7,814,143 System and method for modifying documents sent over a communications network
United States Patent 7,814,143
Brown , et al. October 12, 2010
System and method for modifying documents sent over a communications network
Abstract
A system and method applied to a communications network which transmits document portions in which an original document portion having an identifier portion and an information portion is replaced or swapped with a substitute null document portion. The reads the identifier portion of the original document portion, determines the information portion of the original document portion, and issue a swap order when an undesired original document portion is found. A modified document is created by inserting the substitute null document portion in place of the undesired portion and the modified document is passed on to the user set and displayed. Also, the system performs detection and replacement of undesired content in emails, such as junk mail, viruses and confidential material.
Inventors: Brown; Stephen James (Woodside, CA), Othmer; Konstantin (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: Health Hero Network, Inc. (Palo Alto, CA)
Appl. No.: 11/301,331
Filed: December 13, 2005
Related U.S. Patent Documents
Application Number Filing Date Patent Number Issue Date
09540482 Mar., 2000
09394219 Sep., 1999 6375469
08814293 Mar., 1997 5951300
Current U.S. Class: 709/203 ; 600/301; 705/2; 709/223; 715/234
Current International Class: G06F 15/16 (20060101)
Field of Search: 709/203,223
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Primary Examiner: Nguyen; Tammy T
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Maiorana, PC; Christopher P.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for displaying a document to a user, the system comprising: a profile bank storing a user profile including medical information about said user; a substitute document server storing personalized content comprising health-related information; a user set configured to display documents; and a controller configured (a) to retrieve original content in a document from an original content provider, (b) to retrieve with the user profile, and (c) to generate a modified version of the document by replacing at least a first portion of the original content in the document with a second portion of the personalized content received from the substitute document server based upon the medical information about the user, wherein the first portion of the original content in the document is modified using the second portion of the personalized content to generate the modified version of the document prior to display of the modified version of the document to the user via the user set, wherein the first portion of the original content in the document that is replaced is selected based upon an identifier in the original content.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the document comprises data packets.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user set comprises a computer.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user set comprises a television.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second portion of personalized comprises a behavior modification message.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the personalized content comprises information corresponding to a medical condition of the user.
7. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the original content in the document that is modified is selected based upon an address in the original content.
8. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the substitute document server is located remotely from the original content provider, the profile bank and the user set.
9. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the personalized content further comprises health-related warnings and advisories.
10. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein the personalized content comprises information not requested or solicited by the original content.
11. A method of modifying content in a document, comprising: comparing original content in a document received from an original content provider with a stored user profile to identify at least a first portion of original content that is undesirable based upon the user profile, wherein the user profile includes medical information about a user; requesting a second portion of personalized content comprising health-related information from a substitute i0 document server based upon said medical information about said user; generating a modified version of the document by modifying at least the first portion of the original content in the document with the second portion of personalized content received from the substitute document server in response to the request; and providing the modified version of the document to a user set that displays the modified version of the document to the user, wherein the first portion of the original content in the document that is modified is selected based upon an identifier in the original content.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the document comprises data packets.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user set comprises a computer.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the user set comprises a television.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second portion of personalized content comprises a behavior modification message.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second portion of personalized content comprises information corresponding to a medical condition of the user.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the original content in the document that is modified is selected based upon an address in the original content.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the second portion of personalized content is requested and received from the substitute document server via the Internet.
19. A system for displaying a document to a user, the system comprising: a profile bank storing a user profile including medical 5 information about said user; a substitute document server storing personalized content comprising health-related information; a user set configured to display documents; and a controller configured to (i) retrieve original content in a document received from an original content provider and the user profile from the profile bank, and parse by parsing the document to locate at least one of an identifier portion and an information potion of each portion of document, (ii) request one or more portions of the personalized content based upon said medical information about said user, (iii) generate a modified version of the document by replacing at least one portion of the original content in the document with the one or more portions of the personalized content received from the substitute document server in response to the request, and (iv) display the modified version of the document to the user using the user set, wherein a first portion of the original content in the document that is replaced is selected based upon the identifier portion in the original content.
20. A method of modifying content in a document, comprising: retrieving original content in a document from an original content provider and a stored user profile and, parsing the document to locate at least one of an identifier portion and an information potion of each portion of the document, wherein the user profile includes medical information about a user; requesting one or more portions of personalized content comprising health-related information from a substitute document server based upon said medical information about said user; generating a modified version of the document by replacing at least one portion of the original content in the document with the one or more portions of personalized content received from the substitute document server in response to the request; and providing the modified version of the document to a user set device that displays the modified version of the document to the user, wherein a first portion of the original content in the document that is replaced is selected based upon the identifier portion in the original content.
Description
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 09/540,482, filed Mar. 31, 2000, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/394,219, filed Sep. 13, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,469, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/814,293, filed on Mar. 10, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,300. All of the above named applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to modifying documents sent over a communications network, and in particular to a system and method for determining the information contents of document portions and replacing undesired document portions with substitute document portions or inserting substitute document portions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To a large degree, the information age has been brought about by rapid advances in the field of communications and communications networks in particular. Increasingly, information which could formerly be presented in tangible, permanent media is reformatted and rendered for display on screens and monitors. Virtually any information presentable as text or text and graphics is being converted into suitable electronic messages or packets for shuttling across a communications network.
A communications network, e.g., the Internet, has an architecture in which information packets from resources or content providers is made available through service providers to users who subscribe to the service. The actual transmission takes place over the communication links of various bandwidths and types, which make up the network. Content providers typically store this electronic data on server machines connected directly to the Internet in standard format. The data is broken down into packets and these are then transmitted over the communication link. Among the diverse types of information which may be placed on the Internet in this way are articles, news briefs and updates, weather maps, books, summaries, files, software, catalogues, documents, pictorials, video files, public records, commercial literature and so forth.
Clearly, the number of packets, which can be transmitted via a communications network, is vast and varied. To aid in sorting, routing and transmitting information on the Internet the content of any given packet is usually identified by its origin (address of the content provider), a brief summary located in a conspicuous portion of the packet (e.g., in the header) or some other identification information. For example, the Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) protocol followed by NetWare routers, distributed by Novell, Inc., execute a so-called Routing Information Protocol (RIP) and Service Advertising Protocol (SAP). The RIP protocol involves periodic RIP broadcast packets containing all routing information known to the router. These packets are used to keep the global network synchronized. In addition, the protocol provides for periodically sending SAP broadcast packets containing all server information known to the SAP agent. Thus, the network system keeps track of the contents of the various packets to facilitate transfer, mitigate traffic problems and perform other vital operations.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,852 issued to Meske, Jr. et al. the inventors disclose a method and system for receiving information in a first file written in a first markup language and identifying the information contents. The method and system ensure that even complex packets of information are processed by generating a list of profiles and topics for each list of the profiles. Secondary and tertiary files are created with anchors referencing particular information in the first file. A parsing procedure is taught by Meske to ascertain whether any information in the first file (original packet) is relevant. If so, fourth and fifth files containing the desired information are created and sent to the user.
Meske’s system and method can be adapted to block or filter entire packets or portions thereof on a content-basis before performing the necessary steps to display the information–usually in the form of a page–on the user’s screen. The document is later parsed to extract the profile and build additional pages to catalog and access the information. This method for building a knowledge base with embedded content profiles and in a document is useful but limited to processing the received information only.
The above-mentioned IPX protocol and similar methods, which determine the information contents of packets and use them in the routing process, can be employed to control the transfer of packets. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,541,911 issued to Nilakantan et al. disclose a remote smart filtering communication management system, which uses the information contents data to alleviate network traffic problems.
In particular, Nilakantan controls the traffic across a communication link between a remote network and a central device by applying forwarding rules. The resources monitor the characteristics of the forwarded data packets received across the communication link to learn characteristics of the users of the remote network. In response to the learned characteristics, the resources generate link management messages and forward these to the remote interface. The remote link management resources in the remote interface are responsive to the link management messages and tailor the forwarding rules to the user characteristics. The packets can now be filtered or blocked based on user characteristics.
The use of selective blocking and filtering of packets by Nilakantan et al. is applied to ultimately reduce network traffic. The present invention is centered on sending management messages, which are then used to optimize packet traffic across given links in the network. In other words, the problem addressed by this invention is the high volume caused by the proliferation of packets on the network.
Blocking and filtering of packets or their parts can be employed to speed up the page rendering process on the user’s screen. For example, blocking functions may restrict packets from a list of providers or an entire block of providers from ever being sent to the user. This feature allows one to prevent undesired packets (e.g., packets containing pornographic material) from being sent to the user and rendered on his or her screen. Filters can be preset to choose packets based on the time they require for rendering or in accordance with other user-specified standards (e.g., information contents). Proper application of these two functions results in an optimized and personalized page rendering procedure.
In the most common practical scenario, however, a network user sends a direct request for an entire document from a terminal located on his or her premises to the service provider. The provider verifies whether the document is already stored in local memory and, if not, obtains this document from the content provider. While the user’s request is processed the service provider usually passes on to the user a number of unsolicited document portions, e.g., document portions from other service providers such as advertisement servers. Thus, subscribers receive, in addition to the requested document(s), numerous other document portions of varying degrees of interest, importance, or indeed, annoyance to them. When the page is rendered on the user’s screen these embedded document portions, despite the fact that they are unsolicited and often undesirable, are relentlessly displayed as a part of the document.
Under these circumstances, what is needed is a system and method for modifying or substituting undesired document portions, because blocking and filtering functions performed on the packet level don’t allow for portions of a document to be sent with desired content in place of the portions of undesired content. For example, the service provider, the user or another party may wish to exchange or modify a document being sent to the user. This situation may occur when the service provider wishes to enclose vital information with the document requested by the user. The use of the bandwidth allocated to a less important document portion, hence a document portion swap, would be highly appropriate for this purpose. In another situation, the user may wish to block undesired document portions. For instance, when recording television programming on the VCR recorder the user can selectively block advertising material from being recorded. Analogously, when rendering a web page the user may wish to omit specific document portions from being rendered on the page.
At the present time the problems associated with this type of document modification have not been addressed, much less solved. Consequently, what is needed is a system and method, which solves the problems associated with document modification based on the information contents in a communications network such as the Internet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for modifying documents in a communications network, by replacing an original document portion with a substitute document portion or inserting a substitute null document portion. The replacement decision is made based on the information content of the original document portion.
It is another object of the invention to perform this exchange operation in an efficient manner in a convenient part of the network and to allow the network user to decide which document portions should be exchanged.
Yet another object of the invention is to perform the document modification according to decisions derived from the service provider.
Still another object of the invention is to ensure that the system and method of invention can be integrated in any communications network in which content providers, service providers and users are connected via communication links (e.g., the Internet).
Still further another object of the invention is to detect and replace confidential content that appears in the original document with desired content.
Still yet another object of the invention is to detect and replace junk mail, viruses or confidential content that appears in received data packets.
These and other objects and advantages will become more apparent after consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings.
The objects and advantages of the invention are ensured by a system and method applied to a communications network, which transmits information in the form of documents or rather, document portions, e.g., the Internet. An original document is modified to produce a modified document based on the original document portions and, specifically, based on an identifier portion and an information portion of each original document portion. A substitute document portion is inserted in the place of each undesired original document portion. The system according to the invention provides for a number of content providers whose servers transmit documents or document portions on the network. Service providers relay these document portions to a given network user, who displays them on a user set, e.g., a computer or a television set.
The system has a controller, typically a proxy server, for parsing the original document to locate the identifier portion of each of the original document portions, determining the information portion of each original document portion to identify the undesired original document portion, i.e., an original document portion which has an undesired content, and issuing a swap order the undesired original document portion is found. For instance, the undesired content may be an advertisement or a message not relevant to the information, which the user desires to view on his or her user set.
A substitute document server receives the swap order and sends the substitute document portion to the controller. A swapping device or mechanism inserts the substitute document portion in place of the undesired original document portion. At this point the substitute document portion can be passed on to the user set and displayed. Depending on the communications network and user preferences, the actual display set can be a computer, a television set, or any other suitable end terminal with a display screen.
In one version of the system according to the invention the controller is located on the premises of the user, i.e., at the user’s residence or at his or her work place. Advantageously, in this embodiment the controller can be integrated with the user set. It is also possible to integrate the swapping mechanism with the controller. Of course, the controller can also be located on the premises of the service provider and be integrated with the swapping mechanism there. In this situation the role of the controller and swapping mechanism can be most efficiently performed by the proxy server.
The identifier portion of any original document portion can be as simple as a network address. In general, this will be the network address of the content provider who placed the document portion on the network. (Address-based identification is one of the most common ways of identifying document portions.) The content of the information portion can be easily determined as desired or undesired from the provider’s address. For this purpose, the controller should have in its memory or some other accessible storage resources a list of network addresses of content providers. In another embodiment the identifier portion will have a brief description or designation of what is contained in the information portion. Such identifier portion will generally consist of any number of signs and/or characters (usually abbreviations).
In a preferred embodiment the controller has a device or mechanism for matching the dimensions of the substitute document portion with the dimensions of the original document portion being replaced, i.e., the undesired original document portion. This provision ensures that the swapped information will be of appropriate size when rendered on the user’s screen, thus preserving the page layout, which would have been obtained without swapping.
A further embodiment adds to the system a user profile bank. The bank has user profile information, e.g., statistical information, personal preferences or any other information either compiled or gathered directly from the user. The profile information is delivered to the controller such that the swap order can be issued based on the user’s preferences to tailor the substitute document portions to the user’s needs or other relevant profile information.
The system of the invention can be used in any communications network having the general architecture described. As mentioned above, the Internet is well suited for the system of the invention. The method of swapping undesired original document portions with substitute document portions is practiced in communications network exhibiting the same architecture as required for the system.
A detailed description of the system and method of the invention are set forth below in reference to the drawing figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the system of invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram of a document portion.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another embodiment of the system of invention.
FIG. 4 is an example screen display on a user’s set.
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of an original document portion and a substitute document portion.
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing how a swap order is issued.
FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing how a swap order is issued when profile bank information is available.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating typical placement of undesired original document portions on a page.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the replacement of undesired original document portions with specified substitute document portions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An advantageous embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the block diagram of FIG. 1. A document modification or swapping system 10 possessing the necessary architecture to practice the invention is built around a communications network 12. The individual links and resources of network 12 are not shown, but are generally known to include couplings, high and low bandwidth links, filters, power sources, repeaters, transformers, up- and down-converters, amplifiers and any number of other equipment required to efficiently transmit information across large physical distances. Network 12 may be a stand-alone network or one which takes advantage of existing connections and resources, e.g., telephone lines. In the preferred embodiment network 12 is simply the Internet.
Two content providers 14, 16 are connected to network 12 via communication links 18 and 20 respectively. Any suitable medium of sufficient bandwidth to transmit the required information to and from network 12 can be used as links 18, 20. Content providers 14, 16 are servers equipped with the necessary resources to transmit and receive information, specifically requests or queries for the contents of their data banks (not shown). Typically, content providers 14, 16 have information such as articles, news briefs and updates, weather maps, books, summaries, files, software, catalogues, documents, pictorials, video files, public records, commercial literature and so forth.
Provider 14 is an independent server, while provider 16 is a part of a larger resource 22 including an advertisement server 24 (hereafter “ad server”). Although it is understood that either provider 14 or 16 may place on network 12 various types of information, e.g., requested files, non-requested information, undesired information and advertising material, the distinction between ad server 24 and provider 16 is useful for better illustrating the operation of system 10. Thus, in the present embodiment it will be assumed that ad server 24 places, via provider 16, on network 12 unsolicited information, i.e., commercials and advertisements, while provider 16 delivers requested and/or desired information.
System 10 also has dedicated ad servers 26 and 28 which deliver to network 12 via communication links 30 and 32 commercials and advertisements in the broadest sense.
A substitute document server 34 is connected with network 12 by communication link 36. Server 34 contains information which is not requested or solicited but is desirable or useful. For example, server 34 may contain health-related information, warnings, general advisories and many other types of information.
The different types of information placed on network 12 by providers 14, 16, ad servers 24, 26, 28 and substitute document server 34 are formatted in documents or document portions such as document portion 40 shown in FIG. 2. It is understood that the fundamental building blocks of document portion 40 are information packets (not shown). Although the detailed structure of document portion 40 will be adapted to network 12 each document portion 40 has the same general make-up. A header or an identifier portion 42 generally precedes an information portion 44 with the actual information content. In some cases a footer 46 may be provided to designate the end of document portion 40. Frequently, identifier portion 42 is simply the network address of the server, which placed document portion 40 on network 12. Alternatively, identifier portion 42 contains a designation or identification of the information contained in portion 44. Examples of different forms which identifier portion 42 can assume when network 12 is the Internet are discussed below.
A service provider 50 is in communication with network 12 via communication link 52. Typically, service provider 50 will have numerous lines 54 connecting directly to the subscribers or network users. In particular, line 54A establishes a link between service provider 50 and a user set 56 on user premises 58. When network 12 is the Internet user set 56 is a computer or a network unit. Other devices such as television sets or display devices capable of receiving and/or sending document portion 40 can be used as well. A person of average skill in the art will be able to ensure a suitable connection of user set 56 with service provider 50.
A controller 60 is switched between user set 56 and service provider 50. Controller 60 is capable of reading identifier portion 42 of a document portion 40 to determine the content of information portion 44. A swapping device 62, preferably integrated with controller 60 as shown, is also provided to receive a swap order which controller 60 issues when information portion 42 of a packet 40 has an undesirable content.
The operation of system 10 is now described for the case in which network 12 is the Internet. As an example, FIG. 4 shows a screen display or a page 70 on user set 56. Page 70 is actually constructed from a number of original document portions analogous in all respects to document portion 40. The below listing identifies how the page is rendered from original document portions A, B, C, D and E. The formats used conform to the widely accepted and well-known hyper-text mark-up language (HTML).
Example Page
TABLE-US-00001 HTML for document portion A: Friday December 6 1:59 PM EST
Technology Summary
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