Systems and methods of automatic navigation on the world wide web

Disclosed are systems and methods of automatic navigation on the world wide web. A server receives an anonymous signal from a browser, and selectively determines a resource identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of Internet domains, by accessing data structures that are stored apart from the browser. The server generates a signal corresponding to the resource identifier, and sends the signal, to allow the browser to access a signal associated with the resource identifier.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to computer networks and, more particularly, to systems and methods of automatic navigation on the world wide web.

2. Description of Related Art

A Web page may contain links allowing a user to visit another page, offering related content. It is sometimes desirable to customize the content depending on the previous behavior of the user. Conventional links and stateless protocols, however, present obstacles to such customization in a multi-domain environment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the problem above, there is a method for a system of computer networks having a plurality of Internet domains. The method comprises receiving a first signal from a browser, the first signal being anonymous; selectively determining a resource identifier corresponding to one of the plurality of Internet domains by accessing a first data structure and a second data structure, the first data structure defining a sequence of 3 resource identifiers, the first and second data structures being stored apart from the browser; generating a second signal, the second signal corresponding to the resource identifier and a third signal, the third signal being associated with the second data structure; sending the second signal, to allow the browser to access a signal associated with the resource identifier; and responsive to the first signal, writing to the second data structure in accordance with an origin of a content of the first signal.

The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and which constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, explain the principles of the invention, and additional advantages thereof. Certain drawings are not necessarily to scale, and certain features may be shown larger than relative actual size to facilitate a more clear description of those features. Throughout the drawings, corresponding elements are labeled with corresponding reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1shows guidance server100and plato.com server220according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Servers100and220operate in a system including Global Internet20, and browser10running on workstation109.

Workstation109includes a processor executing browser10, a mouse114upstream in a signal path from browser10, a keyboard112upstream in a signal path from browser10, and a display116downstream in a signal path from browser10. Person105manipulates keyboard112and mouse114to control browser10.

Person105types “plato.com” on keyboard112and presses the ENTER key. In response, browser10sends an HTTP GET request12(FIG. 2) to server plato.com220, via global Internet20.

FIG. 2is a diagram showing sequences of HTTP requests and responses exchanged between electronic processors in system1. Each of the rectangles under a server is a process invoked in response to an HTTP request received by the server. In process222, server220generates an HTML page. If the request includes “UID= . . . ” as a parameter, process222includes the value of UID as a hidden variable in the HTML page. (Request12does not include “UID= . . . ” as a parameter.) Process222sends the HTML page to browser10via HTTP response224.

Person105then reads the HTML page from server220. At the end of the HTML page, there appears on screen116the text MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY. More specifically, the HTML page, generated by server220, includes <a href=“http://www.guideme/philo”>MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY</a>.

Person105selects this text using mouse114, causing browser10to send an HTTP request14, containing “GET www.guideme.com/philo”, to server100.

FIG. 3is a flow chart of the process110effected by server100in response to an HTTP GET having “philo” in the path of the request line. If the UID parameter of the request is null (step10), process110creates an anonymous UID and creates a blank history record stored in association with the anonymous UID (step15). Thus, in the case of responding to request14, process110creates an anonymous UID and a blank history.

Process110retrieves the history associated with the anonymous UID and adds the Referrer Field of the HTTP header to the history. The Referrer Field contains the address of the Web page from which the HTTP request was generated.

Thus, in the case of responding to request14,FIG. 4Ashows user history112after step20. In the structures shownFIG. 4 and 5, lines represent a reference, such as a pointer, between one element and another. These references are not necessarily direct memory address pointers. Instead, more generally, each reference is a data entity, stored in association with one (referencing) element, that enables a processor to find a related (referenced) element. To physically address the referenced element, the processor may subject the reference to various translations or mappings.

InFIG. 4A, each of records151,152,153, and154includes a respective anonymous user ID (UID), meaning that the UID is not associated with a login user ID and password.

Process110retrieves record140associated with the path in the HTTP request line. This record is shown inFIG. 5. Record140is essentially a set of rules for generating a page to be sent to browser10. Each row is a rule that is executed in order. There are two types of rule, a “not visited rule” that is satisfied if the page specified in the rule has not yet been visited; and a threshold rule (“>”) that is satisfied if the page specified in the rule has not yet been visited and more than a threshold number of other pages of rule set have already been visited by the user.

In the case of responding to request14, the threshold rule on the first row has not been satisfied, since the user has only visited 1 other page in the rule set (plato.com). The second row is satisfied, because the user has not yet visited socrates.com. Thus, process110generates a redirection request114to socrates.com, including the anonymous UID as a parameter (in the request header), and sends the redirection request to browser10.

In response, browser10sends an HTTP GET request16to server socrates.com210, via global Internet20.

In process222, server210generates an HTML page. Because request16does include “UID= . . . ” as a parameter, process222of server210inserts the value of UID as a hidden variable into the HTML page. Process222sends the HTML page to browser10via HTTP response214.

Person105then reads the HTML page from server210. At the end of the HTML page, there appears on screen116the text MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY. More specifically, the HTML page, generated by server210, includes <a href=“http://www.guideme/philo”>MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY</a>.

Process110retrieves history112associated with the UID and adds the Referrer Field of the HTTP header to the history. Thus, in the case of responding to request18,FIG. 4Bshows user history112after step20.

Process110retrieves record140associated with the path in the HTTP request line. (FIG. 5).

In the case of responding to request18, the threshold rule on the first row has been satisfied, since the user has now visited2other pages in the rule set (2>1). Thus, process110generates a redirection request118to philo-quiz.com, including the UID as a parameter, and sends the redirection request to browser10.

In response, browser10sends an HTTP GET request20to server philo-quiz.com240, via global Internet20.

In process222, server240generates an HTML page. Because request20includes “UID= . . . ” as a parameter, process222of server240inserts the value of UID as a hidden variable into the HTML page. Process222sends the HTML page to browser10via HTTP response244.

Person105then reads the HTML page from server240. At the end of the HTML page, there appears on screen116the text MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY. More specifically, the HTML page, generated by server240, includes <a href=“http://www.guideme/philo”>MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY</a>.

Process110retrieves history112associated with the UID and adds the Referrer Field of the HTTP header to the history. Thus, in the case of responding to request22,FIG. 4Cshows user history112after step20.

Process110retrieves record140associated with the path in the HTTP request line. (FIG. 5).

In the case of responding to request22, process110generates a redirection request122to aristotle.com, including the anonymous UID as a parameter, and sends the redirection request to browser10.

In response, browser10sends an HTTP GET request24to server aristotle.com230, via global Internet20.

In process222, server230generates an HTML page. Because request20includes “UID= . . . ” as a parameter, process222of server230inserts the value of UID as a hidden variable into the HTML page. Process222sends the HTML page to browser10via HTTP response234.

In other words, server100acts to receive an HTTP request22from browser10. Request22is a type of anonymous signal, meaning that request22is not associated with a login ID and password. Server100generates the URL of server230by reading history record112and record140to determine that browser10has not visited server230. Thus, the combination of rules in record140is one way of defining a sequence of URLs.

The anonymous UID in the redirection request122generated by server100is the UID in record152, which is associated with history record112, stored apart from the browser10. In other words, browser10does not access the record112.

Person105then reads the HTML page from server240. On the HTML page, there appears on screen116the text LOGIN TO SEE YOUR TRANSCRIPT. More specifically, the HTML page, generated by server240, includes <a href=“http://www.guideme/login”> LOGIN TO SEE YOUR TRANSCRIPT </a>.

FIG. 9is a flow chart of the process117effected by server100in response to an HTTP GET having “login” in the path of the request line. Process117retrieves the history associated with the anonymous UID and adds the Referrer Field of the HTTP header to the history. Thus, in the case of responding to request26,FIG. 4Dshows user history112after step20.

Process117sends an HTML page126(FIG. 2) to browser10. HTML page126includes a Form that solicits a login ID and password from user105. (step25). Invocation of the form by person105causes browser10to send a request28, containing the login ID and password, to server10.

Server100checks the validity of the received login ID and password (step30). If the login ID and password are valid, server100uses the login ID to find a record165via record161.

Data structure161was previously created when user105set up an account. The password in data structure161was selected by user105. Profile data163contains information given by user105at account setup. Data163includes preferences and demographic information. Record165is a history of navigation by user105.

Server100then modifies record165, by appending the content of record112to record165, as shown inFIG. 4E(step35).

Second Exemplary System

FIG. 6is a diagram showing sequences of HTTP requests and responses exchanged between electronic processors in system1′, according to a second exemplary system. In response to receiving HTTP GET request12from browser10, process222′, executed by server220′, generates an HTML page and sends the HTML page to browser10via HTTP response224′. Response224includes any cookies received in the header of request12.

Person105then reads the HTML page from server220′. At the end of the HTML page, there appears on screen116the text MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY. More specifically, the HTML page, generated by server220′, includes <a href=“http://www.guideme/philo”>MORE ABOUT GREEK PHILOSOPHY</a>.

Person105selects this text using mouse114, causing browser10to send an HTTP request14, containing “GET www.uidgen.com/philo”, to server300.

FIG. 7shows a flow chart of the process111effected by server300in response to a GET request. If header of the request does not contain a cookie named UID (step10), process110creates a unique identifier, and inserts a cookie have the value of the unique identifier into the header of request14. (step15). Thus, in the case of responding to request14, process111does create an identifier and insert the corresponding cookie into the header of request14. Process111forwards the header and body of request14via a HTTP request containing the request line “GET www.guideme.com/philo”, to guideme.com server100′ via request14′.

FIG. 8shows a flow chart of the process110′ effected by server100′ in response to a GET request . Process110′ retrieves the history associated with the UID cookie, and adds the Referrer Field of the HTTP header to the history.

Process110′ retrieves record140associated with the path in the HTTP request line.

In the case of responding to request14′, the threshold rule on the first row has not been satisfied, since the user has only visited 1 other page in the rule set (plato.com). The second row is satisfied, because the user has not yet visited socrates.com. Thus, process110′ generates a redirection request114′ to socrates.com, including the cookie UID in the HTTP header, and sends the redirection request to browser10, via uidgen.com server300.

In response, browser10sends an HTTP GET request16′ to server socrates.com210′, via global Internet20.

In process222′, server210generates an HTML page. Process222′ sends the HTML page to browser10via HTTP response214′.

Third Exemplary System

An exemplary system in accordance with a third exemplary embodiment includes guideme.com server100″ that fetches the target pages from servers210,220, and230, and sends the fetched pages to browser10. This is contrasted with guideme.com server100of the first exemplary system, which employs redirection to have browser10fetch the target pages.

Thus, the exemplary systems allows a user to enter the workflow at any point and guiding the user around to sites they may not have been to by tracking the person's uid. In some cases, the user may need to visit a threshold of sites via our guided navigation before special offers or new features are presented to the user.

A user visits a website that may or may not have rich media content (flash, silverlight, javafx) The page may be generated with hidden fields, url parameters, or parameters that are carried by the rich media application. Once the user clicks on a cross domain link, object, or commits an action that invokes the call, the application then calls the Global Guidance server.

As long as an anonymous user navigates between the sites the global guidance server can passively track the user or actively guide the user form one site to another. Each site that the user goes to is stored in the database. This can be useful if a user must reach a threshold of sites.

The global guidance system can perform the following:

Send the user to a random site in the global navigation list.

Send the user to a random site in the global navigation list that the user has not visited.

Send the user to a specific page determined by a workflow that keeps an ordered list of which sites to which the the user navigates.

Send special permissions if the user has reached an unlock threshold based on the number of sites they have visited.

Send special permissions if the user has visited specific sites.

Present special offers across sites via a special offer code that is determined based on what sites the user has visited.

Throughout this Patent Application, certain processing may be depicted in serial, parallel, or other fashion, for ease of description. Actual hardware and software realizations, however, may be varied depending on desired optimizations apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

In this Patent Application, the word circuitry encompasses dedicated hardware, and/or programmable hardware, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or reconfigurable logic array, in combination with programming data, such as sequentially fetched CPU instructions or programming data for a reconfigurable array. Thus, circuitry encompasses, for example, a general-purpose electronic processor programmed with software, acting to carry out a described function.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have been described above with regard to specific examples. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not critical, required, or essential feature or element of any of the claims.

Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus, and illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or the scope of Applicants' general inventive concept. The invention is defined in the following claims. In general, the words “first,” “second,” etc., employed in the claims do not necessarily denote an order.

The order of appearance of steps does not necessarily denote an order of execution.