MESSAGE BOARD AGGREGATOR

• US 20090287786A1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aloft Media, LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Boadin Technology LLC (Oso IP, LLC)
• Inventors: Arav, Gal
• Granted Patent: US 8,180,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Web content representing a first message is displayed in a window of a computer program. The first message is one of a plurality of messages posted to an online forum. A plurality of message summaries are displayed in the same window of the computer program, contemporaneously with the first message. The plurality of message summaries include first information derived from the first message and second information derived from a second message in the plurality of messages. The web content representing the first message may, for example, be displayed in a first frame of the window and the information derived from the first message may be displayed in a second frame of the same window. The online forum may, for example, be a web-based financial message board.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(1) displaying, in a window of a computer program, web content representing a first message, the first message comprising one of a plurality of messages posted to a first online forum; and

(2) displaying, in the window of the computer program and contemporaneously with (1), a plurality of message summaries, the plurality of message summaries comprising first information derived from the first message and second information derived from a second message in the plurality of messages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (1) comprises displaying the web content in a first frame of the window, and wherein (2) comprises displaying the information derived from the first message in a second frame of the window distinct from the first frame.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first online forum comprises a web-based message board.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (1) comprises:

(1)(a) copying the web content from the first online forum; and

(1)(b) displaying the copied web content in the window of the computer program.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein (1) comprises:

(1)(a) identifying a link to the web content in the first online forum; and

(1)(b) displaying the web content through the link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein (2) comprises:

(2)(a) for each of the plurality of messages, deriving information from at least one of the following categories;

message title, message author, message identifier, message sentiment, message timestamp, message web address, message thread, message attribute, message link, message keyword, person being replied to, and message statistics; and

(2)(b) displaying the derived information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein (2) (a) comprises deriving information from a plurality of the following categories:

message title, message author, message identifier, message sentiment, message timestamp, message web address, message thread, message attribute, message link, message keyword, person being replied to, and message statistics.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

(3) receiving input from a user, the input indicating a category; and

(4) displaying, contemporaneously with (1), information derived from the first message in the indicated category.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein (4) comprises replacing at least some of the information displayed in (2) with the information derived from the message in the indicated category.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(3) displaying, in the window of the computer program and contemporaneously with (1),

information derived from a third message in a second online forum.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein (2) comprises:

(2)(a) receiving the first and second information from at least one remote source;

(2)(b) storing the first and second information at a local source; and

(2)(c) displaying the first and second information from the local source.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(3) receiving, from a user, input selecting one of the plurality of message summaries;

(4) identifying a message in the plurality of messages corresponding to the selected message summary; and

(5) displaying third information derived from the identified message.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identified message is the first message, and wherein the third information contains information not contained in the first information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein (3) comprises receiving input indicating that the user has positioned a cursor over the selected one of the plurality of message summaries.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein (5) comprises displaying the third information using a tooltip.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein (5) comprises displaying the third information using a static user interface object.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein (5) comprises displaying third information retrieved from a local source.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

(6) before (5), selecting a size selected from at least two sizes; and

wherein (5) comprises displaying the third information at the selected size.

19. An apparatus comprising:

first means for causing to be displayed, in a window of a computer program, web content representing a first message, the first message comprising one of a plurality of messages posted to a first online forum; and

second means for causing to be displayed, in the window of the computer program and contemporaneously with the first means for causing to be displayed, a plurality of message summaries, the plurality of message summaries comprising first information derived from the first message and second information derived from a second message in the plurality of messages.

20. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(1) receiving, over a network, first information comprising a plurality of message data units, wherein each of the plurality of message data units contains information derived from a corresponding one of a plurality of messages posted to an online forum;

(2) displaying, in a first frame of a window of a computer program, web content representing a first one of the plurality of messages; and

(3) displaying, in a second frame of the window distinct from the first frame and contemporaneously with (2), a plurality of message summaries corresponding to the plurality of messages, wherein each of the plurality of message summaries consists of a subset of information in a corresponding one of the plurality of message data units.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

(4) receiving, from a user, input selecting one of the plurality of message summaries;

(5) identifying a message in the plurality of messages corresponding to the selected message summary;

(6) identifying a message data unit corresponding to the message identified in (5); and

(7) displaying information in the identified message data unit that is not in the selected one of the plurality of message summaries.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, over a network, first information comprising a plurality of message data units, wherein each of the plurality of message data units contains information derived from a corresponding one of a plurality of messages posted to an online forum;

first means for displaying, in a first frame of a window of a computer program, web content representing a first one of the plurality of messages; and

second means for displaying, in a second frame of the window distinct from the first frame and contemporaneously with the first means for displaying, a plurality of message summaries corresponding to the plurality of messages, wherein each of the plurality of message summaries consists of a subset of information in a corresponding one of the plurality of message data units.

23. A computer-implemented method comprising:

(1) displaying, in a window of a computer program, web content representing a first message, the first message comprising one of a plurality of messages posted to a first online forum;

(2) displaying, in the window of the computer program and contemporaneously with (1), a message summary, the message summary comprising first information derived from the first message;

(3) receiving, from a user, input selecting the message summary; and

(4) displaying third information derived from the first message, in response to receiving the user input.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein (1) comprises displaying the web content in a first frame of the window, and wherein (2) comprises displaying the message summary in a second frame of the window distinct from the first frame.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first online forum comprises a web-based message board.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein (2) comprises:

(2)(a) receiving the first information from at least one remote source;

(2)(b) storing the first information at a local source; and

(2)(c) displaying the first information from the local source.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the third information contains information not contained in the first information.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein (3) comprises receiving input indicating that the user has positioned a cursor over the message summary.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein (4) comprises displaying the third information using a tooltip.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein (4) comprises displaying the third information using a static user interface object.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein (4) comprises displaying third information retrieved from a local source.

32. An apparatus comprising:

first means for displaying, in a window of a computer program, web content representing a first message, the first message comprising one of a plurality of messages posted to a first online forum;

second means for displaying, in the window of the computer program and contemporaneously with the first means for displaying, a message summary, the message summary comprising first information derived from the first message;

means for receiving, from a user, input selecting the message summary; and

third means for displaying third information derived from the first message, in response to receiving the user input.