Abstract:
A method and system for browsing and ordering from product catalogs via the Internet is disclosed. When a customer requests a catalog page, a low resolution image of the requested page is first provided to the customer. The size of the computer file corresponding to the page is reduced to be as small as possible, while still allowing products imaged on the page to be recognized. When a customer clicks on a hyperlink in the form of a blocked area in the low resolution image catalog page corresponding to a particular product, a more detailed presentation for that product is built from stored files which include a high resolution picture of the product, a headline file identifying the product, a copy file describing the product, and an order block data file providing detailed information for ordering the product. By initially providing low resolution images for requested catalog pages, such pages can be quickly downloaded to a customer&#39;s computer.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and system for browsing and ordering from catalogs via the Internet. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Historically, people have shopped from the comfort of their homes (or offices) using printed paper catalogs. The traditional printed catalog typically is a multi-page book containing an array of product pictures and descriptions and detailed information for purchasing such products. 
     A typical printed catalog page may include a title, which is the category of products presented on the page, and one or more presentations for products appearing within the category name. Typically, each presentation includes a picture of the product, a headline defining the benefits of the product, copy beneath the headline describing various features of the product, including, for example, size, color and weight, and detailed information and pricing for ordering the product from the catalog company. 
     Also included in a typical printed catalog is an order form for purchasing selected products using the ordering information. The ordering information for desired products is placed on the order form, which is then mailed to the catalog company. Alternatively, a purchaser can call what is typically a toll-free number to speak to a catalog company representative who takes the information for processing product purchases. 
     More recently, the Internet has become a vehicle for electronic commerce and a viable alternative for in home (or office) purchases of products from companies that maintain a web site from which product information may be obtained and products ordered. 
     The Internet is a global communications system in which a vast number of computers and other devices are networked to allow user-to-user communications and transfers of data files from one machine to any other on the network. The World Wide Web serves as one type of interface to the Internet that allows users to readily navigate the Internet&#39;s vast resources. The Web allows information and data dispersed across the Internet to be linked in an easily accessible way. This information or data typically includes text, graphics, illustrations, sound and video. 
     The World Wide Web uses a client/server architecture in which client programs, called web browsers, running on users&#39; computers request data from server programs running on other computers known as servers, which are located elsewhere on the Internet. The data requested by a user&#39;s browser is typically part of a web site maintained by a company or other entity. When the browser program requests the data, a web server hosting the web site sends the requested data back over the Internet to the browser, which then interprets and displays the data on the user&#39;s computer screen. Thus, a web browser is a computer program or application that has the ability to request data from any server on the Internet and interpret and display on a user&#39;s computer the data sent by a server through the Internet. Conversely, a web server is a computer program that responds to web browser requests for data and sends the requested data to the web browser through the Internet. 
     A web page is typically a file that contains HTML (hypertext mark-up language) files containing text and graphics, along with a set of HTML tags that describe how the text and graphics should be formatted and displayed on a user&#39;s computer screen. The tags are instructions that tell the web browser how the page should look when it displays the page on a user&#39;s computer. So, for example, the tags serve to change the font size or color, arrange things in columns, etc. The graphics or images on web pages are typically either GIF files or JPG files. The GIF files are generally used for drawn graphics, while the JPG files are generally used for photographs or scanned images. 
     The World Wide Web uses an addressing system known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL). A URL consists of four parts that, when combined, completely define the location of any file or service located anywhere on the Internet. These parts are the protocol, domain name, path, and filename. Thus, a user&#39;s browser, in requesting a web page from a web site, sends a message over the Internet that includes at least a transfer protocol (e.g., http://), and a domain name (e.g., www.catalogcompanyname.com). The last two components of a URL may or may not exist, depending on the location and type of information any given hyperlink points to. The server receives the user&#39;s request and retrieves the requested web page or other file, which is composed in HTML. The server then transmits the requested page or other file back across the Internet to the user&#39;s computer. The user&#39;s browser program receives the HTML file and displays its interpretation of the requested file. Thus, browser programs send requests and receive the data needed to display the HTML page on a user&#39;s screen. This includes the HTML file itself, plus each of the graphic, sound and video files mentioned in the HTML file. Once the data is retrieved, the browser formats the data as indicated by the HTML tags and displays it on the user&#39;s computer screen. 
     Web pages are typically hypertext documents, i.e., documents which provide clearly visible links to other documents or web pages on the World Wide Web. When a user clicks on a hypertext link, or hyperlink, a new request to retrieve another file is sent over the Internet. With a web browser, a user typically sees formatted documents that contain text, graphics and highlighted hyperlinks. The browsers let a user navigate the Internet, not by entering commands, but rather by moving a mouse pointer to a desired hyperlink and clicking. The browser establishes contact with the related server in a remote computer, and the server transfers the requested file to the user&#39;s machine, displaying it in the user&#39;s browser as another formatted, hyperlink document. Thus, a user can “surf” the web by hopping from hyperlink to hyperlink without delving deeply into the contents of any particular document. 
     Users connect to the Internet typically via a modem dial-up connection to an Internet Service Provider, although some connect via a direct line such as a T1 or a T3 line. Most modem dial-up connections occur over regular phone lines. These analog lines have limited bandwidth, which limits the rate of speed at which data can be transferred from the Internet to a user&#39;s computer. Common transfer rates for modems used with analog phone lines are 28.8 and 56 Kbps. With a rate of data transfer of 28.8 Kbps, the download of a typical window screen consisting of 50 KBytes of data can take as much as 13 seconds, while a 1 MegaByte image file at the same data transfer speed could take as much as 5 minutes. Thus, where you have a user who is looking to download catalog web pages containing multiple graphical images per page, a significant amount of time can be spent by the user waiting for the download of each page. 
     It is possible to reduce download time by subscribing to an improved connection service, such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) or DSL (Digital Subscriber Line). While such services allow for faster download times, they are not available in many locations, such as the rural locations where persons who traditionally use catalogs to shop live. Moreover, there is an additional expense to a user of these services, which may not be affordable or justified, given the purpose for which a user&#39;s computer and Internet connection may be used. This may be particularly the case where a user operates his or her computer and Internet connection for personal purposes only. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a method and system for browsing and ordering from catalogs via the Internet which overcomes the download limitations associated with performing these tasks using a typical modem dial-up connection to the Internet. According to the present invention, an Internet user/catalog customer seeking to browse a catalog, is first provided with a low resolution image file of a requested catalog page that provides the customer with a collection of low resolution images for identifying the products presented on the catalog page. Nominally, this low resolution file would be 20-30 K bytes in size, it having been generated using a reduction computation based on a reduction ratio of nominally 2 MB to 20 KB. Each time the customer requests a new catalog page, a low resolution image of the requested page is displayed on the customer&#39;s computer by the customer&#39;s browser program. The size of the computer file corresponding to each of the low resolution image pages is reduced to be as small as possible, while still allowing sufficient detail to allow a customer to recognize generally the category name, headline and the products imaged on the page. By initially providing such low resolution images of the requested catalog pages, the pages can be quickly downloaded to a customer&#39;s computer, thereby allowing the customer to quickly browse selected catalog “pages.” While product catalogs are typically directed to physical items offered for sale by a catalog company, the present invention also contemplates a broader definition of “products” that may include, for example, services or non-tangible items that may be offered by a company as its products. 
     When a customer sees a product in which he or she is interested, the customer can request more detailed information about the particular product by clicking on a hyperlink that connects the customer to another file containing such detailed information. The hyperlink, which is embedded in the low resolution image catalog page, may be a blocked area which, in effect, corresponds to the entire presentation of the product pictured on the page. When a customer clicks anywhere in this “live” blocked area corresponding to a particular product, a more detailed presentation for that product is provided. This more detailed presentation may be built from several files which include a higher resolution image (i.e., larger file size) of the product, a headline file identifying the product, a copy file describing the product, and an order block data file providing detailed information for ordering the product. The more detailed presentation is then transmitted by the catalog web page server to the customer over the Internet, after which the customer&#39;s browser receives the detailed presentation file and displays it in the customer&#39;s computer according to the format contained in the more detailed file. If the customer decides to buy the product, another hyperlink in the detailed presentation is then clicked to obtain another file in which information for ordering the product is stored. If the customer chooses to not buy the product, then he or she has the option of returning to the low resolution image catalog page previously being viewed, after which the detailed presentation for another product pictured on that low resolution image catalog page can be requested by clicking on the blocked area link for that product. Alternatively, the customer can request a different catalog page, whereupon a low resolution image of the requested page is then transmitted by the catalog web page server to the customer&#39;s browser program for viewing by the customer. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a system for carrying out the catalog browsing and ordering method of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram of the catalog browsing and ordering method of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a sample of a web page for a product catalog company; 
         FIG. 4  is another page linked to the web page of  FIG. 3  through which a customer requests a desired product catalog and particular pages of the product catalog; 
         FIG. 5  is a sample of a low resolution image catalog page requested using the requesting page of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a detailed presentation of a selected one of the products shown on the low resolution image catalog page of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a second detailed presentation of another product shown on the low resolution image of the catalog page of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a low resolution image of a “specials” page of the web page catalog also accessed through a link on the web page of  FIG. 3 ; and 
         FIG. 9  is a detailed presentation of one of the products shown on the low resolution image “specials” page of  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a system for carrying out the catalog browsing and ordering method of the present invention. Shown in  FIG. 1  is a server computer system  10  connected to the Internet  11 . Stored in the memory (not shown) of computer  10  is a web server program  12  and a plurality of files  14  relating to a product catalog web page  13 . Constituting the plurality of files  14  are a first series of files  15 , which are low resolution images of the catalog pages comprising the product catalog, a second, larger series of files  16  which are detailed presentations of the products shown on the low resolution image catalog pages  15 , and a third series of files  17  displayed to customers as “access pages” to implement the displaying of catalog pages and the ordering of products pictured on such pages. 
     Also shown in  FIG. 1  are several client systems  18 , each of which can be, for example, a television with Internet access, but which is preferably a personal computer with a modem  22  for connecting to the Internet  11 . Stored in each computer  18 &#39;s memory (not shown) is a browser program  20  for requesting information from web servers, such as server  12 . The client systems  18  are each typically operated by a customer desiring to browse, and perhaps order products from, a catalog web page. 
     Although not specifically shown in  FIG. 1 , computers  10  and  18  would typically include central processing units (CPUs) and system buses that would couple various computer components to the CPUs. These system buses may be any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. The memory used by computers  10  and  18  would also typically include random access memory (RAM) and one or more hard disk drives that read from, and write to, (typically fixed) magnetic hard disks. A basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within a personal computer system, such as during start-up, may also be stored in read only memory (ROM). Computers  10  and  18  might also include other types of drives for accessing other computer-readable media, such as a removable “floppy” disks, or an optical disk, such as a CD ROM. The hard disk, floppy disk, and optical disk drives are typically connected to a system bus by a hard disk drive interface, a floppy disk drive interface, and an optical drive interface, respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data used by machines, such as computers  10  and  18 . Computer  10  will also include a communications device (not shown) for connecting to Internet  11 . Such communications device and modems  22  may be internal or external, and are typically connected to the computer&#39;s system bus via a serial port interface. Computers  10  and  18  may also include other typical peripheral devices, such as printers, displays and keyboards. Typically, computer  18  would include a display monitor (not shown) on which various catalog pages and other catalog information are displayed. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram for the catalog browsing and ordering method of the present invention. The first step  31  is generating the computer files  15  containing for each catalog page a low resolution scan image from a corresponding detailed catalog page  32 . In the present invention, each such low resolution image catalog page is a computer file nominally 20-30K bytes in size. An example of such a low resolution image catalog page  33  is shown in  FIG. 5  of the application. 
     The next step  34  in the method of the present invention is to create for each low resolution image catalog page an image map for each product pictured in the low resolution image catalog page. These image maps use an X-Y coordinate system to define the outline of areas corresponding to the product pictures. Clicking with a mouse within an area, such as area  35  shown in  FIG. 5 , causes server  13  to return a detailed product presentation page hyperlinked to such area. 
     A low resolution image is generated for each page of the catalog to be accessed at the product catalog web site. Once the low resolution images of the various catalog pages are generated, the next step  36  shown in  FIG. 2  is to load the area outlined low resolution pages  15  into Computer  10 &#39;s memory so that they can be accessed by web server  12 . 
     When a customer links to a product catalog web page, such as that shown in  FIG. 3 , he or she is presented with a display  60 , that includes a number of hyperlinks  62  that allow the customer to further link to various files associated with browsing the catalog&#39;s pages and with ordering products from the catalog. Clicking on the “browse print catalog” link  64  causes the user to link to a new page  70  shown in  FIG. 4  for requesting a particular catalog and then particular pages from the selected catalog. Page  70  shown in  FIG. 4  includes a plurality of links  71  for selecting a particular catalog and a page selection field  72  for selecting a desired page number of a selected catalog  74 . After the “Select A Page” field  72  is clicked, a drop menu (not shown) appears from which the customer can choose a desired page by a second click on a page number, which links the user to the catalog page corresponding to the page number clicked in field  72  shown in  FIG. 4 . Clicking on a desired catalog and then on a page number in field  72  corresponds to the step  37  in  FIG. 2  of requesting a particular catalog page. 
     At step  38  of  FIG. 2 , web server  12  sends to a customer&#39;s computer  18  the low resolution image of the requested catalog page, such as catalog page “29” (web page  33 ) shown in  FIG. 5 , after which the customer&#39;s web browser  20  displays web page  33  on customer&#39;s computer  18 . 
     At step  39  of  FIG. 2 , the customer clicks in an outlined area for a given product, such as, by way of example, area  35  shown in  FIG. 5 . Clicking on outlined area  35  links the user to another web page  40  shown in  FIG. 6  that is a detailed presentation of the product shown in area  35  of  FIG. 5 . This detailed presentation of such product is dynamically created at step  41  of  FIG. 2 . The web server  12  presents one of the pages  16  which is a detailed presentation of the product shown in the low resolution image of the web page  33  shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     Referring simultaneously to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , the detailed presentation  40 A shown in  FIG. 6  typically includes a high resolution photograph  42 A, a headline  43 A, product copy  44 A and an order block  45 A for purchasing the product pictured and described in  FIG. 6 . The high resolution photograph  42 A is generated from a JPG file  42  accessed by web server  12 . The headline  43 A, copy  44 A and order block  45 A are all dynamically generated from headline file  43 , copy file  44  and order block data file  45 , respectively, also accessed by web server  12 . At step  46  of  FIG. 2 , the presentation of  FIG. 6  is sent through the Internet to browser  20 , where it is displayed on the customer&#39;s system  18 . After the detailed presentation  40 A is displayed on the customer system  18 , at step  47  of  FIG. 2 , the customer makes a buy decision as to whether to purchase the product presented on his or her system  18 . 
     If the customer chooses to buy the product, he or she clicks a buy button  48 A shown in  FIG. 6 , whereupon at step  49  of the flowchart of  FIG. 2 , the order is processed. If the customer chooses to not purchase the product, he or she simply clicks the back button on the web browser to return to the previously displayed low resolution image catalog page. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 5 , if a customer decides to purchase a different product  50  shown in the low resolution image catalog page“29” (web page  33 ), then he or she clicks in the outline area  50  for such product to obtain a detailed product presentation for that particular product. The new detailed presentation  40 B shown in  FIG. 7  is then accessed when link  50  in low resolution image web page  33  is clicked. Here again, the detailed presentation  40 B shown in  FIG. 7  includes a high resolution photograph  42 B of the product, a headline  43 B, product copy  44 B and an order data block  45 B. As can be seen in  FIGS. 5 and 7 , one or more products displayed on a catalog page, such as product  50  shown in  FIG. 5 , can be a plurality of items that have been grouped together for presentation in the catalog, such as the plurality of drill bits shown as product  50  in  FIG. 5  and described in more detail in  FIG. 7 . In such a case, the high resolution photograph  42 B of the product, headline  43 B, product copy  44 B and order data block  45 B would typically describe or reflect a plurality of items. Thus, for example, the order data block  45 B for the plurality of drill bits shown in high resolution photograph  42 B and described in headline  43 B and product copy  44 B of  FIG. 7  lists a plurality of bits and prices for such bits. If the customer wishes to order one or more of the items comprising the product shown in  FIG. 7 , he or she again clicks the corresponding buy button(s)  48 B to initiate the purchase. 
     Also included in the web page  70  ( FIG. 4 ) for selecting particular catalog pages by page number, is a search link  73  which links the user to a field (not shown) in which can be typed a product name or product description keyword for purposes of locating the catalog page, or pages, on which such product is displayed and described. Once the product name or keyword is entered in the field, a “Go” button (not shown) is clicked, which then links the customer to the low resolution image catalog page on which the product is displayed and described. With the right product name or keyword, the customer would again be linked to the web page showing, for example, the low resolution image web page  33  (catalog page 29) of  FIG. 5 . If the customer then wanted additional information about any of the products shown in catalog page 29, he or she would again click an outline area, such as, for example, areas  35  or  50 , to retrieve one or the other of the detailed product presentation  40 A or  40 B shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , respectively. 
     Referring again to the web page  60  shown in  FIG. 3 , other hyperlinks can be included on page  60  to initiate other browsing and/or buying functions. For example, web page  60  can include a “specials” link  66  which, when clicked, links the customer to yet another web page  80  containing a low resolution image of a catalog page containing various products on special sale. An example of a “specials” catalog page is shown in  FIG. 8  of the application. In the example shown in  FIG. 8 , the specials page  80  includes several product pictures  82  and a corresponding number of headlines  84  identifying the products pictured on page  80 . In this case, also included are subheadlines  86  which identify the date until which each of the products is on sale. If a customer wishes to obtain further information about a particular special product, he or she clicks on an outline area  88  or a word link  89  corresponding to the desired product. Clicking on outline area  88  or word link  89  links the customer to a detailed presentation web page  90  for the product depicted in the outline area  88 . The detailed presentation web page  90  is shown in  FIG. 9 . Here again, the detailed presentation  90  includes a high resolution photograph  42 C, a headline  43 C, product copy  44 C and an order block  45 C, which in this case includes two entries. If a customer decides to order one or more of the specials products, he or she clicks one or more buy buttons  46 C corresponding to such products. 
     Referring again to the web page shown in  FIG. 3 , other hyperlinks that can be included on the web page  60  are pictures  68  depicting different types of products. The picture links allow a user to go to different types of products in which he or she may be interested. Web page  60  can also include a “checkout” hyperlink  67  which initiates a final purchase of the selected products. 
     Although the present invention has been described in terms of a particular embodiment, it is not intended that the invention be limited to that embodiment. Modifications of the disclosed embodiment within the spirit of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, the web page can include additional hyperlinks to initiate additional functions associated with the browsing of the product catalog and the purchasing of products within the catalog. It can also include other hyperlinks for other functions such as new products, upcoming events, news, customer rights, security and privacy, forms, gift registries, and the establishment of a personal catalog which includes products previously purchased by a customer or products in which the customer has an interest but which he or she may not have yet purchased. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims that follow.