Proxy platform integration system

• US 20030115549A1
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mercury Kingdom Assets Limited
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ward, Rory
• Granted Patent: US 7,159,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/513
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for adding or removing functionality to a website through a proxy platform by which a user views the website. One such functionality is a checkout button by which a cyber wallet is accessed, relaying purchase information to the website where the information is used automatically fill a merchant website purchase form.

Claims

1. A method for changing user interaction with a website comprising the steps of:

parsing a website;

noting elements on said website; and

viewing said website through an overlay, said overlay containing overlay elements capable of interacting with said website elements and said overlay capable of adding and removing the appearance of website elements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said website and overlay elements comprise any of:

banner ads, advertisements, adult material, buttons, checkboxes, sidebars and user chosen elements.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said overlay is accessed through any of:

an internet service provider logon and a website logon process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said website elements are constructed using Javascript.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

examining all Javascript elements on said website; and

rewriting selected Javascript elements on said website, onto said overlay, said rewritten Javascript elements replacing website Javascript elements.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said selected Javascript elements comprises any of:

Javascript element that cause overlay errors and Javascript element that reduce overlay performance.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said selected Javascript element is chosen because said Javascript element contains a specific tag or tag attribute.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said overlay uses global objects comprising any of:

region, pen and ruleinfo.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said region object provides access to HTML captured during a rule evaluation.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said pen object provides Javascript rules for inserting HTML in a region.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said ruleinfo object provides information about a rule.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said rule information comprises any of:

URL triggers and debugging levels.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said overlay is a proxy platform website that serves as an intermediate website site between a user and a destination website, said intermediate website communicating information between said destination website and said user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said destination website is a merchant website.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said overlay contains elements that interact with said merchant website.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said overlay element is a checkout button that when actuated, queries user purchase information from a remote website, and relays said user purchase information to said merchant website.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said remote location has a memory means containing purchase information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said purchase information comprises any of:

name, date, address and credit card information.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said purchase information form fills fields on said merchant website.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said overlay rearranges said website elements such that appearance of the website has altered dimensions.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said overlay is created using a profile.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein said profile comprises any of:

layout information of articles on said website and rules for the arrangement of said articles.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said profile is kept in an XML text file.

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

testing whether said website has changed.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

changing said overlay to properly function with said changes on said website.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

signaling when said website has changed.

28. The method of claim 3, wherein said sidebar is a help bar

29. The method of claim 1, wherein said elements are constructed using any of:

HTML, Java and Javascript.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein said noting comprises any of:

cataloging said web page by region and mapping fields.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

relaying cyber wallet information between said website and said overlay.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said cyber wallet information is maintained at both said overlay and said website, and if said cyber wallet information is changed at either site, the unchanged site is updated with said changes.

2. A method for changing user interaction with a website comprising the steps of:

parsing a website with a parsing means;

noting elements on said website with a noting means; and

viewing said website through an overlay means, said overlay means containing overlay elements capable of interacting with said website elements and said overlay means capable of adding and removing the appearance of website elements.

33. A apparatus for changing user interaction with a website comprising:

a computer for parsing a website;

a memory for noting elements on said website; and

an overlay through which said website is viewed, said overlay containing overlay elements capable of interacting with said website elements and said overlay capable of adding and removing the appearance of website elements.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein said website and overlay elements comprise any of:

banner ads, advertisements, adult material, buttons, checkboxes, sidebars and user chosen elements.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said overlay is accessed through any of:

an internet service provider logon and a website logon process.

37. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said website elements are constructed using Javascript.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for examining all Javascript elements on said website; and

means for rewriting selected Javascript elements on said website, onto said overlay, said rewritten Javascript elements replacing website Javascript elements.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said selected Javascript elements comprises any of:

Javascript element that cause overlay errors and Javascript element that reduce overlay performance.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said selected Javascript element is chosen because said Javascript element contains a specific tag or tag attribute.

41. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said overlay uses global objects comprising any of:

region, pen and ruleinfo.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said region object provides access to HTML captured during a rule evaluation.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said pen object provides Javascript rules for inserting HTML in a region.

44. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein said ruleinfo object provides information about a rule.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein said rule information comprises any of:

URL triggers and debugging levels.

46. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said overlay is a proxy platform website that serves as an intermediate website site between a user and a destination website, said intermediate website communicating information between said destination website and said user.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said destination website is a merchant website.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said overlay contains elements that interact with said merchant website.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein said overlay element is a checkout button that when actuated, queries user purchase information from a remote website, and relays said user purchase information to said merchant website.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein said remote location has a memory means containing purchase information.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein said purchase information comprises any of:

name, date, address and credit card information.

52. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein said purchase information form fills fields on said merchant website.

53. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said overlay rearranges said website elements such that appearance of the website has altered dimensions.

54. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said overlay is created using a profile.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said profile comprises any of:

layout information of articles on said website and rules for the arrangement of said articles.

56. The apparatus of claim 54, wherein said profile is kept in an XML text file.

57. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for testing whether said website has changed.

58. The apparatus of claim 57, further comprising:

means for changing said overlay to properly function with said changes on said website.

59. The apparatus of claim 57, further comprising:

means for signaling when said website has changed.

60. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said sidebar is a help bar

61. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said elements are constructed using any of:

HTML, Java and Javascript.

62. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said noting comprises any of:

means for cataloging said web page by region and means for mapping fields.

63. The apparatus of claim 33, further comprising:

means for relaying cyber wallet information between said website and said overlay.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein said cyber wallet information is maintained at both said overlay and said website, and if said cyber wallet information is changed at either site, the unchanged site is updated with said changes.

34. A apparatus for changing user interaction with a website comprising the steps of:

means for parsing a website;

means for noting elements on said website; and

means for viewing said website through an overlay means, said overlay means containing overlay elements capable of interacting with said website elements and said overlay means capable of adding and removing the appearance of website elements.