System and method for communicating information relating to a network resource

• US 6,336,131 B1
• Filed: 04/05/2000
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mark A. Wolfe
• Inventors: Wolfe, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/544,243
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 345/115, 345/333, 345/760, 345/733, 345/738, 345/781, 707/9, 707/501, 707/513, 707/526, 707/517, 707/514
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers

Abstract

In an information retrieval system, a system and method for presentation of information and/or resources that are pertinent to an individual'"'"'s interests or task. Guiding individuals to places of interest on a network where information is stored, and displaying or otherwise presenting useful information to the user.

Claims

1. A client computer that is operated by a user and is programmed to:

(a) display a first document in a web browser window on a display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the first document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved over a network from a first web server using HTTP protocol, wherein the first document is a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements and also includes links to linked documents, and wherein the first document is published by a first online merchant and provides information about a first item that is available for purchase from the first online merchant;

(b) detect that a document providing information about the first item is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer;

(c) upon detecting that a document providing information about the first item is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer, automatically activate a competitive information display element on the display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the competitive information display element is not part of or embedded into the first document that is displayed in the web browser window, wherein the activation of the competitive information display element signifies that competitive information relating to the first item is likely available, and wherein the competitive information display element is activated in response to detecting that a document providing information about the first item is being displayed on the display screen;

(d) monitor the user'"'"'s selection of the activated competitive information display element;

(e) detect that the user wishes to display a document from a second online merchant;

(f) display a second document in a web browser window on the display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the second document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved over a network from a second web server using HTTP protocol, wherein the second document is a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements and also includes links to linked documents, and wherein the second document is published by the second online merchant and provides information about a second item that is available for purchase from the second online merchant;

(g) detect that a document providing information about the second item is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer;

(h) upon detecting that a document providing information about the second item is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer, automatically activate the competitive information display element on the display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the competitive information display element is not part of or embedded into the second document that is displayed in the web browser window, wherein the activation of the competitive information display element signifies that competitive information relating to the second item is likely available, and wherein the competitive information display element is activated in response to detecting that a document providing information about the second item is being displayed on the display screen;

(i) monitor the user'"'"'s selection of the activated competitive information display element;

(j) detect that the user has selected the activated competitive information display element;

(k) upon detecting that the user has selected the activated competitive information display element, display a competitive information document, wherein the competitive information document is retrieved by the client computer over the network from a competitive information server that is not related to the first server or the second server, and wherein the competitive information document has at least one link to a linked document, wherein the competitive information document is targeted to users that may purchase the second item and is displayed in response to detecting that the user has selected the activated competitive information display element, wherein the competitive information document is published by an entity that is different than the second online merchant, and wherein the competitive information document includes price-competitive information from a third online merchant, wherein the third online merchant competes with the second online merchant, and wherein the price-competitive information included in the competitive information document comprises at least one price for the second item that is less expensive than the price offered by the second online merchant;

(l) monitor the user'"'"'s selection of a link included within the competitive information document;

(m) detect that the user has selected the link included within the competitive information document;

(n) upon detecting that the user selected the link from the competitive information document, display a competitive merchant document, wherein the competitive merchant document is published by the third online merchant; and

(o) allow the user to place an order for the second item from the third online merchant.

2. A method of displaying information for a user that is operating a client computer, the method comprising the acts of:

(a) displaying a first document in a web browser window on a display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the first document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved over a network from a first web server using HTTP protocol, wherein the first document is a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements and also includes links to linked documents, and wherein the first document is published by a first online merchant and provides information about a first item that is available for purchase from the first online merchant;

(b) detecting that a document published by the first online merchant is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer;

(c) upon detecting that a document published by the first online merchant is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer, automatically activating a competitive information display element on the display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the competitive information display element is not part of or embedded into the first document that is displayed in the web browser window, wherein the activation of the competitive information display element signifies that competitive information relating to the first online merchant is likely available, and wherein the competitive information display element is activated in response to detecting that a document published by the first online merchant is being displayed on the display screen;

(d) monitoring the user'"'"'s selection of the activated competitive information display element;

(e) detecting that the user wishes to display a document from a second online merchant;

(f) displaying a second document in a web browser window on the display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the second document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved over a network from a second web server using HTTP protocol, wherein the second document is a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements and also includes links to linked documents, and wherein the second document is published by the second online merchant and provides information about a second item that is available for purchase from the second online merchant;

(g) detecting that a document published by the second online merchant is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer;

(h) upon detecting that a document published by the second online merchant is being displayed on the display screen associated with the client computer, automatically activating the competitive information display element on the display screen associated with the client computer, wherein the competitive information display element is not part of or embedded into the second document that is displayed in the web browser window, wherein the activation of the competitive information display element signifies that competitive information relating to the second online merchant is likely available, and wherein the competitive information display element is activated in response to detecting that a document published by the second online merchant is being displayed on the display screen;

(i) monitoring the user'"'"'s selection of the activated competitive information display element;

(j) detecting that the user has selected the activated competitive information display element;

(k) upon detecting that the user has selected the activated competitive information display element, displaying a competitive information document, wherein the competitive information document is retrieved by the client computer over the network from a competitive information server that is not related to the first server or the second server, and wherein the competitive information document includes at least one link to a linked document, wherein the competitive information document is targeted to users that may purchase an item from the second online merchant and is displayed in response to detecting that the user has selected the activated competitive information display element, wherein the competitive information document is published by an entity that is different than the second online merchant, and wherein the competitive information document includes price-competitive information from a third online merchant, wherein the third online merchant competes with the second online merchant;

(l) monitoring the user'"'"'s selection of a link included within the competitive information document;

(m) detecting that the user has selected the link included within the competitive information document;

(n) upon detecting that the user selected the link from the competitive information document, displaying a competitive merchant document, wherein the competitive merchant document is published by the third online merchant; and

(o) allowing the user to place an order for an item from the third online merchant.

3. A method of interfacing a computer program with a web browser application that is executing on a client computer operated by a user, wherein the web browser application retrieves documents over a network and displays documents on a display screen associated with the client computer, the method of interfacing the computer program with the web browser application comprising the acts of:

(a) communicating with the web browser application through an OLE interface so that the web browser application provides a notification to the computer program when a document is being retrieved over the network and displayed on the display screen by the web browser application;

(b) receiving a notification from the web browser application when a first document is being retrieved over the network and displayed on the display screen, wherein the notification is received automatically by the computer program from the web browser application through an OLE interface, wherein the notification from the web browser application identifies the first document by providing a universal resource locator that is associated with the first document, and wherein the first document is retrieved over the network from a first web server and is displayed on the display screen as a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements;

(c) after receiving the notification from the web browser application when the first document is being retrieved over the network and displayed on the display screen, automatically sending a first message over the network to a supplemental information server, wherein the first message includes information about the first document;

(d) receiving a communication in response to sending the first message over the network to the supplemental information server, wherein the communication includes information that relates to the first document;

(e) after receiving the communication in response to sending the first message over the network to the supplemental information server, displaying first document supplemental information on the display screen, wherein the first document supplemental information includes information received in the communication that relates to the first document, wherein the first document supplemental information includes a link to a second document, wherein the second document is relevant to the first document, and wherein the first document supplemental information is published by an entity different than the publisher of the first document and is not part of the first document;

(f) monitoring the user'"'"'s selection of the link to the second document;

(g) causing the second document to be retrieved over the network and displayed on the display screen when the user selects the link to the second document, wherein the web browser application retrieves the second document over the network from a second web server, wherein the second document is retrieved from the second web server using HTTP protocol, and wherein the second document has a universal resource locator associated with it;

(h) automatically sending a second message over the network to the supplemental information server, wherein the second message includes information about the second document;

(i) receiving a communication in response to sending the second message over the network to the supplemental information server, wherein the communication includes information that relates to the second document;

(j) after receiving the communication in response to sending the second message over the network to the supplemental information server, displaying second document supplemental information on the display screen, wherein the second document supplemental information includes information received in the communication in that relates to the second document, wherein the second document supplemental information includes a link to a document that relates to the second document and is relevant to the second document, and wherein the second document supplemental information is published by an entity different than the publisher of the second document and is not part of the second document;

(k) receiving a notification from the web browser application when a third document is being retrieved over the network and displayed on the display screen, wherein the notification is received automatically by the computer program from the web browser application through an OLE interface, wherein the notification from the web browser application identifies the third document by providing a universal resource locator that is associated with the third document, and wherein the third document is retrieved over the network from a third web server and is displayed on the display screen as a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements;

(l) after receiving the notification from the web browser application when the third document is being retrieved over the network and displayed on the display screen, automatically sending a third message over the network to the supplemental information server, wherein the third message includes information about the third document;

(m) receiving a communication in response to sending the third message over the network to the supplemental information server, wherein the communication includes information that relates to the third document; and

(n) after receiving the communication in response to sending the third message over the network to the supplemental information server, displaying third document supplemental information on the display screen, wherein the third document supplemental information is published by an entity different than the publisher of the third document and is not part of the third document.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the acts of:

displaying a supplemental information display element on the display screen; and

monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the supplemental information display element;

wherein the act of displaying the first document supplemental information on the display screen is carried out in response to a first detection of the user'"'"'s interaction with the supplemental information display element, wherein the act of displaying the second document supplemental information on the display screen is carried out in response to a second detection of the user'"'"'s interaction with the supplemental information display element, and wherein the act of displaying the third document supplemental information on the display screen is carried out in response to a third detection of the user'"'"'s interaction with the supplemental information display element.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user'"'"'s interaction with the supplemental information display element comprises selection of the supplemental information display element.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the act of automatically sending a first message over the network to the supplemental information server includes the act of:

sending information identifying the first web server by name in the information about the first document.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the act of displaying first document supplemental information on the display screen includes the act of:

displaying an advertisement in the first document supplemental information, wherein the advertisement is targeted to viewers of a document retrieved from the first web server.

8. The method of claim 3,

wherein the act of automatically sending a first message over the network to the supplemental information server includes the act of sending information identifying the first web server by name in the information about the first document;

and

wherein the act of displaying first document supplemental information on the display screen includes the act of displaying an advertisement in the first document supplemental information, wherein the advertisement is targeted to viewers of a document retrieved from the first web server.