Abstract:
The invention provides a method and system for creating and customizing a home page that is used in conjunction with a technique for dynamically trading knowledge and services. A provider of knowledge, goods or services could request a home page on a web site dedicated to dynamically providing goods and services. Upon receiving the request, the provider of knowledge, goods or services is given the opportunity to create a specially customized home page. This homepage provides prospective buyers, with some or all of the following information: the name of the provider, the type of product, the amount of product available, a way of categorizing the product, a description, a fixed price, optional goods or services and other related information that would be helpful to those trying to identify providers of good and services and select among them. A provider of goods and services is guided through a step-by-step procedure, during which the provider is presented with a number of mandatory information fields that are used in creating a customized home page.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/161,319 filed Oct. 25, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the creation of home pages to be used in an internetworking system for dynamic trading of knowledge and services. 
     2. Related Art 
     One aspect of the Internet that has become popular is the use of web pages to advertise goods and services to a wide audience. 
     One problem in the known art occurs when a provider of goods and services is not knowledgeable in the art of creating a web page “from scratch”. Although such providers can call upon the services of special web page designers or use software that assists in the creation of the web pages, the providers may lack the information necessary to evaluate such services, use complex software or make the artistic and marketing decisions relating to what information they wish a prospective buyer to view. 
     A second problem in the known art occurs when a provider of good or services puts their web pages on-line. Even if the web page describes the goods and services and informs the seeker of such goods or services how to contact the provider, a party seeking such goods and services would have to find the web page, often engaging in a relatively tiresome procedure of eliminating products and services that are irrelevant to his search. 
     Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an enabling technology whereby the provider of knowledge, services or goods can easily create a home page that provides information about his business and display the home page at a commercial site that is dedicated to the dynamic trade of goods and services. This enabling technology guides the provider through a step-by-step procedure to create a home page. During this procedure, the provider makes choices concerning what type of information to display and how best to display it. The resulting customized home page is then displayed at a central site so that persons seeking goods or services can evaluate what is offered and contact the provider. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a method and system for creating and customizing a home page that is used in conjunction with a technique for dynamically trading knowledge and services. 
     A provider of knowledge, goods or services contacts a web site and requests a web page on a web site dedicated to dynamically providing goods and services. 
     In response to the request, the web site allows the provider of knowledge, goods or services an opportunity to interact with a computer program to create a specially customized web page. 
     The computer program guides the provider of knowledge, goods or services through a step-by-step procedure, during which the provider is presented with a number of mandatory information fields that are used in the creation of a customized home page. In addition to including the mandatory fields, the customized home page could include a number of optional fields that would better highlight the goods and services. For examle, the provider could decide to
         display optional fields in his home page (in addition to the mandatory ones);   create and display several different types of fields, including drop-down menus, check boxes, radio groups, text labels, scrolling text boxes and text boxes;   create and save forms that can be attached to each service provided (for example, order forms, customer identification forms and credit history forms); and   create and display multiple services in a single home page.       

     The resulting web page provides prospective clients with some or all of the following information: the name of the provider, the type of product, the amount of product available, a way of categorizing the product, a description, a fixed price, optional goods or services and other related information that would be helpful to those trying to identify providers of good and services and select among them. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the web page is displayed on a particular web site, along with other web pages created by other providers of knowledge, goods or services. This central location, as it were, eliminates problems associated with searching for particular products or vendors on line. Instead of sorting through results gathered by a search engine, clients can go directly to the centralized site. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram that shows an apparatus for creating a web page that can be used in a system for dynamically trading information, goods, and services. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  are a flow chart that shows a method for creating a web page and displaying it in a system for dynamically trading information, goods, and services. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following description, a preferred embodiment of the invention is described with regarded to preferred process steps and data structures. Embodiments of the invention can be implemented using general-purpose processors or special purpose processors operating under program control, or other circuits adapted to particular process steps and data structures described herein. Implementation of the process steps and structures described herein would not require undue experimentation or further invention. 
     System Elements 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram that shows an apparatus for creating a web page that can be used in a system for dynamically trading information, goods and services. 
     A system  100  includes at least one first client device  110  under the control of a provider of knowledge, goods or services  120 , at least one server device  130  that displays a plurality of web pages  140 , at least one second client device  150  under the control of the end user  160 , and a communications network  170 . 
     The first client device  110  is under the control of a provider of knowledge, goods or services  120  who is interested in creating and displaying a web page  140 . The client workstation  110  includes a computer having a processor  111 , a memory or mass storage  112 , a presentation element  113 , an input element  114 , and a network connection  115  that may be coupled to the communications network  170 . As used herein, the term “computer” is intended in its broadest sense, and includes any device having a programmable processor or otherwise falling within the generalized Turing machine paradigm. 
     Similar to the first client device  110 , the second client device  150  also includes a computer having a processor  151 , a memory or mass storage  152 , a presentation element  153 , an input element  154 , and a network connection  155 . However, the second client device  150  can be under the control of an end user  160 . In a preferred embodiment, the end user  160  is navigating a communications network  170  in search of particular knowledge, goods or services. 
     The server device  130  includes at least one computer having a processor  131 , a memory or mass storage  132 , a presentation element  133  and an input element  134 . The server  130  also includes a computer program  135  for generation of web pages  140 , one or more web sites  136  for displaying web pages  140  that are created using the computer program  135 , a database  137 , and web server software  138 . 
     Although described as a single entity, the server  130  may include multiple servers, so that the computer program  135  for generation of web pages  140  and the one or more web sites  136  and the database  137  may reside (collectively or as single entities) in a single memory  132  or in different memories  132  spanning several different servers  130 . Like the client workstation  110 , the server  130  is coupled to the communication network  170 . As used herein, the term “computer” is intended in its broadest sense, and includes any device having a programmable processor or otherwise falling within the generalized Turing machine paradigm. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the provider of knowledge, goods or services  120  uses their associated client device  110  and the communications network  170  to log on to a web site associated with the server device  130  and interact with the computer program  135  to generate a web page  140 . 
     The computer program  135  a set of instructions that govern interactions between the provider  120  and the server  130 . These instructions include requesting specific demographic information  141  about the provider of knowledge, goods or services  120  and the type of business or organization on whose behalf the web page  140  is being generated. In addition to providing information for billing purposes, this demographic information  141  may be used to suggest where the web page  140  should be displayed. In a first example, if the provider  120  identifies themselves as a school, then the web page  140  might be displayed with web pages  140  from other schools. In a second example, if the provider  120  identifies themselves as a car retailer, then the web page  140  might be displayed with web pages  140  from other car dealers. 
     The demographic data  141  includes some or all or some combination of the following:
         the name of the provider  120 , assorted contact information and credit card information   the type of product   the amount of product available   a way of categorizing the product, service or knowledge   a description of the product   a fixed price, optional goods or services and other related information that would be helpful to those trying to identify providers of goods and services  120  and select among them.       

     After acquiring this demographic information  141 , the computer program  135  includes an instruction to present the providers of knowledge good or services  120  with a step-wise sequence of choices  142 , relating to the types of content that are to be displayed on the web page  140  and how that content is to be displayed. This step-wise sequence of choices  142  may include some or all or some combination of the following:
         text fields to be displayed on a web page  140     fonts for text fields   size of text to be included in a text field   “wallpaper” styles   links to other sites   fields for graphics (for example, fields for showing photographs of a product)   fields for streaming media (for example, sound sampling, video snips)   design elements to be included in a page (for example, the provider  120  may chose   from a collection of different graphical images)   display optional fields in a web page (in addition to the mandatory ones)   select from different types of fields, including drop-down menus, check boxes, radio groups, text labels, scrolling text boxes and text boxes   create and save forms that can be attached to each service provided (for example, order forms, customer identification forms and credit history forms)   create and display multiple services in a single web page.   other graphic tools, such as a tool to move elements included on a page.       

     The one or more web sites  136  include centralized locations on a network for the display of web pages  140 . Each web site  136  includes a plurality of web pages  140 , or links to web pages  140 , so as to organize the web pages  140  in a way as to make them more accessible to an end user  160 . These one or more web sites  136  relieve the end user  160  from problems associated with finding information on a network (for example, reviewing search engine results). 
     In a preferred embodiment, a particular web page  140  may be displayed at one or more of the web sites  136 . For example, if a web page  140  is generated by a medical school and contains information about a particular disease, the web page  140  may be displayed on a web site  136  devoted to medical schools and a web site  136  devotes to health concerns. In a preferred embodiment, each web page  140  is the home page for the provider  120  so that a particular web site  136  contains a cluster of home pages or links to home pages. 
     The database  137  includes a file  138  for each provider of knowledge, goods or services  120 . The file  138  contains all of the demographic data  141 , drafts of web pages  140  created by the provider  120 , and information related to the web pages  140  created by the provider  120  such as the number of “hits” in a particular time period. 
     Web server software  138  includes a computer program for displaying the web site  136  and the web pages  140  on a network using the server device  130 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the communications network  170  includes the Internet. However, it may also include any other type of computer network, such as an intranet, extranet or a virtual private network. Communications over this communication network may involve any number or combination of technologies such a direct communication line, a switched network such as a telephone network, a wireless network, a form of packet transmission or some combination thereof. All variations of communication links noted herein are known in the art of computer communication. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  are flow charts that show a method for creating a web page and displaying it in a system for dynamically trading information and services. 
     The method  200  is performed by the system  100 . Although the method  200  is described serially, the steps of the method  200  can be performed by separate elements in conjunction or parallel, whether asynchronously, in a pipelined manner, or otherwise. There is no particular requirement that the method  200  be performed in the same order in which this description lists the steps, except where so indicated. 
     At a flow point  205 , the system  100  is ready to begin creating a web page  140  and displaying it in a system for dynamically trading information and services. 
     At a flow point  210 , a provider of knowledge, goods or services  120  uses a client device  110  to contact the server device  130 . 
     At a flow point  215 , the provider  120  begins interacting with the computer program  135 . The provider completes various data fields so as to provide the computer program with demographic data  141 . This demographic data can include some or all or some combination of the following:
         the name of the provider  120 , assorted contact information and credit card information   the type of product   the amount of product available   a way of categorizing the product, service or knowledge   a description of the product   a fixed price   optional goods or services and other related information that would be helpful to end users  160  who are trying to identify providers of goods and services  120  and select among them.       

     In a step  215 , the demographic data  141  is stored in the database  137 . 
     In a step  220 , the provider  120  continues interacting with the computer program  135 . The computer program  135  presents a step-wise series of choices  142  to the provider  120 . A subsequent step in the series of choices  142  is generally responsive to the preceding choice made by the provider  120 . For example, if a provider  120  selects “pull-down menus”, the next step in the series of choices may involve completion of text fields included in the pull-down menu. 
     These series of choices  142  may include some or all or some combination of the following:
         text fields to be displayed on a page   fonts for text fields   size of text to be included in a text field   “wallpaper” styles   links to other sites   fields for graphics (for example, fields for showing photographs of a product)   fields for streaming media (for example, sound sampling, video snips)   design elements to be included in a web page  140  (for example, the provider  120  may chose from a collection of different graphical images)   optional fields in a web page (in addition to the mandatory ones)   different types of fields, including drop-down menus, check boxes, radio groups, text labels, scrolling text boxes and text boxes   forms that can be attached to each service provided (for example, order forms, customer identification forms and credit history forms)   multiple services in a single web page.   other graphic tools, such as a tool to move elements included on a page.       

     In a step  225 , the computer program  135  generates a sample web page  140  based upon the provider&#39;s  120  responses to the step-wise series of choices  142  and presents it to the provider  120  for review. 
     In a step  230 , the provider  120  reviews the web page  140 . If necessary, the provider  120  continues to interact with the computer program  135  to make any changes in the web page  140 . Steps  225  and  230  may be repeated until such time that the provider  120  believes that the web page  140  is complete. 
     In a step  235 , the computer program  135  stores a record of all of the provider&#39;s  120  choices in the database  137 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the preceding steps may take place in a single session or in multiple sessions. If they take place in multiple sessions, the results of each session are stored in the database  137  at the end of that particular session and retrieved from the database  137  at the start of the next session. 
     In a step  240 , the computer program compares the demographic data  141  associated with the provider  120  to other demographic data provided by other providers. This comparison is used to determine a particular web site  136  where the web page  140  will be displayed. Generally, the choice is made upon commonality of specific demographic information, such as type of business, type of content, geographic location and other factors. 
     In a step  245 , the web page  140  is displayed at the particular web site  136  determined in the previous step. An end user  160  may access the web page  140  by going to the web site  136 . End users  160  and providers  120  can dynamically trade goods, services and information by using the web pages  140  stored at the web site  136 . 
     In a step  250 , the computer program generates a bill to be presented to provider  120 . This bill may include fees for both the creation of the customized web page  140  and the display of the customized web page  140  on the web site  136 . 
     Alternative Embodiments 
     Although preferred embodiments are disclosed herein, many variations are possible which remain within the concept, scope and spirit of the invention and these variations would become clear to those skilled in the art after perusal of this application.