System and method for providing structured tours of hypertext files
First Claim
1. A system for providing a structured tour of hypertext files, comprising:
- a. a server having a tour service page, a plurality of predetermined tour pages, and automated tour guide software that generates automated tour guide information, said server controlling the presentation of said tour pages and synchronizing said automated tour guide information with the presentation of said tour pages;
b. a plurality of clients that display said tour service page, said tour pages, and said automated tour guide information; and
c. a network connecting said clients to each other and said server to said clients, wherein said server transmits said tour service page, said tour page, and said automated tour guide information through said network to said clients.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for providing structured tours of hypertext files. A server controls the presentation of hypertext files to a user. Accompanying information to the hypertext files in the form of an automated tour guide is presented and synchronized with the hypertext files by the tour server. A user may depart from the structured tour to explore linked files for a predetermined period of time, and may effect the content and order of the tour by indicating preferences at predetermined points along the tour. More than one user may take a tour, and the users on a tour may communicate with each other. Items may be purchased on a tour, and the user may send postcards based upon visited hypertext files to other users.
347 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for providing a structured tour of hypertext files, comprising:
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a. a server having a tour service page, a plurality of predetermined tour pages, and automated tour guide software that generates automated tour guide information, said server controlling the presentation of said tour pages and synchronizing said automated tour guide information with the presentation of said tour pages; b. a plurality of clients that display said tour service page, said tour pages, and said automated tour guide information; and c. a network connecting said clients to each other and said server to said clients, wherein said server transmits said tour service page, said tour page, and said automated tour guide information through said network to said clients. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of providing a structured group tour of Hypertext files, 2 comprising the steps of:
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a. displaying a tour service page to a first user, said tour service page comprising a tour representation; b. displaying a group tour option when said tour representation is selected by the first user; c. designating the tour a group tour when said group tour option is selected by the first user; d. querying the first user to name said group tour; e. displaying a group tour representation on said tour service page, said group tour representation comprising a group tour name entered by the first user; f. querying the first user to designate a window of time during which other users may join said group tour; g. displaying said group tour representation on said tour service page, said group tour representation further comprising the time remaining for other users to join said group tour; h. displaying said tour service page comprising said group tour representation to other users; and i. displaying a predetermined plurality of tour pages and automated tour guide information to the first user and other users who selected said group tour representation before the expiration of said window of time. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method or providing a structured group tour of Hypertext files, comprising the steps of:
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a. displaying a tour service page to a first user, said tour service page comprising a tour representation; b. displaying a group tour option when said tour representation is selected by the first user; c. designating the tour a group tour when said group tour option is selected by the first user; d. querying the first user to name said group tour; e. displaying a group tour representation on said tour service page, said group tour representation comprising a group tour name entered by the first user; f. querying the first user to designate said group tour either open or closed; g. querying the first user to designate a window of time during which other users may join said group tour; h. displaying said group tour representation on said tour service page, said group tour representation further comprising the time remaining for other users to join said group tour,; i. displaying said tour service page comprising said group tour representation to other users; j. displaying a list of other users who have selected said group tour to said first user until the expiration of said window of time; k. removing a user from said group tour when said user is selected to be removed from said list by the first user; and l. displaying a predetermined plurality of pages and automated tour guide information to the first user and other users who selected said group tour representation before the expiration of said window of time and who were not selected to be removed by the first user.
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25. A system for providing a structured tour of Hypertext files, comprising:
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a. means for displaying a list of at least one tour; b. means for conducting a tour, comprising; i. means for displaying a predetermined series of pages; and ii. means for providing narration to accompany the display of said predetermined series of pages.
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26. A system for providing a structured tour of Hypertext files, comprising:
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a. a primary tour server with hypertext transport protocol software; b. a user client having at least one display device connected to said primary tour server through a network; c. primary tour server software residing on said primary tour server, said primary tour server software comprising; i. at least one tour service hypertext file; ii. instructions and data for causing a predetermined series of pages to presented on said display device of said user client; and iii. instructions and data for causing an automated tour guide to provide narrative accompanying the presentation of said predetermined series of pages on said display device of said user client; and d. a browser residing on said user client, said browser presenting said predetermined series of pages on said display device of said user client. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A system for providing a structured tour of hypertext files, comprising:
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a. a primary tour server with hypertext transport protocol software; b. a user client connected to said primary tour server through a network, said user client comprising; at least one display device; ii. at least one input device; and c. primary tour server software residing on said primary tour server, said primary tour server software comprising; i. at least one tour service hypertext file; ii. instructions and data for causing a predetermined series of pages to presented on said display device of said user client; and iii. instructions and data for causing an automated tour guide to provide narrative accompanying the presentation of said predetermined series of pages on said display device of said user client; and d. a browser residing on said user client, said browser presenting said predetermined series of pages on said display device of said user client. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39)
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38. A method of allowing a second user to join an ongoing structured tour of hypertext files previously initiated by a first user, comprising the steps of:
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a. displaying a tour service page to a second user, said tour service page comprising a tour representation of a tour previously initiated by said first user, said tour representation indicating that said tour is presently ongoing; b. displaying to the second user the page with automated tour guide information presently displayed to the first user when said ongoing tour representation is selected by said second user; and c. displaying a predetermined plurality of pages and automated tour guide information in series to the first user and the second user.
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Specification