Hyperlinks resolution at and by a special network server in order to enable diverse sophisticated hyperlinking upon a digital network

• US 6,006,265 A
• Filed: 04/02/1998
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tata America International Corporation (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: HOTV Incorporated
• Inventors: Sampath-Kumar, P. Srihari, Shastri, Vijnan, Rangan, P. Venkat, Ashwani, Arya
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/054,362
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 707/502, 707/501, 345/302, 345/2, 345/10, 345/104, 709/226, 709/229, 709/218, 709/249, 709/200, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8583 by creating hot-spots
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Streaming digital hypervideo including copious embedded hyperlinks is distributed upon a digital communications network from a hypervideo server, normally an Internet Service Provider, to multitudinous client subscribers/users/viewers (client SUVs). Some or all of the client SUVs receive the same hyperlinks at the same place in the streaming hypervideo. Some small fraction of the client SUVs selectively volitionally exercise a fraction of the total hyperlinks, causing an access in the background of the unfolding hypervideo across the digital communications network to yet another server commonly called a "Video On Web server", or "VOW server". The VOW sever interprets each hyperlink request in consideration of (i) the identity of the exercising client SUV and, most commonly, (ii) additional data of a demographic, socioeconomic, credit, viewing preference, security and/or past hyperlinking history nature. The VOW Server supplies each hyperlink-exercising client SUV with a potentially custom hyperlink --normally in the form of a network universal resource locator (URL) or an index to a file of URLs--while keeping track of commercially useful data regarding the client SUV response(s). Each client SUV uses its own associated received URL to retrieve a potentially unique resource. The resource can be internal, such as an executable software program, but is normally located somewhere on the network and is typically in the nature of tailored and/or targeted advertisements, messages of personal or local or temporal pertinence and/or urgency, and/or the results of contests or lotteries. Hypervideo hyperlinks are thus dynamically resolved during streaming network communications to support full custom hyperlinking by each of multitudinous networked client SUVs.

Claims

1. A method of resolving hyperlinks present in hypervideo distributed upon a digital communications network, the method comprising:

distributing from a first, hypervideo, network server upon a digital network to each of a multiplicity of network client subscribers/users/viewers digital hypervideo containing hyperlinks that link when exercised to a second, hyperlink-resolving, network server;

selectively exercising at the network client subscribers/users/viewers the hyperlinks so as to cause communication linkage upon the network to the second, hyperlink-resolving, network server;

resolving at the second, hyperlink-resolving, network server all received, selectively-exercised, hyperlinks in consideration of the individual network identities of the hyperlink-exercising client subscribers/users/viewers and, consequent to this resolving, communicating back across the digital network to the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers linkage information that is not identical for all, but that is instead different for at least two of these hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers; and

receiving at the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers linkage information from the second, hyperlink-resolving, network server, and acting upon this linkage information to access resources upon the network;

wherein the resources accessed by at least two of the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers are different nonetheless to the fact that the hyperlinks within the hypervideo originally distributed to both were the same.

2. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 1

wherein the interpreting at the second server is so as to communicate back across the network information in the nature of a network universal resource locator to the hyperlink-exercising client subscribers/users/viewers.

3. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 1

wherein, consequent to the receipt of the information at the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers, the resource is retrieved upon the network.

4. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 1

wherein, consequent to the receipt of the information at the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers, the resource is retrieved locally, within the client subscribers/users/viewers.

5. A method of resolving hyperlinks present in hypervideo distributed upon a digital communications network, the method comprising:

communicating streaming digital hypervideo containing hyperlinks upon a digital network from a first, hypervideo, server to each of a multiplicity of network client subscribers/users/viewers where at least two client subscribers/users/viewers receive the same hyperlink;

selectively exercising at at least two of the network client subscribers/users/viewers the same hyperlink so as to cause these exercising client subscribers/users/viewers to communicate upon the digital network to, in accordance that the exercised hyperlinks are the same, a same port of another, second, network server;

receiving at the port of the second network server notification of the exercised hyperlink from each of the at least two client subscribers/users/viewers so exercising the same hyperlink;

interpreting at the second server all received exercised hyperlinks in consideration of the individual network identities, known to the second server, of the hyperlink-exercising client subscribers/users/viewers and, consequent to this interpreting, communicating back across the digital network to the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers information that is not identical for all, but that is instead different for at least two, of the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers as did exercise the same hyperlink; and

receiving at the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers the information that is different for at least two of these hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers as did originally exercise the same hyperlink, and, consequent to the receipt of this information, retrieving a resource in accordance therewith, the different information leading to different resources so that at least two of the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers that originally exercised the same hyperlink do not retrieve the same resource but, instead retrieve different resources;

wherein at least some hyperlink-exercising client subscribers/users/viewers, nonetheless to originally exercising the same hyperlink, ultimately retrieve different resources.

6. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 5

wherein the interpreting at the second server the received exercised hyperlinks is further in consideration of additional data individually associated with each of the hyperlink-exercising client subscribers/users/viewers, the identities of which hyperlink-exercising client subscribers/users/viewers are known.

7. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 6

wherein the interpreting is further in consideration of additional data of the nature of demographic data.

8. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 6

wherein the interpreting is further in consideration of additional data of the nature of socioeconomic data.

9. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 6

wherein the interpreting is further in consideration of additional data of the nature of credit data.

10. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 6

wherein the interpreting is further in consideration of additional data of the nature of hypervideo-viewing preference data previously expressed by the individual client subscribers/users/viewers.

11. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 6

wherein the interpreting is further in consideration of additional data of the nature of past hyperlinks exercised by the individual client subscribers/users/viewers.

12. The method of resolving hyperlinks according to claim 11 further comprising after the interpreting:

updating at the second server a database of information concerning past hyperlinks exercised by the individual client subscribers/users/viewers in consideration of the hyperlink just exercised, and just interpreted.

13. A digital communications network distributing hypervideo with embedded hyperlinks comprising:

a digital communications network;

a first, hypervideo, network server distributing upon the network to each of a multiplicity of network client subscribers/users/viewers digital hypervideo containing hyperlinks that link when exercised to a second, hyperlink-resolving, network server;

a multiplicity of network client subscribers/users/viewers upon the network receiving thereupon the hypervideo from the first, hypervideo, network server, and selectively exercising the hyperlinks so as to cause communication hyperlinking upon the network to the second, hyperlink-resolving, network server;

a second, hyperlink-resolving, network server resolving all received, selectively-exercised, hyperlinks in consideration of the individual network identities of the hyperlink-exercising client subscribers/users/viewers and, consequent to this resolving, communicating back across the digital network to the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers linkage information that is not identical for all, but that is instead different for at least two of these hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers; and

wherein the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers, upon receiving the linkage information from the second, hyperlink-resolving, network server, do act upon this linkage information to access resources upon the network;

wherein at least two of the hyperlink-exercising and communicating client subscribers/users/viewers do access different resources upon the network nonetheless to the fact that the hyperlinks within the hypervideo originally distributed to both were the same.

14. A computerized process performed at a digital communications network server in response to receipt of notice from a particular client subscriber/user/viewer out of many subscribers/users/viewers upon the network to the effect that the particular client subscriber/user/viewer has volitionally selected a hyperlink, the process comprising:

comparing (i) a unique identity of the particular client subscriber/user/viewer who has volitionally selected the hyperlink with (ii) a pre-existing database of information regarding, inter alia, the particular client subscriber/user/viewer; and

choosing and providing a response to the particular client subscriber/user/viewer in accordance with the information stored within the pre-existing database of information;

wherein the process is called "dynamic hyperlink resolution";

because the response to each subscriber/user/viewer who has selected the same hyperlink is not the same for all subscribers/users/viewers, but is dependent upon the individual one subscriber/user/viewer.

15. The process according to claim 14

wherein the choosing and providing is of a response in the form of universal resource locator.

16. The process according to claim 15

wherein the chosen and provided response in the form of universal resource locator is directed to an advertisement targeted to the particular client subscriber/user/viewer.

17. The process according to claim 15

wherein the chosen and provided response in the form of universal resource locator is directed to a coupon targeted to the particular client subscriber/user/viewer.

18. The process according to claim 15

wherein the choosing and providing is of a response in the form of a control signal and accompanying information to the client subscriber/user/viewer.

19. The process according to claim 18

wherein the chosen and provided response in the form of a control signal and accompanying information causes branching by the particular client subscriber/user/viewer.

20. The process according to claim 18

wherein the chosen and provided response in the form of a control signal and accompanying information causes a display by the particular client subscriber/user/viewer.

21. The process according to claim 14 further comprising:

running a contest of skill among the collective notices of all subscribers/users/viewers who do timely volitionally select a particular hyperlink;

wherein the choosing and providing is of a response in the form of a win/lose notification of the contest.

22. The process according to claim 14 further comprising:

running a lottery of chance among the collective notices of all subscribers/users/viewers who do timely volitionally select a particular hyperlink;

wherein the choosing and providing is of a response in the form of a win/lose notification of the lottery.

23. The process according to claim 14

wherein the choosing and providing is of a response in the form of a dunning notice targeted to the particular one subscriber/user/viewer who has not paid his or her bill from the network service provider.

24. The process according to claim 14

wherein the choosing and providing is of a response in the form of a pay-per-view video presentation.

25. The process according to claim 14 further comprising:

keeping track of the notice from the particular subscriber/user/viewer, and other notices from the same subscriber/user/viewer, as accumulated information revealing the preferences and the activities of the particular subscriber/user/viewer.

26. The process according to claim 25 further comprising:

providing hyperlinks in the first instance to the particular subscriber/user/viewer in consideration of previously accumulated information regarding the preferences and the activities of the particular subscriber/user/viewer.

27. In a digital communications network where hypervideo containing hyperlinks is communicated from a digital hypervideo server to a client subscriber/user/viewer, a method of resolving a exercise of a particular hyperlink by a particular client subscriber/user/viewer out of many such subscribers/users/viewers upon the network, the method comprising:

communicating the exercise of the particular hyperlink by the particular client subscriber/user/viewer over the network to a control server where is stored (i) all hyperlinks and (ii) information in respect of all subscribers/users/viewers;

providing across the digital communications network to the particular client subscriber/user/viewer a universal resource locator in accordance with (i) the exercised hyperlink, and (ii) the stored information;

using at the client subscriber/user/viewer the universal resource locator received across the digital communications network to access a network resource;

wherein the process is called "dynamic hyperlink resolution";

because the universal resource locator provided each subscriber/user/viewer who has selected the same hyperlink is not the same, but is instead dependent upon the stored information.

28. The method according to claim 27

wherein the provided universal resource locator is to an advertisement in respect of the individual client subscriber/user/viewer exercising the hyperlink.

29. A computerized security process performed at a network service provider providing upon a communications network hypervideo to each of a multiplicity of subscribers/users/viewers upon the network, the process comprising:

receiving upon a digital communications network communicating hypervideo notice from a particular client subscriber/user/viewer out of many subscribers/users/viewers of hypervideo upon the network to the effect that the particular client subscriber/user/viewer has volitionally selected a hyperlink;

comparing (i) a unique identity of the particular subscriber/user/viewer to whom the hypervideo has been supplied with (ii) a pre-existing database of information regarding, inter alia, the preferences of each individual subscriber/user/viewer; and

choosing and providing a particular hyperlink to the particular subscriber/user/viewer in accordance with the information that was stored in the database regarding that particular subscriber/user/viewer;

wherein no subscriber/user/viewer will receive hyperlinks offensive to or inconsistent with pre-existing information regarding that subscriber/user/viewer, and, instead, each subscriber/user/viewer will receive only hyperlinks that are consonant with and in respect of the pre-existing information regarding that subscriber/user/viewer.

30. A computerized security process according to claim 29

wherein the comparing is to a pre-existing database of information regarding, inter alia, the status of accounts of each individual subscriber/user/viewer;

wherein hyperlinks to added cost services are omitted from hypervideo network communicated to subscribers/users/viewers whose accounts are in arrears.

31. A computerized security process according to claim 29

wherein the comparing is to a pre-existing database of information regarding, inter alia, the acceptability of information of certain types to each individual subscriber/user/viewer;

wherein hyperlinks to information of certain types are omitted from hypervideo network communicated to subscribers/users/viewers who do not find such types of information acceptable.