Abstract:
A portal provider hosts personalized portal page that, when loaded by a user&#39;s computer, accesses content hosted by a sponsor&#39;s and other content servers. The service provider hosts the portal information (but not the content) in exchange for fees from the sponsor and/or users. A set of tabs each provides access to “views,” each displaying content for the user. Certain views and/or tabs have restrictions on actions the user can take on them, while the user can customize others. Views, tabs, and the application can include background images, either behind the content or over it with alpha blending so that the content is simultaneously visible. Users can access a library of pre-made tabs and can reposition pixel views persistently between user sessions. Picture and video views are available, email is exchanged, media files are played, and a local file browser leverages file associations and applications to further personalize the experience.

Description:
[0001]     REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0002]     Subject matter in this application relates to, and priority is claimed to U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/298,181, “Methods and Systems for Implementing a Customized Life Portal” (or “LifePage Application” herein); 10/298,182, “Customized Life Portal”; 10/298,183, “Method and System for Modifying Web Content for Display in a Life Portal”; and 10/961,314, “Clustering-Based Personalized Web Experience”; and 11/064,992, “User-Configurable Multimedia Presentation System.” 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates generally to Internet application software and web site configuration. More specifically, it relates to a personal portal web site configuration, to modes of retrieving and displaying content and business methods related thereto.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0004]     There are presently numerous ways to create custom or personal home pages at high-traffic portals on the Internet, as well as at lesser known web sites. For example, conventional personal portals designed from the “top down” have been available for years, such as “My Yahoo” and “My Excite,” among many other similar user tools and options at other web sites and portals.  
         [0005]     However, despite their availability for the last several years, the use of personal home pages at widely used portals has not seen widespread acceptance among a vast majority of Internet users. This is a result, in large degree, to the relative complexity and sophistication required to configure, program, and maintain personal and custom web pages. Moreover, even after overcoming the initial barrier to creating and configuring personal web pages, many users have found that the sites they have created are, indeed, not as personal or customized as they were expecting. Many of them continue having difficulty retrieving and displaying content that is truly targeted to their interests, preferences, and priorities. Thus, for many users, tools for creating personal web sites do not satisfactorily meet their expectations or needs. For example, although a user can create a personal homepage at a portal or portal-type web site, the user often still must pass through several web pages to reach content of interest to the user. In one scenario, a user wanting to check local high school sport scores or check scheduling information for community events may not be able to do so if going through present personal web sites, or a user may have to view multiple pages before reaching the page with the relevant content. As such, the level of customization of user home sites at many portals is not satisfactory.  
         [0006]     Furthermore, the content (e.g., local news, sports, weather, specialized subjects, and so on) may not be retrievable from the portal or ISP hosting the user&#39;s personal web site. The range of content available may be limited to the content created or hosted by the portal or made available to the portal (e.g., licensed by the portal or ISP), or may otherwise be from a limited range of sources. Typically, the portals and ISPs providing the personalized portal service are content aggregators. However, the amount of content that can be aggregated is necessarily limited because most of the content on the Internet is not available for syndication and, therefore, cannot be collected by third-parties, such as portals. Consequently, content aggregators cannot offer the breadth of content needed to fully meet the content needs of all potential users, each of whom will likely have unique, wide-ranging interests. The sources available to the portal are limited to sources licensed for use by the portal and may not have the content the user wants, thereby restricting the level of customization of the personal web pages.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     In one embodiment, a personalized web portal includes a tab (also known as a “category”) customized for a sponsor, employer, or other person or entity, so that at least some of the content on the tab is not modifiable by the user. Instead, the “fixed” portion of the content, while not static, is not as subject to the control of the user as other content is. For example, the user cannot delete the fixed content, cover it with other views, or delete the tab entirely. In some forms of this embodiment, this tab (including the fixed content) is also always the first tab to be shown when a user views the portal. In others, the tab containing the fixed content is the only tab available for customization.  
         [0008]     In other embodiments, configurability of various features can be controlled as a function of the user profile, group of users, and the like. In one embodiment, administrators can use a “customer portal manager” (CPM) to impose fine-grained control over those permission settings, so that users can or cannot move, delete, refresh, rename, scroll, or set a view&#39;s z-order relative to other views on a tab. The CPM enables the administrator to set these permissions by individual, role, or group, or based on administrator-specified criteria.  
         [0009]     In other forms, users can move navigational components around each tab. For example, a user may be able to drag-and-drop elements in a navigation bar into different positions within the bar, move the navigation bar itself to a different position in the view or tab, anchor the bar&#39;s or element&#39;s position within the application, or even make it appear as a view within a tab.  
         [0010]     In another form, users can upload pictures, which can be framed or cropped for use and placement in a LifePage. Likewise, video can be uploaded or streamed to a server that puts all or a particular portion of the frame into a LifePage. If the user clicks on the framed video, its playback of the stream resumes where it left off. In one form, resizing a picture or video view causes more or less of the original picture or video to be shown, while in other forms resizing the view continues to show the same portion of the picture or video, but changes its magnification as needed to fill a view of the user&#39;s selected size.  
         [0011]     In other forms, LifePage provides email access, a radio, and a jukebox, allows users to set “wallpaper” for views, tabs, or the whole application, and allows views to be set to stay in front of all other material in the tab. The “on top” settings are particularly useful for systems that display advertisements, so that the user can move the ad around the tab, but cannot resize it or place it under other views in z-order.  
         [0012]     In another form, a local file browser (like a “My Computer” or “My Documents” application on a Microsoft WINDOWS system) is included within a LifePage view, allowing users to open files using local file associations and software applications, even displaying the application window as a LifePage view when the application can be embedded in that manner.  
         [0013]     In still other forms, a portal operator collects fees from sponsors and/or users in exchange for providing a portal server and making available a view framework in which the sponsor can provide content protected from certain masking actions, managing authentication of end users, and the like.  
         [0014]     Still other embodiments feature a “best of the web” library of pre-made collections of views each collection being a tab that users can add to their LifePages. Some categories are sponsored and include undeletable content, while others are shared (uploaded) by other users.  
         [0015]     The improved system also allows users to reposition and resize pixel views, saving the new position or size information and restoring it when the user loads the view again.  
         [0016]     In still other forms, a LifePage view embeds access to the user&#39;s email system in the view, either by providing access to a web mail site, by embedding an instance of all or part of the user&#39;s email application, or by other methods.  
         [0017]     The system allows users to select wallpaper for views, categories, and/or the application itself. The wallpaper can simply be displayed behind all views in z-order, or it can be displayed with partial transparency (i.e., alpha blending) over the whole item or the content pane.  
         [0018]     Still others load the initially shown tab of a LifePage when the LifePage is open, and then proceed to load content for views in hidden tabs in the background. That way, when a user selects another tab or display, the content is presented substantially instantaneously. Bandwidth limitations for the background loading can be imposed by a user in some embodiments, while in others individual views and/or tabs can be flagged for pre-loading while others are not. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a networked data system on which the illustrated embodiments operate.  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a simulated screen shot of a sponsored LifePage according to a first illustrated embodiment.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a simulated screen shot of a wizard for adding a picture view or video view in the first illustrated embodiment.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a simulated screen shot illustrating personalized access enabled by the first illustrated embodiment.  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  is a simulated screen shot illustrating a custom LifePage background in a first alternative embodiment.  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a simulated screen shot illustrating a custom LifePage background in a second alternative embodiment.  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of a computer used in the first illustrated embodiment.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0026]     For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended; any alterations and further modifications of the described or illustrated embodiments, and any further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.  
         [0027]     Generally, as shown in  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of the present invention employs at least four computers including portal server  110 , sponsor content server  120 , selected content server  130 , and user&#39;s computer  140 , all connected via data network  150  (such as the Internet) as system  100 . Portal service provider  160  hosts and operates portal server  110  on behalf of sponsor  170  and other sponsors. Portal service provider  160  collects revenue  180  from sponsors  170  (or revenue  185  from users) in exchange for placement of fixed content on one or more LifePage tabs that are developed for users who sign up for service through sponsor  170 . Additional content server  130  is operated by content provider  190  to the user of computer  140  without necessarily having cooperation of portal service provider  160  in that relationship. Other technological and financial arrangements may be made as discussed below and would occur to one skilled in the art.  
         [0028]     After a user provides basic identifying information (such as authentication credentials to be used for future access), the user is shown an initial LifePage  200  that has been created by or for sponsor  170 . A logo  202  for sponsor  170  appears in the upper corner of the page to promote brand recognition for sponsor  170 , and the remainder of the upper portion  204  of the LifePage  200  is dedicated to navigation features. The lower portion  206  of LifePage  200  displays content.  
         [0029]     In this embodiment, a “tabbed-style” interface is provided that includes sponsor tab  208 , local information tab  210 , news tab  212 , and health information tab  214 . In consideration for payment  108 , sponsor tab  208  appears first at each login by the user, and sponsor view  216  appears permanently on the left side of the display under tab  208 . Sponsor view  216  draws content from sponsor server  120  that in this embodiment includes content targeted for improving brand loyalty to, or patronage of sponsor  170 . This content might include another logo, statistics related to sponsor  170  (such as stock prices of the company, win-loss record of a sports team, or the like), and news headlines that provide up to date information about sponsor  170 . Other views shown under tab  208  include an industry news view  218  and rankings view  220 , which are each drawn from content on other servers (for example, either sponsor server  120  or additional content server  130 ) using techniques shown in the LifePage Application. In this embodiment, the user can neither move nor cover sponsor pane  216  and cannot remove pane  218 , though he or she can resize, move, and/or cover view  218 .  
         [0030]     In contrast, though tabs  210 ,  212 , and  214  are pre-filled with content and views, users are much more free to adapt that content to their liking, or even to remove the tab entirely. New tabs can be added either as empty tabs to which the user adds content he specifies from anywhere on network  150  (and even specifies which part of the resource, either by choosing the desired portion of the document structure or the desired portion of the rendered page) or using a “Best of Web” library that is accessible via link  222  in upper portion  204  of LifePage display  200 .  
         [0031]     When a user selects the Best of Web link, the system presents a list of topics on which tabs have already been built and saved, then shared for use by others. The user can then customize the tab as desired, such as by adding additional views, removing views and content the user does not wish to see, reconfiguring the views (in size, shape, and z-order, for example), and the like.  
         [0032]     In one alternative form of this embodiment, the user can share tab configurations that he or she has created, storing them on portal server  120  for retrieval by others using, for example, the user&#39;s identity, user name, tab name, key words in the tab name, metadata, or websites used in views in the tab. Once the tab is retrieved from the “Best of Web” library, the user can typically customize it as desired.  
         [0033]     In some variations, however, creators or sponsors can choose to limit the changes that can be made to a tab after it is downloaded from the Best of Web library. For example, the sponsor of a library tab might force its own content to be displayed on top of other content, and prohibit it from being removed from the tab, both as consideration for the effort that goes into developing the tab and/or creating the content to be shown thereon.  
         [0034]     In another exemplary application of this system, sponsor  170  is an employer who provides LifePage technology for its employees. In exchange for service fees  180 , portal provider  160  hosts the portal framework on portal server  110  and manages authentication of users. In this application, custom sponsor content view  216  reflects employer-specific information and notices, such as personnel news, policy updates, and teaming information to encourage the employees. As in other applications of this technology, employee-users can add new views to additional LifePage tabs to facilitate retrieval of work-related content from around network  150 . As one example, the employer provides all content in the initial “sponsor” tab  208 , and allows employee-user content to appear on other tabs. In another example, employer-mandated content is limited to sponsor view  216 , and employee-users are permitted to change or remove content in other views  218 ,  220 , or even add additional views if they wish.  
         [0035]     In another example, portal service provider  160  operates portal server  110  on behalf of a sports franchise  170  in exchange for payment of service fees  180 . Fees may alternatively or additionally be collected from the fans (by portal provider  160  or sponsor organization  170 ). Sponsor tab  208  features the franchise logo, win-loss record, player trading news, line scores, and the like. Additional tabs or views within sponsor tab  208  are pre-programmed with league news and highlights, which the user can change, supplement, or delete as he or she chooses.  
         [0036]     The “picture view” and “video view” features for use in a LifePage will now be described with reference to  FIG. 3 , and with continuing reference to the high-level elements shown in  FIG. 1  these view types supplement the pixel views and parsed views described in the LifePage Application for use in tabs of LifePage  200 . A user selects an image or video file, and that image (or a selected frame of the video) is shown in the center of display  300  in position  310 . The user then operates on the image at region  310  using one or more of the buttons shown at the top of display  300 . A different image or video can be selected using button  311  or  313 , respectively. The image in region  310  can be zoomed-in using button  315  or zoomed-out with button  317 . Scroll bars preferably appear along the right and bottom sides of region  310  when only a portion of the image or video frame is showing therein. If the user is selecting a video file, the video frame to be used in selecting the view port can be selected using arrow keys or the timeline that appears below region  310  at  325 .  
         [0037]     Once the image or frame is shown in region  310  at a sufficient level of magnification, the user drags his or her mouse to select a rectangle  319  around the portion of the image or video that the user wants to see in a view. After border  319  is selected, the user can adjust the edges individually by dragging the line (or adjust adjacent sides by dragging a corner) so that the selection is optimized for the user&#39;s preference. Zoom and selecting can be reset if the user selects button  321 , and the whole view-adding process can be cancelled by a selection of Cancel button  323 .  
         [0038]     When the user is satisfied with the selection, he or she clicks Done button  327 , and a “picture view” or “video view” showing the selected part of the image or video is added to the currently selected tab in LifePage  200 . In some embodiments the image or video file being shown in the view is hosted on user&#39;s computer  140  and is accessed when the user displays the tab in which the picture view or video view is displayed. In others, the image or video is uploaded to portal server  110  or sponsor server  120  for better accessibility from other Internet-connected computers (not shown).  
         [0039]     When a picture view or video view is displayed, and the user adjusts the size of the view shown in the tab, the system displays a correspondingly larger, smaller, or different portion of the picture or video. In others, the previously selected portion (which was indicated by rectangle  319  in  FIG. 3 ) is simply magnified to be larger or smaller to fit the new size indicated by the user, preferably maintaining the aspect ratio of the originally selected rectangle  319 . In still other embodiments, the user can select between these options as the view is being created, from the picture view or video view control menu, or both.  
         [0040]     Another advance in this embodiment of LifePage is the ability of the user to adjust the position of a “pixel view” (see the LifePage Application) using scroll bars in the view, and let the new position (preferably automatically) be saved on the portal server. Then, the next time that tab is retrieved from portal server  110 , the adjusted position controls the view so that the user&#39;s preferred content is displayed.  
         [0041]     For video views, the user can play and pause stream simply by clicking on the video view. In some embodiments, the stream status is retained between sessions so that the stream resumes in a new session where it left off in the previous session. In other embodiments, the stream is reset each time the video view is loaded, so that the beginning of the stream is shown first in each session no matter where playback left off previously. In still others, where the stream is broadcasted substantially continuously, the stream resets to real-time streaming in each session, then may be paused and resumed by user command.  
         [0042]     Additional available features are shown in LifePage  400 , which is illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Tab  401  shows the user&#39;s email Inbox and enables the user to read received messages, write new messages, look up contact information from his or her existing database, manage tasks to be completed, and the like. Email view  401  may be an embedded control provided by the email program itself, a custom front end to a web mail interface, or other front end that would occur to one skilled in the art.  
         [0043]     Jukebox view  403  plays audio files from the user&#39;s computer  110  whenever the selected tab  410  is shown on LifePage  400 . Jukebox view  403  shows the artist and title of the track presently being played (based on ID3 data, for example) and permits the user to control playback of audio files in a playlist, as is understood in the art. Likewise, a “radio” view receives streaming music from sources selected by the user with a radio interface metaphor. A combination of this audio player with other features of the LifePage provides a heretofore unknown convenience and level of personalization for users, thereby improving their computing experiences in ways unique to them.  
         [0044]     “This Computer” view  405  corresponds roughly to an integrated version of the “Windows Explorer” application of the WINDOWS operating system. Users navigate through resources available on the local computer using icons and optionally folder tree (not shown) navigation techniques to browse and/or search for locally available resources. “This Computer” view  405  employs locally applicable file type associations to let the user open files with the applications they normally use to manipulate or manage those files, such as using a word processor to edit files ending with a .doc extension, and using ADOBE READER to open files with a .pdf extension. When those associated applications make application windows available for embedding in other applications (such as by exposing a Common Object Model interface), such an embedded application window is placed in a new “embedded view” within the view framework. That embedded view can then be manipulated in size, position, tab placement, z-order setting, and the like just like other views in the framework. The position of the view and status of the underlying application persist between user sessions as well, thereby facilitating the user&#39;s further personalization of his or her LifePage.  
         [0045]      FIG. 5  illustrates another LifePage  500 , in which navigation section  504  includes a sponsor tab  508  for the Indianapolis Colts NFL team. Sponsor view  516  includes Colts promotional content, while standings view  520  shows the current standings for the American Football Conference south (which includes the Colts). Custom background image  522  appears behind all views on tab  508  and provides additional brand impressions for the sponsor.  
         [0046]      FIG. 6  illustrates a similar usage of a background image  572  on the tab  558  of LifePage  550 . Sponsor view  566  is comparable to sponsor view  516  in  FIG. 5 , and standings view  570  is comparable to standings view  520  in  FIG. 5 . Background image  572 , however, appears over (not under) all views on tab  558 , with an appropriate level of alpha blending to allow the content in those views to be seen through the image while the image remains always visible.  
         [0047]     In other alternative embodiments, backgrounds can be selected by users and modified according to their preferences. In still others, the background graphic appears over all tabs and/or the whole application window, or just over the content of certain views.  
         [0048]     In some alternative embodiments, the view framework provided by portal server  110  includes a pre-loading system that retrieves content for views other than the views on the first-shown tab. In one form, the user&#39;s application retrieves content for views in the initial tab first, then retrieves content that goes in views of other tabs in the user&#39;s LifePage. In other forms, content for hidden views is retrieved in parallel with content that is shown in the initially selected tab. In some variations, the user can set a maximum bandwidth level at which background loading is attempted, while in others the user can flag specific views and/or tabs for pre-loading (leaving others for loading on demand).  
         [0049]     Computers in the illustrated embodiment, including user&#39;s computer  140  and servers  110 ,  120 , and  130  each have one or more of the components shown in  FIG. 7 . In particular, the computer  600  includes housing  610 , monitor  620 , and input devices  630 . Housing  610  houses network interface  611 , which enables communication between computer  600  and other computing devices attached to network  150 . Processor  613  communicates with interface  611  and other elements in housing  610  to execute programming instructions that accomplish the tasks described herein. Persistent storage unit  615  stores programming instructions, data, content, and the like as required by its place in system  100 . Memory  617  provides temporary storage for processor  613 , including storage of framework information, programming instructions, content, and the like. Input/output circuitry  619  provides an interface to local input and output devices such as input devices  630  (e.g., keyboard, mouse, voice input) and monitor  620 .  
         [0050]     Processor  613  is preferably a microcontroller or general purpose microprocessor that reads its program from memory  617 . Processor  613  may be comprised of one or more components configured as a single unit. Alternatively, when of a multi-component form, processor  613  may have one or more components located remotely relative to the others. One or more components of processor  613  may be of the electronic variety defining digital circuitry, analog circuitry, or both. In one embodiment, processor  613  is of a conventional, integrated circuit microprocessor arrangement, such as one or more PENTIUM 4 or XEON processors from INTEL Corporation of 2200 Mission College Boulevard, Santa Clara, Calif., 95052, USA, or ATHLON XP processors from Advanced Micro Devices, One AMD Place, Sunnyvale, Calif., 94088, USA.  
         [0051]     Likewise, storage  615  and memory  617  can include one or more types of solid-state electronic memory, magnetic memory, or optical memory, just to name a few. By way of non-limiting example, storage  615  and memory  617  can include solid-state electronic Random Access Memory (RAM), Sequentially Accessible Memory (SAM) (such as the First-In, First-Out (FIFO) variety or the Last-In First-Out (LIFO) variety), Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM), Electrically Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), or Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM); an optical disc memory (such as a recordable, rewritable, or read-only DVD or CD-ROM); a magnetically encoded hard disk, floppy disk, tape, or cartridge media; or a combination of any of these memory types. Also, storage  615  and memory  617  can be volatile, nonvolatile, or a hybrid combination of volatile and nonvolatile varieties.  
         [0052]     While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that would occur to one skilled in the relevant art are desired to be protected.