Method and apparatus for generating a link to a presented web page

• US 8,819,538 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Decentrix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Decentrix, Inc.
• Inventors: Underwood, Mark, Slaney, Darren, Evesson, Gary, Underwood, John, Neilson, Paul, Char, Hanson, Shing, David, Horner, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Queler, Adam M
• Application Number:
  US11/834,429
• Publication Number:
  US 20080109472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,577 Days
• Field of Search: 715/205, 715/208, 715/215, 715/217, 715/234, 715/255, 709/219, 705/14.16
• US Class Current: 715/208
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

A technique for generating links to a web page by: presenting a web page; defining one or more other web pages to include a link to the presented web page; and placing a link on at least one of the other web pages linking to the presented web page. A prompt for an acceptance of the link may be presented to the other web pages whereby a link is not added until the corresponding acceptance of the link is received.

Claims

1. A method for identifying referrals for use in generating a website, comprising one or more multi-purpose computing devices adapted to perform the steps of:

requesting a list of companies for referrals;

validating the list of companies to obtain a valid set of company names;

presenting the valid set of company names to select for inclusion in the referrals;

receiving a list of selected companies;

sending a notification to owners of the selected companies informing them of the referral;

determining whether the selected site belongs to a same network as the website;

requesting, when a selected company belongs to the same network, the owners of the selected companies (1) whether the referral is acceptable by providing information about the website, providing a link to the website, and providing a link to a page for managing a referral process, and (2) to refer back to the website;

inviting, when a selected company does not belong to the same network, the selected site owner to register with the same network, and utilizing details from received information to pre-build a new web site for the selected site;

generating one or more referral pages for those owners that have elected to refer back to the website; and

generating a referral page for the website, the referral page comprising descriptions of one or more referred sites wherein only the referred-to site owner may change or edit the contents.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating one or more referral pages for those owners that have elected to refer back to the website as a function of one or more characteristics of the website.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the referral pages include at least one link to the website.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

informing that one or more of the owners have elected not to refer back to the website.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of validating further comprises:

obtaining a valid set of standard industry codes (SIC) for the valid set of company names.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

adding to the valid set of company names one or more standard referral companies that have paid a fee for being added as referrals.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of presenting a valid set of company names comprises:

presenting a prompt for an acceptance of each company in the valid set of company names.

8. A multi-purpose computing device for identifying referrals for use in generating a website, comprising:

memory; and

a processor that performs actions, including;

requesting a list of companies for referrals;

validating the list of companies to obtain a valid set of company names;

presenting the valid set of company names to select for inclusion in the referrals;

receiving a list of selected companies;

sending a notification to owners of the selected companies informing them of the referral;

determining whether the selected site belongs to a same network as the website;

requesting, when a selected company belongs to the same network, the owners of the selected companies (1) whether the referral is acceptable by providing information about the website, providing a link to the website, and providing a link to a page for managing a referral process, and (2) to refer back to the website;

inviting, when a selected company does not belong to the same network, the selected site owner to register with the same network, and utilizing details from received information to pre-build a new web site for the selected site;

generating one or more referral pages for those owners that have elected to refer back to the website; and

generating a referral page for the website, the referral page comprising descriptions of one or more referred sites wherein only the referred-to site owner may change or edit the contents.

9. The computing device according to claim 8, further performing actions comprising:

generating one or more referral pages for those owners that have elected to refer back to the website as a function of one or more characteristics of the website.

10. The computing device according to claim 8, wherein the referral pages include at least one link back to the website.

11. The computing device according to claim 8, further performing actions comprising:

informing that one or more of the owners have elected not to refer back to the website.

12. The computing device according to claim 8, wherein validating further comprises:

obtaining a valid set of standard industry codes (SIC) for the valid set of company names.

13. The computing device according to claim 8, further performing actions comprising:

adding to the valid set of company names one or more standard referral companies that have paid a fee for being added as referrals.

14. The computing device according to claim 8, wherein presenting a valid set of company names comprises:

presenting a prompt for an acceptance of each company in the valid set of company names.

15. A system for identifying referrals for use in generating a website, comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, the processor adapted to execute program code to;

request a list of companies for referrals;

validate the list of companies to obtain a valid set of company names;

present the valid set of company names to select for inclusion in the referrals;

receive a list of selected companies;

send a notification to owners of the selected companies informing them of the referral;

determine whether the selected site belongs to a same network as the website;

request, when a selected company belongs to the same network, the owners of the selected companies (1) whether the referral is acceptable by providing information about the website, providing a link to the website, and providing a link to a page for managing a referral process, and (2) to refer back to the website;

invite, when a selected company does not belong to the same network, the selected site owner to register with the same network, and utilize details from received information to pre-build a new web site for the selected site;

generate one or more referral pages for those owners that have elected to refer back to the website; and

generate a referral page for the website, the referral page comprising descriptions of one or more referred sites wherein only the referred-to site owner may change or edit the contents.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, carrying a set of computer program instructions, which when executed causes a computer to perform a process for identifying referrals for use in generating a website, the process comprising:

requesting a list of companies for referrals;

validating the list of companies to obtain a valid set of company names;

presenting the valid set of company names to select for inclusion in the referrals;

receiving a list of selected companies;

sending a notification to owners of the selected companies informing them of the referral;

determining whether the selected site belongs to a same network as the website;

requesting, when a selected company belongs to the same network, the owners of the selected companies (1) whether the referral is acceptable by providing information about the website, providing a link to the website, and providing a link to a page for managing a referral process, and (2) to refer back to the website;

inviting, when a selected company does not belong to the same network, the selected site owner to register with the same network, and utilizing details from received information to pre-build a new web site for the selected site;

generating one or more referral pages for those owners that have elected to refer back to the website; and

generating a referral page for the website, the referral page comprising descriptions of one or more referred sites wherein only the referred-to site owner may change or edit the contents.

17. A method for gathering and validating web site referrals for a first web site over a network, comprising the steps of:

presenting a referral page at a client terminal, the referral page requesting a list of businesses related to the first web site;

receiving a first data entry, wherein the first data entry includes at least one business name;

validating each of the at least one business names;

correlating each of the at least one business names with a second web site;

presenting a list of validated business names to an operator of the first web site, wherein the operator has authority to edit the first web site;

receiving a second data entry, wherein the second data entry includes selection of at least one of the validated business names;

determining whether the selected site belongs to a same network as the website;

presenting, when a selected company belongs to the same network, a referral page to an operator of the second web site requesting (1) whether the referral is acceptable by providing information about the website, providing a link to the website, and providing a link to a page for managing a referral process, and (2) acceptance of the referral;

inviting, when a selected company does not belong to the same network, the selected site owner to register with the same network, and utilizing details from received information to pre-build a new web site for the selected site;

generating a referral from the first web site to the second web site;

presenting the operator of the second web site with an option to automatically generate a referral from the second web site to the first web site; and

presenting the operator of the first web site with an option to automatically generate a referral page for the website, the referral page comprising descriptions of one or more referred sites wherein only the referred-to site owner may change or edit the contents.