KR100620830B1 - Facilitating access to a resource of an on-line service - Google Patents

Abstract

A method is disclosed for helping a user access a resource of an online service via a data communication network (30). The resource may be accessed via the entry page 200 of the service, the method comprising: a user condition previously stored in the communication network 30, wherein the user condition is associated with the user and relates to the resource -Checking whether it is satisfied. If the condition is not satisfied, the entry page 200 is transmitted to the user through the communication network. If the condition is met, the entry page 200 is modified by adding an indication about the resource and the changed entry page is sent to the user. According to a preferred embodiment, the method also includes sending a notification message to the user in response to the condition being met.

Online Services, Networks, Entry Pages, Resources

Description

How to help access an online service's resources {Facilitating access to a resource of an on-line service}

The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus, a server system and a computer program element to assist a user in accessing a resource of an online service through a data communication network, wherein the resource is accessible through an entry page of the service.

Service organizations, such as financial institutions and airlines, are increasingly providing information related to services to existing or potential customers through public access wide area networks, such as the World Wide Web or the Internet. Typically, this information is stored on a server computer system operated by or for the service organization. Server computer systems generally include a single server computer or a group of server computers interconnected by a LAN, which are connected to the entire network through a gateway. In general, information is stored on a server computer system in a markup language, such as the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) format or the Wireless Markup Language (WML) format, or stored in a database and then dynamically translated into the markup language. Is expressed.

In HTML format, information is typically stored in the form of multiple pages. Each page is associated with a Universal Resource Locator (URL). Information of multiple pages can be accessed by entering the URL into HTML browser software running on a device connected to a communication network. The browser retrieves a page corresponding to the URL entered into the browser from the server system. The page is transmitted from the server system to the browser via the communication network. Next, the browser displays the retrieved page on the device. Each page may include one or more hypertext links to other page information. By selecting that link, the browser can be instructed to fetch one of these other pages. Hypertext links can be used to organize information in a hierarchical structure that includes an entry point or home page and a number of secondary pages accessible from the home page through one or a series of hypertext links.

Typically, HTML is employed to convey service information over wired network communications. However, as the data processing capability of a portable communication device such as a mobile telephone increases, there is an increasing demand to convey similar information on a wireless network. In response to this increasing demand for wireless networks, a new wireless communication protocol known as the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) has been developed by the WAP Forum.

WML is a markup language used in a WAP communication system to convey information to WAP-compliant mobile user devices. WAP-compliant user devices include a WAP browser that displays information in WML format received from a WAP server. Most mobile phones today include WAP browsers. WML format information is displayed on such a user access device in the form of a set of cards, each card representing a screen full of information. It is a performance issue that WML cards are batched into a set of cards before being sent over WAP's Wireless Session Protocol (WSP). WML cards can generally be considered similar to an HTML home page. Now, a WWW server computer system generally includes transcodes for converting HTML pages into WML format for transmission to wireless mobile user devices. As an alternative to transcoding HTML content into WML, a WWW server may be used to store WML content or to dynamically generate WML markup languages from data stored in some data repository, such as a file system or daves.

Increasingly, service organizations are expanding their website content to provide online services to users. Such online services typically provide a set of resources to the user. For example, many airlines now offer users online services that allow them to book flights, check seat availability and make purchases through frequent flyer programs. Similarly, banks and financial institutions now offer users online resources to conduct financial transactions and stock trading. In general, a user registers to have access to an online service of such a service organization. Upon registration, the service organization generates a personal identification code, such as a personal identification number or password, for each user. The login panel, accessible from the homepage of the service organization, provides the user with access to online resources upon entering the corresponding personal identification code. Some service organizations now provide registered customers with a so-called "web-portal" that can record preferences related to the services they are offering.

Many online resources can only be accessed by navigating through a series of unwanted pages all connected along the path of hypertext links from a home page or login panel. This often makes certain resources difficult to find on a website. In addition, when users navigate a website to access certain online resources, intermediate pages can be a time-consuming task for customers, although the service organization may give the service organization the opportunity to provide additional information to users. This is especially true when they want to access resources at once, especially when the network is congested and performance of data transmission is slow. Thus, it would be desirable to avoid time-consuming navigation through intermediate pages of information by providing direct access to these resources when certain conditions are met.

In accordance with the present invention, a method is provided for helping a user access a resource of an online service via a data communication network, the resource being accessible through the entry page of the service. The method includes checking whether a user condition previously stored in a communication network is met, wherein the user condition is associated with the user and related to the resource, and from a service access request submitted by the user through the network. Identifying an entry, transmitting an entry page to the user via the communication network if the condition is not met, modifying the entry page and adding the indication related to the resource if the condition is met; Sending a page to the user.

Along with the entry page, the modified entry page, and the service resource, the service is implemented in a markup language such as HTML or WML for delivery to a browser on a user device such as a personal computer or mobile phone. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, conditions are implemented in a computer program stored on a server computer system in a communication network.

Indications about the resource include the resource itself. Alternatively, the indication about the resource includes a link to the resource with appropriate parameters. By adding this indication to the entry page, it provides the user with access to the resource without requiring tedious navigation to the desired page from the web page of the website through the intermediate pages. This is particularly useful when the user's access device has limited display capability and is connected to an application server via a wireless network with low bandwidth long delays. Examples of such devices include mobile computing devices such as PDAs and communicators.

In particular, another method in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes sending a notification message to the user in response to the condition being satisfied. The user thus knows that the condition is met by the notification message. This is particularly desirable with regard to services associated with dynamic markets such as stock trading services and travel booking services. For example, the condition is set to initiate a change to the user entry page of the commodity trading website and to send a corresponding notification message to the user when the value of a particular stock or other commodity rises or falls above a predetermined level. In another example, a condition may be set to initiate a change to a user entry on an airline website and to send a corresponding notification message to a user when a special category of flight seats becomes available for a particular route operated by the aircraft. have. The notification may be delivered to the user in the form of an e-mail via a wireless communication connection to the user device. In another embodiment of the present invention, the notification may be delivered to a mobile telephone registered with the user, for example in the form of a Short Message Service (SMS) message. In response to the notification, the user can request access to the service. When accessing the service, the user is sent a modified entry page instead of a standard entry page (e.g., home page). The modified entry page contains additional indications about the resource. The additional information allows the user to navigate directly to the resource associated with the condition met, with minimal actions such as a simple click on the control button of a mouse or similar pointing device. Now, any transaction that is properly considered in terms of fulfillment of conditions, such as the purchase and sale of goods or the booking of a travel ticket, can be performed by the user without the need for unwanted information transfer of the service organization website.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method includes storing a condition in a communication network. For example, for convenience, a convenience device for providing a user with a specific condition or set of conditions through a web-based configuration environment such as a web portal is provided.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention, briefly described, comprises the steps of checking whether any one of a plurality of user conditions previously stored in a communication network is met, each of which is associated with a different respective resource accessible via a service entry page. Yes, and if none of the conditions are met, sending an entry page through the network to the user, and if one or more of the conditions are met, modify the entry page by adding an indication of one or each of the corresponding resources and Sending the modified entry page to the user. The one or each indication includes the corresponding resource. Alternatively, the one or each indication includes a link to that resource. Particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention include sending a notification message to the user in response to one or each condition being met. Preferably, said one or each condition is stored in a communication network.

The invention extends to computer program elements comprising computer program code means for configuring a processor to perform the above method when loaded to a processor of a server computer system connected to a data communication network.

The invention also provides a processor, a memory, a network adapter for connecting the server system to a data communication network, a bus subsystem for interconnecting the central processor unit, and stored in the memory as described in the foregoing text. Extends to server computer systems including computer program elements.

In another aspect, the invention provides an apparatus for assisting access by a user via a data communication network to a resource of an online service, which resource can be accessed through an entry page of the service. The apparatus includes a comparator for determining whether a user condition pre-stored in a communication network, wherein the user condition is related to a user and relates to a resource, is met, and the user is received from a service access request submitted by the user through a communication network. An identifier for identification, a page changer for modifying the entry page by adding an indication about the resource if the condition is met in connection with the comparator, and connected to the comparator, upon determining by the comparator A network adapter for sending an entry page and one of the modified entry pages to a consumer. A preferred embodiment further comprises a message generator coupled to the comparator for sending a notification message informing the user in response to the condition being met. Further preferred embodiments also include a condition store for storing the condition in the network.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG.

1 is a block diagram of a data communication network.

2 is a block diagram of a user access device.

3 is a block diagram of a server computer system.

4 is a block diagram of a website stored on a server computer system.

5 is a block diagram of a user access subsystem of a server computer system.

6 is a flow diagram of a user access subsystem in operation.

7 is another block diagram of a website stored on a server system.

8 is another block diagram of a website stored on the server system.

9 is another block diagram of a website stored on the server system.

10 is a block diagram of a wireless data communication network.

11 is a block diagram of a hybrid data communication network.

12 is another block diagram of a website stored on the server system.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a user access device 10 remotely connected to a server computer system 20 of a service organization via a wired data communication network 30.

Referring to FIG. 2, the user access device 10 includes a user input device 60 including a central processing unit (CPU) 40, a memory 80, a display 50, a keyboard and a cursor pointing device such as a mouse or trackball. ) And a network adapter 70, which are interconnected by a bus structure 90. Computer program code 100 for instructing the CPU 40 to perform various tasks is stored in the memory 80. The network adapter 70 provides a connection to the communication network 30 for transmitting and receiving data with other devices connected to the communication network 30 such as the server computer system 20. For example, the network adapter 70 may be implemented with a modem. The user input device 60 allows a user to interact with the CPU 40 in selecting a task to be performed based on computer program code 100 stored in the memory 80. Computer program code 100 includes a browser 110 for employing information received from server computer system 20 for display on display 50.

Referring to FIG. 3, the server computer system 20 also includes a CPU 120, a memory 160, a display 130, a user input device 140 including a keyboard and a cursor point device, and a network adapter. 150, all of which are interconnected by bus subsystem 170. Computer program code 180 for instructing the CPU 120 to perform various tasks is stored in the memory 160. The network adapter 150 provides a connection to the communication network 30 for data transmission and reception with other devices connected to the communication network 30 such as the user access device 10. For example, network adapter 150 may be implemented by a remote access server that allows multiple users to access server system 20 at the same time. The user input device 140 allows the user to interact with the CPU 120 in selecting tasks to be performed based on computer program code 180 stored in the memory 160. Computer program code 180 includes a user access subsystem 190. The memory 160 also stores the service organization's website 260. In operation, the user access subsystem 190 controls access to the website 260 by the user. User access subsystem 180 and its operation will be briefly described below. Website 260 includes a number of HTML pages 200-250. Server computer system 20 may be implemented by a single server computer or a group of server computers interconnected by a LAN.

Referring to FIG. 4, pages 200-250 are a number of dependent pages 210-250 linked by a user's entry page 200 and hypertext links 270-310 to entry page 200. ) To form a hierarchical structure. Each hypertext link is implemented by including the URL of one of pages 200-250 (eg, page 240) in another of pages 200-250. For example, page 240 and page 250 are initially followed by hypertext link 280 from entry page 200 and via intermediate page 230.

In operation, in order for a user to access the website 260, the user first connects the user device 10 to the data communication network 30. The user then sends an access request to access the website 260 of the server system 20 via the browser 110. The service access request identifies the user to the server system 20. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the service access request is a user identification password from the website 260 to the logon page supplied to the browser 110 in response to the URL input corresponding to the website 260 to the browser 110. It can be started by entering. When the server system 20 receives the registered password, the server system 20 transmits an entry page 200 for display in the browser 110 to the user access device. Service access request processing is performed by the user access subsystem 190 of the server system 20.

Assume page 220 includes a resource requested by a user. Conventionally, an intermediate page along the link 270 before accessing the page 220 via the link 280 to reach the user from the entry page 200 to reach the page 220 and the resources therein. First proceed to 210). This is obviously an inconvenient task.

Referring now to FIG. 5, user access subsystem 190 includes an identifier 315 and a portal 320. Portal 320 is connected to conditional storage 330. The comparator 340 has an input connected to the condition storage device 330. One output of comparator 340 is connected to message generator 350 and another output is connected to page changer 360. According to a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the portal 320, conditional storage 330, comparator 340, message generator 350 of the user access subsystem 190 is at least partly a computer program code routine. Is implemented.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the operation of user access subsystem 190 will be described. At step 365, a service access request is received by an identifier 315. In step 375, if the identifier 315 recognizes the user specified by the service access request, then in step 385, the user is allowed access to the website 260. If not, at step 395, the user is invited to register for access to website 260. In step 370, portal 320 allows the user to record conditions associated with resources stored on website 260 via user device 10 to condition storage device 330. In response to storing the condition in the condition storage device 330 at step 370, the comparator 340 periodically performs a check at step 380 to determine if the condition is met. If at step 390 such a check indicates that the condition is met, at step 400 the comparator 340 changes the page to add a reference to the resource associated with the condition to the entry page 200 to be sent to the user. Instruction 350 is indicated. If the check in step 380 indicates that the condition is not met, then in step 390, the operation of the user access subsystem 190 returns to the check in step 380 again. After adding a reference to the resource to the user's entry page 200 in step 400, a test is performed to determine if a notification is to be sent to the user with the effect of satisfying the condition in step 410. Is performed. If such a message is to be sent to the user, at step 420, comparator 340 instructs message generator 350 to generate a message to be delivered to the user to inform the condition that the condition has been met. The message is sent to the user device 10 in the form of an electronic mail via the wired network 30. If a notification is not to be sent in step 410, then in step 430 a test is performed to determine if a response from the user has been received. If a response from the user is received in step 430, then in step 440 the user entry page 200 is reset by removing the reference to the resource added in step 400. At step 430, if a response from the user has not yet been received, the test is repeated to determine if a notification is to be sent to the user at step 410. If the condition is met first, then the test at step 410 is to be sent a notification to the user and thus instructs the message generator 350 to do so. Subsequently, the test at step 410 may be set up to instruct a reminder dispatch in accordance with any one or more of a range of different parameters. For example, in accordance with a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, web portal 320 allows a user to record personal preferences of reminder dispatch from message generator 350 to condition store 330. For example, a user may record that he wishes to send a reminder once a day that certain conditions are met. Or, the user may request that the reminder be sent only once a week. Thus, it will be appreciated that the test 410 can be programmed to send reminders within a frequency range according to the user's preference. In some embodiments of the invention, for example, the reminder frequency may be predetermined by the service organization.

Referring to FIG. 7, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a reference to a resource added to the user entry page 20 includes a hyperlink 450 to the page of the website 220 that includes the resource. do. For example, assume that page 220 includes resources related to a condition. If the condition is met, page changer 360 adds a hypertext link 450 to page 200 to the user's entry page 200. The user can now access the page 220 directly by following the hypertext link 450 from the received change entry page 200 without having to initially access the page 210.

Referring again to FIG. 6, in another embodiment of the present invention, in step 370 the portal 320 may allow the user to record multiple conditions in the condition storage device 330 via the user device 10. Each condition corresponds to different resources included in website 260. Steps 380 and 390 are performed for each condition stored. If the check at step 380 indicates that the stored condition is met, a reference to the resource is added to the user entry page 200. Steps 410-440 are performed for each reference added. Referring to FIG. 8, in a preferred embodiment of the above configuration, each reference to a resource added to the user entry page 200 is directed to a page of the website 260 accompanying the resource, for example a hitter. A hypertext link, such as text link 450. For example, assume that each of pages 220, 240, and 250 includes resources related to stored conditions. If all three conditions are met, the user entry page 200 includes hypertext links 450-470 for these pages 220, 240 and 250. The user can now follow the hypertext links 450-470 added to the user entry page 200 by the page changer 360. The user can now follow the hypertext links 450-470 of the entry page 200 and directly reach the pages 220 and 240 without having to first access the intermediate pages 210 and 230. Referring to FIG. 9, as a change to the preferred embodiment of the present invention described with reference to FIG. 8, the page changer 350 in response to the comparator detecting that the corresponding condition stored in the condition storage device 330 is satisfied. By way of example, hypertext links 500-520 for pages 220, 240, and 250 are added to additional page 480. The page changer 350 also changes the user entry page 200 by adding a hypertext link 490 to the additional page 480.

Referring now to FIG. 10, another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a wireless user access device 530 of a service organization that can be remotely connected to a service computer system 550 of a service organization via a wireless data communication network 540. Include. The wireless device 530 includes components similar to those of the wired user device 10 described with reference to FIG. 2. However, it will be appreciated that the network adapter of the wireless user access device 530 includes an antenna for efficient wireless communication with the remote server system 550. Similarly, server system 550 includes components similar to those of server system 30 described with reference to FIG. 3. However, it will also be appreciated that the network adapter of the server system 550 includes an antenna for efficient wireless communication with the user access device 10. The wireless user access device 530, the wireless network 540, and the server system 550 interoperate almost similarly as described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 9. However, in another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the information communication between the server system 550 and the wireless user access device 530 is affected according to the WAP protocol described above, so that the information is encoded in WML instead of HTML. In addition, the notifications and messages communicated between the wireless user access device 530 and the server system 550 may be encoded as a Short Message Service (SMS) message or the like.

Referring now to FIG. 11, another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a hybrid data communication network 580 for connecting a wired user access device 560 and a wireless user access device 570 to a server computer system 590 of a service organization. ). The wireless device 570 has similar components as the wireless device 530 described above with respect to FIG. 10. Wired device 560 has similar components to wired device 10 described above with respect to FIG. 2. Server computer system 590 has components similar to system 30 described above with reference to FIG. 3. The hybrid communication network 580 includes a wireless portion for efficient communication between the server system 590 and the wireless device 570 and a wired portion for efficient communication between the server system 590 and the wired device 560. In operation, the server system 550 interacts with the wired device 560 or with the wireless device 570 in much the same manner as described above with reference to FIGS. 1-9 according to user preferences. The user may choose to receive information conveyed from the server system 590 to the wired device 560 and notifications related to the information may be communicated from the server system 590 to the wireless device 570. Or, the user may choose to receive information from the server system 590 to the wireless device 570 and the notifications related to the information are communicated from the server system 590 to the wired device 560.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, web portal 320 allows a user to set one or each condition stored by user access subsystem 190 in accordance with personal preferences. However, different web-based configuration environments can be applied to other embodiments of the present invention. It will also be appreciated that in some embodiments of the invention, the one or each condition may be set by the service organization on behalf of the user.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention described above, page changer 350 changes user entry page 200 by adding an indication of the resource in the form of a link. However, in another embodiment of the present invention, page changer 350 can change by adding the resource itself to the entry page. For example, referring to FIG. 12, it is assumed that page 240 includes resource 600 of a condition recorded in condition storage 330. The resource 600 may be implemented in the form of a small portion of downloadable program code, for example a Java applet. If the stored condition is met, page changer 350 copies resource 600 to entry page 200. It will be appreciated that in other embodiments of the present invention, resources may be moved instead of being copied from one page to another. It will also be understood that in some embodiments, resources may be dynamically configured within the entry page 200 in response to the stored conditions being met.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described so far with reference to a user device comprising a browser 110 adapted to display information received from the server computer system 20 on a display, the present invention also provides other graphical user interfaces. It will be appreciated that it may be applied equally to user devices including techniques.

Claims (18)

In a method of helping a user access a resource of an online service via a data communication network (30), the resource may be accessed through an entry page (200) of the service, the method comprising: Periodically checking whether a user condition previously stored in the communication network 30, the user condition is related to the user and relates to the resource, is satisfied; If the condition is met, sending a notification message to inform the user that the condition is met; Identifying the user from a service access request submitted from the user via the communication network 30; Transmitting the entry page 200 to the user through the communication network if the condition is not met; Modifying the entry page 200 and sending the changed entry page to the user by adding an indication about the resource if the condition is met. How to include. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication about the resource is the resource itself. The method of claim 1 wherein the indication regarding the resource comprises a link (450) to the resource. delete 4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising storing the condition in the communication network (30). 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: checking whether any one of a plurality of user conditions pre-stored in the network, each of which is associated with each resource accessible through an entry page of the service; , If none of the conditions are met, transmitting the entry page 200 to the user via the communication network; If one or more of the conditions are met, modifying the entry page 200 by sending an indication about the one or each corresponding resource and sending the modified entry page to the user How to include. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication regarding one or each corresponding resource comprises the corresponding resource itself. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication regarding one or each corresponding resource comprises a link (450) to the corresponding resource. delete The method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising storing said one or each condition in said communication network (30). When loaded into the processor 120 of the server computer system 20 connected to the data communication network 30, the processor 120 is described in any of claims 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 described above. A computer-readable recording medium comprising computer program code means (190) configured to carry out the method according to any one of the preceding claims. In server computer system 120, Processor 120, Memory 160, A network adapter 150 for connecting the server system 120 to the data communication network 30; A bus subsystem 170 for interconnecting the central processing unit, A server computer system (120) comprising computer program code means (190) according to claim 11 stored in the memory (160). In an apparatus for assisting a user in accessing a resource of an online service through a data communication network (30), the resource may be accessed through an entry page (200) of the service, and the apparatus may include: A comparator 340 for periodically checking whether a user condition previously stored in the communication network, wherein the user condition is related to the user and relates to the resource, is met; A message generator 350 connected to the comparator 340 for transmitting a notification message for notifying the user when the condition is satisfied; An identifier 315 for identifying the user from a service access request submitted from the user via the communication network 30; A page changer 350 connected to the comparator 340 for changing the entry page 200 by adding an indication about the resource when the condition is met; A network adapter 150 connected to the comparator 340 to transmit one of the entry page 200 and the changed entry page to the user according to a determination result by the comparator 340. Device comprising a. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indication regarding the resource comprises the resource itself. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the indication regarding the resource comprises a link (450) to the resource. delete 16. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 15, comprising a condition storage device (330) for storing the condition in the communication network (30). In server computer system 120, Processor 120, Memory 160, A bus subsystem 170 interconnecting the central processing units, Device according to any of the preceding claims 13 to 15 connected to the bus subsystem 170 Server computer system comprising a.

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