Anchoring for content synchronization

• US 9,781,202 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Collarity Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Collarity Incorporated
• Inventors: Ismalon, Emil
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Hua
• Application Number:
  US14/524,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20150046780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving from a web browser, by a server system via a network, an indication of dragging, by a user of the web browser, of an element displayed on a webpage displayed by the web browser, and dropping, by the user, of the element into a content area displayed on the webpage, the element selected from the group consisting of: a first content item displayed at a location on the webpage other than in the content area, and a graphical element displayed in association with the first content item. Responsively to the indication, the server system causes the web browser to display, in the content area, at least a portion of a set of one or more second content items related to the first content item. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

serving, by a server system to a web browser, for display on a webpage displayed by the web browser, a plurality of content areas;

receiving, by a server system, a designation command from a user of the web browser, and designating the exactly one of the content areas as the anchor content area responsively to the user designation command and the designated anchor content area displays at least a portion of an anchor set of content items, and one or more of which content areas other than the anchor content area are designated as synchronized content areas that display at least portions of synchronized sets of content items, respectively; and

causing, by the server system, the web browser to periodically update at least some of the content areas by the web browser periodically;

updating the anchor content area, by displaying therein at least a portion of an updated anchor set of content items received by the web browser, and automatically synchronizing the synchronized content areas with the anchor content area, by displaying in the synchronized content areas, respectively, at least portions of updated synchronized sets of content items received by the web browser and generated in response to an analysis of the updated anchor set of content items, and receiving an instruction from a user of the web browser to lock one of the one or more content areas, and responsively to the instruction, withholding periodically updating the locked content area, while continuing to periodically update others of the one or more content areas.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the web browser to periodically update comprises performing, by the server system, the analysis of the updated anchor set.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the web browser to periodically update comprises sending, by the server system, an instruction to the web browser to perform the analysis of the updated anchor set.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the web browser to periodically update comprises serving, by the server system, the at least a portion of the updated anchor set of content items for display in the anchor content area.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the web browser to periodically update comprises sending, by the server system, an instruction to the web browser to request and receive the at least a portion of the updated anchor set of content items for display in the anchor content area.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein serving the plurality of content areas comprises requesting and receiving, by the server system, from a plurality of online content sources, the anchor set and synchronized sets of content items generated by the online content sources in response to a term that comprises one or more keywords, and serving the anchor set and synchronized sets of content items to the web browser.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the webpage includes an anchor area separate from the content areas, and wherein serving comprises receiving the term from a user of the web browser via the anchor area.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein serving comprises using, as the term, a popular or trendy term.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein causing the web browser to periodically update comprises generating, by the server system, a term responsively to the analysis of the updated anchor set, which term comprises one or more keywords, wherein the updated synchronized sets of content items are generated in response to the term.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content items of the anchor set are of a first content category, and wherein the content items of one of the synchronized sets are of a second content category different from the first content type, and wherein each of the first and second content categories is selected from the group of categories consisting of:

a video content category, a news content category, a search content category, a social updates content category, a chat content category, an advertisement content category, a blog content category, an encyclopedia content category, a map content category, a finance content category, a forum content category, and an association content category.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the first content category is selected from the group of categories consisting of:

the video content category, the social updates content category, and the chat content category.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the second content category is selected from the group of categories consisting of:

the news content category, the social updates content category, the chat content category, and the blog content category.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the content items of the updated synchronized sets is received from an entity that does not control the server system, the entity selected from the group consisting of:

an online retailer, an online publisher, and an online advertiser.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a web browser running in a device, a webpage including a plurality of content areas;

receiving, by a web browser running in a device, a designation command from a user of the web browser, and designating the exactly one of the content area as the anchor content area responsively to the user designation command and the designated anchor content area displays at least a portion of an anchor set of content items, and one or more of which content areas other than the anchor content area are designated as synchronized content areas that display at least portions of synchronized sets of content items, respectively;

displaying the webpage on a display of the device; and

periodically updating, by the web browser, at least some of the content areas by periodically;

updating the anchor content area, by displaying therein at least a portion of an updated anchor set of content items received by the web browser, and automatically synchronizing the synchronized content areas with the anchor content area, by displaying in the synchronized content areas, respectively, at least portions of updated synchronized sets of content items received by the web browser and generated in response to an analysis of the updated anchor set of content items, and receiving an instruction from a user of the web browser to lock one of the one or more content areas, and responsively to the instruction, withholding periodically updating the locked content area, while continuing to periodically update others of the one or more content areas.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the content items of the anchor set are of a first content category, and wherein the content items of one of the synchronized sets are of a second content category different from the first content type, and wherein the first content category is selected from the group of categories consisting of:

the video content category, the social updates content category, and the chat content category.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the content items of the anchor set are of a first content category, and wherein the content items of one of the synchronized sets are of a second content category different from the first content type, and wherein the second content category is selected from the group of categories consisting of:

the news content category, the social updates content category, the chat content category, and the blog content category.

17. Apparatus for use with a network, the apparatus comprising:

an interface; and

a processor, which is configured to serve, via the interface over the network, to a web browser, for display on a webpage displayed by the web browser, a plurality of content areas;

receive a designation command from a user of the web browser, and to designate the exactly one of the content area as the anchor content area responsively to the user designation command and the designated anchor content area displays at least a portion of an anchor set of content items, and one or more of which content areas other than the anchor content area are designated as synchronized content areas that display at least portions of synchronized sets of content items, respectively; and

cause the web browser to periodically update at least some of the content areas by the web browser periodically;

(a) updating the anchor content area, by displaying therein at least a portion of an updated anchor set of content items received by the web browser, (b) automatically synchronizing the synchronized content areas with the anchor content area, by displaying in the synchronized content areas, respectively, at least portions of updated synchronized sets of content items received by the web browser and generated in response to an analysis of the updated anchor set of content items, and (c) receiving an instruction from a user of the web browser to lock one of the one or more content areas, and responsively to the instruction, withholding periodically updating the locked content area, while continuing to periodically update others of the one or more content areas.

18. Apparatus comprising:

a display; and

a processor, which is configured to run a web browser that is configured to receive a webpage including a plurality of content areas;

receive a designation command from a user of the web browser, and to designate the exactly one of the content area as the anchor content area responsively to the user designation command and the designated anchor content area displays at least a portion of an anchor set of content items, and one or more of which content areas other than the anchor content area are designated as synchronized content areas that display at least portions of synchronized sets of content items, respectively;

display the webpage on the display; and

periodically update at least some of the content areas by periodically;

(a) updating the anchor content area, by displaying therein at least a portion of an updated anchor set of content items received by the web browser, (b) automatically synchronizing the synchronized content areas with the anchor content area, by displaying in the synchronized content areas, respectively, at least portions of updated synchronized sets of content items received by the web browser and generated in response to an analysis of the updated anchor set of content items, and (c) receiving an instruction from a user of the web browser to lock one of the one or more content areas, and responsively to the instruction, withholding periodically updating the locked content area, while continuing to periodically update others of the one or more content areas.