SYSTEM AND/OR METHOD FOR LINKING NETWORK CONTENT

• US 20110238646A1
• Filed: 02/25/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tgether Advisory Limited
• Original Assignee: Hamish Charles Robertson, Robin Daniel Chamberlain
• Inventors: Robertson, Hamish Charles, Chamberlain, Robin Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,177,322 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

The present invention provides a system (10) for linking network content (12_n) over a communications network (14_n). The system (10) including: at least one memory or storage unit (20_n) operable to store and/or maintain a plurality of linked-content facilities (30_n), each of the linked-content facilities (30_n) being independently associated with a network location that contains network content (12_n); at least one processor operable to execute software that generates, maintains and/or controls access to the linked-content facilities (30_n) for a plurality of users (24_n); and, at least one input/output device (22_n) operable to provide an interface for the users (24_n) to operate the software in order to retrieve and/or view the linked-content facilities (30_n) for selected network locations from the memory or storage unit (20_n), via the communications network (14_n). Wherein the linked-content facilities (30_n) stored and/or maintained on the memory or storage unit (20_n) include system generated link content (32_n,32A_n), and/or user generated link content (32_n,32A_n) received from at least one user (24_n), regarding network content (12_n) related to the respective network locations. The present invention also provides associated methods (100) for linking network content (12_n) for use with the system (10) of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for linking network content, said method including the steps of:

providing at least one network server which generates, stores and/or maintains a plurality of linked-content facilities, each of said linked-content facilities being independently associated with a network location that contains network content;

providing at least one user operable terminal with controlled access to said at least one network server and said linked-content facilities stored thereon;

receiving and processing at said at least one network server a request sent from said at least one user operable terminal, via a communications network, to view and/or acquire a linked-content facility for a selected network location; and

, displaying and/or providing said linked-content facility on and/or to said at least one user operable terminal for the selected network location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said linked-content facilities stored and/or maintained on said at least one network server include system generated link content, and/or user generated link content received from at least one user of said at least one user operable terminal, regarding network content related to the respective network locations.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, further including the steps of:

receiving user generated link content from at least one of said user operable terminals, via at least one of said linked-content facilities, regarding related network content available at other network locations;

storing said user generated link content on said at least one network server;

selectively updating said at least one of said linked-content facilities with said user generated link content relevant thereto; and

, making said updated linked-content facilities available to all of said user operable terminals;

wherein said user generated link content, and/or said system generated link content, enables said users of said at least one user operable terminals to discover, recommend and/or view network content related to other network content they are interested in and/or are viewing whilst navigating said communications network.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, further including the step of:

acquiring/generating system generated link content for display within a linked-content facility utilising at least one of the following methods;

(i) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location;

crawling and/or perusing said communications network in order to locate other network locations containing similar/related network content; and

, adding links to said linked-content facility representing the other network locations that were discovered;

(ii) acquiring tag information associated with the network content available at the respective network location;

utilising the acquired tag information to locate other network locations having the same and/or similar tags information associated therewith; and

, adding links to said linked-content facility representing the other network locations that were discovered;

(iii) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location;

utilising a network search facility to locate other network locations containing similar/related network content; and

, adding links to said linked-content facility representing the other network locations that were discovered; and

/or, (iv) evaluating existing user generated link content deemed to be related to the respective network located;

utilising the existing user generated link content to locate other network locations having similar/related network content; and

, adding links to said linked-content facility representing the other network locations that were discovered.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said users are provided with a means of rating said system and/or user generated link content such that said at least one network server may utilise the user ratings received in order to determine the order of display of said system and/or user generated link content within said linked-content facilities.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said at least one network server is at least one computing device which includes at least one processor which is operable to execute software that maintains and controls access to said linked-content facilities for said user operable terminals.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said at least one computing device is a web-server accessible to said at least one user operable terminal via said communications network, wherein said users can access said web-server via at least one software application installed on said at least one user operable terminal which may be permanently, or selectively, connected to said communications network.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said communications network is the Internet and/or a mobile/cell phone network, and said network content is WWW content, and each of said linked-content facilities are independently associated with a network location containing said WWW content.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said network location is a URL containing said WWW content.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one user operable terminal is selected from the group consisting of:

a PDA;

a mobile, cellular or smart telephone;

a personal, tablet or notebook computer; and

/or, any other suitable computing or communications device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further including the steps of:

querying said Internet and/or mobile/cell phone network at predetermined intervals to locate available URLs containing WWW content, and/or, receiving URLs from web-users wishing to view linked-content facilities for selected URLs;

acquiring and storing at least selected ones of said URLs in at least one repository associated with said web-server; and

, generating a linked-content facility for each of said URLs stored in said at least one repository.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said web-server is a search engine and said at least one software application installed on said at least one user operable terminal is a web-browser GUI or a mobile/cell phone GUI.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said request sent from said at least one user operable terminal to said search engine, via said Internet and/or mobile/cell phone network, to view and/or acquire a linked-content facility for a selected URL is accomplished by said users clicking on, or hovering over, hyper-links or buttons displayed within said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI that are associated with respective ones of a list of URLs, and/or other details pertaining thereto, containing WWW content that are displayed after a search has been performed.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, further including the step of:

displaying at least one of said linked-content facilities beside a respective one of said URLs contained within said list of URLs that are displayed after a search has been performed.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, further including the step of:

for a selected one of said URLs contained within said list of URLs, simultaneously displaying said WWW content available at said URL, and its independently associated linked-content facility;

utilising a single screen of said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI;

or, utilising multiple screens, pop-up windows or tabs of said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein said request sent from said at least one user operable terminal to said search engine, via said Internet and/or mobile/cell phone network, to view and/or acquire a linked-content facility for a selected URL is accomplished by said users entering said selected URL directly into any suitable search field provided by said search engine within said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, further including the step of:

simultaneously displaying said WWW content available at said selected URL, and its independently associated linked-content facility;

utilising a single screen of said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI;

or, utilising multiple screens, pop-up windows or tabs of said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI.

18. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said web-server is a dedicated network content linking server which can be used by said users to display said WWW content and said independently associated linked-content facilities.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said at least one software application installed on said at least one user operable terminal is a web-browser GUI or a mobile/cell phone GUI.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said request sent from said at least one user operable terminal to said dedicated network content linking server, via said Internet and/or mobile/cell phone network, is accomplished by said users:

entering a selected URL directly into a URL or search field built into said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI;

entering a selected URL into a search or retrieve URL field provided on a website displayed within said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI; and

/or, selecting a selected URL from a list of favourites or bookmarks accessible to said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20, wherein after sending said request to said dedicated network content linking server, said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI simultaneously displays said WWW content and its independently associated linked-content facilities:

utilising a single screen of said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI;

or, utilising multiple screens, pop-up windows or tabs of said web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI.

22. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said linked-content facilities are selectively displayed within a web-browser or mobile/cell phone GUI utilising a browser plug-in, including a toolbar or a web-browser add-on.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said toolbar includes at least two buttons for activating a link recommendation system which is also provided by said web-server, a first of said at least two buttons is a ‘

bookmark’

button to enable users to flag WWW content they like whilst navigating said Internet or mobile phone network, which is then acquired by said web-server; and

, a second of said at least two buttons is a ‘

recommendation’

button to enable users to retrieve and display random or recommended WWW content available at a URL determined by said web-server that is similar to WWW content previously flagged by said user utilising said ‘

bookmark’

button.

24. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said user operable terminals include two software applications installed thereon, a first of said two software applications being a GUI for displaying said WWW content, and a second of said two software applications being a dedicated linked-content GUI for displaying said independently associated linked-content facilities.

25. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein when a user chooses to view and/or acquire WWW content available at a link provided within a particular linked-content facility, and/or a link to other WWW content provided within the WWW content itself, that WWW content is then displayed within at least one GUI along with the linked-content facility independently associated thereto.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein when a WWW user clicks on a link provided within a linked-content facility, and/or within the WWW content initially displayed, the WWW content available at that link is displayed, and at around the same time the linked-content facility dynamically updates to display the linked-content facility for the WWW content then being displayed.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, further including generating and adding a return link to the previously displayed WWW content to the linked-content facility presently being displayed beside the new WWW content so that the WWW user can return to the previous WWW content if desired, and/or rate the relevance of that previous WWW content to the new WWW content then being viewed.

28. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said link-content facilities also include/display:

images and/or thumbnails representing the WWW content available at respective URLs; and

/or, tag and/or note information related to the WWW content available at respective URLs.

29. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said linked-content facilities include at least one advertising space which can be used to display advertisements and/or sponsored links to said users.

30. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to execute a method for linking network content, said method including the steps of:

providing a central repository for storing and/or maintaining a plurality of linked-content facilities, each of said linked-content facilities being independently associated with a network location that contains network content;

providing at least one user operable terminal with controlled access to said linked-content facilities stored in said central repository;

receiving and processing a request sent from said at least one user operable terminal, via a communications network, to view and/or acquire a linked-content facility for a selected network location; and

, displaying and/or providing said linked-content facility on and/or to said at least one user operable terminal for the selected network location.

31. The machine readable medium as claimed in claim 30, wherein said linked-content facilities stored and/or maintained in said central repository include system generated link content, and/or user generated link content received from at least one user of said at least one user operable terminal, regarding network content related to the respective network locations.

32. A system for linking network content, said system being operable over a communications network, said system including:

at least one memory or storage unit operable to store and/or maintain a plurality of linked-content facilities, each of said linked-content facilities being independently associated with a network location that contains network content;

at least one processor operable to execute software that generates, maintains and/or controls access to said linked-content facilities for a plurality of users; and

, at least one input/output device operable to provide an interface for said plurality of users to operate said software in order to retrieve and/or view said linked-content facilities for selected network locations from said at least one memory or storage unit, via said communications network;

wherein said linked-content facilities stored and/or maintained on said at least one memory or storage unit include system generated link content, and/or user generated link content received from at least one of said plurality of users, regarding network content related to the respective network locations.

33. The system as claimed in claim 32, wherein said system includes at least one computing device having said at least one processor and said at least one memory or storage unit associated therewith, and wherein said at least one computing device is a network server connected to said communications network.

34. The system as claimed in claim 33, wherein said network server is a web-server accessible to said plurality of users via said communications network, and wherein said communications network is the Internet and/or a mobile/cell phone network.

35. The system as claimed in claim 34, wherein said at least one input/output device is associated with at least one user operable terminal, wherein each of said plurality of users can access said linked-content facilities stored and/or maintained on said web-server via at least one software application installed on said at least one user operable terminal which may be permanently, or selectively, connected to said Internet and/or mobile phone network.

36. The system as claimed in claim 35, wherein said at least one user operable terminal is selected from the group consisting of:

a FDA;

a mobile, cellular or smart telephone;

a personal, tablet or notebook computer; and

/or, any other suitable computing or communications device.

37. The system as claimed in claim 34, wherein said network content is WWW content and each of said linked-content facilities are independently associated with a network location.

38. The system as claimed in claim 37, wherein said network location is a URL containing said WWW content.

39. The system as claimed in claim 38, wherein said linked-content facilities can be selectively displayed beside a list of URLs, and/or other details pertaining thereto, provided within a search engine GUI after an Internet and/or mobile phone network search has been performed.

40. The system as claimed in claim 38, wherein for any selected URL, said WWW content and its independently associated linked-content facility can be selectively and simultaneously displayed within at least one GUI.

41. The system as claimed in claim 38, wherein when a user chooses to view and/or acquire WWW content available at a link provided within a particular linked-content facility, and/or a link to other WWW content provided within the WWW content itself, that WWW content is then displayed within at least one GUI along with the linked-content facility independently associated thereto.

42. The system as claimed in claim 41, wherein when a user clicks on a link provided within a linked-content facility, and/or within the WWW content initially displayed, the WWW content available at that link is displayed, and at around the same time the linked-content facility dynamically updates to display the linked-content facility for the WWW content then being viewed.

43. A method for linking WWW content via the Internet and/or a mobile/cell phone network, said method including the steps of:

acquiring details pertaining to network locations containing WWW content;

generating an independently associated linked-content facility for each of said network locations for which details were acquired; and

, selectively making said linked-content facilities available to WWW users upon request to enable them to discover, recommend and/or view WWW content related to other WWW content they are interested in and/or are viewing whilst navigating the Internet and/or mobile/cell phone network.

44. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein said network locations are URLs that specify the addresses of said WWW content, and wherein said step of acquiring details pertaining to URLs containing WWW content includes the step(s) of:

querying said Internet and/or mobile/cell phone network at predetermined intervals to locate details of at least selected ones of available URLs; and

/or, acquiring URLs details from said WWW users upon receiving requests to view linked-content facilities for selected URLs.

45. The method as claimed in claim 44, wherein said linked-content facilities include system generated link content, and/or user generated link content received from at least one of said WWW users, regarding WWW content related to the respective URLs.

46. The method as claimed in claim 45, further including the step of:

displaying at least one of said linked-content facilities beside a list of URLs, and/or other details pertaining thereto, provided within a search engine GUI after an Internet and/or mobile phone/cell network search has been performed.

47. The method as claimed in claim 45, further including the step of:

for any selected URL, simultaneously displaying said WWW content and its independently associated linked-content facility within at least one GUI.