U.S. patent application number 12/189596 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-25 for system and method for providing personalized online information.
This patent application is currently assigned to STREETSPACE, INC.. Invention is credited to Kenneth Margon, Tom J. Mathai.
Application Number | 20080319992 12/189596 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34068992 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080319992 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mathai; Tom J. ; et
al. |
December 25, 2008 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING PERSONALIZED ONLINE INFORMATION
Abstract
A method and system for providing personalized and integrated
online services for communications and commercial transactions both
in private and public venues. The invention provides personalized
information that is conveniently accessible through a network of
public access stations (or terminals) which are enabled by a
personal system access card (e.g., smart card). The invention also
provides advertisers the opportunity to directly engage actual and
potential user-consumers with selected advertising or marketing
content based on each user's profile and usage history.
Inventors: |
Mathai; Tom J.; (Petaling
Jaya, MY) ; Margon; Kenneth; (Oakland, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PAUL, HASTINGS, JANOFSKY & WALKER LLP
875 15th Street, NW
Washington
DC
20005
US
|
Assignee: |
STREETSPACE, INC.
Petaling Jaya
MY
|
Family ID: |
34068992 |
Appl. No.: |
12/189596 |
Filed: |
August 11, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10922160 |
Aug 20, 2004 |
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12189596 |
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09959654 |
Mar 6, 2002 |
6847969 |
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PCT/US00/11840 |
May 3, 2000 |
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10922160 |
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60132168 |
May 3, 1999 |
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60160760 |
Oct 21, 1999 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ; 705/14.64;
705/14.69; 707/999.005; 707/E17.014 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/04 20130101;
G07F 17/0014 20130101; G07F 17/16 20130101; G06Q 30/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/0273 20130101; Y10S 707/99935 20130101; G06Q 40/12
20131203; Y10S 707/99932 20130101; G06Q 30/0267 20130101; G06Q
30/0277 20130101; Y10S 707/99933 20130101; G06Q 30/0242
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/5 ; 705/14;
707/E17.014 |
International
Class: |
G06F 7/06 20060101
G06F007/06; G06F 17/30 20060101 G06F017/30; G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Claims
1-26. (canceled)
27. A system for providing personalized online information
comprising: a database storing information comprising personal
information and a location associated with each of a plurality of
users, and business advertisement information and a location
associated with one or more products or services; and a server
coupled to the database and configured to identify a portion of
said information stored within said database based on a particular
user's personal information or location, wherein said identified
portion of information comprises business advertisement information
associated with one of said one or more products or services having
a location that is in proximity to said particular user's location,
and transmit said identified portion of information within said
database to said particular user.
28. The system of claim 27, wherein said database further stores
ticket information for an event and wherein said server is
configured to facilitate a purchase of said ticket by a user.
29. The system of claim 27, wherein said database further stores
poll information and wherein said server is configured to enable
one or more of said plurality of users to participate in a
poll.
30. The system of claim 27, wherein said database further stores a
questionnaire that facilitates targeted marketing to a user and
said server is configured to enable one or more of said plurality
of users to respond to the questionnaire.
31. The system of claim 27, wherein said database further stores a
user rating for a piece of information stored in the database.
32. The system of claim 27, wherein said database further stores a
comment from a first user related to information associated with a
second user.
33. The system of claim 27, wherein said server is further
configured to track usage history of said particular user's use of
said system.
34. The system of claim 33, further comprising an intelligent
advertiser program, wherein said intelligent advertiser program
identifies additional business advertisement information based on
said usage history.
35. A system for providing a personalized online information
comprising: means for storing information comprising personal
information and a location associated with each of a plurality of
users, or business advertisement information and a location
associated with one or more products or services; and means for
identifying a portion of said stored information based on a
particular user's personal information or location, wherein said
identified portion of information comprises business advertisement
information associated with one of said one or more products or
services having a location that is in proximity to said particular
user's location, and means for transmitting said identified portion
of information to said particular user.
36. A method for providing a personalized online information
comprising the steps of: receiving a request for information from a
user; identifying first information comprising personal information
or a location associated with said user; identifying second
information comprising business advertisement information
associated with a product or service having a location that is in
proximity to said location associated with said user, and
transmitting said second information to said user.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein said business advertisement
information comprises ticket information for an event and further
comprising the step of facilitating a purchase of said ticket by
said user.
38. The method of claim 36, wherein said business advertisement
information comprises poll information and further comprising the
step of enabling said user to participate in a poll.
39. The method of claim 36, wherein said business advertisement
information comprises a questionnaire that facilitates targeted
marketing to said user and further comprising the step of enabling
said user to respond to said questionnaire.
40. A method for providing a personalized online information
comprising the steps of: receiving address information from a user,
determining a location from said address information, identifying
business information associated with a business having a location
that is in proximity to said determined location, and transmitting
said business information to said user.
41. A method for providing personalized online information
comprising the steps of: transmitting a location associated with a
user, and receiving business advertisement information associated
with a business having a location that is in proximity to said
location associated with said user.
Description
[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn. 119(e) to U.S. provisional applications 60/132,168 and
60/160,760, filed on May 3, 1999 and Oct. 21, 1999, respectively.
The entirety of both of these applications is incorporated herein
by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to methods and systems for
providing online services, and more particularly, to methods and
systems for providing personalized and integrated online
communications, information, advertising, and commercial
transactions in public spaces or venues.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The use of the Internet as a medium of both personal
communication and commercial activity has increased substantially
in recent years. Although the internet has the potential to provide
individual users with information content on an almost limitless
number of topics, the typical manner of using the Internet suffers
from a number of drawbacks. The user must specifically seek out the
information he desires to obtain, and may in fact be unable to do
so. For this reason, many people find using the Internet to be too
labor-intensive to be effectively used. This manner of accessing
information from the Internet is known as "pull" technology, since
the user must "pull" the information from the Internet onto his
local computer. Thus it is desirable to allow users to receive
desired information over the Internet without time-consuming
searching.
[0004] To alleviate the burdens associated with "pull" technology,
the Internet communications industry has developed "push"
technology which somewhat resembles broadcasting. In the "push"
model, information is delivered, or "pushed" directly to the user's
computer so that the user is not required to engage in a search for
the information. Borrowing from broadcasting terminology,
push-based content providers "broadcast" information via "channels"
of information, each channel having different content such as news,
entertainment, corporate press releases, stock information, and so
on. Users pick the channels they are interested in receiving, and
access each channel via their browser. However, much of the
information in particular channels may be of little interest to the
user, who has no way of limiting the information other than
selecting particular channels which might be of interest. Thus,
although the "push" model does relieve the user of the burden of
searching, it may provide much information that the user does not
desire.
[0005] To partially alleviate the problems of "push" technology,
Internet content providers have developed "push-pull" hybrid
systems. In one example, news headlines are "pushed" to the user's
desktop, which the user scans. To access the full story, the user
must click an icon, "pulling" the story to his desktop. Such hybrid
systems, however, place a high burden upon the user of sorting
desired and undesired information. Accordingly, it is desirable to
provide a system employing "push-pull" technology which does not
overburden the user with undesired information.
[0006] Information from the Internet, as well as email
communication, is typically unavailable to users in public spaces,
when users are likely to engage in commercial activity and when
users may need to send or receive messages from others. For
purposes of the present invention, "public spaces" refers to places
other than the home or personal workplace area of the user. Public
spaces may include not only "common areas" within shopping areas,
schools, and neighborhoods, but also areas which are privately
owned such as individual stores and banks from which a user may
communicate or access information via the Internet. In a preferred
embodiment, each public terminal has a sponsor (such as a store, a
mall, or a school or university) which provides the space for
locating the terminal.
[0007] In addition to personal communications, persons in public
spaces frequently have a need for general information, such as
directions to a particular location or destination, which may be
otherwise unavailable. Thus, it is desirable to provide a
communications system using the Internet that provides users with
access to a variety of useful information in public spaces. It is
also desirable to provide such a system that is capable of learning
the user's interests to filter unwanted information. It is further
desirable to provide such a system at no cost to users.
[0008] While the Internet is commonly used as an advertising
medium, Internet advertising portals do not provide businesses with
a means of directly engaging Internet users because of the
user-driven nature of the medium, which requires that the potential
consumer initiate contact with the advertiser rather than the other
way around. Thus, it is desirable to provide a communications
system allowing Internet access in public places, and which allows
businesses to specifically target users who desire information on
particular products and services without requiring the user to
search for them.
[0009] Personal communications over the Internet also suffer from a
number of drawbacks. Although bulletin board or chat sites provide
Internet users with the opportunity to communicate with other
Internet users on particular topics, the Internet does not itself
create a "virtual community" (since an individual must first find
and then access the bulletin board or chat site) nor does it
provide an individual with the opportunity to engage a community of
users on a variety of topics. Local city or municipality based
Internet sites likewise fail to provide a community of users for
communication across any number of topics. Thus, it is desirable to
provide a communications system using the Internet which creates a
"virtual community" of users and which provides useful information
to active persons in public spaces, when the user may have little
other access to information.
[0010] Although existing communications systems using the Internet
do not resolve the foregoing limitations, these systems do provide
email or Internet kiosks or public computer networks in public
spaces such as airports, hotels, and shopping malls. However,
access to these networks is expensive and involves a relatively
high per minute or per session charge. The high cost of such
systems is exacerbated by the fact that the user must search for
desired information, rather than simply receiving desired
information that can be quickly reviewed. Inefficiencies inherent
in Internet search engines may prevent the user from obtaining the
desired information even after extensive searching, resulting not
only in lost time and needless expense, but frustration to the
user.
[0011] Fee-based access in public spaces is essentially the same as
what the user would otherwise have at his office or home.
Consequently, it suffers from all of the limitations of Internet
service provider (ISP)-based Internet access. Such "pay per use"
systems do nothing to alter the user-driven nature of the medium by
relieving the user of the burden of seeking out desired information
through search engines and other search techniques which can be
both time-consuming and unsuccessful. Nor do fee-based Internet
systems provide businesses with a way to engage Internet users in a
dynamic, personalized way and thereby assist the user in obtaining
information that the user desires.
[0012] The equipment used for existing fee-based access is bulky,
has the look and feel of a traditional computer, and utilizes a
standard browser or desktop interface. None of the networks
offering Internet access for a per-session fee are intended to
build a virtual community for which advertisers are willing to bear
the cost of network construction and operation in exchange for
access to these consumers. The present invention, by contrast,
provides access to a network having both email and commerce
oriented content at no cost to the user.
[0013] Manufacture of small, handheld computing devices, such as
the Palm Pilot.TM., have begun to allow their products to be used
with on-board wired or wireless modems that provide access to ISPs
to allow for sending and retrieving of email messages to/from the
device. While such devices provide access to the Internet in public
spaces, a number of drawbacks exist. The user must first purchase
the hardware at prices ranging up to hundreds of dollars.
Additionally, the user must have an Internet service provider
account that allows for such service at an additional per-month
cost. The unit itself must also be carried with the user at all
times in order to access the account. Finally, the keyboard size
and functionality of hand-held computing devices is limited by the
size and form factor.
[0014] By contrast, with the present invention the information and
communications services are provided at no cost to the user, there
is no need to carry anything except a wallet keycard, and there is
a full size keyboard available for sending and retrieving messages.
The system also preferably includes a printer for providing the
user with hard copies of desired information, and a credit card
"swipe" reader for processing commercial transactions.
[0015] Cellular telephone carriers have begun to offer their
customers messaging capabilities on certain cellular telephones.
Additionally, there are several technology companies who are
focussed on providing the cellular industry with software and
servers to enhance the delivery of email and information to
cellular telephones. However, while cellular telephones offer great
utility for voice communications, they do not lend themselves to
interacting with data communication, interactive information, and
transaction processing. Given the functionality that most computer
users have become familiar with on their desktop computer, the size
and information display capabilities of cellular telephones limits
their use as an effective means of providing consumers with access
to the foregoing types of communication, and prohibits it
altogether in many cases.
[0016] Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to
provide an integrated communication system that allows users access
to email and Internet information while in public spaces. It is
also a purpose of the present invention to provide a communication
system that allows advertisers to directly engage potential
consumers, and to specifically target system users based upon data
indicating that the user is a suitable target for
advertising/marketing content.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention is directed to methods and systems for
providing personalized and integrated online services for
communications and commercial transactions both in private and
public spaces. These services are provided free of charge to users.
The invention also provides advertisers the opportunity to directly
engage actual and potential user-consumers with selected
advertising or marketing content based on each user's profile and
usage history.
[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a computer
network establishing a free online community providing personalized
information conveniently accessible through a network of public
access stations (hereinafter referred to herein as "stations" or
"terminals") and enabled by a personal system access card (e.g.,
smart card). The network of public access stations is sufficiently
dense to provide users with a sense of ubiquity "in the streets."
The system terminals are compact and easy to use, and are
preferably designed with a "look and feel" unlike existing
computers or kiosks.
[0019] To use the networks the user simply inserts his or her
personal system access card into a slot on a terminal. First-time
users may register for immediate use by providing basic personal
background information to create a user profile. Users may sign up
for a free email account on the network, an especially useful
feature for users with no existing email service. The user profile
is stored in a network database.
[0020] Whenever the user inserts the system access card into a
system terminal, the system automatically updates and enriches the
user profile by tracking the user's usage of the system in a usage
history record. The user may send and retrieve email messages and
access online services. Many online services may be included such
as: a guide to the user's local area (e.g. city, neighborhood, or
shopping center), with reviews of restaurants, movies, and
directions to specific places; local events and happenings, with
user reviews; entertainment related content such as information on
music, film and style; opinion polls and surveys; phone and email
directories; news and sports updates; personal schedule and address
book; online shopping; immediate messaging; personalized content
related to user-identified interests; and content related to local
college or university.
[0021] The foregoing categories are provided by way of nonlimiting
example only. Persons of skill in the art will readily appreciate
that any number of online services may be included given the
modular nature of the invention. However, it is preferred that the
number of services be limited to a relatively small number that
would be most usable to persons away from their home or business
computers and "in the street".
[0022] The invention acts as a publicly accessible portal and
supports a virtual community of users in public places. The
invention provides internet users who already may have a "home
space" and/or a "work space" on the internet with a "street space"
in which personalized online services are conveniently accessible
through a system network of public access stations/terminals. Users
are thus able to send and receive email communications, and to
access information and transact commerce via the internet.
[0023] The system also creates a highly targetable community of
users to whom advertising or marketing content may be directed, and
provides advertisers, marketers, and merchants with an effective
one-to-one video-based, multimedia marketing tool for making their
products and services known to a user population most likely to be
interested in such products and services. This "street space"
allows users and service providers or advertisers to interact and
engage in commercial transactions.
[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a system
includes a network of publicly accessible terminals located in
public spaces (e.g. malls, airports, coffee shops, supermarkets,
etc.) and servers. Each terminal has a unique identification code
that allows the system to determine the exact physical location of
the user each time he or she uses the system. Each user is provided
with a system access card having a unique serial number. The card
allows the user to activate any terminal in the system free of
charge. At the time of first use, the user provides profile
information through the terminal. In addition to basic demographic
information (name, address, educational background, age, sex,
etc.), the user may also indicate areas of personal interest. This
information is used to create a unique user profile.
[0025] When the user has provided the information to create the
user profile, he or she can then send and receive emails using the
system, and access other information most desirable in public
spaces. To maximize public availability of the system each user
session for public terminals is preferably limited in duration. For
example, users may be limited to no more than ten minutes per
session, or even five minutes per session or less in particularly
high traffic areas.
[0026] The system servers include databases for storing the unique
profile of each user. The user profile includes both the
demographic and personal interest information provided directly by
the user at the time of first use of the system as well as
additional info ion provided through surveys and polls to which the
user responds as he uses the system over time. The system also
includes a usage history for each user. The usage history includes
information from the offline world such as where the user received
the access card for the system, where the consumer uses the
service. The user's use of the system is also recorded, e.g. times
and frequency of usage, responses to specific advertisements, type
of content accessed by the user, etc., and included within the
usage history. Information from the usage history is preferably
added to the user profile.
[0027] The user profiles and histories allow advertisers to engage
consumers directly and/or with specifically targeted advertisements
based upon the terminal location and the user's behavioral and
transactional history. Moreover, the user's physical location and
the time of day are identified by the system each time the user
logs on. The combined information from the user profile and user
history, along with the user's physical location and time of using
the system, provides pinpoint advertising capability in real time.
The system provides an intelligent advertiser program to create
highly targeted advertisements displayed to the user based upon the
user profile and user history combined with the location and time
that the user accesses the system.
[0028] The profile of the user's interests is progressively
developed and personalized based upon his or her use of the system.
Advertising and marketing content directed to the user can be based
on user demographics, personal interests, behavior-tracking
information, responses to past messages and offers, and the exact
location and time of system usage. Accordingly, over time, the
targeting power of the advertisements becomes progressively more
efficient and effective. The user receives only advertising
information tailored to his known interests and behavior.
[0029] When the user logs into a system terminal, he may use the
system both to find information and conduct business transactions.
In this regard, the user may quickly determine, for example, what
shops, movies, or other leisure activities are available locally,
and to obtain directions to the desired destination. For example,
the user may use the system to summon a taxi. The system may also
be able to provide the user with an estimate of the taxi fare to
the location, and an indication on how long it will be before the
taxi arrives. Information on public transportation will also be
accessible. In short, the system will allow the user to access
information that is most desirable in public spaces.
[0030] One advantage of the invention is that the user receives
desired information over the internet without time-consuming
searching. Another advantage of the invention is that internet aces
is provided in public places, and which allows businesses to
specifically target users who desire information on the products
offered. The invention also creates a community of users.
[0031] The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the
invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular
description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the
accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0032] FIG. 1 is a high level flow chart of the preferred
embodiment of the invention.
[0033] FIG. 2 is a high level flow chart of an exemplary
intelligent advertising program.
[0034] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a database and data
flow for an exemplary advertising model.
[0035] FIG. 4 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the
invention in which features are provided grouped into a
navigational menu and a front page menu.
[0036] FIG. 5 is a high level block diagram illustrating a main
menu of a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a sample main menu.
[0038] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a sample of the
parent-child relationships among menus.
[0039] FIG. 8 is a high level chart illustrating ad booking and ad
categories used in an exemplary advertising model.
[0040] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating exemplary user
profile-based feature.
[0041] FIG. 10 illustrates a system in accordance with a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
[0042] FIG. 11 illustrates the normal data flow paths.
[0043] FIG. 12 illustrates the data flow of uploading new
content.
[0044] FIG. 13 illustrates the data flow of content using multicast
delivery software.
[0045] FIG. 14 illustrates the data flow of incoming emails.
[0046] FIG. 15 illustrates the data flow outgoing emails.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0047] The preferred embodiments of the invention are now described
with reference to the figures where like reference numbers indicate
like elements. Also in the figures, the left most digit of each
reference number corresponds to the figure in which the reference
number is first used.
[0048] As shown more fully in the Figures, a system in accordance
with the present invention provides a network of public access
terminals ("CAT/PC") in public places to provide information
services to a community of users, preferably at no cost. A unique
identification code is provided for each terminal, which pinpoints
the exact physical location of the user each time he or she uses
the system from a public terminal. The exact location of users
accessing the system from the home or office via a web site will
generally not be known. However, users may provide address
information allowing the system to determine the exact location.
Prior art Internet-based commercial applications do not attempt to
determine or utilize the exact physical location of the user. By
providing this information for public terminals, the present system
links offline and online commerce. A terminal in accordance with
the present invention located in a suburban mall, for example,
allows businesses in or near the mall to direct
advertising/marketing content to potential customers in real time
when there are nearby, actively shopping, and thus more likely to
act favorably on advertising messages. Using the system of the
present invention, a sporting goods store located in the mall may
direct advertising messages to system users accessing the mall
terminal. The advertisement may for example include a coupon
redeemable on certain merchandise by the user at the sporting goods
store, and may provide precise directions from the user's exact
location to the store.
[0049] In the preferred embodiment, a user is provided with an
access card (e.g., smartcard), which may be obtained from an
advertising sponsor of the system or from the system operator. Each
access card used in the system has a unique serial number to
identify the system user. The access card may also be provided with
credit and/or debit card functionality to allow users to make
purchases directly from a terminal.
[0050] Preferably, the public access terminals include a touch
sensitive screen that allows the user to use the system quickly.
However, a mouse or other type of interface may be used instead of
touchscreen buttons. A keyboard is also preferably provided to
enable the user to enter information. When a user inserts the
access card into the system, the terminal displays a main menu from
which the system services may be accessed. Services and information
content may be provided either directly by the system operator or
by third party advertisers and content providers. It is also
desirable to provide opportunities for system users to generate
content for the system to enhance the user's sense of participation
in a "viral community" of system users. In particular, users may be
allowed to provide critical reviews of movies, concerts,
restaurants, coffee shops, and similar places or events.
[0051] While any number of services may be provided to the user, it
is desirable to limit the number of services to those most useful
in public spaces. Accordingly, the system preferably provides users
with features that are very compelling, easy to understand, and
geared toward active users who are "on the street." The following
description of a preferred embodiment is provided by way of
nonlimiting example only. It may readily be apparent to those of
ordinary skill in the art that different or additional user
services may be provided.
[0052] In addition to user services, the system provides a method
of generating and delivering pinpoint advertising/marketing content
based upon (1) the user profile, (2) user history, (3) the physical
location of the user, (4) the time of day the user accesses the
system. The combined personal information from the user profile and
user history, along with the user's physical location and time of
using the system provides pinpoint advertising capability in real
time.
[0053] More particularly, the method of the present invention
allows businesses to engage consumers directly and/or with
specifically targeted advertisements, as shown in FIG. 1. As shown
therein, when a user inserts an access card into a system terminal
at step 100, a unique identifier code on the user's access card
identifies the user at step 102. The exact time at which the user
logs on and off of the system is also recorded at steps 104 and
110, respectively. In addition, at step 106 the identification code
of the terminal is used to identify the precise location of the
user. It will readily be appreciated that combinations of less than
all of the foregoing data may also be used to advantage. For
example, even if the physical location of the user is unknown (as
in the case of users accessing the system from home or work),
targeted advertising may still be directed to the user based upon
the user profile, user history and time of day.
[0054] As further illustrated in FIG. 1, once the user has been
identified, the user's logon time has been recorded, and the user's
exact physical location established, system databases access the
user profile and usage history at step 108. The user profile is a
compilation of data concerning the user that includes demographic
and personal interest information provided directly by the user,
preferably at the time of first use of the system, and information
generated as the user responds to surveys and polls as he or she
uses the system over time. It is preferred to make the user's
initial registration to use the system as fast and easy as
possible. Accordingly, in a preferred embodiment, the user provides
only his or her name, sex, year of birth, and postal code, although
additional information may also be required. When the user has
logged onto the system a number of times, preferably on the third
user login to the system, the user is provided with a menu to
select from among a number of special interests. The user can
select up to a preset number of interest categories. The user's
interests are then preferably added to the user profile. Although
any number of selectable categories may be used, the following are
provided as nonlimiting examples: sports; alternative sports; arts
and literature; intellectual challenges; business; environment;
film history and trivia; fitness; games; men's issues; women's
issues; music; outdoors; politics; psychology; technology; travel;
and cooking.
[0055] The usage history records the user's use of the system, and
includes information from the offline world such as where the user
received the access card for the system, and where the consumer
uses the service most frequently. In a preferred embodiment, the
system also records and adds to the usage history the number of
times logged onto the system by the user, the total time of each
usage session, each system page accessed by the user and the length
of time that page is viewed by the user. However, additional
aspects of the user's use of the system may also be recorded and
used to more effectively enhance the user's experience with the
system and increase the effectiveness of advertisements directed to
the user. Further, although usage history is treated herein as a
separate data set from the user profile, persons of ordinary skill
in the art will appreciate that the usage history may be combined
as part of the user profile.
[0056] The system provides an intelligent advertiser program to
create highly targeted advertisements to the user based upon the
user profile and user history combined with the location and time
that the user accesses the system. Referring again to FIG. 1, when
the user profile, user history, physical location, and time of day
are provided to the system, the intelligent advertiser program
selects advertising/marketing content for display to the user on a
rolling basis, as illustrated by steps 110 and 112 of FIG. 1. The
intelligent advertiser program may use any or all of the foregoing
information to select advertising/marketing information that is
most likely of interest to the user. In addition, the intelligent
advertiser can use the information to actively eliminate certain
advertising content that is unlikely to be of interest to the user.
The system also "learns" the user's preferences by monitoring his
or her responses to the advertising content that is provided
Content to which the user fails to respond or indicates that he
does not wish to receive in the future can be eliminated,
curtailed, or altered in future usage sessions.
[0057] FIG. 2 provides a block diagram depicting an intelligent
advertiser program according to step 110 of FIG. 1. As indicated by
step 200 of FIG. 2, the program locates and identifies all
advertisement files for display in a system according to the
present invention, resulting in a list of advertisement files. The
files are then sorted, as depicted in step 202, according to
category rules, which may be based upon variables of interest such
as the user's location, user profile, usage history, time of day,
or name of the user. The filtered advertisement list is then sorted
by date of booking, as indicated in step 204. Accordingly,
advertisers who booked their advertisements earlier will have
display priority over later booked advertisements for display on
the same date and/or at the same location. The advertisements are
displayed to the user on a rotating basis according to booking
date. The user's responses to the advertisements are recorded and
added to the user profile and/or usage history, along with other
aspects of the user's usage session, as shown in steps 114-126 of
FIG. 1.
[0058] FIG. 3 provides additional detail on an embodiment of an
intelligent advertising program according to the present invention.
As indicated, the program includes a number of tables stored in
databases of the present system. In a preferred embodiment, the
tables are stored in a central database of the system. An "ADS"
table 300 provides information on the advertisements for display in
the system. Table 300 stores values identifying the advertisements
by advertisement number "ADID") 302, name of the advertisement
("ADNAME") 304, sponsor of the advertisement ("SPID") 306, category
of the advertisement ("CATID") 308, and by a microsite identity
("MICID") 310 associated with the sponsor.
[0059] The intelligent advertising program also preferably includes
an "ADBOOKINGS" table 312 that provides information on when and
where the advertisements are to be displayed. More particularly,
along with the advertisement number ("ADID") 302 and sponsor
identification ("SPID") 306 information from the "ADS" table 300,
the "ADBOOKINGS" table 312 also includes fields to identify the
specific geographical locations (i.e., terminals) at which the
advertisement is to be displayed "TERMID") 314, the start ("SDATE")
316 and end ("EDATE") 318 dates for the advertisement, and the date
upon which the advertiser booked the advertisement for display in
the system ("ABDATE") 320.
[0060] Finally, the intelligent advertiser program includes a
"CATEGORIES" table 322 to enable advertisements to be sorted by
specific category rules. Exemplary fields that could be used in an
embodiment of the invention for such filter rules are provided in
FIG. 3 by way of nonlimiting example only. These include fields to
identify particular filtering categories by name ("CATNAME") 324
and identification number ("CATID") 308. In addition to identifying
the sponsor ("SPID") 306, the "CATEGORIES" table 322 also includes
a "GENDER" field 326 to allow advertisements to be displayed on a
single-sex basis if desired. The system also preferably allows
sorting by age ranges using fields for starting year of birth
("SYOB") 328 and ending year of birth ("EYOB") 330. Similarly,
advertisements to run in particular postal code areas can be
identified by a zip code range using the starting zip code ("SZIP")
332 and ending zip code ("EZIP") 334 fields. Additional category
fields, such as particular areas of interest, can be created as
desired by persons of ordinary skill in the art. For example,
particular areas of interest such as traveling, sports, or music
could be used to sort advertisements if desired. Moreover, the
categories can be made as narrow or as broad as desired by the
sponsor to reach a desired target user population.
[0061] The system employs a multimedia user interface that is
preferably not web-based, although some pages in the user interface
may allow the user to "direct click" to other pages accessible via
the Internet, for example an advertising sponsor's web page. As
shown in FIG. 4, system features of a preferred embodiment are
provided either as part of a "navigation menu" 400 or a front page
menu, 402. The navigation menu 400 preferably includes an email
("mail") 404 feature, an instant messaging ("instant notes") 406
feature, an "options" 408 feature which allows users to change
passwords and similar basic information, a "rewards" 410 feature
which allows users to participate in rewards programs based upon
system usage, and a "street places" 412 feature which provides a
listing of all system terminal locations within a desired
geographical area, which may be a city, metropolitan area, state or
other basis. The navigation menu 400 also preferably includes a
"about streetspace" 508 touchscreen button to provide helpful
information about the system, and an "exit" 510 touchscreen button
to terminate a user session and exit the system, as shown more
clearly in FIGS. 5-7.
[0062] As further shown in FIG. 4, the front page menu 402 features
are provided as a series of features and subfeatures designated as
"parent" (i.e. first level) 414 features, "child" (i.e., second
level) 416 subfeatures, and "item" (i.e. third level) 418
subfeatures. As shown in FIG. 4, any number of parent 414, child
416 and item 418 features can be provided. However, the number of
such features is preferably limited to those most useful to active
users in public spaces. Further, persons of ordinary skill in the
art will appreciate that additional levels of features may be
provided (i.e., fourth, fifth or lower levels) without departing
from the scope of the invention.
[0063] A high level block diagram of the main menu page 500 of a
preferred embodiment of the invention is provided at FIG. 5. As
shown therein, the main menu page 500 includes a system logo 502 at
the top left of the main menu page 500 and an advertising banner of
an advertising sponsor 504 of the system at the upper right hand
portion of the menu 500. Advertising banners 504 are selected for
display on a rolling basis to users based upon the user profile,
user history, physical location of the user, and time of day, as
previously discussed. Each advertising banner 504 is provided with
a touchscreen, which takes the user to an advertising page for that
advertising sponsor, which may provide specific offers to the user.
The main menu page 500 provides a navigation menu 400, illustrated
on the left hand side of FIG. 5, which preferably comprises a
number of touchscreen buttons corresponding to the navigation
features discussed previously regarding FIG. 4.
[0064] As further shown on the right hand side of FIG. 5, the main
menu a 500 also preferably provides a front page menu 412 that
includes a touchscreen button listing of the "parent" 414 features
of the front page menu 402 as already noted in FIG. 4. Touching any
parent 414 features calls up a menu listing the "children" 416 of
the particular parent 414 feature. Finally, the main menu also
preferably includes a video or image which may, for example, be
provided by a system sponsor, or which may relate to an area of
interest to the user.
[0065] A sample main menu page 600 according to the block diagram
of FIG. 5 is provided in FIG. 6. Included is a system logo 502
provided at the top of the main menu page ("streetspace" and logo),
a sponsor advertising banner 504 in the upper right hand corner,
and a "front page" bar 602 immediately below the system logo
indicating that the user is at the main menu of the system. As
already noted, advertising banners 504 are selected for display on
an individual basis, depending upon the user profile, usage
history, geographical location, and time of day. By touching a
designated area of the advertising banner 504, the user can access
an advertising page from the sponsor of the advertisement. The
advertisements may include coupons, which can be printed out on an
attached printer in the system, or downloaded onto a system
card.
[0066] The sample navigation menu 400, provided at the left side of
FIG. 6, includes touchscreen buttons designated as "mail" 404,
"instant notes" 406, "options" 408, "rewards" 410, and
"streetplaces" 412.
[0067] The "mail" 404 feature, shown as one of the navigation
touchscreen buttons in FIG. 6, takes the user to an email page that
allows the user to send and receive emails. Users are able to read
mail, write/send mail, and include file attachments, store names
and addresses in an address book, and retrieve nail from another
email account (i.e., an email account not on the system) using a
feature referred to as "other mail." The user's mailbox can
preferably store up to 3 MB of messages and also features the
current mail storage total for easy reference. When a user receives
an email, the system preferably recognizes whether or not the
sender's address has already been entered in the user's address
book and, if not, allows the user to enter the address into his or
her address book by clicking "yes" when prompted. In one embodiment
of the invention, a banner is provided at the bottom of every
message that is sent by a system user. The banner allows the
recipient of the email from the system user to open an account in
the system by merely clicking on a particular part of the message.
This serves to rapidly increase the number of system users. The
mailroom menu may optionally include an email directory which
provides users a way to find any published email address for people
or businesses. The user will type in the name of the person or
business, touch the search button, and receive the email address.
By then clicking on the email address, a new email message will
open, with the new address already inserted, ready for the user to
begin writing.
[0068] It will be readily apparent by those of ordinary skill in
the art, however, that a number of additional or different email
functions may be included from those discussed above. A wide array
of email systems and features known in the art can be incorporated
into the present system.
[0069] The "instant notes" 406 feature on the navigation menu 410
allows users to send email notes to other system users in a faster
and more direct form than regular email. The instant notes feature
is suited for sending short messages and works faster than regular
email. In a preferred embodiment, the text body allows up to 255
characters, although this amount can be changed as desired by a
system administrator. Before a user is able to send instant notes,
the user may search for friends on the system via a search engine
provided in the feature and preferably must await authorization
from the other person before the user may send instant notes to the
other party. The instant notes page preferably displays whether an
intended recipient of an instant note is online or offline, and
whether the recipient has authorized the user to send instant notes
to him or her. As the foregoing indicates, a user may block other
users from sending instant notes to him or her. Once instant notes
are authorized between two users, they may be sent whether or not
the recipient is online when the message is sent. If the recipient
is online, the message will immediately appear, on whatever screen
the recipient is viewing, as an adhesive note symbol in the upper
corner of the recipient's screen, with text in a "handwritten"
font. If the recipient is not online when the instant note is sent,
the system is preferably stored by the system and displayed as an
instant note immediately upon the next system use. Alternatively,
however, the note may be processed as a regular email to the
user.
[0070] The "options" 404 feature, shown on the navigation menu 400
in FIG. 6, allows the user to change a password to ensure privacy
and security, change a backup password question and answer, change
the user's postal code in the user profile, and create a signature.
In a preferred embodiment, the user may enter as a backup password
a question and answer only known to the user. Both the user's
regular password and the backup password may be easily changed
using the options feature. In addition, the options feature allows
the user to customize a message to appear at the end of every email
the user sends. The user types the message to create the signature
and submits it. The signature then appears at the end of each email
message the user sends.
[0071] The "rewards" 410 feature on the navigation menu 400, allows
users to participate in a "frequent users" program. Points are
accumulated based upon system usage, with more frequent usage
generating more reward points. Points may be accumulated, for
example, by sending emails on the system, posting instant notes,
accessing sponsor advertisements, etc. Reward points may be
redeemable for rewards such as clothing and merchandise displaying
the system logo, by way of nonlimiting example. In a preferred
embodiment, touching the "rewards" 400 touchscreen button may
access a rewards page. The rewards page may display a "reward of
the month" which users may redeem based upon their accumulated
rewards points. The rewards page includes two submenus. The first
submenu displays the various actions by which users may accumulate
reward points. For example, users may accumulate five reward points
for logging onto the system from a public terminal, four points for
logging onto the system from their home or work computer, three
points for posting an instant note, and two points for sending an
email via the system. However, it will readily be appreciated that
different or additional reward points or systems may be
included.
[0072] The "street places" 412 feature takes the user to a listing
of all available pubic terminals within a desired geographical
area. Alternatively, there may be a parent menu displaying the
entire country of the entire world which the user may narrow by
sequentially accessing touchscreens to find all available public
terminals anywhere. For example, a may of the entire world may
contain a touchscreen for North America, which may then be narrowed
down to a nation such as the United States, then a state, such as
California, and finally a county, city or metropolitan area, for
which all terminals in the area may be listed. The list of local
terminals also preferably indicates the sponsor for the terminal,
and includes a touchscreen providing background information on the
sponsor, such as a bookstores a bank, a shopping mall, or a
university. The background information page may be different from a
sponsor's page from a banner advertisement, previously described,
which are displayed based upon the user's physical location
(terminal), user profile, usage history, and the time of day in
accordance with the advertising model previously discussed. The
street places 412 feature allows the user to understand where the
system can be accessed publicly, and also provides an indication of
how the system is growing as new terminals are added to the
system.
[0073] The navigation menu 400 also includes a feature describing
the system, designated as "ABOUT STREETSPACE" 508 in FIG. 6. This
feature preferably includes four submenus, including a demon
providing instruction on using the features of the system, a
privacy statement indicating the system owner/administrator's
policy on protecting user privacy, a mission statement of the aims
and goals of the system, and a "terms of use" statement to which
users must agree when signing up to use the service.
[0074] Finally, the navigation menu 400 also includes the exit 510
feature, also provided with a touchscreen button as indicated in
FIG. 6, which terminates a usage session. The exit 510 feature also
preferably displays an indication to the user that he or she has
been logged off and the usage session concluded.
[0075] The sample front page main menu 600, provided at the right
side of FIG. 6, includes four touchscreen buttons for the "parent
level" 414 features. In a preferred embodiment, three parent 414
features, accessible by touchscreen buttons, are designated as "the
conversation" 604, "music" 608, and "film" 610. In addition, a
fourth feature, local life (shown as "Berkeley Life") 606 is
provided for local issues and content. This local life 606 button
will be specifically designated according to the location of the
terminal, and the content accessible by this button will be unique
to the local metropolitan area, city, town, or even neighborhood.
In the embodiment of FIG. 6, which corresponds to a system that
might be used in Berkeley, Calif. The main menu 600 of the system
preferably also includes a poll question 612 as part of the front
page menu 600. The poll question 612, which may be changed daily or
even more frequently, allows users to participate in a "virtual
community" providing content to the system. Poll questions 612 may
also be provided in any or all of the submenus or pages of the
system. Poll questions 612 in the submenus are preferably different
from those in the main menu.
[0076] The conversation 604 feature from the front page menu 600 is
a user driven area allowing discussion and debate on various topics
as shown in FIG. 7. Four submenus are preferably provided,
including a "postings board" 702, a "discussion" 704 section, a
"poll results" 706 page, and a "personal statements" 708 section.
All discussions are threaded to allow users to easily pick up on a
discussion topic. The "postings board" 702 provides a classified
advertisements section where users can advertise products and
services or browse through advertisements and make purchases. The
"discussion" 704 section includes a listing of all poll questions
from the different menu pages, and further allows users to post
opinions on a series of discussions in the form of a threaded
discussion list. Users may post new topics for discussion or
respond/join an existing discussion. The "poll results" 706 page
provides tabulated results for all poll questions in the system.
The "personal statements" 708 section allows users to post longer
personal statements or essays on a variety of topics. Users are
preferably required to subscribe to the "personal statements" 708
section to receive weekly updates to this section. Users may
unsubscribe at any time by clicking on an unsubscribe button (not
shown).
[0077] With reference to FIG. 6, the music 606 feature from the
front page menu 600 preferably comprises a music review section.
This section preferably features a weekly music trailer sponsored
by an advertising sponsor, or a music video. Users are able to read
and post reviews of the featured music. In addition, the music
feature may include a listing of local cons and other music-related
events, and allow users to post reviews of recent such events.
[0078] The film feature 610 from the front page menu 600 preferably
comprises a movie review section. Each week the feature includes a
trailer sponsored by an advertising sponsor. Users may read and
post reviews of the featured film. In addition, the music feature
preferably includes a listing of local theatres, the movies playing
in them, and the show times for each film, along with short
descriptions of each move, the actors/actresses featured, the
director, release date, and similar background information. The
movie guide also allows preferably allows searching by the
foregoing categories, e.g., cinemas, show times, actors. In
addition, the section may also provide additional information on
separately accessible, miniature web sites for particular cinemas
and films. The user may also obtain directions to each cinema from
the user's terminal, and may purchase tickets directly from the
terminal through a "buy now" button by a credit or debit card
reader that is preferably a convenient "swipe" terminal. The system
preferably includes a connection to local taxi services, and allows
the user to summon a taxi to the terminal location to take the user
to the desired location. Information on public transportation is
also preferably provided.
[0079] The local issues and content feature of the front page menu,
designated in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6 as "Berkeley life"
606, includes subsections having content directed to the local area
in which the terminal is located. The local life menu preferably
allows the user to obtain information on items of interest in the
city or town in which the terminal is located. Subsections within
the local scene portion of the menu may include a video guide to
the city, metropolitan area, or neighborhood, a nightlife guide,
restaurant and coffee house guides, and online ticket sales for
local events. Each of these subsections may contain a variety of
additional information readily accessible by the user. Additional
subsections within the local life feature may provide opportunities
for both online and "brick and mortar" shopping, cultural events
and activities, and local news and gossip.
[0080] The nightlife guide subsection of the local life feature
preferably includes complete local listings of bars, lounges, pubs,
and dance clubs, allows the user to search by categories such as
type and location, and provides complete directions to each listed
establishment. In addition, the section preferably allows users to
submit reviews, comments, and recommendations for access by other
system users, and may also provide separately accessible, miniature
web sites for different establishments.
[0081] The restaurant and coffee house guide subsection of the
local life feature preferably includes complete local listings of
restaurants and coffee houses, allows the user to search by
categories such as cuisine, hours of operation, prices, and
location, and provides complete directions to each listed
establishment. The section also preferably includes menus for each
restaurant, and allows users to submit reviews, comments, and
recommendations for access by other system users. Separately
accessible, miniature web sites may also be provided for different
establishments.
[0082] A sports events subsection of the local life feature may
also be provided. This subsection preferably allows event searching
by category and date, and allows users to buy tickets and submit
comments and opinions. A complete listing of local festivals, which
may be searchable by theme and dates, is provided in a festival
subsection, which also preferably allows users to purchase
tickets.
[0083] The music, film and local life features preferably include
online ticket sales subsections to allow users to purchase tickets
for live music, theatre and sports events, as well as local
festivals. Tickets are preferably purchased using a "buy now"
touchscreen button and the credit or debit card "swipe" reader
attached to the terminal. The local scene menu also includes a
shopping center section which provides opportunities for shopping
in both online and "brick and mortar" stores. The shopping center
section preferably includes miniature web sites for both types of
stores, including for example supermarkets, clothing, music, book,
furniture, and luggage. Users preferably are also provided with
access to numerous personal services including health clubs, video
stores, hair stylists, auto repair, banks, hotels. These services
may be purchased on the system through miniature web sites for
different establishments. Professional services, such as medical,
legal, and travel agent services, may also be obtained in a similar
manner. The system allows electronic commerce merchants to make
sales in related retailer space. For example, the system could
allow a shoe company to sell athletic shoes at a fitness center. A
bookstore could sell books at a coffee house, and a sports team
could sell tickets at a sports bar. Additionally, the system allows
advertisers to introduce consumers to online versions of retail
brands.
[0084] Sponsors of miniature web sites preferably pay a nominal fee
for being included within the system and additional fees may also
be paid each time a user accesses the miniature web site. Such a
performance based advertising model differs substantially from the
flat fees typically paid for "banner-type" online advertisements,
and are more cost-effective because the fees paid by the advertiser
are directly tied to the amount of commerce "traffic" generated
through the system. FIGS. 8-9 provides further details on an
exemplary advertising model and user tracking features of a system
in accordance with the present invention. The system records each
transaction not only to determine the sponsor's fees, but also to
update the user's personal profile to increase the effectiveness of
future advertisements targeted to the user. The miniature web pages
preferably follow a standardized format, but may be customized to
convey the brand identity of the sponsor. By providing a portal to
young, active consumers and closely tracking their interests on an
individual basis, the system allows marketers to create their own
sub-categories of targeted consumers.
[0085] To facilitate commercial tractions, the credit card reader
preferably is capable of reading and accepting credit cards, debit
cards, and ATM cards as well as the user's personal keycard. The
user will be required to enter a name, address and card number only
on the first online purchase after which transactions will be
automatically handled whenever the user clicks the "buy now" button
on the touchscreen. To alleviate user concerns about credit card or
ATM card theft, the system preferably provides a privacy protection
package that includes a strong security message on both the main
menu and in the shopping center section. A familiar symbol such as
a bank vault may be provided to reinforce the security message.
[0086] Each of the touchscreen buttons on the navigation menu 400
and the "parent" 414 buttons on the features menu take the user to
a secondary menu displaying the particular services associated with
the main menu button. The relationship between the "parent" 414 and
"child" 416 menus (i.e., primary and secondary features) is
indicated more clearly in FIG. 7. The system also allows broadband
advertising in the user interface. Additional system features can
be added easily, as would be apparent to one skilled in the
art.
[0087] The front page menu 600 may optionally include a "your
space" feature (not shown) to provide a place where users can find
special content and offers related to specific subject matter of
interest to the user. The "your space" section may provide the user
with an inbox for receiving special offers from sponsors. This
in-box is similar to but different from the email in-box. By
clicking on the "your space" in-box, the user will then be able to
view the number of offers received and their respective headers.
For example, if a user is interested in travel, the in-box may
indicate that there are five offers waiting. The header of one such
offer may indicate that an airline sponsor is offering a 20%
discount on all flights booked that day. The user will then be able
to choose whether or not to click on the header to read the details
of the offer, after which the user will be able to choose whether
or not to make a purchase.
[0088] In addition to offers received in the in-box, the "your
interests" feature may include content directed to the interests
selected by the user. The content would preferably include
localized video content that is updated regularly as an incentive
to the user to access the "your space" section. The your interests
feature may also provide a "discussion" subsection that allows
users having common interests to communicate with one another. A
user will be able to enter a discussion by clicking on the user ID
of another user taking part in the discussion and sending an
instant note directly to the person.
[0089] Because the system tracks all aspects of the user's use of
the system, including which interest categories the user clicks on,
how often, and what the user does afterward, the system provides
numerous opportunities for one-on-one marketing. Over time, the
user may be asked additional questions to further define the user's
interests within particular categories to update the user profile.
Such information allows sponsors to better pinpoint particular
offers to the user. By optionally providing a separate in-box to
receive offers, the "your interests feature" may help to avoid
cluttering the user's mailbox.
[0090] The front page menu 600 may further optionally provide an
"on campus" (not shown) button for terminals located in college and
university settings. This feature helps attest college-age users by
providing features related to the local university, including
providing touchscreen access to the university's web site and a way
to purchase textbooks online. Information typically available on
the college or university web page includes campus news and events,
curricula, academic calendar, financial aid information, phone and
email directories, clubs, athletics, maps, health services,
parking, transportation, live campus views, and other information.
The on campus feature may provide a subsection allowing students
the ability to purchase textbooks online. This would allow the
student to place an order for books and either pick up the books at
the bookstore counter or have them delivered directly to the
student's dormitory or apartment. The "on campus" feature may
further include a feature known as "dorm space." Volunteer students
have cameras installed in their rooms to make portions of the
volunteer students' daily lives available to system users.
Volunteers preferably would agree to keep the camera on for a
minimum of ten hours per day, and the hours they choose would be
published. Users would be able to click on a particular student's
room and see what the student is doing in real time. During certain
hours, users would also be able to engage in real-time
communications with the dorm space volunteers. The "on-campus" menu
also preferably includes a "favorite study spots" section that
allows users to contribute content by listing favorable locations
for studying.
[0091] Since users are limited in their maximum time on public
terminals, the system may optionally include a "duffel bag" (not
shown) feature allows users to put pages of interest into a
separate memory "duffel bag" of information. The user can access
the information later from the home or office through the system
web site. Each system page may include a duffel bag icon in the
right hand corner. By simply clicking on the icon, the user may
place the information on the page in memory space for later access.
This feature would allow the user to place everything that he or
she finds interesting in a single place, minimizes the time
required for an online session, and enable the user to easily
access the information from home, office or school, where more time
is available to review it.
[0092] The system may further optionally include a "thumbs
up/thumbs down" feature to remove information that is of no
interest to users. The feature provides a "thumbs up/thumbs down"
icon on certain pages of the system. Items receiving a "thumbs
down" from a majority of users may be deleted from the system. This
feature allows user to shape the content of the system, and
increases user satisfaction by removing irrelevant or useless
information.
[0093] To encourage use of the system from home and office as well
as from public terminals, users may optionally be provided with an
incentive message on exiting the system, such as a notification of
a contest or other compelling information that is only accessible
via web site from the home or office. It may also be required that
the user access the contest or other information the same day as
the message is provided, or within some other short period of time.
Messages may be changed on a daily or other regular basis to
continually encourage use of the system from home and office as
well as through the public kiosks.
[0094] In another preferred embodiment of the invention, a
collaborative works (not shown) feature is added. This feature
allows users to work collectively on a project from the public
terminals, or at home and work. For example, one project can be the
making of a movie. With such a feature, users contribute video and
audio, while others provide editing and directing functions to
formulate the final product.
[0095] FIG. 10 illustrates a system 1000 in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the invention. Users access the system via
public terminals 1002, which are conveniently placed throughout the
community in public places/venues. Each terminal 1002, in the
preferred embodiment as depicted in FIG. 10, is an Intel-based
computer system having an active matrix, thin-film transfer (TFT)
liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen, a hard drive, stereo
speakers with amplifier, stereo headphones, access card reader
(e.g., smartcard), keyboard, and Ethernet connector. The terminals
consisting of other computer systems and configurations, however,
can be practiced with the invention. The terminals also have
content delivery software (multicast client software) (discussed
below) and remote administrator software which allows a technical
administrator to check status, reboot or shutdown the terminal.
[0096] Users can also access system from home or work, via their
own personal computers, 1004 and 1006, respectively. Additionally,
system administrators, technical administrators, partner/sponsor
administrators access the system via dedicated computers, 1008,
1010, and 1012, respectively. See Appendix A of U.S. provisional
application 60/160,760 for the detailed system administration,
technical administration, partner/sponsor administration features
of this preferred embodiment.
[0097] The system 1000 in this preferred embodiment includes Web
servers (1-3) (1014, 1016 and 1018, respectively), database servers
1020, repository servers 1022, and mail servers 1024. Although this
preferred embodiment uses a central server configuration, other
configurations, such as distributed database configurations can
also be practiced with the invention. Moreover as would be apparent
to one of ordinary skill in the art, various numbers and types of
servers, hardware, configurations, arrangements, and interfaces can
be readily used.
[0098] Web servers 1-3 (1014, 1016, and 1018) support user access
to the system by providing an entry point for the users and
handling all interactions. In this preferred embodiment, the Web
servers (1014, 1016, and 1018) are commercially available Intel
Pentium-based servers with Microsoft NT operating systems. The Web
servers include commercially available Active Server Pages (ASP),
HyperText Markup Language (HTML), and Active-X software. The ASP
and Active-X software are used to pull data from database server
1020 and mail server 1024, produce HTML pages on-the-fly, and
present information to the user. The Active-X software, in the
preferred embodiment, is also used to read and handle email (Post
Office Protocol 3 POP3) mail) from servers outside the system,
password encryption, etc.
[0099] The database servers 1020 store all user data (e.g., user
profiles, behavior information, user actions, email, contents,
posting board contents, user action, behaviors, logs, etc.) In this
preferred embodiment, database servers 1020 are Intel Pentium-based
servers with Microsoft NT operating systems, operably connected
with disk subsystems 1026 (hereinafter collectively referenced with
database servers 1020) as data via an optical fiber interface. The
database servers also have ANSI compliant structured query language
(SQL) compliant software for accessing the databases. SQL is used
in the preferred embodiment since it supports multiple user access
to the database simultaneously. However, one of ordinary skill in
the art would appreciate that other database software can be
practiced with the invention.
[0100] The repository servers 1022 primarily store content
information and run administration (system, technical, and
partner/sponsor) applications. In this preferred embodiment, these
servers are also Intel Pentium-based servers with Microsoft NT
operating systems, operably connected with disk subsystems 1028
1026 (hereinafter collectively referenced with database servers
1022) via small computer system interfaces (SCSI). The repository
servers 1022 also have commercially available ASP, HTML, and
Active-X software. In addition, these servers 1022 have content
delivery software (multicast server software) (discussed
below).
[0101] The mail servers 1024 store and handle all email to/from the
system 1000. In this preferred embodiment, these servers 1024 are
commercially available Sun servers with Solaris Unix-based
operating systems, operably connected to disk subsystems 1026
(hereinafter collectively referenced with database servers 1024)
via SCSI. The mail servers 1024 also have sendmail, mail delivery
agent, and mail filter software (discussed below).
[0102] For data protection, the database 1020, repository 1022, and
mail servers 1024 are each configured in a mirror arrangement.
However, other data protection configurations can be used,
including various Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID)
levels.
[0103] In the preferred embodiment, the system 1000 includes three
networks. A front-end network 1032 provides a connection with the
public Internet 1034 for home and work access. A terminal network
1036 provides a connection to the public terminals 1002. In this
preferred embodiment, the terminal network 1036 is a Virtual
Private Network (VPN), which allow efficient control, access and
content transfers to the geographically dispersed terminals.
Finally, a back-end network 1038 provides connection for system,
technical, partner/sponsor administrators and other authorized
personal accesses via terminals 1008, 1010, and 1012. As would be
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the ark other network
arrangements can be practiced with invention. In addition, although
the preferred embodiment has been described in terms of wired
technology, optical, wireless, broadband, and/or hybrid
communication technology can be additionally practiced with the
invention.
[0104] Each terminal 1002 is interfaced with the terminal network
1036 via a high speed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) 1040. However,
other interconnections can be used, such as dedicated T-1 lines
(sometimes referred to as DS1 lines). Web server 1 1014 also
directly interfaces with the terminal network 1036, as does the
database servers 1020, repository servers 1022, and mail servers
1024. The database 1020, repository 1022, and mail 1024 servers are
also interfaced with the back-end network 1038. Web servers 2 and 3
(1016 and 1018) also interface with the back-end network 1038 as
well as a load balancer/router 1042. The load balancer/router 1042,
in turn, interfaces with the public Internet 1034. In another
preferred embodiment, a second load balancer/router is included in
the system between the terminal network 1036 and the Web severs 1-3
(1014, 1016, and 1018). This second load balancer/router
distributes the load of traffic (terminal traffic) uniformly among
the Web servers (1014, 1016, and 1018).
[0105] All communication between the terminals and home/work
personal computer is conducted through the Web servers using the
Internet Protocol (IP). FIG. 11 illustrates the normal data flow
paths. In addition to the IP, this preferred embodiment uses
Terminal Machine Access Code (MAC) Address (TMCA) to identify each
terminal 1002 for additional security. Each terminal 1002 has its
TMCA stored one its hard drive. When the terminal 1002 contacts the
Web server 1014, it provides TMCA as a proof that it is a valid
terminal. The Web server 1014 validates this terminal 1002 by
checking the received TMCA with information stored in on the
database server 1020.
[0106] FIG. 12 illustrates the data flow of uploading new content
to the system 1000. Uploading new content, for example a movie
trailer, can be done by the system administrator. The video is
routed to and stored in the repository servers 1022 by a Java
Applet 1200 and associated text 1202 is routed to and stored on the
database servers 1020.
[0107] In this preferred embodiment, the system 1000 provides
simultaneous transfers of new content media to each terminal 1002
and Web servers (1014, 1016, and 1018) using a multicast
program/technique. Thus, the system 1000 needs to send new content
only once, and all terminals 1002 and Web servers (1014, 1016, and
1018) can receive the new content from the same transmission and at
the same time. Accordingly, the system 1000 does not need perform
inefficient processes such as opening multiple connections to
access the terminals and Web servers (1014, 1016, and 1018).
Moreover, multiple content files can be sent in a single multicast
session.
[0108] FIG. 13 illustrates the data flow of content in the system
using the multicast delivery software 3000. A multicast session on
the repository servers 1022 can be initiated by either the system
or technical administrator in this preferred embodiment. The
multicast software 3000 polls the database server 1020 to check
whether a multicast session has been created and due to run.
Whenever a session is due to run, it collects list (maintained on
the database server 1020) of active Web servers (1014, 1016, and
1018) and terminals 1002 (collectively clients) from the database
servers 1020 and inform clients about the forthcoming multicast
session using TCP/IP. AU active Web servers (1014, 1016, and 1018)
and terminals 1002 then listen to the designated port for the
arrival of the new content. The multicast software 3000 then
creates data packets and sends the data to the Web servers (1014,
1016, and 1018) and terminals 1002. Once the content has been sent,
terminal users can access the content directly from the terminal's
1002 hard drive and home or work users can access the content on
the Web server (1014, 1016, and 1018). If some Web servers (1014,
1016, and 1018) or terminals 1002 fail to receive all or part of
the content data, a re-send operation is performed.
[0109] FIG. 14 illustrates the data flow of incoming emails. As
noted above, the mail server 1024 handles all emails from/to the
Internet 1034. For incoming email 1400, the sendmail process 1402,
a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) mail daemon, receives email
from the Internet 1034 and passes the email to a mail agent 1402
for delivery. User and staff member emails are distinguished and
segregated at this point. The sendmail process 1402 sends staff
member emails to a main office mail server 1404 and sends user
emails to the mail delivery agent process. The mail server 1024
starts a new delivery agent 1402 for every incoming email. The mail
delivery agent 1402 passes along the email of valid users for
filtering and storage. A mail filter 1406 process removes
attachments and links to the outside Internet 1034 and sends the
mail header and body (text) 1410 to the database server 1020 for
storage and sends the email attachments 1408 to the mail server
1024 for storage. Users retrieve emails upon accessing the
system.
[0110] FIG. 15 illustrates the data flow outgoing emails. For
outgoing emails, a sendmail 1500 process accepts emails 1502 from
Web servers 1-3 (1014, 1016, and 1018) for delivery to the Internet
1034. The sendmail 1500 process provides functions such as checking
the validity of the email address and the existence of the domain
name as well as sending the email over the Internet.
[0111] Tables 1-2 illustrate the database fields for the user
profile and user history information in accordance with this
preferred embodiment of the invention. As would be apparent to one
of ordinary skilled in the art, the invention can be practiced with
any number and type of database fields, profiles, indices, lists,
other database information and files and that the invention is not
limited to those delineated below.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 (User Profile Fields) Field Name Description
ACC User ID GENDER Gender YOB Year of birth ZIP Zip code SIG
Signature text (for outgoing mails) REWARDS Total accumulated
rewards for current month PSTYLE Personal style ID QUOTA Mail quota
(bytes) RDATE Date of last login FN Online name SA State ID CITY
City ID ST State ID CNTRY Country ID NOLOGIN Number of total login
REGDATE Date of registration TMCA Terminal registered from AUTHO
Authorization for instant notes NOJOKE Status
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 (User History Fields) Field Name Description
BID Behavior ID ACCT Owner's ID SLEN Average session length (in
seconds) USINCE User since (this date) NOLOGIN Total number of
login TSLOT1 Total number of login between midnight to 4:00 AM
TSLOT2 Total number of login between 4:00 AM to 7:59 AM TSLOT3
Total number of login between 8:00 AM to 11:59 AM TSLOT4 Total
number of login between 12:00 NOON to 3:59 PM TSLOT5 Total number
of login between 4:00 PM to 7:59 PM TSLOT6 Total number of login
between 8:00 PM to 11:59 PM
[0112] Although the invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to several preferred embodiments thereof,
it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various
changes in form and details may be made therein without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the
appended claims. For example, the invention can be practiced in
conjunction with a corporate intranet or with broadcast media,
thin-client information retrieval systems in which devices such as
personal digital assistants, palm-top computers or automotive
on-board computers are used to accesses a system in accordance with
the invention.
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