Relationship management in an E-commerce application framework

• US 6,697,824 B1
• Filed: 08/31/1999
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture LLP (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Bowman-Amuah, Michel K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/387,655
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/218, 709/229-230, 709/223, 707/3, 707/102, 705/10, 379/201
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A system and method are provided for interacting with a user over a network for personalizing a website. A user is identified and information about the user is collected. A profile of the user is built based on the collected information and a plurality of different contents are managed. The profile and the contents are analyzed in order to match attributes of the profile of the user and attributes of the contents. The contents which have attributes that match the attributes of the profile of the user are then selected and delivered to the user. The user is allowed to manually select which of the delivered contents are depicted on a display. The user is also allowed to selectively position the delivered contents on the display.

Claims

1. A method for interacting with a user over a network for personalizing a website, comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying a user;

(b) collecting information about the user;

(c) building a profile of the user based on the collected information;

(d) managing a plurality of different contents;

(e) analyzing the profile and the contents in order to match attributes of the profile of the user and attributes of the contents;

(f) selecting the contents which have attributes that match the attributes of the profile of the user;

(g) delivering the selected contents to the user;

(h) allowing the user to manually select which of the delivered contents are depicted on a display; and

(i) allowing the user to selectively position the delivered contents on the display, wherein the step of allowing the user to manually select and the step of allowing the user to selectively position enable the user to customize the website.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the profile occurs in real time.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of identifying a time when the user last viewed the contents, and indicating portions of the contents that have been modified or added since the time when the user last viewed the contents.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user is identified by using a cookie, receiving user input, and digital certificates.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of allowing the user to rate the contents.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a potential customer from a plurality of users;

(b) performing an act to entice the potential customer to become a real customer;

(c) conducting an activity to retain a current customer; and

(d) providing a demand generating application.

7. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for interacting with a user over a network for personalizing a website, comprising:

(a) a code segment that identifies a user;

(b) a code segment that collects information about the user;

(c) a code segment that builds a profile of the user based on the collected information;

(d) a code segment that manages a plurality of different contents;

(e) a code segment that analyzes the profile and the contents in order to match attributes of the profile of the user and attributes of the contents;

(f) a code segment that selects the contents which have attributes that match the attributes of the profile of the user;

(g) a code segment that delivers the selected contents to the user;

(h) a code segment that allows the user to manually select which of the delivered contents are depicted on a display; and

(i) a code segment that allows the user to selectively position the delivered contents on the display, wherein the step of allowing the user to manually select and the step of allowing the user to selectively position enable the user to customize the website.

8. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the code segment that analyzes the profile occurs in real time.

9. A computer program as recited in claim 7, further comprising a code segment that identifies a time when the user last viewed the contents, and indicates portions of the contents that have been modified or added since the time when the user last viewed the contents.

10. A computer program as recited in claim 7, wherein the user is identified by using a cookie, receiving user input, and digital certificates.

11. A computer program as recited in claim 7, further comprising a code segment that allows the user to rate the contents.

12. A computer program as recited in claim 7, and further comprising:

(a) a code segment that selects a potential customer from a plurality of users;

(b) a code segment that performs an act to entice the potential customer to become a real customer;

(c) a code segment that conducts an activity to retain a current customer; and

(d) a code segment that provides a demand generating application.

13. A system for interacting with a user over a network for personalizing a website, comprising:

(a) logic that identifies a user;

(b) logic that collects information about the user;

(c) logic that builds a profile of the user based on the collected information;

(d) logic that manages a plurality of different contents;

(e) logic that analyzes the profile and the contents in order to match attributes of the profile of the user and attributes of the contents;

(f) logic that selects the contents which have attributes that match the attributes of the profile of the user;

(g) logic that delivers the selected contents to the user;

(h) logic that allows the user to manually select which of the delivered contents are depicted on a display; and

(i) logic that allows the user to selectively position the delivered contents on the display, wherein the step of allowing the user to manually select and the step of allowing the user to selectively position enable the user to customize the website.

14. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein logic that analyzes the profile occurs in real time.

15. A system as recited in claim 13, further comprising logic that identifies a time when the user last viewed the contents, and indicates portions of the contents that have been modified or added since the time when the user last viewed the contents.

16. A system as recited in claim 13, wherein the user is identified by using a cookie, receiving user input, and digital certificates.

17. A system as recited in claim 13, fierier comprising logic that allows the user to rate the contents.

18. A system as recited in claim 13, and further comprising:

(a) logic that selects a potential customer from a plurality of users;

(b) logic that performs an act to entice the potential customer to become a real customer;

(c) logic that conducts an activity to retain a current customer; and

(d) logic that provides a demand generating application.