Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-27
2002-08-27
Meky, Moustafa M. (Department: 2153)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
C709S203000, C709S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06442590
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of Internet navigation and pertains more particularly to methods and apparatus for providing URL-sensitive interactive chat capability.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The information superhighway known as the Internet is by far the largest source of publicly-available information about virtually any subject. Information from all over the world may be obtained by anyone operating an Internet-connected appliance such as a personal computer. Information available on the Internet is provided to requesting clients by use of a variety of multimedia and interactive technologies. For example, e-mail technology allows advertisers selling from the Internet to send information to consumers about their products or services. Multi-media options for presenting product or service related material to consumers include the use of audio and video technologies. Object modeling is yet another technology used for configuring WEB-based orders, or the like. Still other technologies include interactive banner displays, on-line order forms, interactive guides, and so on.
It is quite clear to the skilled artisan that the Internet is certainly not limited to electronic commerce. That is, many organizations, both government and private maintain WEB sites for dissemination of information and for communication with interested persons. Electronic commerce, (e-commerce) however is arguably the fastest-growing sector of the Internet. The present invention also has particular application to e-commerce systems and activities. For this and other reasons, many of the embodiments and examples used in the present specification to describe embodiments of the present invention are e-commerce-related examples. This should not be taken as a limitation, however, as embodiments of the invention may be applied to al kinds of WEB activity.
The types of technologies used for advertising and facilitating the purchase of a product or service over the Internet depend largely on the type of product or service represented. For example, a car-sales site may use surround-video technology to attract buyers, and object modeling to configure a purchase. A music site may provide audio and audio/video clips for review and an on-line order form for purchase. There are many varying categories of products or services that are discernable and obtainable through interaction with a wide array of various technologies, which are generally known in the art and provided either directly (by the advertisers) or indirectly (by authors of the individual technologies).
Many of the different types of interactive WEB-based technologies used to interact for the purpose of obtaining more information about a product or service are provided in the form of downloaded software programs or modules that configure themselves, or may be configured to a WEB-browser application. Many of these applications are simple controls transparent to a client, are automatically downloaded and invoked only when a client is visiting a WEB page and needs them. Still others are provided as standalone applications or programs that must be purchased, installed via download or other method (CD or Floppy), and invoked separately from a WEB-browser when interacting on the Internet. In general, there has been a push in the software and information industries to integrate Internet technologies to desktop software applications in more seamless and transparent ways.
Advertising and selling over the Internet is becoming more and more commonplace as facilitating technologies are developed and refined. However, in current art, a prospective buyer or interested party to an Ad featuring a WEB-based service or product must operate basically alone when gathering information or making a purchase on-line. Help programs or frequently asked questions (FAQ's) are made available to assist prospective buyers at the time of or before a purchase, however, these conventions often fall short of satisfying a consumer's concerns, as they are invariably skewed toward the seller's point of view. Sometimes a prospective consumer is more confused after reading a FAQ or consulting an on-line help desk than he or she was at the beginning of an ordering process. Moreover, the competitive nature of many WEB-based businesses or services precludes the provision of any information about alternative products or services that may be available to consumers. As described above, many, if not most companies at the present time maintain a commercial WEB site. Frequently these sites offer products and services. Sometimes only information, and guides whereby a person may reach the company by another route than the Internet (phone, mail) to make a purchase. Further to company-hosted sites, many companies advertise on other host's WEB sites. These advertisements are typically banner-type ads that are created using hyper-text-markup-language (HTML) and posted through agreement by the advertiser and the host of the page. The ad is typically a hyperlink, wherein selection in a Browser application invokes a URL for the advertiser's particular site.
Typically, if a WEB page is commercial, a host will not accept competitive banner ads that may take traffic away from his or her page as described above. A consumer then, is usually limited to non-competitive advertisement from the particular WEB site that he or she is visiting unless the particular page is dedicated to product review. Most product or service comparisons must be made by virtue of the client navigating to another URL that offers a similar product or service creating more work for a consumer, and often leading to frustration.
One Internet technology that is used both for provision of information, and often, purely for entertainment purposes is interactive chat capability. This capability allows clients who are connected to the Internet to engage in collective sharing of information and direct communication with one another. In order to engage in Internet chat, chat software enabling this type of interactive communication must be installed on each participant's computer system either as a standalone software program or as a “plug-in” to a WEB browser.
Chats or chat sessions, as they are termed, are usually scheduled ahead, and are typically hosted by an entity doing business on the WEB or an entity who is otherwise authorized to provide the session. Many chat sessions are limited to a particular subject matter in which all of the participants are hopefully interested. Often a chat is “open” (no particular subject) and attracts persons meeting for general conversation. In some cases, chat sessions are scheduled and associated with WEB sites displaying information such as news articles, political opinions, and so on, that are central to the topic of the session. Sessions may be provided by schedule, or they may be ongoing (continually available). In still other cases, individuals may set up a private chat session and invite certain others to participate in the session. A venue of advertisement that the present inventor believes has been overlooked in the industry is an ability to advertise to on-line chat patrons participating in a chat session.
In prior art situations chat capability is practiced in such as after-market customer care, technical group assistance, forums for hobbyists, political discussion, fan clubs, and private session (invite only). Servers hosted by companies providing the chat software, or by companies hosting a WEB site using the chat software provide the means for the multi-party connections. In some cases, multimedia options other than simple keyboard chat such as I-phone, blackboard drawing, voice messaging, file transfer, or the like are made available to participants having the appropriate software capability for facilitating such media. For the most part, however, session participants are able to interact with each other only by virtue of the commonality that they have the appropriate or supported chat software installed on their computers.
Often, consumers may
Inala Suman Kumar
Rangan P Venkat
Boys Donald R.
Central Coast Patent Agency Inc.
Meky Moustafa M.
Yodlee.com, Inc.
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