Patent Publication Number: US-2018039704-A1

Title: An online forum tool

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to online forums. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that the prior art forms part of the common general knowledge. 
     Online forums enable users to place posts and review other user&#39;s posts in relation to topics of interest. For example, a user that is interested in cars can become a member of a car forum, and participate in the forum by placing and reviewing posts relating to cars. 
     In practice, the applicant has perceived that many of the numerous posts in a particular forum are of no particular interest to the user, who often then becomes disinterested. 
     It is an object of the present invention to better maintain the online forum user&#39;s interest. 
     Furthermore, forum users are often interested in many topics and are therefore members of several different forums. The applicant has perceived that it can be unwieldy and cumbersome to navigate between several forums and manage several different memberships. There is a need for providing improved co-ordination of several topics at once. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an online forum tool for following posts relating to topics of interest, the tool including: 
     a topic display index for displaying forum topics of interest to be possibly followed; 
     a selection tool for selecting one or more of the topics displayed in the topic display index; and 
     a following tool for following posts relating to the topics selected using the selection tool. 
     Advantageously, the following tool enables a user to follow relevant posts relating to the customized topics of interest that were selected, thereby maintaining the user&#39;s interest. Preferably, many forums are located in one tool/product that requires a single sign-on. 
     The following tool may include one or more feature groups being followed, each feature group including topics of interest customized by the user using the selection tool. Advantageously, the user can use the single forum tool to follow posts relating to the various customized feature groups being followed. The feature groups may be displayed in a topic group display. 
     The forum tool may further include a display tool for displaying the followed posts relating to different topics. The display tool may include a category feed for chronologically displaying the followed posts. The display tool may further include an author feed for chronologically displaying posts from authors being followed which effectively represents a further refinement and filtering of posts from the category feed. The forum tool may include an author selection tool for selecting authors to be added to the author feed from the category feed. The display tool may further include end buttons for navigating to respective ends of the category feed. 
     The selection tool may form at least one feature group including topics of interest selected from the display index. The feature group may include a target and the selected topics may be dragged and dropped onto the target. Each topic may include a select toggle actuator for selecting or deselecting the topic from the feature group. The selection tool may include an index addition tool for adding the feature group to the index. 
     The topic display index may include hierarchically arranged selectable lists of topics which advantageously facilitate levels of customization to suit the user. The topic display index may be arranged in alphabetical order. The index may include a selectable alphabet menu. The index may include topic lists. A topic may be associated with one or more actuators to assist in creating a feature group of the selection tool and adding topics to the feature group. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an online forum topic following method for following posts relating to topics of interest, the method including: 
     displaying post topics of interest to be possibly followed; 
     selecting one or more of the displayed topics; and 
     following posts relating to the selected topics. 
     The method may further involve adding the selected topics to a feature group. The step of following may involve adding the feature group to a following tool so as to follow posts relating to the selected topics in the feature group. 
     The method may further involve using a single forum tool to follow posts relating to various customized feature groups being followed. The method may further involve following both: a category feed chronologically displaying the followed posts; and an author feed chronologically displaying posts from authors being followed which effectively represents a further refinement and filtering of posts from the category feed. The method may further involve selecting topics and subtopics from an index including hierarchically arranged selectable lists to facilitate levels of post customization. 
     Any of the features described herein can be combined in any combination with any one or more of the other features described herein within the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Preferred features, embodiments and variations of the invention may be discerned from the following Detailed Description which provides sufficient information for those skilled in the art to perform the invention. The Detailed Description is not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the preceding Summary of the Invention in any way. The Detailed Description will make reference to a number of drawings as follows: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a webpage of an online forum tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the webpage displaying a single category feed of related posts depending upon whether the cars feature group or beekeeping topic is selected; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of a topic customization webpage of the online forum tool of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a topic following method performed using the online forum tool shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows a topic display index including several hierarchical layers of topic lists; 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a webpage of an online forum tool, the webpage displaying a single category feed relating to the cars feature group and beekeeping topic being followed; and 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of a webpage of an online forum tool, the webpage displaying a single category feed for the cars feature group which, in turn, includes the beekeeping topic. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an online forum website (i.e. tool)  100  for following user posts  102  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The forum posts  100  relate to forum topics (e.g. cars, bee keeping, ballooning, etc.) that are of particular interest to a website user and member. Many forums are located in one website tool/product that conveniently only requires a single user sign-on. 
     Turning to  FIG. 2 , the website  100  includes a topic display index  200  for displaying post topics  202  of interest to be possibly followed by the user. A selection tool  204  is provided for enabling the user to select one or more of the displayed topics  202 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the website  100  includes a following tool  104  for only following posts  102  relating to the topics selected using the selection tool  204  and from the index  200 . Advantageously, the following tool  104  enables the user to follow relevant posts  102  relating to the customized topics of interest that were selected, thereby maintaining the user&#39;s interest and better enabling the user to manage topic posts  102 . The website  100  is described in detail below. 
     Returning to  FIG. 2 , the topic display index  200  is selectable and arranged in alphabetical order. The index  200  includes a selectable alphabet menu  206  including each letter of the alphabet and a searchable alphabet field with auto-population capabilities. The index  200  further includes parent topic list  208   a  and child topic list  208   b , which are hierarchically arranged to advantageously facilitate post customization to suit the user. In practice, selection of a letter of the alphabet (e.g. “c”) from the alphabet menu  206  will cause an associated parent topic list  208   a , including topics  202  starting with the selected alphabet letter, to be displayed. 
     Each topic  202  is associated with up to four actuators  210   a,b,c,d  to assist in creating a feature group  212  with the selection tool  204 , and adding topics  202  to that feature group  212 . The actuators  210   a,b,c,d  are a select all actuator  210   a  for selecting all topics  202  in the child topic list  208   b  to be later added to the feature group  212 ; a feature group actuator  210   b  for generating the feature group  212  including selected topics  202 ; a child display actuator  210   c  for displaying more refined child topics in the child topic list  208   b ; and a select toggle actuator  210   d  for selecting or deselecting the topic  202  from the feature group  204  or topic group display  106 . 
     The selection tool  204  includes the feature group  212  (e.g. cars) having a header  214  and a list of associated selected topics  202  (e.g. ford and holden). The feature group  204  includes a blank target, and the selected topics in the index  200  can be dragged and dropped onto the target. Each topic  202  in the feature group  212  also includes a select toggle actuator  210   d  for selecting or deselecting the topic  202  from the feature group  212 . 
     Returning to  FIG. 1 , the following tool  104  includes a topic group display  106  for displaying feature groups  212  being followed (e.g. cars) as well as any direct topics  202  (e.g. beekeeping) which are of interest. Each followed feature group  212  includes topics  202  previously customized by the user using the selection tool  204 . Advantageously, the user can use the single website  100  to follow posts  102  relating to the various customized feature groups  212  being followed. 
     The forum website  100  further includes a display tool  108  for displaying the followed posts  102 . Selection of a topic  202  or feature group  212  in topic group display  106  drives the display of corresponding posts  102  in related category feeds  110  or  112  of the display tool  108 . For example, selecting the “Cars” feature group  212  displays posts  102  in a cars category feed  110   a . The “Beekeeping” topic  202  is not selected, and therefore the related beekeeping category feed  110   b  is not displayed (i.e. ghosted in  FIG. 1 ) and any related beekeeping posts  102  are also not displayed in an author feed  112 . Conversely, selecting the Beekeeping topic  202  will display all (ghosted) posts  102  relating to beekeeping, and no posts  102  relating to cars will be displayed. The selected category feeds  110 ,  112  chronologically display the followed posts  102  corresponding to followed topics  202  or feature groups  212  as selected in display  106 . For example, users Phil and Greg have posted posts  102  relating to the cars feature group  212 , whereas user Marg has posted a post  102  relating to the bee keeping topic  202 . 
     The display tool  108  further includes an author feed  112  for chronologically displaying posts  102  from authors being followed which effectively represents a further refinement and filtering of posts  102  from the category feed  110 . In this manner, posts  102  from an author of interest are less likely to be overlooked by the user. The forum website  100  is configured so that users can select authors to be added to the author feed  112  from the category feed  110 . In the present example, the user is following the authors Marg and Greg, but not Phil. 
     The display tool  108  further includes top and bottom end floating buttons  114  for navigating to respective ends of the category feed  110  in the event of many posts  102 . 
     An online forum topic following method  300  for following posts  102  relating to topics  202  of interest to the website user is now described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
     Initially, at step  302 , the topic display index  200  is displayed to assist the user with selecting possible interesting topics  202  and subtopics as shown in  FIG. 2 , in any combination. Topics  202  from the index  200  can be directly added to the topic group display  106 , or can be added to a customized feature group  212  in turn later added to the topic group display  106  as described below. 
     At step  304 , one or more of the displayed topics  202  in the index  200  is selected by the user. The user can first select a letter of the alphabet (e.g. c) from the selectable alphabet menu  206  to bring up the parent topic list  208   a . In turn, the user can view the child topic list  208   b  and select topics  202  using the actuators  210 . The user can navigate through the index  200  selecting and deselecting topics  202  and subtopics from any parent or child lists  208 . 
     At step  306 , the selected topics  202  can be added to the feature group  212  via the selection tool  204  by the user. In particular, the selected topics  202  in the index  200  can be collectively dragged and dropped onto the target feature group  212  by the user. 
     At step  308 , the completed feature group  212  (e.g. cars containing subtopics ford and holden) is added to the topic group display  106  of the following tool  104  by the user. 
     At step  310 , the category feed  110  follows and displays relevant posts  102  relating to the selected topics in the feature groups  212  and topics  202  in the topic group display  106 . The author feed  112  follows and displays relevant posts  102  for authors being followed. 
     At query step  312 , the user can either return to step  302  to add further feature groups  212  to follow, or continue to follow fed posts  102  relating to the selected feature groups  212  at step  310 . Feature groups  212  can also be conveniently removed at any time if they are no longer of interest to the user. 
     A person skilled in the art will appreciate that many embodiments and variations can be made without departing from the ambit of the present invention. 
     In one embodiment, the topic display index  200  may include several hierarchical layers of topic lists  208  as shown, for example, in  FIG. 4  and for refining the feature groups  212  to display posts  102  of more relevance. 
     In one embodiment, the displayed posts  102  can only be viewed by members of a private group. 
     In one embodiment, all posts  102  relating to all feature groups  212  and topics  202  in topic group display  106  will be chronologically displayed in the same category feed  110  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The author feed  112  shows posts from the category feed  110  for authors being followed. The user can select the home button  500  to enable this show-all feature whereby all the relevant posts  102  are displayed in the two category feeds  110 ,  112 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 6 , the Beekeeping Topic  202  may be added to the Cars Feature Group  212  using the selection tool  204  as previously described in relation to  FIG. 2 . In this event, the user can select either the home button  500  or the “Cars” feature group  212  in display  106  to generate the same category feeds  110 ,  112  as shown in  FIG. 5 . The user can therefore highly customize any feature group  212  to display posts relating to any topics  202  of interest. 
     In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art. 
     Reference throughout this specification to ‘one embodiment’ or ‘an embodiment’ means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases ‘in one embodiment’ or ‘in an embodiment’ in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.