US2004205593A1PendingUtilityA1

Method and apparatus for providing enhanced functionality to product webpages

53
Assignee: WISH LIST COM INCPriority: Jan 15, 1999Filed: Sep 27, 2002Published: Oct 14, 2004
Est. expiryJan 15, 2019(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Keith M. Kraemer
G06Q 30/06
53
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing enhanced functionality to product webpages is described. This method and apparatus may be used to provide a unified toolbar across product webpages of multiple, independent retailers. This toolbar may be used to create a gift registry across multiple retailers, to create an inter-retailer shopping cart and automate purchases, to create an inter-retailer advertising network, and to create a virtual network of retailers with a multitude of services spanning them.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computer implemented method for providing enhanced functionality to product webpages, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request for a product webpage from a user, the product webpage being associated with a product and an independent vendor;    retrieving the product webpage from an independent source;    extracting a location and structural information associated with the product webpage;    modifying the product webpage to provide a toolbar, the toolbar having at least one command associated with the product; and    presenting the modified product webpage to the user.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein extracting includes: 
 parsing the product webpage into webpage elements;    analyzing the webpage elements to identify location and structural information; and    storing the location and the structural information.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the toolbar is provided in a space inserted at a top of the product webpage.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the toolbar is provided in a separate frame.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the separate frame is a floating window.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the webpage is written in a markup language.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the markup language is HTML.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein extracting includes: 
 parsing the product webpage according to HTML tags;    analyzing the HTML tags and accompanying text to identify URL and frameset information; and    storing the URL and the frameset information.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein modifying includes: 
 inserting a toolbar after the <BODY> marker of the product webpage.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 obtaining information about the user; and    storing the information about the user in an account associated with the user.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the information about the user includes a name, an address, and a phone number associated with the user.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the information about the user includes credit card and payment information associated with the user.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the information about the user includes personal preferences associated with the user.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the information about the user includes demographic information associated with the user.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 receiving a product registration command associated with the product from the user;    adding the product to a list of products in the account associated with the user; and    adding a location and structural information associated with the product webpage in the account associated with the user.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 adding information associated with the product to the account associated with the user.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 obtaining information about a purchaser;    receiving a purchase command associated with the product from the purchaser;    modifying the purchase command with the information about the purchaser; and    sending the modified purchase command to the vendor.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein modifying includes: 
 identifying the product webpage;    retrieving instructions associated with completion of the command and the product;    retrieving the information associated with the user;    completing the command by using the instructions and the information associated with the user for the product webpage.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein identifying includes: 
 extracting a location and structural information associated with the product webpage; and    comparing the location and structural information with a database of known database of profiles.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 receiving a subsequent request for the product webpage;    reconstructing the product webpage using the location and the structural information associated with the product webpage; and    presenting the reconstructed product webpage.    
     
     
         21 . A computer implemented method for providing enhanced functionality to product webpages, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request for a product webpage from a user, the product webpage being associated with a product and an independent vendor;    retrieving the product webpage from an independent source associated with the vendor;    extracting a location and structural information associated with the product webpage;    modifying the product webpage to provide a toolbar, the toolbar having at least one command associated with the product;    presenting the modified product webpage to the user;    receiving a subsequent request for the product webpage;    reconstructing the product webpage using the location and the structural information associated with the product webpage;    presenting the product webpage to the user.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein extracting includes: 
 parsing the product webpage into webpage elements;    analyzing the webpage elements to identify location and structural information; and    storing the location and the structural information.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the toolbar is provided in a space inserted at a top of the product webpage.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the toolbar is provided in a separate frame.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the separate frame is a floating window.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the webpage is written in a markup language.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the markup language is HTML.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein extracting includes: 
 parsing the product webpage according to HTML tags;    analyzing the HTML tags and accompanying text to identify URL and frameset information; and    storing the URL and the frameset information.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein modifying includes: 
 inserting a toolbar after the <BODY> marker of the product webpage.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 obtaining information about the user; and    storing the information about the user in an account associated with the user.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the information about the user includes a name, an address, and a phone number associated with the user.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the information about the user includes credit card and payment information associated with the user.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the information about the user includes personal preferences associated with the user.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the information about the user includes demographic information associated with the user.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 receiving a product registration command associated with the product from the user;    adding the product to a list of products in the account associated with the user; and    adding a location and structural information associated with the product webpage in the account associated with the user.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 adding information associated with the product to the account associated with the user.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 obtaining information about a purchaser;    receiving a purchase command associated with the product from the purchaser;    modifying the purchase command with the information about the purchaser; and    sending the modified purchase command to the vendor.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein modifying includes: 
 identifying the product webpage;    retrieving instructions associated with completion of the command and the product;    retrieving the information associated with the user;    completing the command by using the instructions and the information associated with the user for the product webpage.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein identifying includes: 
 extracting a location and structural information associated with the product webpage; and    comparing the location and structural information with a database of known database of profiles.    
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 receiving a subsequent request for the product webpage;    reconstructing the product webpage using the location and the structural information associated with the product webpage; and    presenting the reconstructed product webpage.    
     
     
         41 . A computer implemented method for providing enhanced functionality to product webpages, the method comprising: 
 presenting a list of vendor webpages to a user, the vendor webpages being associated with a plurality of vendors;    receiving a request for a particular vendor webpage from the user, the particular vendor webpage being associated with a particular vendor;    presenting a list of product webpages to the user, the product webpages being associated with a plurality of products, the plurality of products being associated with the particular vendor;    receiving a request for a particular product webpage, the particular product webpage being associated with a particular product;    retrieving the particular product webpage;    obtaining a location and structural information associated with the particular product webpage;    modifying the particular product webpage to provide a toolbar, the toolbar having at least one command associated with the particular product;    presenting the modified particular product webpage to the user;    receiving the command associated with the particular product from the user; and    storing information about the particular product in a list of products associated with the user.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein extracting includes: 
 parsing the product webpage into webpage elements;    analyzing the webpage elements to identify location and structural information; and    storing the location and the structural information.    
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the toolbar is provided in a space inserted at a top of the product webpage.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the toolbar is provided in a separate frame.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the separate frame is a floating window.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the webpage is written in a markup language.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the markup language is HTML.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein extracting includes: 
 parsing the product webpage according to HTML tags;    analyzing the HTML tags and accompanying text to identify URL and frameset information; and    storing the URL and the frameset information.    
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein modifying includes: 
 inserting a toolbar after the <BODY> marker of the product webpage.    
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising: 
 obtaining information about the user; and    storing the information about the user in an account associated with the user.    
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the information about the user includes a name, an address, and a phone number associated with the user.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the information about the user includes credit card and payment information associated with the user.  
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the information about the user includes personal preferences associated with the user.  
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the information about the user includes demographic information associated with the user.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the command is a product registration command.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the command is a product purchase command.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 56 , further comprising: 
 obtaining information about a purchaser;    receiving a purchase command associated with the product from the purchaser;    modifying the purchase command with the information about the purchaser; and    sending the modified purchase command to the vendor.    
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 57 , wherein modifying includes: 
 identifying the product webpage;    retrieving instructions associated with completion of the command and the product;    retrieving the information associated with the user;    completing the command by using the instructions and the information associated with the user for the product webpage.    
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58 , wherein identifying includes: 
 extracting a location and structural information associated with the product webpage; and    comparing the location and structural information with a database of known database of profiles.    
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising: 
 receiving a subsequent request for the product webpage;    reconstructing the product webpage using the location and the structural information associated with the product webpage; and    presenting the reconstructed product webpage.

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