WO2000060499A1

WO2000060499A1 - A messaging system

Info

Publication number: WO2000060499A1
Application number: PCT/SE2000/000649
Authority: WO
Inventors: Johan Schlasberg
Original assignee: Johan Schlasberg
Priority date: 1999-04-07
Filing date: 2000-04-05
Publication date: 2000-10-12
Also published as: AU4161600A; EP1188129A1; SE9901240D0

Abstract

A system for requesting and distributing information comprises a requesting system and a distributing system. The requesting system comprises a requesting symbol presented in an electronic document, e.g. on a web page. The distributing system comprises a database means and a processing means. According to a method of the invention the requesting symbol is presented on a display of an electronic device, said symbol being related to first specific information and associated with a first information identifier. As a response to a first requesting symbol being activated and an information receiving address being indicated by a user, said specific information is requested by the distributing system over a network from an information storage address corresponding to said information identifier.

Description

A MESSAGING SYSTEM

Technical field

The present invention relates to a message information system and methods and systems used in a message information system. Background

The present invention is presenting new systems and methods for requesting and distributing information.

The object of the present invention is to increase the possibility of uninterrupted workflow and make it easier for a person to fetch and to receive desired information. Another object of the invention is to simplify the administration of information that is supposed to be accessible. Summary of the invention These objects as well as other objects, that will become apparent from the description below, are in accordance with the invention achieved by a system for requesting and distributing information, an information requesting system, a system for distributing information, a method for requesting and distributing information, a method for requesting information, a computer program and a computer program product according to the appended claims 1, 5, 14, 19, 26, 32, 33 and 34.

An advantage of the present invention is the requesting symbol being associated with an information identifier. In the context of the invention an information identifier is arranged to identify information and not to specify where a certain document or presentation of information is stored. Thus, the information identifier does not specify a specific presentation, but rather an information content. This can, for example, be achieved by associating a certain sequence of numbers or another code to a certain information. The use of information identifiers makes it possible to automatically select and send different presentations of certain specified information to users having different needs. Thus, by using information identifiers it is possible to have the most suitable presentation, of a plurality of possible presentations, automatically selected at and sent from an information distribution system. The automatic selection of a specific presentation of the information could be based on user information, such as language, level of details, desired size of received presentation etc, and/or if the information is to be printed or read on a screen, read by means of a desktop computer, read by means of a laptop computer, read by means of a telephone, read by means of a personal digital assistant (PDA) etc. Also, the selection could be based on technical aspects, such as the data rate of the channel that the presentation is to be sent via, the type of equipment the information presentation is to be sent to.

Further, the unique information identifiers make the system independent of search paths, which is an advantage since fixed search paths can create problems when a structure of storage is changed. Also, the system makes it easy to update information, simply by having one or a plurality of new presentations of information associated with the identifier.

Yet another advantage of the present invention is that the requested information does not have to be present in the device which the request is made from when the requested document is to be sent to a receiving address. Thus, a presentation including the requested information does not have to be downloaded to the requesting device before it is sent to the receiving address. For example, when a user of the invention finds a symbol according to the present invention in an electronic document he is reading and he is interested of the information, he just activates the symbol and is then able to send a presentation to a receiving address without first having a presentation of the information downloaded to the device. Further, according to the invention there is no risk of getting disturbed in the reading of the electronic document comprising the requesting symbol, e.g. by having the electronic document erased from the screen or hidden by the requested presentation. In a preferred embodiment of the invention this is achieved by sending a request message according to the invention to the information distribution system, which then manages the sending of a presentation of selected information to the receiving address.

The fact that no presentation of the requested information has to be present in the requesting electronic device results in yet another advantage. Namely that a user who is reading said electronic document by means of a computer having a slow network connection or low processing capability, by means of a mobile telephone, or by means of a network enabled PDA is able to send a complex presentation of the information to another electronic device that is capable of handling such complex presentations.

Further, the requesting symbol according to the invention makes it possible to request and send information, not included in the electronic document comprising the requesting symbol, without the user having to leave the present page or the present electronic document .

In a preferred embodiment of the invention it is possible to register user information in the information distribution system, thus presenting the possibility to register information for use during the automatic selection of presentations discussed above. This feature makes it possible for the user to define different access levels regarding different users or different presentation devices. Being registered also results in the advantage of time saving, because the user does not have to consider any options when he requests the information.

According to the present invention, the display of an electronic device could be a screen of a desktop computer, a screen of a laptop computer, a display of a mobile telephone, a screen of a PDA etc.

The word presentation is in the context of the invention to be considered comprising at least texts, such as ordinary information, data, offers and forms, numbers, such as offers and tables, dynamic documents and pictures, such as diagrams, drawings, photographs and moving pictures.

Below, the invention will be described further with reference to preferred but non-limiting embodiments thereof, references being made to the accompanying drawings .

Fig 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an information system according to the invention.

Fig 2 is a schematic view of a web page using the invention.

Fig 3 is a schematic view of a computer screen presenting an electronic form for writing an information receiving address .

Fig 4 is a schematic view of a computer screen presenting an electronic form for selecting a registered information receiving address.

Fig 5 is a flowchart for an embodiment of the invention. Detailed description of preferred embodiments Fig. 1 shows a message information system that comprises a user computer 1, which is connected to a network 2, e.g. the Internet or an Intranet, for browsing pages or documents presented on said network (for reasons of simplicity, only one user computer 1 is shown in Fig. 1) , a requesting symbol 10, an information request processing means 3, which is associated with a data base 4 and a plurality of information storage data bases 5,6, which can be active databases, and two information receivers with different information receiving addresses (IRA1 and IRA2) . The computer 1 could also be a mobile telephone or a PDA. The system further comprises user registration means 7, which may be implemented at an Internet site as a web page and which in Fig. 1 is shown as associated with the database 4 to illustrate that the information registered by the user is sent to the database 4. A registered user has been assigned a unique user identity UUI , which can be saved on the user computer for automatic identification of the user, e.g. in the form of a cookie or as data for a plug- in program for a browser. Further, he has registered his name and one or more in- formation receiving addresses IRA1, IRA2. He might also have registered a user profile UP, which for example includes his preferred language and a preferred complexity. All this information regarding the user is stored in the database 4 connected to the processing means 3 so that the information can be retrieved by means of the unique user identity UUI . It should be understood that the database 4 also stores the corresponding information of all the other users of the system.

The requesting symbol 10, see also fig. 2, is a symbol positioned within the context of a page, present on the computer screen. The symbol is associated with an information identifier, stored within the data structure of the page and provided to the owner of the information by an information delivery administration. It is possible to arrange a plurality of requesting symbols 10 on the same page and letting them identify different information by associating different information identifiers to the different symbols. The symbol 10 acts as an activating button for sending a request of the information associated with the information identifier.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention the activation of a requesting symbol in turn activates an electronic form 31 or a dialog box, which is placed on top of the page. In the electric form the user is prompted to write the address of the location where the information is to be delivered, if the user is not registered, see fig. 3. If the user is registered, the electronic form 41 prompts the user to select one of the addresses and user profiles that he has registered 42-44, see fig. 4. The address may be any address, e.g. ordinary mail address, a facsimile number or a telephone number, but is preferably an e-mail address or an IP address.

Assume now that a user is at home and is browsing a web page containing for example short information regarding products from different companies. He finds that one of the products could be very interesting in his work and would like more information. He would like to read the information at work where he has an e-mail address IRA2. Next to the short information of the interesting product there is placed, step 100, a requesting symbol 10, see also Fig 5. The requesting symbol 10 is associated with a unique information identifier IID1. The information identifier IID1 is defined by the information delivery administration and may have been bought by or given to the company that is marketing the product, i.e. information provider. When the right to use the identifier IID1 was bought or received, the company informed the information delivery administration of the address A of their database 6. This address A is stored in the database 4 associated with the processing means 3 so that it can be retrieved by means of the identifier. The user activates, step 101, the requesting symbol 10 by positioning a cursor at the position of the requesting symbol 10 and then pushing a button, for example by using a mouse, and depending on whether he is a re- gistered user or not the system responds differently, step 102. Alternative 1.1, when the user is not registered. The user is prompted, by an electronic form 31 presented, step 103, in a frame separate from the interesting web page, to enter, in an input field 32, the e-mail address that he wants the information to be sent to, e.g. in this case IRA2, and then click a "send" -button 33. When the send request has been executed the electronic form disappears and the web page of interest, which has been in the background, is again at the front for the user to continue his ongoing work or reading.

During execution of the send request a request message, including the information identifier IID1 and the information receiving address IRA2 , is generated, step 104, and is sent over the network 2 to the pro- cessing means 3, within the information distributing system. The request message can be an e-mail. The processing means then retrieves, step 105, the information storage address from the database means 4 and initiates, step 106, the sending of an information message to the information receiving address.

Alternative 1.2, when the user is registered and his unique user identity is stored on the computer he is using, e.g. in the form of a cookie. The user is prompted, by an electronic form 42 presented, step 107, in a frame separate from the interesting web page, to select, step 107, one of the registered information receiving addresses IRA1, IRA2 , 42-43. Let us assume that he has registered his home e-mail address as IRA1 and his office e-mail address as IRA2, then the electronic form will present these two possible selections as digits 1 and 2, respectively. The user selects the digit 2, corresponding to the office e-mail address IRA2 , and then he clicks on the "send" -button 45. When the send request has been executed the electronic form disappears and the web page of interest, which has been in the background, is again at the front for the user to continue his ongoing work or reading . During execution of the send request a request message, including the information identifier IIDl, the unique user identity stored on the computer and the digit 2, which indicates the information receiving address, is generated, step 108. The request message is sent over the network 2 to the processing means 3, within the information distributing system. The processing means 3 then retrieves, step 109, the information storage address A, B, the information receiving address and the user profile from the database means 4 and initiates, step 106, the sending of an information message to the information receiving address IRA2.

The distribution of the information can be performed in at least three different ways. Alternative 2.1. The information that is requested is stored within the system of the information distribution administration. The processing means 3 has retrieved the information storage address B, step 110, and requests, step 111, information having the information identifier IIDl and corresponding to the user profile UP, if one is given, from a database 5 having the address B. When the processing means 3 has received, step 112, the requested information it sends, step 113, it to the e-mail address IRA2 that the user has specified. Alternative 2.2. The information that is requested is stored in a database means 6 of the marketing company. The processing means 3 has retrieved the information storage address A and requests, step 111, information having the information identifier IIDl and corresponding to the user profile UP, if one is given, from the database means 6 having the address A. The communication between the database means 6 and the processing means 3 can be performed over a network or a dedicated line. When the processing means 3 has received, step 112, the re- quested information it sends, step 113, it to the e-mail address IRA2 that the user has specified. Alternative 2.3. The information that is requested is stored in a database means 6 of the information providing company. The processing means 3 has retrieved, step 110, the information storage address A and composes a secondary information request message, comprising the information identifier IIDl, the information receiving address IRA2 and, if available, the user profile UP. The secondary information request is sent, step 114, to the information storage address A where the information is retrieved and sent, step 115, to the e-mail address IRA2. The request messages according to alternatives 2.1-2.3 might also be in the form of e-mail.

One reason for not using the distribution method where the information providing company is sending the information is if the user requesting the information wants to be anonymous.

In a preferred embodiment the requesting symbols 10 have different shapes depending on the form of the information, e.g. text, picture, sound. Further, a preferred embodiment comprises the possibility of customising the information. For example the user may specify a desired format (e.g. e-mail, image format, facsimile, SMS, etc) for delivery. Such customising data can be specified either by a selection in the electronic form or by registering it in the user profile. In a preferred embodiment a user is able to read a unique information identifier, then connect to a web site where he writes the unique information identifier and an information receiving address. In another preferred embodiment the following program code is incorporated within a web page.

<A HREF= "http : //cgi . algonet . se/htbin/cgiwrap/ d69196/bar_desk4. cgi?bflag=1234512345" onClick="window. ablak() " TARGET="ablak" onmouseover= "window. status= 'BAR-MAIL YOUR DOOR

TO INTERNET'; return true" ><IMG SRC="http: //www. bar-mail . com/bar/email2. gif " ALIGN=TEXTTOP BORDER= " 0 " > </A> This program code initiates a second program, which is present on a server in an information distributing system, when the requesting symbol is activated. The second program handles and presents the electronic forms on the screen of the requesting computer.

Claims

1. A system for requesting and distributing information, comprising - a requesting system comprising

- a first requesting symbol presented within an electronic document on a display of an electronic device and related to specific information, said requesting symbol being associated with an information identifier for identification of said specific information and being arranged to be activated by a user of the electronic device,

- means for sending an electronic information request message to an information distributing system, the information request message includes said information identifier and an indicator of said indicated receiving address,

- a distributing system comprising

- database means, which is arranged to store a plurality of different information identifiers,

- database means, which is arranged to store at least one storage address of one information presentation for each information identifier, and

- a processing means, which is arranged to, in response to the receipt of an electronic request message, retrieve one information storage address corresponding to said one information identifier, further the processing means is arranged to initiate the sending of an information message comprising one presentation of the requested information to said indicated information receiving address.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information distributing system further comprises:

- an electronic form that is arranged to appear on top of the electronic document presented on the display as a response to said first requesting symbol being activated by a user, said electronic form having an indicating means for a user to indicate an information receiving address and having an execution means for the user to execute the sending of the electronic information request message.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the information distributing system further comprises :

- database means, which is arranged to store a plurality of unique user identities, wherein every unique user identity includes at least one information receiving address, and

- processing means, which is arranged to retrieve, when the indicated information receiving address refers to a unique user identity, the information receiving address corresponding to said one unique user identity

4. The system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the information receiving address is an e-mail address .

5. An information requesting system, comprising - a first requesting symbol presented within an electronic document on a display of an electronic device and related to specific information, said requesting symbol being associated with an information identifier for identification of said specific information and being arranged to be activated by a user of the electronic device,

- means for sending an electronic information request message to an information distributing system, wherein the information request message comprises said information identifier and an indicator of said indicated receiving address.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising :

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said indicating means is an input field and the indicated information receiving address is an address written in said input field by the user.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the indicator of said indicated information receiving address is a pointer to an information receiving address comprised in a user profile of a registered user stored in an information distribution system.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein a unique user identifier is stored within the requesting system for automatic identification of the user when requesting information.

10. The system according to any one of claims 5-9, wherein the requesting symbol and its functionality is implemented within a web page.

11. The system according to any one of claims 5-10, wherein a second requesting symbol is presented within the same electronic document as the first requesting symbol, the second requesting symbol being associated with other specific information than the first requesting symbol .

12. The system according to any one of claims 5-11, wherein the receiving address is an e-mail address.

13. The system according to claim 5, wherein the display of the electronic device is a computer screen.

14. A system for distributing information, comprising:

- database means, which is arranged to store a plurality of different information identifiers, - database means, which is arranged to store at least one storage address of one information presentation for each information identifier, and - database means, which is arranged to store a plurality of unique user identities, wherein every unique user identity includes at least one information receiving address, and - a processing means, which is arranged to, in response to the receipt of an electronic request message including at least one information identifier of said plurality of information identifiers and an indicated information receiving address, retrieve one information storage address corresponding to said one information identifier and, when the indicated information receiving address refers to a unique user identity, retrieve the information receiving address corresponding to said one unique user identity, further the processing means is arranged to initiate the sending of an information message comprising a presentation of the requested information to said indicated information receiving address .

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the information receiving address is an e-mail address.

16. The system according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the processing means is arranged to generate a secondary request message including the information identifier and the information receiving address for making a separate information storage system, indicated by the information storage address, retrieve and send a presentation of the information to the information receiving address, and to send this secondary request message to the information storage system.

17. The system according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the processing means is arranged to retrieve a presentation of the information from the information storage address and to send the information to the information receiving address.

18. The system according to any one of claims 14-17, further comprising user registration means, which are arranged to register user information of a user in a way that makes said user information retrievable by means of the corresponding unique user identity, and wherein the processing means is arranged to retrieve the user information by means of the unique user identity and to include said user information in the secondary request message for identifying one presentation of the information.

19. A method for requesting and distributing information, comprising the steps of: - presenting a first requesting symbol within an electronic document presented on a display of an electronic device, said symbol being related to first specific information and associated with a first information identifier, - composing, after the requesting symbol has been activated by the user, an information request message comprising at least the first information identifier and an indicated information receiving address, wherein the information receiving address being an address defining where to send the requested information,

- sending the information request message over the network to an information distributing system,

- receiving the information request message at the information distributing system, - searching, by means of a processing means in the information distributing system, for an information storage address corresponding to a presentation of the information identified by the information identifier, and

- retrieving the presentation of the information from the storage address and sending it to the indicated receiving address.

20. The method according to claim 19, comprising the step of presenting an electronic form on top of the electronic document as a response to a user activating the requesting symbol, wherein the user is to indicate the receiving address in said electronic form, and wherein said step of composing an information request message is performed after the information receiving address has been indicated by the user.

21. The method according to claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the retrieving and the sending of the presentation of the information are performed by the processing means.

22. The method according to claim 19 or claim 20, wherein the step of retrieving and sending the presentation of the information includes the step of sending a secondary request message from the processing means, comprising at least the first information identifier and an information receiving address, to the information storage address requesting the information referred to by the information identifier to be sent to the information receiving address.

23. The method according to any one of claims 19-22, wherein the electronic form presents an input field, in which a user is to write an information receiving address, and wherein the indicated information receiving address included in the information request message is the information receiving address written in the input field by the user.

24. The method according any one of claims 19-22, wherein the electronic form presents selection means, by means of which a registered user is able to select a registered information receiving address, the method further comprises the step of automatically including an unique user identity in the information request message, wherein said indicated information receiving address included in the information request is a pointer to a registered information receiving address of the unique user identity.

25. The method according to claim 24, comprising the step of : retrieving, by means of the processing means, an information receiving address, in accordance with the unique user identity and the pointer to a registered information receiving address of the unique user identity, from the database means.

26. A method for requesting information over a network, comprising the steps of: - presenting a first requesting symbol within an electronic document presented on a display of an electronic device, said symbol being related to first specific information and associated with a first information identifier, - composing, after the requesting symbol has been activated by the user, an information request message comprising at least the first information identifier and an indicated information receiving address, and

- sending the information request message over the network to an information distributing system for retrieving the requested information and for sending it to the indicated address .

27. The method according to claim 26, comprising the step of presenting an electronic form on top of the electronic document as a response to a user activating the requesting symbol, wherein the user is to indicate the receiving address in said electronic form, and wherein said step of composing an information request message is performed after the information receiving address has been indicated by the user.

28. The method according claim 27, wherein said electronic form presents an input field, in which a user is to write an information receiving address, and wherein the indicated information receiving address included in the information request message is the address written by the user in the electronic form.

29. The method according to any one of claims 27-28, wherein the electronic form presents selection means, by means of which a registered user is to select an information receiving, the method further comprises the step of automatically including an unique user identity in the information request message, wherein said indicated information receiving address included in the information request is a pointer to a registered information receiving address of the unique user identity.

30. The method according to any one of claims 26-29, comprising the step of:

- the electronic document page containing said requesting symbol being present on the display, at least in the background, during the information requesting process.

31. The system according to claim 26, wherein the display of the electronic device is a computer screen.

32. A computer program for performing the method according to claim 26.

33. A computer program comprising:

- means for presenting a first requesting symbol, associated with specific information,

- means for sensing the activation of said requesting symbol , - means for determining an information receiving address,

- means for detecting an information storage address, associated with said specific information,

- means for fetching said specific information from said information storage address,

- means for delivering said specific information to the information receiving address.

34. A computer program product comprising a readable medium, having thereon a computer program according to claim 32 or claim 33.