Inserting targeted content into a portlet content stream

• US 8,631,142 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hesmer, Stephan, Lection, David B., Loeffel, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH CHAU
• Application Number:
  US10/213,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,178 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/246, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system, method and program product for inserting targeted content into a portlet content stream is provided. Specifically, the present invention provides a portal program that includes a container-managed portlet filter for inserting targeted web content into a portlet content stream based on a desired display mode of the portal user. Under the present invention, web content is obtained by a portlet from a content provider. Once obtained, the portlet outputs the web content as a portlet content stream to the portlet filter. The portlet filter then inserts the targeted content based on the desired display mode of the user. The combined targeted content and portlet content stream is then outputted to an aggregator where it is organized for display as a portal page.

Claims

1. A system for inserting targeted content into a portlet content stream, comprising:

a computer comprising a processor; and

instructions which are executable, using the processor, to perform functions comprising;

executing a portal program for displaying a portal page on a user interface, the portal program comprising;

a content aggregator for organizing a portlet content stream into the portal page for the displaying; and

a portlet filter; and

executing a portlet for obtaining web content from a content provider and for outputting the web content, as the portlet content stream, to the portlet filter, the portlet filter interposed between the portlet and the content aggregator, the portlet filter adapted for;

receiving the portlet content stream outputted from the portlet;

inserting the targeted content into the received portlet content stream, responsive to a command issued from the portal page to enter a desired display mode which will cause display of a content page that is distinct from the portal page, thereby creating a merged content stream; and

forwarding the merged content stream to the content aggregator as the portlet content stream for the organizing into the portal page for the displaying.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the web content is obtained by the portlet from the content provider over a network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the portlet content stream is a markup content stream.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the portlet filter inserts the targeted content by building a table that combines the targeted content with the received portlet content stream, such that each of the targeted content and the received portlet content stream occupy distinct rows of the table.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the portlet filter further removes web content from the portlet content stream.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the portlet filter further selects a type of the targeted content based on user data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the targeted content is an advertisement.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the desired display mode will display the distinct content page as a full screen.

9. A method for inserting targeted content into a portlet content stream, comprising:

receiving web content from a content provider to a portlet, and outputting the web content as the portlet content stream from the portlet to a portlet filter, the portlet filter interposed between the portlet and a content aggregator of a portal program that displays a portal page on a user interface;

receiving the outputted portlet content stream at the portlet filter;

inserting the targeted content into the received portlet content stream, by the portlet filter in response to a command issued from the portal page to enter a desired display mode which will cause display of a content page that is distinct from the portal page, thereby creating a merged content stream; and

outputting the merged content stream from the portlet filter to the content aggregator, as the portlet content stream, for organizing into the portal page.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the received web content is received from the content provider over a network.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the inserting comprises building a table that combines the targeted content with the received portlet content stream, such that each of the targeted content and the received portlet content stream occupy distinct rows of the table.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising removing web content from the received portlet content stream, prior to outputting the merged portlet content stream to the content aggregator.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting a type of the targeted content based on user data, prior to inserting the targeted content.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the targeted content is an advertisement.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the desired display mode will display the distinct content page as a full screen.

16. A program product stored on a non-transitory recordable medium for inserting targeted content into a portlet content stream, the program product comprising program code which, when executed, causes a computer to perform:

obtaining web content by a portlet from a content provider, and outputting the web content as the portlet content stream from the portlet to a portlet filter, the portlet filter interposed between the portlet and a content aggregator of a portal program that displays a portal page on a user interface;

receiving the outputted portlet content stream at the portlet filter;

inserting the targeted content into the received portlet content stream, by the portlet filter in response to a command issued from the portal page to enter a desired display mode which will cause display of a content page that is distinct from the portal page, thereby creating a merged content stream; and

forwarding the merged content stream, as the portlet content stream, from the portlet filter to the content aggregator for organizing into the portal page.

17. The program product of claim 16, wherein the web content is obtained from the content provider over a network.

18. The program product of claim 16, wherein the portlet content stream is a markup content stream.

19. The program product of claim 16, wherein the inserting inserts the targeted content by building a table that combines the targeted content with the received portlet content stream, such that each of the targeted content and the received portlet content stream occupy distinct rows of the table.

20. The program product of claim 16, wherein the inserting further removes web content from the received portlet content stream.

21. The program product of claim 16, wherein the inserting further selects a type of the targeted content based on user data.

22. The program product of claim 16, wherein the targeted content is an advertisement.

23. The program product of claim 16, wherein the desired display mode will display the distinct content page as a full screen.

24. The program product of claim 16, wherein the program product comprises the portal program.