User interface for interacting with online message board

• US 6,515,681 B1
• Filed: 05/11/1999
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Prophet Financial Systems, Inc. (Charles Schwab Corporation)
• Inventors: Knight, Timothy O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cabeca, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US09/309,714
• Time in Patent Office: 1,365 Days
• Field of Search: 345/968, 345/752, 345/751, 345/753, 345/758, 345/760, 345/738, 345/739, 707/4, 707/3, 707/6, 707/104.1, 709/205
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/968 interface for database querying and retrieval

Abstract

A program and graphical user interface is provided for facilitating user interactions with an online message board system. The interface provides multiple levels of filtering and screening capability with query parameters presented within a first portion of the interface to permit comprehensive and flexible selection of message entries of interest to a user. The message entries are compiled into intelligent sets corresponding to logical constructs tailored for the community of users for the online message board system, so that the need for reviewing messages to locate relevant subject matter is substantially eliminated. After the user specified message entries are retrieved, they can be displayed in list form in a second portion of the interface, and then reviewed in depth in yet a third portion of the interface. The query and reviewing operations by the user can all take place therefore, within a single screen, providing the user with a simplified but powerful tool for perusing subject matter of interest from a large collection of message postings. Collections of messages can be pre-compiled and downloaded to the user in advance, based on predictive logic, resulting in faster perceived response times from the user'"'"'s viewpoint. In a preferred embodiment, the present interface is used in connection with a financial information based message board system, where it is used by members of an online electronic community to capture and share individual user rationales and logic for purchasing or selling financial instruments such as securities, options, etc.

Claims

1. An electronic interface for permitting a user to manage message entries associated with an online electronic message system, the interface comprising:

a first display region for providing a visible display of a message list of at least some message entries associated with a user-defined search query, said list including at least one identifying parameter for each of said message entries; and

a second display region for providing a visible display of at least some substantive information for a user-selected one of said message entries, said substantive information being simultaneously visible with said message list displayed in said first display region;

a third display region for providing a visible display of message query filtering parameters selectable by the user for constructing said user-defined search query, said message query filtering parameters being arranged in separate subject matter and class areas, which subject matter and class areas are also simultaneously visible with said message list displayed in said first display region and said substantive information displayed in said second display region; and

wherein said electronic interface operates within an internet browsing program and permits a user to review selected message entries from a database in accordance with said user-defined search query.

2. The interface of claim 1, wherein the message query filtering parameters relate to pre-indexed compilations of messages generated from said database.

3. The interface of claim 2, wherein the message query filtering parameters in the class areas are structured in a plurality of levels, and, for each of such levels there is a pre-indexed compilation of messages generated from said database.

4. The interface of claim 3, wherein the user can automatically access any of the messages corresponding to a particular message query filtering parameter for any of the plurality of levels by selecting said particular message query filtering parameter within said class area.

5. The interface of claim 1, wherein the message query filtering parameters relate to search filter criteria previously defined by the user.

6. The interface of claim 1, wherein without changing screens, the user can perform a new query and update said message list by selecting a new message query filtering parameter from either said subject matter and/or said class areas.

7. The interface of claim 1, wherein the user can view substantive information in said second display area for a plurality of messages by selecting a corresponding plurality of message entries in said message listing display area, and further wherein said message listing display area is at all times visible while the user is viewing said substantive information for the plurality of messages.

8. The interface of claim 1, further including a fourth display area for displaying statistical information relating to authorship, readership, and/or subject matter of said message entries in said database.

9. The interface of claim 1, wherein the user can perform searching, listing and reviewing operations associated with said message entries simultaneously within a single level of windows of said electronic interface.

10. The interface of claim 1, wherein the user can reply to a message entry, and said reply is coded with a classification parameter corresponding to said query filtering parameters.

11. The interface of claim 1, wherein the user can reply to a message entry, and said reply is coded with a classification parameter corresponding to a customized query filtering parameter for said user.

12. The interface of claim 1, wherein the user can reply to a message entry, and said reply can be configured to appear to other users of said electronic message board system and/or to users of other unrelated message board systems.

13. The interface of claim 1, wherein said message query filtering parameters include options for viewing statistical information pertaining to said messages.

14. The interface of claim 1, wherein message entries for a number of query filtering parameters are pre-loaded and made available to said interface.

15. An interface associated with a program for enabling a user query of message entries located in a database on a remote server, the interface comprising:

a subject matter display area providing one or more selectable parameters for selection by the user to impose a first level of filtering for the query; and

a subject class filter menu display area, separate from said subject matter display area, and providing one or more subject class filtering parameters selectable by the user to impose a second level of filtering for the query, said subject class filtering parameters being related to said first level of filtering imposed by the user; and

a message list display area providing a list of any message entries matching said first and second level of filterings of the query, said message list including at least some identifying parameters for each of said message entries, and said message list display area being further adapted so that the user can select any one of said entries in said message list; and

a content display area for providing substantive information for any one of said entries in said message list selected by the user;

a message text search area for receiving a user-defined text search to be used for locating desired message entries in said message list that satisfy said user-defined text search;

wherein said subject display area, said subject class filter menu display area, said message display area, said message text search area and said content display area are visible at the same time by the user, such that any searching and reviewing operations associated with the user query can be performed by the user without changing screens;

further wherein the interface operates within an internet browsing program.

16. The interface of claim 15, wherein a third level of filtering can be imposed on said message entries based on a user customized filter, so that only message entries satisfying all of said first, second and third levels of filtering are displayed in said message list display area.

17. The interface of claim 15, wherein said second level of filtering can include one or more sub-class query filtering parameters, which sub-class query filtering parameters represent sub-classifications of said subject class filtering parameters.

18. The interface of claim 15, wherein message entries for a number of predefined subject class filtering parameters selected by the user are pre-loaded by a compressed transmission from the remote server intermittently during an interactive session and made available to said interface without additional prompting by the user.

19. An integrated interface for assisting a user of a computer program to perform multiple operations associated with retrieving and reviewing selected electronic messages posted on an online message board system, the integrated interface comprising:

a first operation control area adapted to permit the user to select a sampling of the electronic messages during a first operation using a subject matter parameter;

a second operation control area adapted to permit the user to generate a filtered set of messages from said sampling of electronic messages during a second operation using a classification parameter, which classification parameter represents one distinct class of said subject matter parameter;

a third operation control area adapted to display a list of matching electronic messages retrieved from the online message board system in accordance with the first and second operations, said list including message identifying information, including at least author and topic information for each of said matching electronic messages, and said third operation control area being adapted so that the user can alter an ordering of said list during a third operation;

wherein a charting operation can be performed and displayed to the user in connection with a trading symbol associated with one or more of said list of matching electronic messages;

a fourth operation control area adapted to display contents of any of said matching electronic messages during a fourth operation controlled by the user;

wherein all of said operations can be performed by the user within said integrated interface;

further wherein the integrated interface operates within an internet browsing program.

20. The interface of claim 19, wherein said second operation control area also includes subclassification parameters that each correspond to one distinct subclass of said classification parameters.

21. The interface of claim 19, wherein said filtered set of messages correspond to pre-indexed messages taken from all messages on said bulletin board system falling under said subject matter parameter.

22. The interface of claim 19, wherein said operation control areas are implemented using Java based code applets.

23. A computer program for permitting a user to retrieve and review message entries from an online message board system, the program comprising:

a query formulation routine implemented as part of a user interface of such program, said query formulation routine presenting the user with a first search query filter comprised of at least two distinct levels of filtering capability for retrieving the message entries; and

wherein a first set of selected message entries can be retrieved from said online message board system in response to said first search query filter; and

a query customization routine, also implemented as part of said user interface of such program, said query customization routine presenting the user with a second search query comprised of at least one additional level of filtering capability for further filtering said first set of selected messages; and

wherein a second set of selected messages is generated by said query customization routine in response to said second search query; and

a listing routine configured to display a listing of said second set of selected message entries; and

a content review routine adapted to display contents of said second set of selected message entries;

wherein said program is adapted to operate within an internet browsing program; and

further wherein said program permits a user to retrieve and review message entries of interest within a single integrated interface.

24. The program of claim 23, wherein said first set of selected message entries is logically pre-arranged for retrieval at said online message board system based on said first search query filter.

25. The program of claim 23, wherein said first set of selected message entries are pre-loaded for viewing within said interface.

26. A program for permitting a user to manage message entries associated with an online electronic message system, the program comprising:

an interface, said interface including;

(a) a menu of message query filtering parameters provided in a menu area comprising a subject matter menu area and a subject matter class menu area, and selectable by the user for locating a first group of message entries having characteristics matching said query filtering parameters; and

(b) a message listing area for displaying a first list of parameter information relating to one or more individual message entries from said first group of message entries, said first list including at least one identifying parameter for each of said one or more message entries in said first group, and

a user operation control routine, said user operation control routine being configured so that when a message entry from said first group is selected by the user, a control operation is performed in connection with said message entry;

further wherein said program operates within an internet browsing program and permits a user to simultaneously perform searching and control operations in connection with messages retrieved from a database.

27. The program of claim 26, wherein said control operation relates to a query operation, and said identifying parameter includes an author of said message entry, so that a second group of message having an identifying parameter corresponding to said author is retrieved and displayed in said message listing area.

28. The program of claim 26, wherein said control operation relates to a query menu operation, and such query menu operation constructs a new query filtering parameter on said subject matter class menu area for said interface, said new query filtering parameter being based on said identifying parameter.

29. The program of claim 26, wherein said control operation relates to a search operation, and such search operation can be used by said user for locating those of said first group of messages containing content information specified by the user.

30. The program of claim 26, wherein said control operation relates to a filtering operation, and such filtering operation can be used by said user for further reducing said first list appearing in said message listing area.

31. The program of claim 26, wherein said identifying parameter for said message entry includes an indication of whether an author of said message entry is presently in an online discussion group area.

32. The program of claim 26, wherein said control operation relates to an author locating operation so that said user can engage in an online discussion with an author of said message entry.

33. The program of claim 26, further including a display area within said interface for displaying statistical information pertaining to said message entries on said online electronic message system.

34. The program of claim 33, wherein said statistical information includes an identification of most popular groups of message entries having characteristics matching said query filtering parameters.

35. The program of claim 33, wherein said statistical information includes an identification of author related data for the message entries, including most popularly read authors, and/or most prolific authors.

36. The program of claim 33, wherein said statistical information includes an identification of customized interface features used by other users of the online electronic message board system.

37. The program of claim 26, wherein said a first group of message entries are pre-loaded for viewing within said interface.

38. A method of operating a user interface adapted for retrieving message items from an online message board system while executing within a browser program, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a set of subject matter control filters visible in the user interface for selecting a first collection of the message items from the online message board system associated with said subject matter; and

(b) providing a set of class control filters for selecting a second collection of message items from the first collection of message items, such that only those class control filters associated with a particular subject matter control filter are visible simultaneously with said particular subject matter control filter;

(c) providing a message item identifier list, visible simultaneously in the user interface with said set of subject matter and class control filters, said message item identifier list including at least one identifying parameter for each of said message items; and

(d) providing content information for a user-selected one of said message entries, said content information being simultaneously perceivable with said message item list and set of subject matter and class control filters;

wherein content information for any one or more of the message items on the online message board system can be retrieved within the browser program based on said sets of subject matter and class control filters.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said second collection of message items is automatically downloaded by the online message board system without prompting by the user.

40. The method of claim 38, further including a step (e):

providing a visible ranking pertaining to statistical data compiled from said message items.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein said content information includes multimedia data from a message item posted by a user of the online message board system.

42. A method of managing message entries associated with an online electronic message system, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a menu of message query filtering parameters in a menu area selectable by the user for locating a first group of message entries having characteristics matching said query filtering parameters; and

(b) providing a message listing area for displaying a first list of parameter information relating to one or more individual message entries from said first group of message entries, said first list including at least one identifying parameter for each of said one or more message entries in said first group, and

(c) executing a user operation control routine in connection with one or more of said individual message entries, said user operation control routine being configured for;

locating additional message entries related to said individual message entries; and

modifying said message query filtering parameters based on said identifying parameter; and

wherein steps (a) through (c) are performed while operating within an internet browsing program.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said user operation control routine is also configured for indicating the whereabouts and/or locating online an author of one or more of said message entries.

44. The method of claim 42, further including a step (d):

displaying statistical information pertaining to said message entries on said online electronic message system.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein said first group of message entries having characteristics matching said query filtering parameters are pre-located and pre-downloaded by the online message board system without prompting by the user.