Patent ID: 7636786

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a request for access to a web portal from a user over a communications network; determining whether the user is registered for an on-line service providing said user with the web portal through which the user registers with the on-line service via the data communications network and records preferences related to a resource offered by said on-line service through a web browser on the user's device, said web portal coupled with a condition store; inviting the user to register for access to the on-line service if the user is not registered; granting the user access to the web portal if the user is registered; receiving from the user at least one condition associated with the user and related to the resource offered by the on-line service; receiving from the user a personal preference for issuance of notifications that the at least one condition was met; storing the at least one condition pertaining to the preferences in the condition store; responsive to the storing, step, periodically checking whether the at least one condition is satisfied, the at least one condition being implemented in a computer program stored on a server computer system within the data communication network, wherein periodically checking further comprises: checking whether any one of a plurality of user conditions, prestored in the network, is satisfied, each of the conditions being associated with a different resource accessible via the entry page of the on-line service; and if one or more of the conditions are satisfied, modifying the entry page by adding an indication relating to each corresponding resource and sending the modified entry page to the user; if the at least one condition is satisfied, modifying the user's entry page to the on-line service by adding a reference to the resource, said reference comprising an indication that enables the user to navigate directly to the resource associated with the satisfied condition, such that the user is able to bypass intervening web pages between the user's entry page and the page where the resource is located; determining, according to the user's personal preference, whether the user is due to be sent a notification that the condition has been satisfied; if it is determined that the user is due to be sent the notification, generating the notification to the user; transmitting the modified entry page to the user upon receipt of the user's access request to the on-line service; and resetting the modified entry page by removing the reference to the resource.