System and method for collecting content using templates for distribution to internet users

• US 8,719,333 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: About Incorporated (IAC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: About Incorporated (IAC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Day, William, Anderson, Jim, Taller, Olga, Kurnit, Scott Philip, Appleman, Kenneth H, Maier, Elizabeth A, Germaise, Scott C
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US10/921,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,547 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A collaborative Internet data mining system for facilitating a group effort from a plurality of guides to the Internet, by automatically processing the information provided by the guides and thereby create a branded or uniform look and feel to the web sites supported by the plurality of guides.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying content for distribution comprising:

selecting a plurality of authors from a pool of potential authors;

determining that the plurality of authors are qualified to supply Internet content;

providing, via a computing device, one or more content templates to the plurality of authors for use in supplying Internet content to one or more users;

receiving, via the computing device, one or more completed content templates from the plurality of authors, wherein the one or more completed content templates are based on the one or more content templates;

associating, by the computing device, a virtual domain with a topic in a taxonomy of topics, wherein the virtual domain corresponds to at least one of the one or more completed content templates;

receiving a request for a web page from a user of the one or more users, wherein the request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the virtual domain;

identifying, by the computing device, the at least one of the one or more completed content templates based on the virtual domain; and

providing, to the user, a banner template and the at least one of the one or more completed content templates.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

generating a redirection command that directs the request for the web page to a redirected URL, wherein the redirection command includes information corresponding to a third party web service.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further including:

modifying the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template based on the information corresponding to the third party web service.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the providing the banner template and the at least one of the one or more completed content templates includes:

providing, to the user, the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template that are modified.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the receiving the request for the web page includes:

receiving the request for the web page via a link associated with the third party web service.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the identifying the at least one of the one or more completed content templates includes:

identifying the at least one of the one or more completed content templates based on a URL associated with the third party web service.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further including:

identify the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template based on the information corresponding to the third party web service.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

enabling at least one of the users to search web pages associated with one or more topics in the taxonomy of topics, including template-based files associated with the web pages.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further including:

enabling at least one of the users to receive a topic template for adding a topic to the taxonomy of topics.

10. A system for identifying content for distribution to Internet users comprising:

memory configured to store data and instructions; and

at least one computer processor configured to access the memory and, when executing the instructions, to;

select a plurality of authors from a pool of potential authors;

determine that the plurality of authors are qualified to supply Internet content;

provide one or more content templates to the plurality of authors for use in supplying Internet content to one or more users;

receive one or more completed content templates from the plurality of authors, wherein the one or more completed content templates are based on the one or more content templates;

associate a virtual domain with a topic in a taxonomy of topics, wherein the virtual domain corresponds to at least one of the one or more completed content templates;

receive a request for a web page from a user of the one or more users, wherein the request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the virtual domain;

identify the at least one of the one or more completed content templates based on the virtual domain; and

provide, to the user, a banner template and the at least one of the one or more completed content templates.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

generate a redirection command that directs the request for the web page to a redirected URL, wherein the redirection command includes information corresponding to a third party web service.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

modify the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template based on the information corresponding to the third party web service.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein when the at least one computer processor is configured to provide the banner template and the at least one of the one or more completed content templates, the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

provide, to the user, the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template that are modified.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein when the at least one computer processor is configured to receive the request for the web page, the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

receive the request for the web page via a link associated with the third party web service.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein when the at least one computer processor is configured to identify the at least one of the one or more completed content templates, the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

identify the at least one of the one or more completed content templates based on a URL associated with the third party web service.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

identify the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template based on the information corresponding to the third party web service.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

enable at least one of the users to search web pages associated with one or more topics in the taxonomy of topics, including template-based files associated with the web pages.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one computer processor is further configured to:

enable at least one of the users to receive a topic template for adding a topic to the taxonomy of topics.

19. A computer-implemented method for identifying content for distribution comprising:

receiving, via a computing system, one or more completed content templates from a plurality of authors;

associating, by the computing system, a virtual domain with a topic in a taxonomy of topics, wherein the virtual domain corresponds to at least one of the one or more completed content templates;

receiving a request for a web page from a user of the one or more users via a link associated with a third party web service, wherein the request includes a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the virtual domain;

generating a redirection command that directs the request for the web page to a redirected URL, wherein the redirection command includes information corresponding to the third party web service;

identifying, by the computing system, a banner template and at least one of the one or more completed content templates based on at least one of the virtual domain and a URL associated with the third party web service;

modifying the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template based on the information corresponding to the third party web service; and

providing, to the user, the at least one of the one or more completed content templates and the banner template that are modified.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further including:

providing, to the plurality of authors, one or more content templates for the plurality of authors to use to supply Internet content, wherein the one or more completed content templates are based on the one or more content templates.