System and method for dynamic modification of web content

• US 20040075686A1
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Concentrix CVG Customer Management Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Final Corporation
• Inventors: Phillips, Jonathan, Young, David, Watler, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,844,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A system and method for dynamic modification and generation of data is described. One embodiment includes an annotation server that is connected to a user and a content provider. The annotation server is configured to modify a copy of an enterprise'"'"'s stored Web content without necessarily modifying the actual stored Web content. The annotation server then provides the modified content to the user for viewing or other use.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a copy of original Web-page code stored at a content provider, the method comprising the steps of:

responsive to a request from a user for Web content, receiving, at an annotation server, the copy of the original Web-page code, wherein the copy of the original Web-page code includes a data item;

determining a modification that should be applied to the copy of the original Web-page code, wherein the determined modification is associated with the data item;

modifying the copy of the original Web-page code according to the determined modification, whereby the original Web-page code stored at the content provider is not modified responsive to modifying the copy of the original Web-page code; and

providing the modified copy of original Web-page code to a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item comprises a table.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item comprises a frame.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item comprises a text object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data item comprises a graphical object.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the graphical object comprises a graphics-based animation object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphics-based animation object comprises Flash content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the copy of the original Web-page code comprises:

creating a new copy of the original Web-page code, wherein the new copy comprises modifications of the copy of the original Web-page code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the modified copy of original Web-page code from the annotation server comprises:

providing the modified copy of the original Web-page code from the annotation server directly to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the modified copy of original Web-page code from the annotation server to a user comprises:

providing the modified copy of the original Web-page code to the content provider;

wherein the content provider can transmit the modified copy of the original Web-page code to the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a modification that should be applied to the copy of the original Web-page code comprises:

searching HTML code associated with the copy of the original Web-page code for a target data item.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the copy of the original Web-page code to the annotation server.

13. A method for modifying original content received from a content provider, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving the original content from the content provider, the original content including a content object;

determining a modification that should be applied to the original content, wherein the determined modification is associated with the content object included in the received original content;

modifying the received-original content according to the determined modification; and

providing the modified-original content to a user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying the received-original content comprises:

annotating the received-original content.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the content object comprises one of a text object, a graphical object, and a link.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying the original content comprises:

editing the content object.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying the original content comprises:

deleting the content object.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying the original content comprises:

inserting new content into the original content, the new content being associated with the content object.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein modifying the original content comprises:

inserting executable code into the original content.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein inserting executable code into the original content comprises:

inserting JavaScript into the original content.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the original content comprises a field for user data entry and wherein the inserted executable code is configurable to validate the data entered into the field.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the content object comprises:

a link.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the link comprises:

a hypertext link.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein modifying the original content comprises:

modifying the link whereby the link points to an annotation server.

25. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

searching the original content for data related to a frame.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the data related to the frame includes content data and wherein modifying the original content comprises:

replacing the content data included in the frame with new content data.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein replacing the content data included in the frame with new content data comprises:

replacing the content data included in the frame with content corresponding to a virtual agent.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the frame is associated with a size and wherein replacing the content data included in the frame comprises:

determining the size of the frame; and

sizing the new content data according to the determined size of the frame.

29. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

searching the original content for data related to a table;

wherein the content object comprises the data related to the table.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data related to the table includes content data and wherein modifying the original content comprises:

replacing the content data included in the table with new content data.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein replacing the content data included in the table with new content data comprises:

replacing the content data included in the table with content corresponding to a virtual agent.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the table is associated with a size and wherein replacing the content data included in the table comprises:

determining the size of the table; and

sizing the new content data according to the determined size of the table.

33. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

searching the original content for instructions associated with a pop-up window.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the step of determining the modification comprises:

modifying the instructions associated with the pop-up window such that the pop-up window is suppressed.

35. A method for dynamic modification of a markup language page that includes a plurality of elements:

retrieving a copy of the markup language page;

transmitting the copy of the markup language page to an annotation server;

identifying, at the annotation server, a first of the plurality of elements to be modified;

modifying, at the annotation server, the copy of the markup language page, whereby the first of the plurality of elements is modified; and

transmitting the modified copy of the markup language page to a user.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein retrieving comprises:

retrieving a copy of the markup language page from an original Web content provider.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein transmitting comprises:

transmitting the copy of the markup language page over a wireless network to the annotation server.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein transmitting comprises:

transmitting the copy of the markup language page over a local network.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the markup language page comprises:

graphical objects.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein the markup language page comprises:

XML data.

41. A method for dynamic modification of Web-page content, the method comprising:

intercepting a copy of the Web-page content provided from a content provider, wherein the copy of the Web-page content is associated with a user;

modifying the received copy of the Web-page content; and

transmitting the modified copy of the Web-page content to the user.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein intercepting a copy of Web-page content comprises:

requesting redirection of the copy of the Web-page content to the annotation server.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein modifying the received copy of the Web-page code comprises:

identifying, in the Web-page content, a content object that corresponds to a target modification.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein modifying the Web-page content comprises:

editing the content object.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein modifying the Web-page content comprises:

deleting the content object.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein modifying the Web-page content comprises:

inserting new content into the received copy of the Web-page content, the new content being associated with the content object.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein modifying the Web-page code comprises:

inserting executable code into the received copy of the Web-page content.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the received copy of the Web-page content comprises an embedded link and wherein modifying the received copy of the Web-page content comprises:

modifying the embedded link whereby the link points to an annotation server.

49. The method of claim 41, wherein the received copy of the Web-page content includes content data related to a frame and wherein modifying the received copy of the Web-page content comprises:

replacing the content data related to the frame with new content data.

50. The method of claim 41, wherein the received copy of the Web-page content includes content data related to a table and wherein modifying the received copy of the Web-page content comprises:

replacing the content data related to the table with new content data.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the new content data comprises content corresponding to a virtual agent.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein the table is associated with a size and wherein replacing the content data comprises:

determining the size of the table; and

sizing the new content data according to the size of the table.

53. The method of claim 41, wherein the Web-page content comprises data corresponding to a pop-up window and wherein modifying the received copy of the Web-page content comprises:

suppressing the pop-up window.

54. A Web page produced according to at least the steps recited in claim 41.

55. A system for modifying a copy of Web-page code received from a content provider, the system comprising:

a storage medium; and

a plurality of instructions stored on the storage medium, the plurality of instructions configured to;

responsive to receiving the copy of the Web-page code, determine a modification that should be applied to the copy of the Web-page code;

modify the copy of the Web-page code according to the determined modification, whereby the original Web-page code is unaltered; and

provide the modified copy of the Web-page code from the annotation server to a user.

56. A system for modifying a markup language page, the system comprising:

means for retrieving a copy of the markup language page;

means for transmitting the copy of the markup language page to an annotation server;

means for identifying, at the annotation server, a first of the plurality of elements to be modified;

means for modifying, at the annotation server, the copy of the markup language page, whereby the first of the plurality of elements is modified; and

means for transmitting the modified copy of the markup language page to a user.

57. A Web page produced by the system of claim 56.

58. A computer program product formed by:

intercepting a copy of the Web-page content provided from a content provider for a user;

modifying the received copy of the Web-page content; and

transmitting the modified copy of the Web-page content to a user.

59. A computer program product formed by:

receiving the original content from a content provider, the original content including a data item;

determining a modification that should be applied to the original content, wherein the determined modification is associated with the data item included in the received original content;

modifying the original content according to the determined modification; and

providing the modified original content to a user.

60. A system for dynamic modification of Web-page code, the system comprising:

means for receiving a copy of the Web-page code;

means for modifying the received copy of the Web-page code; and

means for transmitting the modified copy of the Web-page code to a user.

61. A system comprising:

means for receiving the original content from the content provider, the original content including a data item;

means for determining a modification that should be applied to the original content, wherein the determined modification is associated with the data item included in the received original content;

means for modifying the original content according to the determined modification; and

means for providing the modified original content to a user.

62. A Web-page produced by the system of claim 61.