System and method of providing resource information in a virtual community

• US 8,516,046 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2006
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yongyong Xu
• Original Assignee: Yongyong Xu
• Inventors: Xu, Yongyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alexander, Jenee
• Application Number:
  US11/516,118
• Time in Patent Office: 2,541 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709217-219, 709220-222, 715733-747, 715751-763
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A system and method of providing resource information in a virtual community is disclosed. A method of providing information related to each of a plurality of sub elements of a resource in a virtual community includes the steps of accessing the resource, collecting each of the plurality of sub elements of the resource, sending the plurality of sub elements of the resource to the virtual community server, gathering the information related to each of the plurality of sub elements of the resource in the virtual community server, and displaying the gathered information within the resource.

Claims

1. A method of providing a resource based virtual community based upon a sub element of an original resource comprising the steps of:

providing a virtual community server associated with said original resource that is served by an original content server;

providing a client plug-in for parsing the original resource for a plurality of sub elements and sending a list of sub elements to said virtual community server;

a common user accessing said original resource;

said virtual community server being notified of the accessing action of said common user and automatically grouping common users performing the same action into a resource based virtual community, members of which comprise all common users accessing the original resource;

connecting said common user to said virtual community server simultaneously with all members of the resource based virtual community while said common user is accessing said original resource;

said common user selecting an intrinsic sub element inside the original resource being accessed wherein the intrinsic sub element includes from one or more selected from among;

an image, a URL link, a text segment, a bookmark, a favorite list, an interactive component or a DOM object in the html; and

said virtual community server serving community content related to the selected sub element along with said original resource by merging the said community content with the original resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the original resource comprises a web page or a web site.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

said virtual community server allowing common users to collaborate on said sub element of said original resource.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sub element is a URL link and the community content comprises concurrent users browsing said URL link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the community content comprises a comment related to the sub element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the community content comprises a sub element modified by said common user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the modified sub element comprises a sub element of the original resource modified in a client plug-in coupled to the virtual community server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the community content comprises a chat module.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the common user is not acting in the role of a website developer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the community server is notified and displays community content by means of a client plug-in.

11. A method of providing information related to each of a plurality of sub elements of an original resource comprising the steps of:

providing a virtual community server associated with the original resource that is served by an original content server;

providing a client plug-in for parsing the original resource for a plurality of sub elements and sending a list of sub elements to said virtual community server;

a common user accessing the original resource;

said virtual community server being notified of the action of said common user and automatically grouping common users performing the same action into a virtual community, members of which comprise all common users accessing the original resource;

collecting each of the plurality of intrinsic sub elements inside the original resource being accessed by said common user;

wherein the intrinsic sub element includes from one or more selected from among;

an image, a URL link, a text segment, a bookmark, a favorite list, an interactive component or a DOM object in the html;

sending the plurality of sub elements of the original resource to the virtual community server;

gathering the information related to each of the plurality of sub elements of the original resource being accessed by said common user in the virtual community server; and

displaying the gathered information related to the plurality of sub elements of the original resource by merging with the original resource being accessed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the gathered information comprises the current number of virtual community members accessing each of the plurality of sub elements.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the gathered information comprises the statistical information related to each of the plurality of sub elements.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the gathered information comprises ranking information related to each of the plurality of sub elements.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the gathered information comprises displaying pop up balloons within the original resource.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the gathered information comprises displaying changed text attributes within the original resource.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the gathered information comprises displaying content in a component visible when the mouse hovers over.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the sub element is a URL link and the gathered information comprises information that can help the user to choose which link to browse next.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the gathered information comprises an advertisement.

20. A system for providing information related to each of a plurality of sub elements of an original resource that is served by an original content server comprising:

a virtual community server machine; and

a client plug-in networked to the virtual community server, the plug-in operable to;

detect a common user accessing the original resource that is served by an original content server;

notify the action of said common user to said virtual community server;

parse the original resource for the plurality of sub elements;

send the plurality of intrinsic sub elements of the original resource to the virtual community server, wherein the intrinsic sub element includes from one or more selected from among;

an image, a URL link, a text segment, a bookmark, a favorite list, an interactive component or a DOM object in html;

the virtual community server then operable to;

automatically group common users performing the same action into a virtual community, members of which comprise all common users accessing the original resource;

gather the information related to each of the plurality of sub elements of the original resource,

and the plug-in then operable to;

display the gathered information related to each of the plurality of sub elements of the original resource to the users accessing the original resource by merging with of the original resource being accessed.