Method and apparatus for allowing online directory producers to preview advertisement in online directory listings

• US 6,026,371 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haegele, Gerald Eugene, Beck, Teresa Marie, Nusbickel, Wendi Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAZIMI, HANI M
• Application Number:
  US08/978,240
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14, 395/200.31, 395/200.33, 395/200.35, 395/200.47, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 707/201, 707/204, 707/501, 707/513, 707/10, 709/201, 709/203, 709/205, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method and system for permitting businesses and organizations to preview their customized Web-based advertisement in an Online directory listing. The method consists of: linking at least one database server to at least one Web server. The database server has a production database and a staging database wherein the staging database is a replica copy of the production database. Creating (or revising) custom multimedia advertisement material using a variety of widely available HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) tools; importing the resulting HTML source and associated multimedia files into the staging database stored in the database server; and previewing the custom Web pages on the staging database as if they were running on the production database.

Claims

1. An information processing system comprising:

at least one database server linked to at least one Web server, said Web server comprising a plurality of Web browser clients connected thereto, said database server comprising a production database and a staging database;

means for creating Web pages having multimedia data files and links to other Online data on at least one of said Web browser clients;

means for importing said Web pages into said staging database of said database server;

means for previewing said Web pages on said staging database on at least one of said Web browser clients;

, as if said Web pages were running on said production database of said database server; and

means for updating said production database of said database server with said Web pages that have been imported into said staging database of said database server.

2. The information processing system of claim 1 wherein said means for previewing said Web pages on said staging database further comprises:

means for deleting each of said Web pages.

3. The information processing system of claim 1 wherein said means for previewing said Web pages on said staging database further comprises:

means for updating said production data base with said Web pages.

4. The information processing system of claim 1 further comprising:

said means for creating said Web pages on a separate information processing system and not connected to said Web server.

5. The information processing system of claim 1 wherein said means for importing includes importing of said Web pages submitted from said Web browser clients.

6. A method for previewing Web-based advertisements in an Online directory listing, comprising the steps of:

linking at least one database server to at least one Web server, said database server comprising a production database and a staging database;

creating Web pages having multimedia data files and links to other Online data on at least one of said Web browser clients;

importing Web pages into said staging database of said database server;

previewing said Web pages on said staging database on at least one of said Web browser clients as if said Web pages were running on said production database of said database server; and

updating said production database of said database server with said Web pages that have been imported into said staging database of said database server.

7. The method for previewing custom Web-based advertisements in Online directory listings of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

selectively deleting portions of said custom multimedia Web pages.

8. The method for previewing custom Web-based advertisements in Online directory listings of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

updating said production data base with said custom multimedia Web pages.

9. The method for previewing custom Web-based advertisements in Online directory listings of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

creating on a separate information processing system custom multimedia Web pages having associated multimedia data files and associated links to other Online data.

10. The method for previewing custom Web-based advertisements in Online directory listings of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

importing custom Web pages submitted from said Web browser clients having associated multimedia data files and associated links to other Online data into said database server.

11. The method for previewing custom Web-based advertisements in Online directory listings of claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

importing pointers pointing to said custom Web pages having associated multimedia data files and associated links to other Online data into said database server such that said Web pages are hosted on another information processing system.

12. A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for previewing custom Web-based advertisements in an Online directory listing comprising the instructions of:

linking at least one database server to at least one Web server, said database server comprising a production database and a staging database;

creating custom multimedia Web pages having multimedia data files and links to other Online data on at least one of said Web browser clients;

importing said Web pages into said staging database of said database server;

previewing said Web pages on said staging database on at least one of said Web browser clients as if said Web pages were running on said production database of said database server; and

updating said production database of said database server with said Web pages that have been imported into said staging database of said database server.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 further comprises the instruction for:

selectively deleting portions of said Web pages.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 further comprising the instruction for:

updating said production data base with said Web pages.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 further comprising the instruction for:

creating on a separate information processing system Web pages having multimedia data files and links to other Online data.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 further comprises the instruction for:

importing Web pages submitted from said Web browser clients having multimedia data files and links to other Online data into said database server.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 further comprises the instruction for:

importing pointers pointing to said Web pages having multimedia data files and links to other Online data into said database server such that said Web pages are hosted on another information processing system.

18. An information processing system comprising:

at least one Web server;

a plurality of Web browser clients connected to said Web server;

at least one database server linked to said Web server;

a first interface in said database server for coupling to a production database;

a second interface in said database server for coupling to a staging database;

means for importing from one or more Web browser clients into said staging database custom multimedia Web pages having multimedia data files and links to other Online data;

means for updating said production database of said database server with said Web pages that have been imported into said staging database of said database server; and

means for receiving an authorization on said database server from said Web browser clients to update said production database on said database server from said staging database on said database server during previewing of said Web pages on said staging database of said database server, wherein said previewing is presented as if said Web pages were running on said production database of said database server.

19. A method for allowing online directory producers to preview their custom multimedia Web pages in an online directory system comprising the steps of:

linking at least one database server at least one Web server wherein said Web server is coupled to one or more clients;

coupling a first interface to a production database;

coupling a second interface to a staging database;

creating custom multimedia Web pages having multimedia data files and links to other Online data on said clients;

importing said Web pages from said clients into said staging database of said database server;

presenting said Web pages on said clients, wherein said staging database presents said Web pages as if said Web pages were running on said production database of said database server;

updating said production database of said database server with said Web pages that have been imported into said staging database of said database server; and

receiving an authorization from said client after previewing said Web pages to update said production database of said database server by moving said Web pages from said staging database of said database server over to said production database of said database server.