U.S. patent application number 11/381075 was filed with the patent office on 2006-08-31 for method for creating entries in an on-line database in a user-defined category.
This patent application is currently assigned to GraphOn Corporation. Invention is credited to Christopher D. Coley, Ralph E. JR. Wesinger.
Application Number | 20060195469 11/381075 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24288303 |
Filed Date | 2006-08-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060195469 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wesinger; Ralph E. JR. ; et
al. |
August 31, 2006 |
METHOD FOR CREATING ENTRIES IN AN ON-LINE DATABASE IN A
USER-DEFINED CATEGORY
Abstract
A web server for creating entries in an on-line database in a
user-defined category is disclosed. The web server may be
configured to receive a request from a user to create an entry in
the database; create an entry in the database; receive a category
defined by the user for the entry and one or more keywords
associated with the category; and associate the entry with the
category.
Inventors: |
Wesinger; Ralph E. JR.; (San
Jose, CA) ; Coley; Christopher D.; (Morgan Hill,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SIERRA PATENT GROUP, LTD.
1657 Hwy 395, Suite 202
Minden
NV
89423
US
|
Assignee: |
GraphOn Corporation
Santa Cruz
CA
|
Family ID: |
24288303 |
Appl. No.: |
11/381075 |
Filed: |
May 1, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10703823 |
Nov 7, 2003 |
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11381075 |
May 1, 2006 |
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09952985 |
Sep 14, 2001 |
6850940 |
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11381075 |
May 1, 2006 |
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09110708 |
Jul 7, 1998 |
6324538 |
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11381075 |
May 1, 2006 |
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08572543 |
Dec 14, 1995 |
5778367 |
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11381075 |
May 1, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.102; 707/E17.116 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10S 707/99939 20130101;
Y10S 707/99943 20130101; G06F 16/958 20190101; G06Q 30/0623
20130101; Y10S 707/913 20130101; Y10S 707/99945 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/102 |
International
Class: |
G06F 7/00 20060101
G06F007/00 |
Claims
1. A method for creating entries in an on-line database in a
user-defined category comprising: receiving a request from a user
to create an entry in an on-line database; creating an entry in the
on-line database; receiving a category defined by said user for
said entry and one or more keywords associated with said category;
and associating said entry with said category.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said entry includes non-textual
content.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said non-textual content comprise
graphics.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of allowing
said user to index said selected entry in said on-line database
with at least one user-defined keyword.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of allowing
said user to add a URL to said entry in said on-line database.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the act of allowing
said user to add a hyperlink to said entry in said on-line
database.
7. An apparatus for creating entries in an on-line database in a
user-defined category comprising: means for receiving a request
from a user to create an entry in an on-line database; means for
creating an entry in the on-line database; means for receiving a
category defined by said user for said entry and one or more
keywords associated with said category; and means for associating
said entry with said category.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said entry includes
non-textual content.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said non-textual content
comprise graphics.
10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for allowing
said user to index said selected entry in said on-line database
with at least one user-defined keyword.
11. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for allowing
said user to add a URL to said entry in said on-line database.
12. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for allowing
said user to add a hyperlink to said entry in said on-line
database.
13. A web server for creating entries in an on-line database in a
user-defined category comprising: a web server and an associated
database, the web server including an HTML front-ending process
configured to: receive a request from a user to create an entry in
the database; create an entry in said database; receive a category
defined by said user for said entry and one or more keywords
associated with said category; and associate said entry with said
category.
14. The web server of claim 13, wherein said entry includes
non-textual content.
15. The web server of claim 14, wherein said non-textual content
comprise graphics.
16. The web server of claim 13, further configured to allow said
user to index said selected entry in said on-line database with at
least one user-defined keyword.
17. The web server of claim 13, further configured to allow said
user to add a URL to said entry in said on-line database.
18. The web server of claim 13, further configured to allow said
user to add a hyperlink to said entry in said on-line database.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/703,823, filed Nov. 7, 2003, which is a
continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.
09/952,985, filed Sep. 14, 2001, which is a continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 09/110,708, filed Jul. 7, 1998, now
issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,324,538, which is a continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 08/572,543, filed Dec. 14, 1995, now
issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,367.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to on-line services,
particularly to services for the World Wide Web.
[0004] 2. State of the Art
[0005] The Internet, and in particular the content-rich World Wide
Web ("the Web"), have experienced and continue to experience
explosive growth. The Web is an Internet service that organizes
information using hypermedia. Each document can contain embedded
reference to images, audio, or other documents. A user browses for
information by following references. Web documents are specified in
HyperText Markup Language (HTML), a computer language used to
specify the contents and format of a hypermedia document (e.g., a
homepage). HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the protocol used
to access a Web document.
[0006] Part of the beauty of the Web is that it allows for the
definition of device-, system-, and application-independent
electronic content. The details of how to display or play back that
content on a particular machine within a particular software
environment are left to individual web browsers. The content
itself, however, need only be specified once. In some sense, then,
the Web offers the ultimate in cross-platform capability.
[0007] Pre-existing collections of information, however, such as
databases of various kinds, can rarely be placed directly on the
Web. Rather, gateway programs are used to provide access to a wide
variety of information and services that would otherwise be
inaccessible to Web clients and servers. The Common Gateway
Interface (CGI) specification has emerged as a standard way to
extend the services and capabilities of a Web server having a
defined core functionality. CGI "scripts" are used for this
purpose. CGI provides an Application Program Interface, supported
by CGI-capable Web servers, to which programmers can write to
extend the functionality of the server. CGI scripts in large part
produce from non-HTTP objects HTTP objects that a Web client can
render, and also produce from HTTP objects non-HTTP input to be
passed on to another program or a separate server, e.g., a
conventional database server. More information concerning the CGI
specification may be accessed using the following Universal
Resource Locator (URL):
http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/cgi/interfac.html
[0008] With the explosive growth of the Web, fueled in part by the
extensibility provided by CGI scripts, the need for "finding aids"
for the Web, i.e., tools to allow one to find information
concerning a topic of interest, has grown acute. Many hardcopy
volumes are presently available that are represented to be "White
Pages" or "Yellow Pages" for the Web. Of course, hard copy
information becomes rapidly out of date, and in the case of the
Web, is out of date before it is even printed (let alone
distributed), in the sense of failing to list many interesting
resources newly made available on the Web.
[0009] The only effective solution is to have such finding aids be
on-line, available on the Web itself. One such finding aid is a
class of software tools called search engines. Search engines rely
on automated Web-traversing programs called robots or spiders that
follow link after link around the Web, cataloging documents and
storing the information for transmission to a parent database,
where the information is sifted, categorized, and stored. When a
search engine is run, the database compiled through the efforts of
the robots and spiders is searched using a database management
system. Using keywords or search terms provided by the user, the
database locates matches and possibly near-matches as well.
[0010] An example of one such search engine is known as Yahoo,
offered by Yahool Corporation of Mountain View, Calif., and may be
accessed at the URL http://www.yahoo.com. Persons having pages on
the Web, rather than simply waiting to have their Web page be found
by a robot or spider, can also have their Web page listed in the
Yahoo database by providing information concerning the resource
they wish to list and paying a fee. The result is an
on-line-searchable directory of Web resources that is regularly
updated.
[0011] While such services are indeed extremely useful,
nevertheless, from the standpoint of a person wishing to publicize
their Web site, they are typically attended by a number of
drawbacks. In particular, the person wishing to publicize their Web
site typically has very limited control of the content of the
resulting listing. Submissions, including textual description and
suggested categories, are often subjected to editorial control that
may range from strict to arbitrary. As a result, a listing may be
placed under an entirely different category from the category
intended by the person making the submission. Furthermore, the
textual description may be heavily edited (in some instances almost
beyond recognition)--or even deleted--depending on the exaction of
the editor. Because of this editorial process, posting of the
listing is not immediate. Furthermore, once the listing has been
posted to the database, if the person making the listing later
wishes to change the listing in some respect, the change must again
pass through the same laborious channel. Hence, the process of
adding and updating listings is inconvenient and
unsatisfactory.
[0012] Moreover, the nature of the listing is rather prosaic. The
listing is in title/brief-description format and does not include
graphical elements or otherwise appeal to the artistic
sensibilities of the viewer. In this sense, the listing is
comparable to the standard telephone book listing, which appears in
plain text, nothing added, as compared, say, to a quarter-page
advertisement with custom artwork and the like.
[0013] To use the foregoing service, one is required have a Web
homepage. If a user has no Web presence but wishes to establish
one, the foregoing service is entirely unavailable. The typical
user must first establish a Web presence by paying a Web consultant
to produce a homepage and then paying an Internet Service Provider
to house that homepage on the Web. This undertaking can prove to be
quite costly for an individual or a small business.
[0014] What is needed, then, is an information service that
overcomes the foregoing disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention, generally speaking, uses a computer
network and a database to provide a hardware-independent, dynamic
information system in which the information content is entirely
user-controlled. Requests are received from individual users of the
computer network to electronically publish information, and input
is accepted from the individual users. Entries from the users
containing the information to be electronically published are
automatically collected, classified and stored in the database in
searchable and retrievable form. Entries are made freely accessible
on the computer network. In response to user requests, the database
is searched and entries are retrieved. Entries are served to users
in a hardware-independent page description language. The entries
are password protected, allowing users to retrieve and update
entries by supplying a correct password.
[0016] Preferably, the process is entirely automated with any
necessary billing being performed by secure, on-line credit card
processing. The user making a database entry has complete control
of that entry both at the time the entry is made at any time
thereafter. The entry, when served to a client, is transformed
on-the-fly to the page description language. Where the page
description language is HTML and the computer network is the World
Wide Web, the entry may function as a "mini" homepage for the user
that made the entry. Provision is made for graphics and other kinds
of content besides text, taking advantage of the content-rich
nature of the Web.
[0017] Because the user controls both the content of an entry and
the manner in which it is classified, the database functions as a
directory to allow the Web public to quickly and precisely find
current and accurate data about the user, the user's products and
services, etc., without requiring the user to have a conventional
Web homepage. The user's mini homepage can be included in many
different categories, with the user having the flexibility to
change the categories or the descriptive content of the page at any
time. Preferably, hyperlink services are also provided, by
including within the page links to an E-mail address or to one or
more other conventional homepages (or other mini homepages). The
E-mail address may be a private E-mail address established on the
host machine, avoiding the need to obtain a conventional E-mail
address. An inexpensive way is therefore provided to set up a Web
site with key information that might otherwise be very costly to
widely distribute, and to achieve an Internet presence with a
minimum of effort and expense.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] The present invention may be further understood from the
following description in conjunction with the appended drawing. In
the drawing:
[0019] FIGS. 1A and 1B are simplified block diagrams of alternative
embodiments of the system of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2A through FIG. 2T are screen shots showing use of the
system and method of the present invention;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the operational steps involved in
the present system and method;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing various ones of the HTML
front-ending tools of FIG. 1 and their functional
interrelationships; and
[0023] FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram showing the manner in
which whois and traceroute services are made readily available
through HTML front-ending and augmented with hyperlink
services.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1A, there is shown a simplified block
diagram of the system of the present invention. A server site 101
is connected to the computer network 103 such as the Web or a Wide
Area Network (WAN) other than the Web. At the server site, server
software runs on a suitable server platform. In the case of the
Web, for example, the server of FIG. 1A might be a server available
from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), or
a secure server package of a known, commercially-available type,
running on a super-minicomputer such as a SunServer machine
available from Sun Microsystems of Menlo Park, Calif., or on any of
a wide variety of suitable UNIX platforms. Also running, either on
the same machine or a network-accessible machine, is a database
management system 107. Preferably, the database management system
107 supports Standard Query Language, or SQL. One suitable database
management system is MiniSQL, which is also commercially
available.
[0025] SQL databases, however, are not inherently "Web-friendly."
Accordingly, a variety of HTML front-ending tools 109 are provided
which run as extensions to the server software, allowing computer
network users to each add entries to a database, search entries in
the database, and update entries by that particular user, all using
the Web (or a Web-like) graphical user interface. The server
software and the HTML front-ending tools communicate through the
Common Gateway Interface 111. In accordance with another
embodiment, shown in FIG. 1B, the HTML front-ending tools may be
fully integrated with the server software. The HTML front-ending
tools and the database communicate through SQL (113).
[0026] When a network user visits the server site, the user is
served a main page in a page description language such as HTML. The
user interacts with the page, making selections or requests. These
selections or requests, although they may not appears as such to
the user, are in effect page requests, e.g., URLs that access a
page directly or that call a CGI script to perform some sort of
processing. The result of the selection or request may be a page
eliciting a further selection or request, or may be contain the
desired information itself.
[0027] In order to convey the manner in which the automated
information service and directory is used, screen displays of the
graphical user interface will now be described.
[0028] When a user first visits the site, he or she is presented
with a main page as shown in FIG. 2A. Along the side of the page
are icons that may be clicked on to select different services. An
icon 201 selects a "WebBook" service in which database entries may
be searched, viewed and updated. An icon 203 selects a "WebWho
Whois" service, providing a graphical front end to the United
States Whois database, with additional hypertext link integration.
An icon 205 selects the "WebWho Traceroute" service, providing a
graphical front end to the Traceroute utility, again with
additional hypertext link integration. An icon 207 in the top left
shows the current page's icon and is not linked.
[0029] When the icon 201 is selected, the user is presented with a
page like that shown in FIG. 2B, 2C, and 2D. At the top of the page
appears a table 209 presenting examples of valid entry types for
Whois, i.e., Domain Name, Machine Name, Registered Handle,
Registered Name, IP Address and IP Network. Next appears a text
input field 211 to receive the information to be looked up. Next
appears an example of the results of a specific lookup. The user
has input his or her request, and results have been received back
and displayed in a results area 213. As described more fully below,
links are embedded in the results such that, by clicking on an area
215 displaying ccoley@SRMC.COM, for example, an E-mail utility will
be invoked showing a blank E-mail addressed to ccoley@SRMC.COM.
Similarly, domain names, IP addresses, etc. may be clicked on, with
the result that Whois is queried once again with respect to the
selected information.
[0030] At the bottom of the page appears a Navigational Aid 217
used throughout the user interface where appropriate to allow the
user to return directly to a particular entry point in the program
flow without having to follow numerous links as is typical of the
prior art.
[0031] When the icon 203 is selected, the user is presented with a
page for the Traceroute utility like that shown in FIGS. 2E and 2F.
The various features of the page will be evident from the preceding
description. One feature, however, bears particular mention. That
is, just as clicking a domain name or the like in Whois produces a
further query, bringing up additional information, similarly,
clicking on names or addresses in FIG. 2C also produces a further
query, not of Traceroute but of Whois. For example, if one wanted
to find additional information about the machine on line number of
1 of FIG. 2C, one could simply click on the IP address
205.138.192.1 displayed in the area 219. This action would produce
the same result as if the user had copied down the IP address,
navigated to Whois and entered the IP address in the lookup
field.
[0032] When the icon 205 is selected, the user is presented with a
page like that shown in FIG. 2G. The navigation aid previously
described, although not shown in FIG. 2G, may also be included if
desired. The user is given the options of searching the database,
adding a new entry, updating an existing entry, changing the user's
password, or logging in. As described below, login is typically not
required to view a listing of entries satisfying a particular
search request, although login may be required to view an actual
entry itself and is required to update an entry.
[0033] When the Search option is selected, the user is presented
with a page like that shown in FIG. 2H. Within WebBook, a different
type of navigational aid 221 is included that allows the user to
quickly move about within WebBook, between Search, Add and Update,
or to go to the main page of FIG. 2A. The screen of FIG. 2H allows
the user to select between different searching methods, including
searching by Categories (going through a categories list), by
Example (querying each field of the entries), and by Keyword
(specifying a keyword).
[0034] When Categories is selected, the user is presented with a
page like that shown in FIG. 21. In the example shown, three
root-level categories are presented, BUSINESS, RECREATION, and
WEBWHO95. The user selects one of these categories to show further
subcategories, as seen in FIG. 23, which is displayed in response
to the user selecting WEBWHO95. A single subcategory is
shown--INDEX, having 9250 entries. The entries are listed by title
within the lower part of the page. The user may select how many
entries are to be displayed at a time in order to quicken response
time. Also, presorts are used in order to quickly display the
results of a category or keyword search.
[0035] When Example is selected, the user is presented with a page
like that shown in FIG. 2K. The user enters the information to be
searched in any field or `combination of fields to be searched.
[0036] To add a new entry to the database, the user is presented
with a page like that shown in FIG. 2L. Each information item in
the upper portion of the form is required, unless otherwise
indicated. If a required item is not provided, the program will
redisplay the form and request the user to complete all required
items. Optional items include middle name, alternate phone number,
fax number, URL# 1, and URL#2.
[0037] The remainder of the form is used to enter up to twenty
keywords and a description of the user's entry, to be displayed
with the entry.
[0038] Following entry of keywords and a description of the entry,
the user is requested to choose a category for the entry by
presenting the user with a page like that shown in FIG. 2M. The
user can navigate the category tree until he or she has located the
desired category and then select that category. If none of the
categories is adequate, then the user may define his or her own
category, by entering the name of the category and a short
description of the category. The new category will then be added to
the category tree.
[0039] A sample mini homepage is shown in FIG. 2N and 20. The mini
homepage may be located by searching the database and then
selecting the corresponding entry, or may be retrieved directly by
URL. The URL of the mini homepage itself should not be confused
with URL#1 and URL#2 listed on the mini homepage. The latter refer
to independent resources. The URL of the mini homepage itself is,
for example, based on a unique transaction ID assigned to each
entry and may be entered into a browser program to view the mini
homepage directly without searching.
[0040] When Update is selected (FIG. 2G), the user, having entered
the correct transaction ID and password, is presented with a page
like that shown in FIG. 2P. The corresponding mini homepage is
displayed, and the user is requested to update the mini homepage
(the "post"). When the user has edited the entry to his or her
satisfaction, the user presses UPDATE. The user is then presented
with a further page like that shown in FIGS. 2Q and 2R, giving him
or her the opportunity to review one final time the comments and
keywords. To change the comments or keywords, the user presses
BACK. The user can also change the category of the entry by
pressing the Change category button. To accept and complete the
update, the user presses a Done update button.
[0041] A page like that shown in FIG. 2S is then presented. The
user is required to enter the identification number of the post. If
the identification number is entered correctly, the post is
updated, and a page like that shown in FIG. 2T is presented to the
user, confirming the update.
[0042] Referring now to FIG. 3, the operational steps involved in
the present system and method are represented. The system is
accessed either directly by the user or by following a link to the
server site, for example the URL WebWho.com. The name WebWho.TM is
a trademark of the present assignee.
[0043] The user is first presented with a page 301 (index.shtml)
allowing the user to select from different services, including
whois and traceroute. As described previously, whois is an Internet
service that looks up information about a user in a database.
Traceroute is a program that permits a user to find the path a
packet will take as it crosses the Internet to a specific
destination. Whois and traceroute are known services. Previously,
however, use of these services has typically required "root-user
access" on a UNIX host. In accordance with one aspect of the
present invention, these services are HTML front-ended and made
available to all users, together with further hyperlink services
that greatly increase the utility of the underlying whois and
traceroute services.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 5, whois and traceroute are made readily
available to all network users through HTML front-ending using CGI
scripts. The actual whois code 501 and traceroute code 503 remains
within the root directory 500 on a UNIX host. Respective CGI
scripts are provided, namely whois.cgi (505) and traceroute.cgi
(507), that have root user privileges and that provide HTML
front-ending between the user and their respective services. For
example, when a user selects the WebWho Whois service from the main
page of FIG. 2A, the whois.cgi script 505 is invoked to pass the
user input to the root directory whois service 501 and cause it to
service the user'cs request. Output from the root directory whois
service 501 is passed back from the whois.cgi script 505 in HTML
format. The same description applies equally to the traceroute.cgi
script and the root directory traceroute service.
[0045] To further augment the whois and traceroute services,
hyperlink services are provided. The root directory whois and
traceroute services are provided with a parsing routine 509 that
parses the output of these services to identify E-mail addresses,
domain names, IP names, etc.--character strings containing period
separators and/or the character "@." The parser then passes back
this information to the CGI scripts in the form of links, links to
the whois.cgi script 505 in the case of names and links to an
E-mail.cgi script 511 in the case of E-mail addresses. The
E-mail.cgi script 511 controls an E-mail utility 513 that may be
located in the root directory or in a different directory.
[0046] Whois and traceroute, as implemented as part of the present
invention, provide powerful new tools for serious Internet tools.
Using whois, the user may type in any address with a ".com", ".edu"
or ".net" extension and find the physical address, phone number and
the individual(s) that the address represents. This ability may be
used as a powerful marketing tool to find a wealth of information
about people on the Internet. Also, whois can be used to instantly
check a domain name.
[0047] Traceroute may be used by System Administers to obtain
information to make their jobs much easier. Previously, System
Administrators have not been allowed to use traceroute on a PC
running any operating system other than UNIX.
[0048] Whereas whois and traceroute are more technically oriented,
"WebBook" allows non-technical users to take advantage of the
capabilities of the Web with a minimum of effort. WebBook allows a
user to have HTML-front-ended access to a database of mini
homepages in order to search, add entries to, or update previous
entries in the database.
[0049] Referring again to FIG. 3, if WebBook is chosen, a login
routine 303 may request the to enter identifying information of the
type that would normally be found on a business card, for example.
Presently, although Web sites are able to track the user's access
point to the Web (for example, a particular slip connection through
an Internet Service Provider), this information often gives no
indication who the user really is. Such information is important in
order to evaluate the extent to which a target audience is being
reached.
[0050] The user may choose an option that allows the user to bypass
the login request. The request for information as to the identity
of the user therefore may or may not be complied with; moreover,
the information provided may or may not be accurate. As an
incentive to provide the requested information (and, it is hoped,
the correct information), users providing the requested information
may be given more complete access to the database than users who do
not provide the requested information. Users providing the
requested information are assigned a user ID to be used during
subsequent accesses and are requested to choose a password. The
password may be required to access some system services. To further
encourage voluntary login, users that have complied with the login
request and have been assigned a user ID may be afforded the
ability to customize the user interface and maintain the resulting
look and feel between uses. This customization is performed in a
known manner by storing on the host a user preferences file and
accessing the file to restore user preferences when a valid user ID
is provided.
[0051] For a period during the initial stages of the service, while
the database is still being built up, it may be desirable to allow
all users complete access to the database regardless of whether or
not they have identified themselves.
[0052] Following the login procedure, the user is provided with a
page 305 presenting the different ways that the user may interact
with the database. For example, a user may search the database, add
a new entry to the database, or update a previous entry to the
database by that user. Each of these options will be described in
turn.
[0053] If the user chooses to search the database, the user is
provided with a page 307 concerning different search options. A
search may be performed on one or more of a number of different
database fields, depending on the organization of the database
entries. For example, in a preferred embodiment, the database
entries include the following defined fields: TABLE-US-00001 uid
country fname email lname url mname keywords title comment ident
category phone 1 active phone 2 start.sub.--date fax
expire.sub.--date addr info1 (Reserved) city info2 (Reserved) state
info3 (Reserved) zipcode info4 (Reserved)
[0054] In one embodiment, searches may be performed by category, by
keyword, by URL, or by example. To facilitate rapid retrieval of
information, presorted listings may be stored for each category and
keyword or for some number of the most common categories and
keywords. To search by example, the user is provided with a form
having the same organization as the database entries. The user
fills in information in the fields of interest. The search then
returns information concerning entries having matching information
in those fields. Entries are displayed in list fashion by title on
a page 309.
[0055] The number of entries produced by a search may be very
large. Therefore, instead of displaying a listing for all of the
entries at once, the entries may be displayed ten at a time, for
example. Alternatively, only the first 100 or 200 entries may be
displayed.
[0056] While some sites may provide information and services free
of charge, for example as a result of volunteerism or advertising
subsidies, other sites may have a business model in which users are
charged for information or services or both. For such a site, it
becomes critical to protect the information stored in the database.
Therefore, unlike some existing databases in which actual
hypermedia links to Web homepages are stored in the listed items,
in order to prevent effectual pirating of the database, links are
embedded only in the full entry itself, not in the entry listings.
Otherwise a user could simply store a voluminous listing or various
different listings, with their accompanying hypermedia links, and
thereby capture in large part the entire benefit of the database.
Instead, an item in a listing is intended only to give the user
enough information to gauge the user's further interest in an item.
If the user is interested in an item, the user may select that
item, causing the full-page entry to be provided. The full page
entry includes links to any E-mail address or URL that the owner of
the entry may have provided, thereby providing a link to that
person's or organization's homepage (or to some other
homepage).
[0057] If the user bypassed login, as determined in step 311, he or
she will normally be returned to the login procedure when
attempting to select an entry to view it in its entirety. If the
user has logged in, then the user may select an entry and the
corresponding full page 313 will be served to the user.
[0058] The full page entry 313 need not be limited to text alone
but may be a complete hypermedia page, including possible graphics
or other non-textual content. In this manner, for person's or
organizations not having any independent Web homepage, the entry
can function as a "mini-homepage," i.e., a single page hypermedia
document. Furthermore, the mini-homepage may have its own URL,
allowing it to be accessed directly without performing a search of
the database. For example, a URL for a mini homepage might be
http://webwho.com/view?id=xxxx, where xxxx represents a transaction
ID assigned to each entry in a manner described below.
[0059] A link 315 is embedded in the mini-homepage to allow for the
page to be updated. Prior to describing the manner in which the
mini-homepage is updated, however, the manner of adding a new entry
to the database will first be described.
[0060] In order to add an entry to the database, a user must login,
during which the user chooses a password, or must have logged in
during a previous visit to the site. When the user chooses to add a
new entry to the database, a unique transaction ID is created for
that entry, to be used throughout the life of the entry. A unique
transaction ID may be created in any of many different ways. For
example, the transaction ID might be the date (e.g., 951215) and
the entry number for that date (e.g., 00215). Alternatively, the
transaction ID might be the time of day (e.g., HHMMSS) and the
process ID of the host machine process that is servicing the user's
request. In one embodiment, the transaction ID is a 14-digit
hexadecimal number in which eight digits represent the number of
seconds since an arbitrary date (e.g., Jan. 1, 1970), four digits
represent the process ID running on the host machine, and two
digits represent a portion of the machine IP address (to
distinguish between different host machines).
[0061] Once a transaction ID has been assigned, the user is then
provided with an entry form 317 having fields corresponding to the
various fields of a database entry as described previously. The
user fills out the form and presses a screen button when the entry
is complete. The form may have one or more checkboxes 319 to
indicate the desire to include with the entry one or more
non-textual elements, such as a graphic image, etc. Also, if
desired, different templates may be provided governing the
appearance of the finished page, with the user selecting a desired
template.
[0062] Non-textual content may be obtained from the user in any of
a number of different ways. For example, the user may transfer to
the site a file containing the non-textual content using the File
Transfer Protocol (FIP) with the same user ID and password as when
the entry was added.
[0063] During the entry process, the user is prompted to enter
keywords to facilitate later searching of the database and location
of the entry. Furthermore, the HTML front-end tools may assist in
developing keywords for the entry. A pre-searchtsort tool, for
example, might take the 2000 top keywords found in the database
within the keyword field and do a total text search throughout the
database for these keywords. If one or more of these keywords
appears in the description ("comment" field) of an entry but not in
the keyword list, these keywords are then added to a keyword
extension field for up to some number of keywords, e.g. five.
[0064] If the server site is based on a pay-for-service model, the
form will also call for the user to enter a credit card number as
the last piece of information. Secure, on-line credit card
processing will then be performed to bill the user, either on a
onetime basis, on a periodic basis, or on an occasional basis as
future services may require. Although various methods of processing
credit card transaction on-line have been proposed, with various
degrees of attendant security, such processing is preferably
performed in accordance with a proprietary method developed by the
assignee to provide the highest level of security possible.
[0065] After an entry has been made, it may be updated at any time
by one able to provide the transaction ID assigned to the entry and
the user password, i.e., by the user or one acting on behalf of the
user. The update option may be entered directly, or the entry to be
updated may first be viewed as the result of a search and the
update screen button 315 then pressed. The user is then prompted to
supply the correct transaction ID and password (page 321), failing
which the user will not be allowed to update the entry.
[0066] If the transaction ID and password are correctly supplied,
then the equivalent of a new entry form will be provided to the
user will the current information pertaining to the entry already
filled in. The user may then modify the entry. If a charge is made
for updating the entry, preferably the credit card information from
the earlier creation of the entry will have been stored in a highly
secure fashion, avoiding the need to reenter the information. Both
security and convenience are thereby enhanced.
[0067] Nothing in the process of adding, searching and updating
entries requires manual intervention. Rather, the entire process is
automated and may be made available continuously, 24 hours a day,
365 days a year. Like a publicly-accessible bulletin board, the
content that is posted on the database is entirely within the
control of the user, both at the time the entry is posted and all
times thereafter.
[0068] Referring now to FIG. 4, various ones of the HTML
front-ending tools of FIG. 1 and their functional
interrelationships will now be described.
[0069] When a user visits the site and the WebWho option is
selected, a page WebWho.html (401) is served to the user, offering
the user various options, including, for example, options to search
the database, add a new entry, update an existing entry, change the
user's password, or to log in if the user has not previously done
so. In an exemplary embodiment, the routines illustrated in FIG. 4
are standard C routines, called from a single CGI script. In other
embodiments, the routines may be called by separate scripts, and
may be written other languages such as in a UNIX shell language, or
in one of a number of emerging Internet computer languages such as
Java.
[0070] The Options routine 403 reads in the user's choice and
invokes one of the five following routines: Search (405), Add
(407), Update (409), Changepw (411), and Login (413). Each of these
options will be described in turn.
[0071] If Search is chosen, the Search routine 405 initiates one of
several possible search functions. In a preferred embodiment, these
functions include a categories search, an example search, and a
keyword search. According to the search function chosen, the Search
routine invokes one of the following routines: Categories (415),
Example (417), and Key.sub.--Search (419).
[0072] Categories are represented in computer memory in the form of
a tree structure. A categories search starts from the root level,
with the Categories routine 415 displaying all the categories
available at that level, and all the entries (or up to some number
of entries) belonging to that level. The user can click on any
category to go to the next level, and can click on any entry to
bring up the mini page of the entry.
[0073] If Example is chosen, the Example routine 417 displays a
form for the user to fill in any field he or she wants to search
on. The Example routine 417 reads in the information and displays
all the entries that match what has been specified.
[0074] If Keyword is chosen, the Key.sub.--ysearch routine 419
displays text boxes to read in up to a specified number of keywords
(e.g., four) to search on. The Key.sub.--search routine 419
displays all the entries that match the specified keywords.
[0075] When a user clicks on one of the entries returned by a
search function, the mini page is displayed by a List.sub.--entries
routine 421. List.sub.--entries displays the mini page for a
particular entry and also contains an update button for the user to
update that particular entry.
[0076] When a user specifies that he or she wants to edit the entry
currently being displayed, the Update routine 409 performs a check
to see if that page belongs to the user currently logged in. If so,
updating is initiated by invoking an Update post routine 423.
Otherwise, an Update.sub.--login routine 425 is called to allow the
user to perform the correct login sequence. The Update.sub.--login
routine 425 reads in a user ID and password and matches them
against the database to determine if the user is the owner of the
mini page currently being displayed. Updating is not allowed until
the correct user ID and password are entered.
[0077] The Update-post routine 423 displays an entry form with
values filled in from the information stored in the database. It
invokes a Do.sub.--update routine 427 to process the new values
being entered. The Do.sub.--update routine reads in the new
information, makes sure that all the required information is
filled. If not, a routine Do.sub.--missing is invoked. When all of
the required information has been supplied, a Update.sub.--key
routine 429 reads in the keywords and comments from the database
entry, displays them, and asks the user to confirm. The user can go
ahead and update the database or can change the category the entry
currently belongs to.
[0078] If the user chooses to change the category, a
Change.sub.--cat routine 431 displays all the categories at the
root level. The user can click on one of the categories to go to
the next level or can specify a new category on the current level.
If the user chooses to go ahead and update the database, another
form is displayed to read in the identification number of the
entry. A Get.sub.--ident routine 435 is then invoked. If the user
chooses to change the category, an Update.sub.--cat routine 433
handles navigation through the categories tree. It will keep
displaying the categories on the current level until the user has
decided on a category or has specified a new category.
[0079] The routine Get.sub.--ident 435 reads in the identification
number and matches it against the identification number stored in
the database for the current entry. If they match, the database is
updated; otherwise, the program declines the update.
[0080] Entries may also be updated directly without searching,
using the Update routine 409. If a user is currently logged in, the
Update routine 409 displays all the entries belonging to that user.
Otherwise, the Update.sub.--login routine 425 performs a login and
displays all the entries belonging to the newly logged-in user. The
remaining update routines have already been described as a
continuation of the search options and will therefore not be
further described.
[0081] When Add is selected, the Add routine 407 displays an empty
form to allow the user to fill in all the information. The Add
routine 407 processes the information that has been entered, using
the Do.sub.--missing routine to make sure that all the required
information is entered. The Do.sub.--missing routine displays the
form again until all the required information is entered.
[0082] After all the required information has been entered, a
Get.sub.--info routine 437 displays another form to read in the
keywords and comments. A Confirm.sub.--info routine 439 processes
the keywords and comment being entered and displays them again,
asking the user to confirm. After the user confirms the keywords
and comments, a Pick.sub.--cat routine 441 acquires the category
using the same mechanism previously described in relation to
Update.sub.--cat. If the user is not logged, in he or she is logged
in, and a new user ID is determined. A form is then displayed to
read in the user's password. A Get.sub.--pw routine 443 reads in
the password and displays a form to read in credit card
information. A Get.sub.--cc routine 445 verifies the credit card
information. If the transaction is authorized, it adds the new
entry into the database; otherwise, it rejects the entry.
[0083] The remaining routines are administrative in nature. The
user may wish to change his or her password. If the user is not
currently logged in, a login is performed by calling a
Changepw.sub.--login routine 447. Changepw.sub.--login reads in the
user ID and password and matches them against the values in the
database. A form is then displayed to read in the new password. The
Changepw routine 411 actually updates the database with the new
password.
[0084] The Login routine 413 reads in the user ID and password and
checks them against the database. If the user ID and password are
correct, operation begins at the main page with the user logged in
as the new user.
[0085] It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art
that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or essential character thereof. The
foregoing description is therefore considered in all respects to be
illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is
indicated by the appended claims, and all changes which come within
the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be
embraced therein.
* * * * *
References