurality of HTML-encoded documents; a plurality of Internet-based consumer product information (CPI) servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, and serving a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) resources located on the WWW having information content, 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, and configured to allow 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) requesting and graphical user interface (GUI) 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 object stored on and executed within said object-oriented server independent of the operation of said Internet-based CPI servers, and (ii) an HTML tag embodied with a unique URL referencing said CPIR-enabling object, and embedded within at least one of said plurality of HTML-encoded documents at a point of presence on the WWW; wherein said object-oriented server generates each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem and serves a CPI graphical user interface (GUI) at the point of presence, for displaying a set of said plurality of CPI resources for selection by the consumer; a database, operably connected to said object-oriented server, and storing and managing a link structure for each consumer product registered with said Internet-based system, wherein each said link structure includes a product identifier assigned to the consumer product registered within said Internet-based system, and a set of URLs for a set of said plurality of CPI resources being served from said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers; wherein said CPIR-enabling object installed on said object-oriented server, for each said consumer product, includes code stored on a medium operable to execute on the object-oriented server, and specifying; (i) a connection to said database; (ii) a CPI query to be executed on said database, dependent on the product identifier assigned to said consumer product, and returning a set of URLs stored in said database and associated with said product identifier; and (iii) a CPI GUI, object-oriented controlled, displaying the results of the product identifier dependent CPI query at the point of presence where said corresponding HTML tag is embedded within at least one said HTML-encoded document along the WWW; wherein said HTML tag embodies the unique URL referencing said corresponding CPIR-enabling object; a second Internet-based subsystem configured to allow 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 tag installed in said HTML-encoded document, (a) the CPIR-enabling object corresponding to the HTML tag is automatically executed, (b) the CPI GUI of the corresponding CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is automatically generated by said object-oriented server, (c) said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI is served to the Web browser at the point of presence where said HTML tag is embedded, and (d) then said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI displays information content that is (i) associated with one or more CPI resources having URLs returned by said product identifier dependent CPI query, and (ii) 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 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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15. A method of managing and delivering consumer product information to consumers enabling the purchase of consumer products at points of presence along the World Wide Web (WWW), said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) serving a plurality of Web-sites from a plurality of Web-based information servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, wherein each said Web-site includes a plurality of HTML-encoded documents; (b) serving a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) resources from a plurality of Internet-based consumer product information (CPI) servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, wherein each said CPI resource has information content related to a particular consumer product or group of consumer products registered with said Internet-based system and being marketed along the WWW; (c) operably connecting a first Internet-based subsystem to the infrastructure of the Internet, and allowing manufacturer team members associated with said particular consumer product or group of consumer products, and/or authorized parties, to use said first Internet-based subsystem to implement a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) requesting and graphical user interface (GUI) displaying subsystems for said plurality of consumer products being marketed along the WWW, so that each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is accessible by consumers at points of presence along the WWW, using a client subsystem supporting a Web browser; (d) operably connecting an object-oriented server to the infrastructure of the Internet and said first Internet-based subsystem; wherein each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is implemented by (i) a consumer product information request (CPIR) enabling object stored on and executed within said object-oriented server independent of the operation of said Internet-based CPI servers, and (ii) an HTML tag embodied with a unique URL referencing said CPIR-enabling object, and embedded within at least one of said plurality of HTML-encoded documents, at a point of presence on the WWW; (e) operably connecting a database to said object-oriented server, for storing and managing a link structure for each consumer product registered with said Internet-based system, wherein each said link structure includes a product identifier assigned to the consumer product registered within said Internet-based system, and a set of URLs for a set of said plurality of CPI resources being served from said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers; wherein said CPIR-enabling object stored on said object-oriented server, for each said consumer product, includes code stored on a medium operable to execute on the object-oriented server, and specifying; (i) a connection to said database; (ii) a CPI query to be executed on said database, dependent on the product identifier assigned to said consumer product, and for returning a set of URLs stored in said database and associated with said product identifier; and (iii) a CPI GUI, object-oriented controlled, for displaying the results of the product identifier dependent CPI query at the point of presence where said corresponding HTML tag is embedded within at least one said HTML-encoded document along the WWW; wherein said HTML tag embodies the unique URL referencing said corresponding CPIR-enabling object; (f) operably connecting a second Internet-based subsystem to the infrastructure of the Internet, and allowing manufacturer team members associated with a particular consumer product or group of consumer products, and/or authorized parties, to use said second Internet-based subsystem to program said set of CPI resources for display in the CPI GUI of each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem; and (g) upon the Web-browser of the consumer encountering said HTML tag installed in said HTML-encoded document, (i) the CPIR-enabling object corresponding to the HTML tag is automatically executed, (ii) the CPI GUI of the corresponding CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is automatically generated by said object-oriented server, (iii) said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI is served to the Web browser at the point of presence where said HTML tag is embedded, and (iv) then said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI displays information content that is associated with one or more CPI resources having URLs returned by said product identifier dependent CPI query, and (v) 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 tag has been encountered by the Web browser. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An Internet-based system for managing and delivering consumer product information to consumers 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, serving a plurality of Web-sites on the WWW, wherein each said Web-site includes a plurality of HTML-encoded documents; a plurality of Internet-based consumer product information (CPT) servers, operably connected to the infrastructure of the Internet, and serving a plurality of consumer product information (CPI) resources located on the WWW having information content, 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, and configured to allow 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) requesting and graphical user interface (GUI) 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 object stored on and executed within said object-oriented server independent of the operation of said Internet-based CPI servers, and (ii) an HTML tag embodied with a unique URL referencing said CPIR-enabling object, and embedded within at least one of a thumb-nail picture, an arbitrary graphical object, an information request icon, and a hypertext-type link; wherein said object-oriented server generates each said CPI-requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem and serves a CPI graphical user interface (GUI) at the point of presence, for displaying a set of said plurality of CPI resources for selection by the consumer; a database, operably connected to said object-oriented server, and storing and managing a link structure for each consumer product registered with said Internet-based system, wherein each said link structure includes a product identifier assigned to the consumer product registered within said Internet-based system, and a set of URLs set of said plurality of CPI resources being served frons said plurality of Internet-based CPI servers; wherein said CPIR-enabling object installed on said object-oriented server, for each said consumer product, includes code stored on a medium operable to execute on the obect-oriented server, and specifying; (i) a connection to said database; (ii) a CPI query to be executed on said database, dependent on the product identifier assigned to said consumer product, and returning a set of URLs stored in said database and associated with said product identifier; and (iii) a CPI GUI, object-oriented controlled, displaying the results of the product identifier dependent CPI query at the point of presence where said corresponding HTML tag is embedded within at least one of said thumb-nail picture, said arbitrary graphical object, said information request icon, and said hypertext-type link; wherein said HTML tag embodies the unique URL referencing said corresponding CPIR-enabling object; a second Internet-based subsystem configured to allow 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 CPU requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem; and wherein, upon the Web-browser of the consumer encountering said HTML tag, (a) the CPIR-enabling object corresponding to the HTML tag is automatically executed, (b) the CPI GUI of the corresponding CPI requesting and GUI-displaying subsystem is automatically generated by said object-oriented server, (c) said object-oriented controlled CPI GUI is served to the Web browser at the point of presence where said HTML tag is embedded, and (d) then said object oriented controlled CPI GUI displays information content that is (i) associated with one or more CPI resources having URLs returned by said product identifier dependent CPI query, and (ii) 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 tag has been encountered by the Web browser.
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Specification