Abstract:
A method, programmed medium and system are provided for sending notice to a website representative whenever a specific and unique website is being accessed by an inquiring party seeking information regarding the website content. Contact information is exchanged between an inquiring party and a website representative and whenever the inquiring party views the unique URL which was provided by the website representative, the website representative is contacted with the inquiring party&#39;s phone number in real-time with the information that the inquiring party is now viewing the website.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to information processing systems and more particularly to a methodology and implementation for enabling selective access to a unique universal resource locator (URL) address. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The availability of the Internet and ease of access through the Internet to business and/or product websites is a very valuable tool in generating new sales of products and providing detailed product and other information to potential buyers. For example, a salesperson may meet a potential buyer at a trade show and give the potential buyer a business card which contains contact information in the event the buyer wishes to contact the salesperson in the future regarding one or more products being offered for sale. On many occasions, there is not sufficient time to fully explain all of the details of a product in which a buyer is interested. In general, a buyer may be given a universal resource locator or URL address of a website which the buyer may access to obtain further product information. Many times, however, the potential buyer may access the given website and still have questions about a product. Unfortunately, in the past, the salesperson is unaware that the buyer has accessed the product website and is unable to answer the buyer&#39;s questions in a timely manner. This problem also exists in non-commercial websites where information is available concerning many subjects not necessarily involving the purchase of a product. 
         [0003]    Thus, there is a need to provide a network server access processing system which is enabled to avoid the problems set forth above and further to facilitate a timely communication between an inquiring person seeking information from a website and a representative of the website proprietor who is able to provide the additional information being sought. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    A method, programmed medium and system are provided for sending notice to a website representative whenever a specific and unique website is being accessed by an inquiring party seeking information regarding the website content. Contact information is exchanged between an inquiring party and a website representative and whenever the inquiring party views the unique URL which was provided by the website representative, the website representative is contacted with the inquiring party&#39;s phone number in real-time with the information that the inquiring party is now viewing the website. In an exemplary embodiment, a seller or salesperson is provided with the ability to exactly track a business contact or potential buyer&#39;s interest and connection with a selling website. The sales person exchanges an electronic business card or email with a potential buyer, after which whenever that buyer views the unique URL on the business card, the sales person is contacted in real-time with the information that this particular buyer is now viewing the salesman&#39;s website. When an email or electronic business card is exchanged, the buyers contact information is stored on a private database in association with the singular one time URL given to the buyer. Whenever there is a connection on this unique URL, it is known that this particular buyer is viewing the product. The server will then automatically contact the salesperson and who may then contact the buyer (for example by cell phone) at the very moment that the buyer is viewing the seller&#39;s website. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    A better understanding of the present invention can be obtained when the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of one embodiment of a system in which the present invention may be implemented; 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing several of the major components of an exemplary computer system or device using the present invention; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating an operational sequence which may occur in a seller&#39;s personal communication device in connection with an exemplary contact processing transaction; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart illustrating an operational sequence which may occur in a buyer&#39;s personal communication device in connection with an exemplary contact processing transaction; and 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a flow chart illustrating an operational sequence which may occur in a seller&#39;s website server in connection with an exemplary contact processing transaction. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]    The various methods discussed herein may be implemented within a computer system which includes processing means, memory, storage means, input means and display means. Since the individual components of a computer system which may be used to implement the functions used in practicing the present invention are generally known in the art and composed of electronic components and circuits which are also generally known to those skilled in the art, circuit details beyond those shown are not specified to any greater extent than that considered necessary as illustrated, for the understanding and appreciation of the underlying concepts of the present invention and in order not to obfuscate or distract from the teachings of the present invention. Although the invention is illustrated in the context of a networked system using personal communication devices and/or other portable or wireless devices, it is understood that disclosed methodology may also be applied in many other available and future devices and systems such as cell phones and other personal wireless and/or hand-held devices, including any input device such as keyboards, keypads, pointing devices, touch-sensitive screens or touch-sensitive input pads, to achieve the beneficial functional features described herein. 
         [0012]    The disclosed system provides a sales person with the ability to exactly track a business contact or potential buyer&#39;s interest and connection with the selling website. In an example, a sales person exchanges an electronic business card or email with a potential buyer, after which whenever that buyer views the URL on the business card, the sales person is contacted in real-time with the information that this particular buyer is now viewing the salesman&#39;s website. Initially, when an email or electronic business card is exchanged with a buyer, the buyer&#39;s contact information is stored on a private database in association with the singular one time URL given to the buyer. Whenever there is a connect on this unique URL, it is known that this particular buyer is viewing the product. The server will then automatically contact the salesperson who made the business contact with the buyer. Unique URL addresses may be generated from a listing of a range of URL specific addresses which may be made available for assignment by a seller to individual potential buyers. Thus each of these unique URLs is associated with a specific buyer as may be assigned by a seller. Individual sales personnel are allotted URL specific ranges. For example, a Seller may be allotted “ww.foobar.com/new_widget/[200,300]”. This allows the salesperson to, for example, call that particular buyer at the very moment the buyer is accessing the unique URL associated with that buyer. Thus, for example, a website processing function may automatically send an email or other message to a seller who is associated with a buyer who is accessing the seller website. The notification message may be sent to the seller&#39;s personal desktop computer or to the seller&#39;s personal mobile communication device so that the seller need not be at the seller&#39;s desk to respond to the buyer&#39;s website access. The seller may be notified on the seller&#39;s mobile phone for example, and given the phone number of the buyer in the notification message so that the seller may then immediately respond by calling the buyer from the seller&#39;s cell phone. 
         [0013]    The salesperson may then provide any information requested by the buyer while the buyer is viewing the salesperson&#39;s website. It is here noted that the present invention is not limited to a seller-buyer transaction but rather may be implemented in connection with any non-commercial or informational website where it is desired to have a website representative contact a person seeking information presented on the website at the same time that the person seeking the additional information is accessing the particular website. 
         [0014]    The electronic business card exchange may be implemented via infrared communications. For example, two individuals could align their mobile personal communication devices at the infrared points, and their business contact information would be exchanged. This is more common with Bluetooth enabled cell phones. The initial information exchange may also be accomplished through an email communication. 
         [0015]    In a specific example, Seller and Buyer meet and exchange electronic business cards. Seller&#39;s business card is dynamically injected with a one time unique URL and provided to Buyer. Seller&#39;s cell phone registers this one time URL with the website server. The server stores the one time URL in association with information about Buyer and Seller. At a later date, Buyer decides to look up Seller&#39;s company and products via the Internet. When the server receives an access hit on the one time URL, the server connects the Buyer to the generic product/company page at the website. The server also performs a DB lookup on the to unique one time URL to discover the Buyer information as well as the Seller&#39;s information. It discovers that Seller is the salesperson and Buyer is the potential customer. The server then sends a message to Seller&#39;s cell phone. The message will indicate that Buyer has accessed the unique URL and, inter alia, give the Buyer&#39;s phone number. Seller may then call Buyer at the exact moment when Buyer is looking into the product being offered by Seller. 
         [0016]    In another embodiment, a timer may be implemented to notify the seller if the buyer has not accessed the unique URL for a predetermined number of days form the initial contact and exchange of contact information. 
         [0017]    In the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary environment in which the present invention may be implemented. As shown, a website server  101  may be accessed through an interconnection network  103 , such as the Internet, by a plurality of client devices including computer terminals  105 ,  107  and  109  and other wireless or mobile personal communication devices  111  and  113 . The client devices  105 ,  107  and  109  may be laptop computers and the wireless client devices  111  and  113  may be personal wireless communication devices. 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  illustrates several of the major components of a computer system which may be used to implement the present invention. The components shown may be implemented in any of the devices of  FIG. 1  including the server  101 , laptops  105 ,  107  and  109  and personal devices  111  and  113 . As shown, a processor system  201  is connected to a main bus  203 . The main bus  203  is also coupled to, inter alia, system memory  205 , a local storage system  207 , a network interface  209 , and an input interface  211 . The main bus is also connected to a display system  217 . The input and/or display system may also comprise a touch-sensitive screen or optically-sensitive input pad (not shown). Additional devices and bus systems, which are not shown, may also be coupled to the system main bus  203 . 
         [0019]    In  FIG. 3 , there is shown an exemplary flowchart illustrating a processing sequence on a seller&#39;s (“S”) communication device. As shown, when it is determined that there is an exchange of business cards  301 , the seller&#39;s device  111  will get the buyer&#39;s (“B”) information  303  (e.g. name, company, phone numbers, email, etc.) as a result of the exchange through, for example, an IR port or Bluetooth or email communication as hereinbefore noted. Next, a unique URL is assigned to B  305  (either by S  111  or by the website server WS  101 ) and an association  307  or file is created which associates, for example, B, S, the time of initial contact and the unique URL assigned to B. This file or association, which may be in a database format, is saved and either stored  307  at the S device or sent and stored to the website server WS  309  or both. Next, the unique URL assigned to B is sent from S to B  311  for B&#39;s subsequent use in accessing S&#39;s website. 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 4 , there is shown an exemplary flowchart illustrating a processing sequence on a buyer&#39;s (“B”) communication device. As shown, when it is determined that there is an exchange of business cards  401 , B&#39;s information is sent to S&#39;s device  403  and after S assigns and sends the unique URL to B, that URL is received by B  405  and a file or association is formed and saved containing S, the website WS, and the unique URL. Later, when B wishes further information, B may use B&#39;s device to access the saved unique URL at S&#39;s website. When B&#39;s assigned unique URL is accessed by B, The website server will automatically send a message to S of the access as hereinbefore explained. 
         [0021]    In  FIG. 5 , there is shown an exemplary flowchart illustrating a processing sequence on the seller&#39;s website server WS. As shown, the server WS  101  initially receives the contact data file from S  501  containing, inter alia, the association of S, B, time of initial contact, unique URL assigned to B and the cell and/or other phone number of B. The contact file is then stored at the website server WS  503 . Subsequently, when B accesses the unique URL  505 , the server sends a predetermined message to S  507  which may include B&#39;s cell phone number along with a notation that B is currently accessing B&#39;s unique URL. Alternatively, if B has not accessed B&#39;s unique URL for a predetermined follow-up time  509  from the time of initial contact, then the server WS may send a message to S which, for example, may include B&#39;s cell number and the elapsed time from the initial contact with B and a notation to follow-up the initial contact with B. 
         [0022]    Thus, there has been provided a network server access processing system and methodology to facilitate a timely and personal communication between a person seeking information from a website and a personal representative of the website proprietor who is able to provide the additional information being sought at the same time that the person seeking additional information is accessing the proprietor&#39;s website. 
         [0023]    It is understood that the flowchart and block diagrams illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions. 
         [0024]    It is understood that the specific example presented herein is not intended to be limiting since the functional combinations disclosed herein may be implemented in many different environments and applications including, for example, applications involving the visualization of business processes and movement of emails, task lists, task list items and other system data components within an overall system data containment environment or application. 
         [0025]    The method, system and apparatus of the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment as disclosed herein. The disclosed methodology may be implemented in a wide range of sequences, menus and screen designs to accomplish the desired results as herein illustrated. Although an embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described in detail herein, along with certain variants thereof, many other varied embodiments that incorporate the teachings of the invention may be easily constructed by those skilled in the art, and even included or integrated into a processor or CPU or other larger system integrated circuit or chip. The disclosed methodology may also be implemented solely or partially in program code stored in any media, including any portable or fixed, volatile or non-volatile memory media device, including CDs, RAM and “Flash” memory, or other semiconductor, optical, magnetic or other memory media capable of storing code, from which it may be loaded and/or transmitted into other media and executed to achieve the beneficial results as described herein. The disclosed methodology may also be implemented using any available input and/or display systems including touch-sensitive screens and optically-sensitive input pads. Accordingly, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the invention.