Abstract:
A method of increasing the awareness of users of the Internet to services and products provided by web sites, wherein the method includes establishing a hosting web site on the Internet having a data processor for registering web site owners (WSO&#39;s) as subscribers to a hosting service. The method also includes storing a program of a browser add-on in the web site, and incorporating a set of customizable characteristics, wherein each WSO subscriber is enabled on said hosting web site to customize said browser add-on for defining specific look and functionalities of the browser add-on. The method further includes registering WSO&#39;s as subscribers to the hosting service, providing the data processor with a data base for each WSO subscriber, storing the customization data of the browser add-ons in the data bases of the respective WSO subscribers, generating code to be integrated in a web site of the WSO, wherein the code includes a unique identifier of the customization data stored at the hosting web site, in the data base of the respective WSO subscriber. Whenever a user of the Internet activates the code in the WSO subscriber web site, another step provides downloading the browser add-on and the customized data related to the WSO subscriber from the data processor of the hosting web site to the personal computer (PC) of the Internet user and integrating the browser add-on in a web browser installed in the PC.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/381,396, filed Mar. 11, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/053,662, filed Feb. 9, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,766. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a method and system for use with the Internet. The invention is particularly useful for increasing the awareness of users of the Internet to services and products provided by web site owners (WSO&#39;s). It is also useful for Internet communities, wherein the participants share areas of interest. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Today, there are several known methods for causing Internet users to be aware of products and services of WSO&#39;s. One extensively used method is promoting with banners integrated in web pages or popping up when a web page is visited. There are Internet services which function as mediators between WSO&#39;s, who wish to promote themselves and WSO&#39;s willing to promote other WSO&#39;s services or products at their web sites. These mediators find the best match between WSO&#39;s of the two mentioned types, and are responsible for money transactions from promoted WSO&#39;s to promoting WSO&#39;s. 
     Another popular method is promoting web sites by search engines results. One type of search engine places search results according to the amount of a bid set by each WSO who wishes that his site would appear in the search results of a specific query. U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,975 to Anick, et al. describes a search engine for selecting targeted messages. Another type of search engine arranges search results according to the popularity of the WSO site. WSO&#39;s make a great competitive effort, including purchasing special web tools for locating their web sites&#39; description in a higher position in the results list. 
     Other tools known on the Internet are browser add-ons. Often browser add-ons are created and provided by popular WSO&#39;s to be installed by Internet users. The browser add-ons are located at the top of the web browser, and provide functionality and look, which are usually related to the providing WSO. 
     A combination of the last two methods, described above, are browser add-ons functioning as dynamic search engines, automatically providing to an Internet user, a list of links to Internet pages, related to the contents of the visited web page, U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,548 to Burner et al. describes a method for generating and displaying metadata as supplemental information concurrently with the web page. 
     All these promotion methods require an investment of time and money from the WSO&#39;s, and have only a low efficiency. Only browser add-ons provide a constant connection with Internet users, who are likely to use the services of the WSO or purchase his products, and are offered only by large scale WSO&#39;s having the resources for generating and managing the browser add-ons. 
     Thus, there is a need for a method which will give every WSO the ability to be constantly and dynamically connected to Internet users. The method needs to provide a non-obtrusive way of promoting the products and services of the WSO, yet require from him minimal investment of time and money, and be user-friendly. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an innovative method and system for hosting web site owners (WSO&#39;s) wishing to increase the awareness of users of the Internet to services and products provided by them. 
     It is a further object of the hosting service of the present invention to provide WSO&#39;s with a web based, online, interactive environment for creating and modifying a private browser add-on, to be provided by them at their sites to users of the Internet. 
     A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a browser add-on in the form of a toolbar. Such a browser add-on is generally located at the top of the browser and becomes an integral part of it. The toolbar can be customized by a WSO, to include a set of adjusted functions based on a set of generic functionalities. Once the toolbar is installed by an Internet user, it interacts with the hosting service for part of its functionalities, as will be explained below. 
     One of the features of the toolbar, for powerful promotion of the WSO, is an integrated search engine, which dynamically gives sets of categorized, links to the Internet user. The links are associatively related to the contents of a currently visited web page. The hosting service provides a WSO with tools allowing him to integrate his services and products in relevant sets of categorized links, and to emphasize the links. 
     The hosting service also gives WSO&#39;s, with complementary products or services, the ability to work cooperatively, each of them allowing the others to promote their services and products at his toolbar, thus increasing the number of Internet users exposed to the promotions for each WSO. 
     According to a broad aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of increasing the awareness of users of the Internet to services and products provided by web sites, comprising: establishing in the Internet a hosting web site having a data processor for registering web site owners (WSO&#39;s) as subscribers to a hosting service; storing in said web site a program of a browser add-on, incorporating a set of customizable characteristics, wherein each WSO subscriber is enabled in said hosting web site to customize said browser add-on for defining specific look and functionalities of the browser add-on; registering WSO&#39;s as subscribers to said hosting service; providing said data processor with a data base for each WSO subscriber; storing the customization data of said browser add-ons in the data bases of the respective WSO subscribers; generating code to be integrated in a web site of said WSO, said code includes a unique identifier of the customization data stored at the hosting web site, in the data base of the respective WSO subscriber; and whenever a user of the Internet activates said code in the WSO subscriber web site, downloading the browser add-on and the customized data related to said WSO subscriber from the data processor of the hosting web site to the PC of the Internet user and integrating said browser add-on in a web browser installed in said PC. 
     Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below. 
     It is understood that while the preferred embodiment of the invention describes the web as using the current public standards for serving, transporting, and displaying information, this in no way limits the scope of the invention to those current standards. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows hereinafter may be better understood. Additional details and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description, and in part will be appreciated from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to understand the invention and to see how it may be carried out in practice, a preferred embodiment will now be described, by way of non-limiting example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of the main modules of a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic flowchart of the toolbar customization process, performed by a WSO at the hosting web site; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process where a WSO provides details of the products and/or services he wishes to promote via the toolbar of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  schematically illustrates a web browser add-on, implemented as a toolbar, and constructed according to the principles of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic flowchart describing the process wherein an Internet user, having the toolbar of the present invention, visits a web page, and automatically receives, via the toolbar, content that is related to the contents of the visited page, wherein the received content includes promoted services and/or products of the WSO, to which said toolbar is related; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process of an automatic update of a toolbar, according to the principles of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic flowchart illustrating how an Internet user, who installed the toolbar of the present invention from more than one WSO, switches between the two toolbars, according to the principles of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram of the main modules of a preferred embodiment, constructed according to the principles of the present invention. In general, a system implementing a preferred embodiment of the present invention is comprised of a hosting server  101  connected via the Internet ( 117 ) to personal computers (PC&#39;s) of web site owners (WSO&#39;s)  118  and to PC&#39;s of Internet users  121 . 
     Hosting server  101  runs an application, comprising three main modules: a WSO services module  102 , responsible for interacting with WSO&#39;s wishing to use the services of said hosting service; a users services module  112 , responsible for interacting with users of the Internet during the toolbar installation process, and later for sending them data, messages and functionality updates; and a database  107  for storing all registration and customization data. 
     As mentioned, WSO services module  102  provides the functionality required to give WSO&#39;s the ability to create their customized toolbar and update it when desired. Registration manager  103  provides the interface, preferably HyperText Markup Language (HTML) pages, needed for the initial registration of WSO&#39;s to the hosting service. The registration details, which can be minimal, are stored at WSO details table  108 . Each registered WSO is associated at the hosting server with a unique identifier, also stored at table  108 . 
     Toolbar editor  104  is responsible for the process of customizing the toolbar for the first time by a registering WSO, or editing an existing toolbar by its owner. As already mentioned, the generic toolbar incorporates a set of generic functionalities. The customization process managed by toolbar editor  104  lets the WSO define the unique look and functionality of his toolbar, as will be explained below in detail. The customization data is stored at customization parameters table  109 , and relates to the unique identifier of the WSO. 
     Promotions editor  106  is specifically responsible for the definition of services and products, which the registered WSO wishes to promote. The sets of promotions and their related keywords and Uniform Resource Locators (URL&#39;s) are also stored at customization parameters table  109 , and are related to the unique identifier of the registered WSO. 
     Categorized links table  127 , at database  107  holds sets of messages, defining or promoting sites, and their related URL&#39;s. These messages are grouped into categories, and each category associated with a set of representing keywords. 
     Download link generator  105  generates the link that the registering WSO is supposed to integrate in its site. This link directs the Internet user to the hosting server, and includes the unique identifier earlier allocated for the registering WSO. 
     User services module  112  provides the functionality required to give users of the Internet the ability to download a desired toolbar; and after the toolbar is installed, to dynamically and automatically provide its software with relevant data, messages and customization updates. 
     Registration manager  113  provides the interface needed for the installation of the toolbar software to the PC of an Internet user. Registration manager  113  optionally stores the details of the registering user at user details table  111 , and activates a toolbar loader  114 , passing the address of the user and the unique identifier of the WSO which owns the required toolbar. 
     Toolbar loader  114  is responsible for the actual process of sending the customized toolbar to the PC of the Internet user, via the Internet. As mentioned, toolbar loader  114  is aware of the unique identifier of the desired toolbar owner, and sends to the requesting user both the generic toolbar executable  110 , which is stored at database  107 , and the specific customization data received from customization parameters table  109 , according to said unique identifier. 
     Each time a user who installed a toolbar of the present invention visits a web page in his browser, content builder  115  receives a message from the toolbar application, comprising both the URL of the visited page, and a set of keywords representing the contents of the visited page. As will be described in detail in  FIG. 5 , content builder  115  builds a message, using for instance the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, which contains categorized data related to the contents of the visited page, and the promoted services and products of the WSO who owns the toolbar, which their associated keywords match the set of keywords representing the contents of the visited page. 
     Toolbar updates notifier  116  is responsible for sending a notification to relevant toolbars, whenever a WSO updates the look and functionality of its owned toolbar. The notification message is sent the first time the user activates its toolbar after the update was made; the notification message includes, for instance in XML format, the customization parameters of the updated toolbar. 
     WSO&#39;s can register the hosting service of the present invention via a PC  118 , connected to the Internet. Using web browser  119 , the WSO goes to the URL of the hosting service, starting at toolbar generation page  120 , and continuing afterwards with the registration process and the customization of the toolbar. WSO&#39;s also reach this URL later for updating their toolbar. 
     As mentioned, an Internet user can download a toolbar of the present invention from web browser  122 , installed in PC  121 . After toolbar  127  is installed and activated, it is integrated in web browser  122 . 
     Client software  123  is responsible for the activation of toolbar  127 , and for the communication with user services module  112  of the hosting server  101 . 
     GUI manager  124  is responsible to display the toolbar and for interaction with the user. According to the current customization parameters, GUI manager  124  displays the defined icons and boxes. It also provides the functionality of each icon and search box, links to the related URL and passes parameters when required. 
     Service communicator  125  interacts with user services module  112  at hosting server  101 , whenever required. It is responsible for sending the URL and representing keywords whenever a new page is visited, and to get data, messages and updates from user services module  112 . Service communicator  125  is also responsible for comparing a newly received customization version to the current one, to decide if the customization parameters of the toolbar should be updated. 
     Lexical analyzer  126  gets the contents of each visited web page, and fetches therefrom the contents a set of keyboards, weighted according to their dominance in the page. These weighted keywords are passed to service communicator  125 , sent by it to content builder  115 . 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic flowchart of the toolbar customization process, performed by a WSO at the hosting web site, according to the principles of the present invention. Typically, the process is performed by a wizard, guiding the WSO through the steps of the toolbar customization. The WSO may define the look, position and customized functionality of each of the set of generic functionalities provided by the hosting service. 
     First, the registering WSO starts the registration process at the hosting web site (block  201 ). The hosting service relates a unique identifier to the WSO (block  202 ). Then, the registering WSO defines a logo for the toolbar (block  203 ). The logo can be either edited through the web site of the hosting service, or alternatively the WSO can provide a path of a file in his PC, to be used as the logo of the toolbar. The WSO also associates a URL and an optional tooltip with the logo. The hosting service saves the logo at customization parameters table  109  of  FIG. 1  (block  204 ), and associates it with the unique identifier set for the WSO at the beginning of the process. 
     Then, the registering WSO defines one or more icons for the toolbar (block  205 ). As for the logo, each icon can be either edited through the web site of the hosting service, or alternatively the WSO can provide a path of a file in his PC. The WSO also associates a URL with each icon, linking to a web page, which a web browser will be directed to when the matching icon is clicked. The hosting service saves the icons at customization parameters table  109  of  FIG. 1  (block  206 ), and associates them with the WSO unique identifier. The process is repeated for all defined icons (block  207 ). 
     The registering WSO is also able to define one Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed or more to be integrated in the toolbar (block  208 ). RSS is commonly used protocol for syndication and sharing of content. The RSS feed can be chosen from a pre-defined set of feeds provided by the hosting service, or as a URL provided by the registering WSO. RSS feed definition will integrate a menu in the toolbar with the RSS feed items, automatically updated according to the feed updates. The hosting service saves the URL of the RSS feed URL at customization parameters table  109  of  FIG. 1  (block  209 ), and associates it with the WSO unique identifier. The process is repeated for all defined RSS feeds (block  210 ). 
     The registering WSO can also define a search box to be integrated in the toolbar (block  211 ). The related search engine can be chosen from a pre-defined set of search engines provided by the hosting service, or as a URL linking to another search engine provided by the registering WSO. The hosting service saves the defined search box URL at customization parameters table  109  of  FIG. 1  (block  212 ), and associates them with the WSO unique identifier. 
     Finally, the registering WSO provides the toolbar name, a password and optionally an email address (block  213 ). These parameters are used to identify the toolbar, and the owning WSO when an update is desired. 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process wherein a WSO provides details of the products and/or services he wishes to promote via the toolbar, according to the principles of the present invention. The WSO specifies a set of keywords best matching the nature of the product or service he wishes to promote (block  301 ). Then he provides a promotion message (block  302 ) to be displayed to a user having the toolbar, when the user visits a web page, wherein the keywords representing the web page match the set of keywords specified by the WSO. The WSO may also provide a promotion message extension (block  303 ). This extension is displayed as a tooltip when the user rolls over said promotion message. Finally, the WSO defines the URL wherein the relevant service or product are described (block  304 ), such that when the user clicks on the promotion message, its browser is directed to the page defined, by the URL. All said parameters are received by promotions editors  106  of  FIG. 1 , and stored at customization parameters table  109 , related to the registering WSO according to its unique identifier (block  305 ). 
       FIG. 4  schematically illustrates a web browser add-on in the form of a toolbar, as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the toolbar is customized by a web site dealing with travel activities. Logo  401  typically reflects the nature or market of the WSO, in this case shaped as an airplane. The toolbar also integrates a search box  402 , which may be directed to a local search at the WSO site, as well as icons  403   a  and  403   b , shaped as a bed and a car, linking to major sections at the travel site—hotels and a car rental respectively. RSS feed  404  may be linked to an RSS feed dealing with travel related news and reports. 
     Area  405  of the toolbar is where the categorized data appears. In this example, when the user visits a site related somehow to travel, three categories appear: “Vacations,” “Cruises” and “Car rental.” Each displayed category acts as a menu. When the category is clicked, a scrollable ( 406 - 407 ) menu is opened, having a list of related sites, products and services. A promotion of the toolbar owner  408 —“Last minute!”—for which its keywords match the representing keywords of the visited page, is placed at the top of the list. When the user rolls over it he will see tooltip  409 , telling more about the promoted service. When the promotion is clicked, the user&#39;s browser is directed to the page of the WSO site dealing with “last minute” offers. 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic flowchart describing the process wherein an Internet user, having the toolbar of the present invention, visits a web page, and automatically receives content that is related to the contents of the visited page via the toolbar, according to the principles of the present invention. The content includes promoted products and/or services of the WSO for which the toolbar relates to him. 
     Whenever the user visits a web page in the web browser (block  501 ), Lexical analyzer  126  of  FIG. 1  at the client software of the toolbar performs lexical analysis on the contents of the page. The result of the analysis is a weighted set of representative keywords (block  502 ). The set of keywords is then sent, along with the WSO unique identifier (block  503 ), by service communicator  125  ( FIG. 1 ) via Internet  117  to content builder  115 . Content builder  115  then gets a set of categories matching said set of keywords from categorized links table  127  at database  107  (block  504 ). For each category it gets a list of related links from database  107  (block  505 ). Then it searches for promotions defined by the toolbar owner. Their related set of keywords also matches the set of representing keywords (block  506 ). The data, including the categories names, messages, promotions, extensions and related URL, are formatted in XML and sent to the requesting client software, according to its Internet Protocol (IP) address (block  507 ). 
     GUI manager  124  of  FIG. 1  automatically displays the categories in the toolbar, at area  405  of  FIG. 4  (block  508 ). When the user selects a category (block  509 ), GUI manager  124  displays the set of messages related to the selected category (block  510 ). When the user rolls over a specific message (block  511 ), the extension of the message is displayed (block  512 ). Then the user can click on a message (block  513 ) in order to be directed by the related. URL to the related web page. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic flowchart illustrating the process of automatic update of a toolbar, according to the principles of the present invention. The WSO who owns a toolbar goes to the hosting service web site (block  601 ), and provides its toolbar name and password (block  602 ) for identification. Then, using the wizard, he updates the toolbar functionality (block  603 ). Toolbar editor  104  of  FIG. 1  saves the changes at customization parameters table  109  (block  604 ), and increases the version number of the toolbar. 
     The client software periodically sends the hosting server a request to check for updates (block  605 ), comparing the current version of the toolbar at the user with the most updated version at the server (block  606 ). This can be also done each time the user activates the toolbar. If the version is not the same (block  607 ), the toolbar updates notifier  116  ( FIG. 1 ) at the hosting server. Notifier  116  sends the toolbar update in the XML based message to service communicator  125  (block  608 ), and the client software updates the toolbar look and functionality (block  609 ). 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic flowchart illustrating how an Internet user, who installed the toolbar of the present invention from more than one WSO, switches between two toolbars, according to the principles of the present invention. A user enters the site of a WSO and activates the download link at the site (block  701 ). Toolbar loader  114  ( FIG. 1 ) is then activated (block  702 ), checking if a previous toolbar was already installed by the user (block  703 ). If the answer is negative, the client software is downloaded to the user&#39;s PC and installed (block  704 ), and customization parameters of the specific toolbar are sent to the user&#39;s PC (block  705 ). If the client software always resides at the user&#39;s PC, the new customization parameters are saved as well, each set of customization parameters associated with a unique WSO identifier (block  706 ). 
     Now, having more than one set of toolbar customization, the user is able to switch the view and functionality of the toolbar from one WSO toolbar to the other (block  707 - 708 ). This may be achieved by a menu of toolbar names integrated in the toolbar, containing the list of WSO toolbar customizations installed by the user. 
     It is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description, and should not be regarded, as limiting. 
     It is important, therefore, that the scope of the invention is not construed as being limited by the illustrative embodiments set forth herein. Other variations are possible within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.