US 9,177,322 B2Granted

System and/or method for linking network content

OwnerRobin Daniel Chamberlain, Hamish Charles Robertsoninventors

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Abstract

The present invention provides a system (10) for linking network content (12n) over a communications network (14n). The system (10) including: at least one memory or storage unit (20n) operable to store and/or maintain a plurality of linked-content facilities (30n), each of the linked-content facilities (30n) being independently associated with a network location that contains network content (12n); at least one processor operable to execute software that generates, maintains and/or controls access to the linked-content facilities (30n) for a plurality of users (24n); and, at least one input/output device (22n) operable to provide an interface for the users (24n) to operate the software in order to retrieve and/or view the linked-content facilities (30n) for selected network locations from the memory or storage unit (20n), via the communications network (14n). Wherein the linked-content facilities (30n) stored and/or maintained on the memory or storage unit (20n) include system generated link content (32n,32An), and/or user generated link content (32n,32An) received from at least one user (24n), regarding network content (12n) related to the respective network locations. The present invention also provides associated methods (100) for linking network content (12n) for use with the system (10) of the invention.

Claims56

Dependent claims

A method for displaying or providing links to related network content, said method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one network server which generates, stores or maintains a plurality of linked-content facilities, each of said linked-content facilities being paired with a specific network location that contains network content that is independent of said at least one network server;
providing at least one user operable terminal with controlled access to said at least one network server and said linked-content facilities stored thereon;
receiving and processing at said at least one network server a request sent from said at least one user operable terminal, via a communications network, to view or acquire a linked-content facility for a selected network location;
and, displaying or providing said linked-content facility on or to said at least one user operable terminal while simultaneously displaying the network content, or details pertaining thereto, for the selected network location;
wherein said linked-content facilities include links to other network content, available at other network locations, deemed to be related to the network content available at the respective paired network locations, said links being independent of any links provided in the network content available at the respective paired network locations;
and wherein said links include system generated links and said method further comprises the steps of:
acquiring or generating said system generated links for display within a said linked-content facility utilizing at least one of the following methods:
(i) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
crawling or perusing said communications network in order to locate said other network locations containing said other/related other or related network content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
(ii) acquiring tag information associated with the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing the acquired tag information to locate said other network locations having the same or similar tag information associated therewith;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
or, (iii) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing a network search facility to locate said other network locations containing said other or related network content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered.

13 more elements

A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to execute a method for displaying or providing links to related network content, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a central repository for storing or maintaining a plurality of linked-content facilities, each of said linked-content facilities being paired with a specific network location that contains network content that is independent of said central repository;
providing at least one user operable terminal with controlled access to said linked-content facilities stored in said central repository;
receiving and processing a request sent from said at least one user operable terminal, via a communications network, to view or acquire a linked-content facility for a selected network location;
and, displaying or providing said linked-content facility on or to said at least one user operable terminal whilst simultaneously displaying the network content, or details pertaining thereto, for the selected network location;
wherein said linked-content facilities include links to other network content, available at other network locations, deemed to be related to the network content available at the respective paired network locations, said links being independent of any links provided in the network content available at the respective paired network locations;
and wherein said links include system generated links and said method further comprises the steps of:
acquiring or generating said system generated links for display within a said linked-content facility utilizing at least one of the following methods:
(i) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
crawling or perusing said communications network in order to locate said other network locations containing said other or related network content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
(ii) acquiring tag information associated with the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing the acquired tag information to locate said other network locations having the same or similar tag information associated therewith;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
or, (iii) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing a network search facility to locate said other network locations containing said other or related network content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered.

13 more elements

A system for displaying or providing links to related network content, said system being operable over a communications network, said system comprising:

at least one memory or storage unit operable to store or maintain a plurality of linked-content facilities, each of said linked-content facilities being paired with a specific network location that contains network content that is independent of said at least one memory or storage unit;
at least one processor operable to execute software that generates, maintains or controls access to said linked-content facilities for a plurality of users;
and, at least one input or output device operable to provide an interface for said plurality of users to operate said software in order to retrieve or view said linked-content facilities from said at least one memory or storage unit, via said communications network, while simultaneously displaying the network content, or details pertaining thereto, for selected network locations;
wherein said linked-content facilities include links to other network content, available at other network locations, deemed to be related to the network content available at the respective paired network locations, said links being independent of any links provided in the network content available at the respective paired network locations;
and wherein said links include system generated links which are acquired or generated for display within a said linked-content facility utilizing at least one of the following methods:
(i) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
crawling or perusing said communications network in order to locate said other network locations containing said related other or related network content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
(ii) acquiring tag information associated with the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing the acquired tag information to locate said other network locations having the same or similar tag information associated therewith;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
or, (iii) evaluating the network content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing a network search facility to locate said other network locations containing said other/related network content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered.

11 more elements

A method for displaying or providing links to related WWW content via the Internet or a mobile phone network, said method comprising the steps of:

acquiring details pertaining to network locations containing WWW content;
generating and pairing an independent linked-content facility with each of said network locations for which details were acquired;
and, selectively making said linked-content facilities available to WWW users upon request to enable them to discover, recommend or view other WWW content deemed to be related to WWW content they are interested in or are viewing whilst navigating the Internet or mobile phone network;
wherein said linked-content facilities include links to said other WWW content, available at other network locations, deemed to be related to the WWW content available at the respective paired network locations, said links being independent of any links provided in the WWW content available at the respected paired network locations;
and wherein said links include system generated links which are acquired or generated for display within a said linked-content facility utilizing at least one of the following methods:
(i) evaluating the WWW content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
crawling or perusing said communications network in order to locate said other network locations containing said other or related WWW content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
(ii) acquiring tag information associated with the WWW content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing the acquired tag information to locate said other network locations having the same or similar tag information associated therewith;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered;
or, (iii) evaluating the WWW content available at the respective network location paired with said linked-content facility;
utilizing a network search facility to locate said other network locations containing said other or related WWW content;
and, adding links to said linked-content facility to each of said other network locations that were discovered.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/035,885Filed 25 Feb 2011 · continuation
Priority: AU 200890435727 Aug 2008
Published: US 2011/0238646 A129 Sep 2011
Granted: 3 Nov 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G06F 16/9558
Using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]: details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
G06F 3/04842
For the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a…:…
G06F 16/951
Retrieval from the web: indexing; Web crawling techniques
G06F 16/9535
Querying, e.g. by the use of web search engines: search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation