Software And Method That Enables Selection Of One Of A Plurality Of Online Service Providers

• US 20100287155A1
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TMI Solutions LLC (Strategic Intellectual Solutions, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Twintech E.U.
• Inventors: REISMAN, Richard R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/709
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/18 Address timing or clocking circuits; Address control signal generation or management, e.g. for row address strobe [RAS] or column address strobe [CAS] signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A novel electronic information transport component can be incorporated in a wide range of electronic information products, for example magazine collections, to automate the mass distribution of updates, such as current issues, from a remote server to a wide user base having a diversity of computer stations. Advantages of economy, immediacy and ease of use are provided. Extensions of the invention permit automated electronic catalog shopping with order placement and, optionally, order confirmation. A server-based update distribution service is also provided. In addition, an offline web browser system, with hyperlink redirection capabilities, a novel recorded music product with automated update capabilities and an Internet charging mechanism are provided.

Claims

1. A method for automatically building a web package, comprising:

receiving, from a client system, an indication that at least one instance of content has been selected on the client system;

retrieving instances of the selected content from a plurality of network based content providers; and

assembling the retrieved content into a web package.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication includes receiving an indication that the content has been selected at a user station.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving an indication is performed by a web aggregator.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication of a selection made by a server log function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving instances of the selected content further comprises accessing multiple web pages from diverse locations using a selection tool.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the accessing multiple web pages includes performing a web crawler function, or a web spider function.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving instances of the selected content further comprises accessing a plurality of web packages using a selection tool.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the accessing selection tool includes performing a web crawler function, or a web spider function.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing a plurality of aggregators of web packages using a selection tool.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the accessing using a selection tool includes performing a web crawler function, or a web spider function.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein assembling the retrieved content further comprises one or more of sorting the retrieved content, reordering the retrieved content or relocating the retrieved content.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically repeating the retrieving and assembling upon the occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the retrieving instances of the selected content comprises retrieving selected content from a plurality of previously visited network based content providers.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether to automatically repeat the retrieving and the assembling based upon a schedule, a client poll, or a server poll.

15. A method for caching a web package, comprising:

logging a plurality of Universal Resource Locators (URLs) associated with a content retrieval;

assembling the plurality of URLs associated with the content retrieval; and

organizing the plurality of URLs and a plurality of document objects associated with the plurality of URLs into a directed database tree.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising repeating the logging, assembling and organizing upon the occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein logging a plurality of URLs comprises one or more of retrieving URLs from a server log, accessing and retrieving URLs from a plurality of web pages, accessing and retrieving URLs from a plurality of web packages, or accessing and retrieving URLs from an aggregator of web packages.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein organizing the plurality of URLs comprises connecting the plurality of URLs and the plurality of document objects by hyperlinks.

19. A method for constructing a web package cache manager, comprising:

storing a plurality of document objects in a dynamic directed database tree comprising a plurality of Universal Resource Locators (URLs) associated with the plurality of document objects;

sorting the plurality of document objects in the dynamic directed database tree;

reordering the plurality of document objects in the dynamic directed database tree;

relocating a portion of the plurality of document objects in the dynamic directed database tree; and

retrieving a portion of the plurality of document objects from the dynamic directed database tree.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of document objects comprise web pages, software, fetch-send protocols, and client and server documents and data.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising, performing the storing, sorting, recording, relocating, and retrieving automatically according to a schedule.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising performing the storing, sorting, reordering, relocating, and retrieving repeatedly according to a schedule.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising, performing the storing, sorting, recording, relocating, and retrieving in response to a client poll or a server poll.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising, performing the storing, sorting, recording, relocating, and retrieving on a user-selected portion of the dynamic directed database tree or a server-selected portion of the dynamic directed database tree.

25. A method to dynamically update an information object in a web package, comprising:

receiving update data from a server at a user station;

integrating the update data into the information object, wherein the information object includes a static portion and an updateable portion, and wherein integrating the update data includes integrating the update data into the updateable portion of the information object;

displaying the static portion of the information object at the user station; and

displaying the update data within the updateable portion of the information object at the user station, while maintaining the display of the static portion unchanged.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving the update data from the server automatically and on a schedule.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving the update data from the server in responding to one of a user poll and a server poll.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving the update data from the server automatically in responding to data input by a user.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

responding to data input by a user entered by a user into a foam at the user station.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

responding to data input into one of an HTML form or another markup language form.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the user station comprises a mobile device capable of receiving the update data from the server.

32. A method for dynamically updating an information object in a web package at a server, comprising:

receiving an update object from a user station at the server;

integrating the update object into an integrated information object at the server;

sorting a plurality of integrated information objects at the server;

reordering the plurality of integrated information objects at the server; and

relocating the plurality of integrated information objects at the server.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

exchanging an update object using a bidirectional fetch-send protocol to accommodate a web package at the server.

34. A method for constructing a web package cache manager, comprising:

storing a plurality of document objects in a dynamic directed database tree comprising a plurality of URLs associated with the plurality of document objects; and

retrieving a portion of the plurality of document objects from the dynamic directed database tree.

35. A tangible computer-readable storage medium for automatically building a web package, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a client system, an indication that at least one instance of content has been selected on the client system;

retrieving instances of the selected content from a plurality of network based content providers; and

assembling the retrieved content into a web package.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein receiving an indication includes receiving an indication that the content has been selected at a user station.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the receiving an indication is performed by a web aggregator.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving an indication of a selection made by a server log function.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein retrieving instances of the selected content further comprises accessing multiple web pages from diverse locations using a selection tool.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the accessing multiple web pages includes performing a web crawler function, or a web spider function.

41. The method of claim 35, wherein retrieving instances of the selected content further comprises accessing a plurality of web packages using a selection tool.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the accessing selection tool includes performing a web crawler function, or a web spider function.

43. The method of claim 35, further comprising accessing a plurality of aggregators of web packages using a selection tool.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the accessing using a selection tool includes performing a web crawler function, or a web spider function.

45. The method of claim 35, wherein assembling the retrieved content further comprises one or more of sorting the retrieved content, reordering the retrieved content or relocating the retrieved content.

46. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

automatically repeating the retrieving and assembling upon the occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the retrieving instances of the selected content comprises retrieving selected content from a plurality of previously visited network based content providers.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising determining whether to automatically repeat the retrieving and the assembling based upon a schedule, a client poll, or a server poll.

49. A tangible computer-readable storage medium for automatically caching a web package, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

logging a plurality of Universal Resource Locators (URLs) associated with a content retrieval;

assembling the plurality of URLs associated with the content retrieval; and

organizing the plurality of URLs and a plurality of document objects associated with the plurality of URLs into a directed database tree.

50. The method of claim 49, further comprising repeating the logging, assembling and organizing upon the occurrence of one or more predetermined conditions.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein logging a plurality of URLs comprises one or more of retrieving URLs from a server log, accessing and retrieving URLs from a plurality of web pages, accessing and retrieving URLs from a plurality of web packages, or accessing and retrieving URLs from an aggregator of web packages.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein organizing the plurality of URLs comprises connecting the plurality of URLs and the plurality of document objects by hyperlinks.

53. A tangible computer-readable storage medium for automatically constructing a web package cache manager, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:

storing a plurality of document objects in a dynamic directed database tree comprising a plurality of Universal Resource Locators (URLs) associated with the plurality of document objects;

sorting the plurality of document objects in the dynamic directed database tree;

reordering the plurality of document objects in the dynamic directed database tree;

relocating a portion of the plurality of document objects in the dynamic directed database tree; and

retrieving a portion of the plurality of document objects from the dynamic directed database tree.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the plurality of document objects comprise web pages, software, fetch-send protocols, and client and server documents and data.

55. The method of claim 53, further comprising, performing the storing, sorting, recording, relocating, and retrieving automatically according to a schedule.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising performing the storing, sorting, reordering, relocating, and retrieving repeatedly according to a schedule.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising, performing the storing, sorting, recording, relocating, and retrieving in response to a client poll or a server poll.

58. The method of claim 53, further comprising, performing the storing, sorting, recording, relocating, and retrieving on a user-selected portion of the dynamic directed database tree or a server-selected portion of the dynamic directed database tree.