The present invention relates generally to software applications for annotating web pages. In particular, the present invention is a system and method for use by web site operators to facilitate end user posting of comments at a web site for specific content that is identified by automated parsing of the content.
Although web site blogs that provide commentary on a variety of topics are very popular, they typically emphasize the web site owner's or blogger's comments. Many bloggers do not allow readers to comment on posts for fear of the readers submitting inappropriate comments. As a result, reader interaction with blogs and other web sites is limited. If readers were permitted to post private rather than public comments, bloggers could allow readers to comment on posts without the fear that inappropriate comments will be read by other readers. However, blogs and web sites typically do not support posting of private comments.
Another problem with current web technology is that adapting blogs and other web pages for annotations and comments is very cumbersome and difficult. Even if a blogger would like to invite his or her readers to comment on the blogger's posts, adapting the blog or other web site content to allow such interactivity is difficult and requires programming skills.
Details related to web page layout and content can also make it difficult to adapt pages for comments. Because of the difficulties in facilitating comments on individual web pages, many web site operators maintain a single blog for the entire site. Comments regarding unrelated content appear in the same area of the web site simply because a blog is supported in only one area of the site that users can visit to post. If a blogger would like to support private as well as public comments, additional programming is required to allow such postings on web pages.
Additionally, readers often want to comment on just a sentence, paragraph, image, etc. to generate an online conversation pertaining to just that parsed data. They would also like the comments of other readers for that parsed data to occur on another webpage that is easily navigated to from the original page showing the data. Although the prior art (e.g. Kindle) discloses methods of enabling the end user to highlight a certain portion of text and then comment on that section, as well as see comments from others for that highlighted area, it does not allow the end user to specify text in a more precise manner.
Therefore, there is also a need for a software system and method for enabling website administrator's to create webpages comprising parsed data that is easily identified by the reader, and that enables the readers to enter and track comments pertaining to specific data elements (e.g. lines, paragraphs, sentences, words, images, etc.).
The present disclosure is directed to a new type of parsing of webpage content for a end-user (e.g. reader, website visitor, etc.)
Various embodiments may be implemented within an environment that allows the website administrators to add webpages onto the administrator's website classified into categories and sub-categories.
Various embodiments may expand on this categorization flexibility afforded to website administrators to give even a finer degree of commenting and organizational control to the website's end-user visitors. This is done by utilizing a parsing technique that parses the data to be placed on the webpage.
As a non-limiting example, this parsing technique can operate on the pages of a newsletter, article or book inputted on a particular webpage on the administrator's website. This parsing technique is comparable to the numeric parsing of the bible into verses, or a legal document's numeric parsing into line numbers visible for the purpose of easy reference with, for instance, other viewers of the data.
Various embodiments described in this application may include the added functionality of allowing website administrator's to automatically parse data in a variety of formats, such as into lines, paragraphs, sentences, areas, grids, or even words. Each paragraph, sentence or word (or other page elements, such as images or videos), in this non-limiting example, would be annotated with an identifier, such as a number or letter or combination thereof.
In addition, that identifier could be an active link that allows the website end-user visitor to comment on and/or display just that paragraph, sentence, word, image or video on a newly generated webpage. This would additionally allow website end-user visitors to see all comments made on that sentence, for example, from other website end-user visitors.
Rather than manually creating each designator link, a website administrator can input an entire document into an embodiment, choose how they want it parsed for their website end-user visitors (e.g. by lines, paragraphs and/or sentences), and then automatically have the entire document parsed.
The disclosure therefore presents various embodiments of a computerized system and method for parsing webpage content, wherein the method comprises the steps of: 1) selecting a document, such as a PDF file, to be parsed; 2) selecting one or more parsing methods (e.g. lines, paragraphs, sentences and/or images); 3) choosing if the parsing is to be applied throughout the document, or to specific sections; 4) automatically parsing the content using standard tools, such as Lex or Yacc or other parsing technology, and placing the results into a data structure; 5) (optionally) generating an intermediate webpage that permits manual editing of the parsed content by a website administrator; 6) using the data structure to generate a webpage with the original document contents and the additional user interface elements (i.e. identifiers) added to each of the parsed sections (e.g. identifier per line, paragraph, sentence, etc.); 7) selecting an identifier, based on generated webpage codes, to add a comment about that specific content, which is stored in a database of comments from other end users; and, 7) redirecting the end user to a webpage to view the stored comments utilizing a link within the code.
As such, the parsing feature of the present disclosure comprises: a means for a website administrator to select the document to be parsed and to select the method of parsing (e.g. lines, paragraphs, sentences, etc.), wherein the parsing is generated using tools known in the art, such as Lex or Yacc.
In one embodiment, a system may operate to display information in the form of screens. Such screens may be webpages, documents, graphics, video, cable or television feeds, etc. In general, content presented to the user by means of a screen or display may be operated upon in this embodiment. The system divides the displayed screen into various overlapping or non-overlapping sections, areas, zones, etc. (collectively referred to as zones). Each of the zones is associated with a unique identifier. The system then receives a comment entered by a user that is intended to be associated with particular content being displayed. The system can associate this comment with the particular zone in which the content resides by associating the comment with the unique identifier. This information may then be stored or provided to another system for storage and/or retrieval, archiving, viewing, etc. It should be appreciated that the zones may be based on any of a variety of factors, such as shape, size, content elements, etc.
By way of one non-limiting example, the parsing method may comprise: a computerized method for receiving and managing reader comments associated with a web page, wherein a first web site server displays a web page modified to display a reader comment associated with a web page content labeled with a parsing identifier, and is configured to receive data related to a comment, entered by a reader of said web page displayed by said first web site server, the method comprising the actions of;
By way of another non-limiting example, the parsing method may comprise: a method to provide granularized commenting related to a screen of displayed information, the method comprising the actions of:
FIGS. 23A-23OO are a flow diagram illustrating the web site administration, user administration, and end user components for an example embodiment of the present invention.
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Posting data fields are in the middle section of the screen. The end user may provide a title for his or her post in a post title field 180. A comment field 182 is where the end user enters his or her actual post. An enlarged writing area option 184 results in a popup that provides the end user with an enlarged writing area to compose his or her comment. The end user can adjust this writing area to any comfortable size including full screen. It automatically adjusts the writing area field proportionately to whatever size the end user desires the page to appear on his screen. A choose icon pull down menu 186 allows the end user to choose from the icons the administrator entered in the “add icons for posts” field of the administrator page creator screen (
Post fields appear at the bottom of the screen. The newsletter/miscellaneous title 194 listing reflects which newsletter or miscellaneous page the end user selected previously. The title listing reflects the title the end user chose from post title field 196. The comment field has the content entered previously by the end user. Next to the comment field is the icon selected by the end user. The identifier reflects the name option selected previously 198.
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Each end user post may be displayed in a separate portion of the screen. The icon the end user selected appears with his or her post 210. The title 210 selected by the end user is displayed as well as the end user's comment 210. Also shown is the identifier 212 (name, initials, user name) selected by the end user. A publish option 214 enables the administrator to allow the end user's post to appear on the display page if the administrator had previously chosen to hide this post either via a hide post option 216, or the hide new posts option above 208. The hide post option 216 enables the administrator to hide any individual end user post from appearing on a display page. The entire post appears with a grey background when it is hidden so the administrator knows at a glance it is hidden. A delete post option 218 permanently deletes the post. An email-a-friend option 220 results in a popup that enables the administrator to email the end user who wrote the post (e.g., to thank them for posting, to ask permission to quote his or her post, etc.)
Posts may be selected (e.g., by selecting a checkbox next to each post) for printing, to appear in an ebook, or for other functions. A post counter may be used to tell the administrator how many total posts were received for each newsletter or miscellaneous web page.
Reader comments areas defined by administrators and comments entered by end users are hosted on a server and stored in database remote from the administrator's web site. An “iFrame” is used to allow this remote hosting. The iFrame provides a simple “window” to the database where all reader comments are actually entered, stored, and posted. However, in order for the actual “text” in the posts of the reader comment areas stored on the database to become part of the text on the local web site of the administrator, different formats for input and output are used. An “iFrame” is used for the actual input data fields while XML code is used for output data (the posts themselves). It is important for the actual text of the posts to be a part of the local site (i.e., the administrator's web site) rather than just being reflected there so that the administrator gets the benefit of using incoming posts for search engine optimization. The administrator does not receive this benefit if the text in the posts is not actually on the local site and remains solely in the remote database. By using iFrames for input and XML code for output, the administrator may have continually fresh keyword-rich content added to his or her site via end user posts.
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The display page comprises a reader comment input section 230. The reader enters comment data in this section of the display page. In the title field 232, the end user provides a title for his or her post. The end user enters his or her actual comment in the comment field 236. The end user can select an icon from the icon pull down menu 238 which has the icons the administrator originally uploaded in the administrator page creator. The end user enters a name in the name field and an email address 240. The end user can select an option for publishing his or her full name, first name only, or initials 242. The user name options from the personal journal page are not available on the display page because end users coming to the display page may not yet have signed up for a personal journal, and therefore, do not have a user name.
If the end user then chooses an option to create a personal journal 244, Javascript Show-Hide Layer Code allows the appearance of the otherwise invisible user name and password fields 248. The end user chooses a use name for logging onto his or her personal journal and a password. These user name and password fields 248 remain hidden if the end user chooses a “just post my comments below without creating my personal journal” option 246. The end user's comments are posted with the selection of a post comments option 250.
The display page also comprises a reader comment output section 252. The post fields appear at the bottom of the display page in the reader comment output section. The most recent end user's post is posted first on the page rather then last. The advantage of publishing the most recent end user's post first is the immediate gratification it gives the end user of being “headlined,” versus stuck at the bottom of the webpage. An RSS option 254 enables web site visitors to create RSS feeds of the incoming posts on his or her own web sites if they like, or to view in other RSS-viewable places (e.g., choosing different RSS feeds is one of various preferences available to Yahoo.com's users). This option support further promotion of the administrator's web site.
The icon 256 for the post reflects the icon selected by the user from the icon pull down menu 238. The title 258 reflects the title entered by the end user previously in the title field 232. The comment 260 reflects the content entered by the end user in the comment field 236. The identifier 262 reflects the end user's choice for identifying his or her posts 242. Because the posts here also reflect posts made by end users in their personal journals, the identifier may reflect the end user's user name per that option uniquely available to end users posting from a personal journal. The date and time labels 264 reflect the date and the time the end user's post was made. The keyword label 266 reflects the keywords the administrator chose in the administrator page creator screen (
A tell-a-friend option 268 displayed next to each post results in a tell-a-friend popup. This feature enables the end user to email any post to multiple friends, which brings more traffic to the site. A rating option 268 may also be added next to each post to allow the end user and other visitors to rate every post on the page (e.g., 1=I didn't like this post; 2=I liked this post; and 3=I loved this post!). This option enables the administrator to create a contest for web page postings. As an incentive to get end users to write more posts, the administrator can award prizes to the top-winning end user poster for a given period of time.
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A “look-at-me page” may be virtually identical to the display page of -
A contest generator page hosts the results of end-user post rankings using web site visitors' ratings of the various posts via the ratings feature on the display page of
A “create blog” feature allows each end user to create a blog that displays just his or her posts, and just the ones they choose to make public via checkmark boxes that appear next to each of his or her posts. The end user performs the functions of a “secondary administrator,” and promotes greater use of the primary administrator's web site thereby greatly increasing the primary administrator's traffic.
An ebook feature allows each end user to create an ebook of all his or her unique “look-at-me” pages. The end user chooses which posts to include in the ebook. This feature automatically puts all selected posts into an MS Word format or a pdf. format, per his or her own choosing. It also includes various cover template designs, table of content designs, and overall book designs. The administrator may also be ebook creator by creating ebooks of reader comments. The ebooks may be sold or distributed as a “virtual marketing tool.” End users whose comments appear frequently in an ebook may be inclined to distribute the ebook to others.
An end user greeting card creator feature enables the end user to send his or her posts as virtual greeting cards. This feature may be used in addition to or instead of the tell-a-friend emails and provides another dynamic marketing tool for the administrator's web site.
A comment rotator and emailer feature allows an administrator to rotate posts appearing at the top of each web page. The posts may be rotated daily or more frequently throughout the day. An email may be sent automatically to each particular end user at the time his/her post is headlined. This feature creates a reason for the end user to revisit the web page and to refer friends to it.
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The end user's comment is displayed in the reader comment output section at the bottom of the screen 376. The comment is displayed 380 along with a time stamp indicating when it was entered. The user may select an option to hide the comment once it has been entered 382. The end user can also choose to see only his or her comment or all of the comments entered by other users 384. Referring to
Technical details related to the category/sub-category feature of the present invention are as follows. AJAX framework (HTML_AJAX) controls AJAX functionalities for the present invention. The code <?php $utils->get_category_list(‘slt_category’,“onchange=\”sendSubCategory(this.value);showOther( )\“ ”);?> loads a list of categories in the Manage Sub Category page (manage_sub_category.php) page. A utility class is defined in a classes folder (root_folder/classes/utils.class.php) which is a collection of utility functions. This class has many functions including redirecting and displaying JavaScript message, and listing many other functions. The above function get_category_list( ) is defined in a root_folder/classes/utils.class.php file which will that takes some parameters and lists the all the categories made by the current administrator.
When the selection of items listed in the category dropdown list is changed, an onchange event (onchange=\“sendSubCategory(this.value)) is called in this function and this sendSubCateory(this.value) sends the selected item id to sendSubCategory(cat_id) javascript function defined in the current page. After the a value is passed to sendSubCategory(cat_id) function and parameter values are passed to the function, it hides the Options Panel and sub category Panel if the passed parameter value is 0. Otherwise it creates an instance of object of review class defined in root_folder/ajax_classes/review.class.php.
After the instance of object of review class is created using javascript, a last line of code defined in the function sendSubCateogry(cat_id) registers a php function loadSubCategory(cat_id,”) defined in review.class.php class file. While using HTML_AJAX framework in our program we have to register our user defined class to the ReviewServer defined in root_folder/ajax_claases/auto_server.class.php. After the loadSubCategory(cat_id) is called this function connects to the database and loads all the subcategories under selected category and return to the JavaScript. Again there is a function called loadSubCategory: function(result) which is a part of HTML_AJAX. This retrieves the HTML and reloads the sub category drop down box. The options panel is also visible.
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Referring to FIGS. 23A-23OO, a flow diagram illustrating the web site administration, user administration, and end user components for an example embodiment of the present invention is shown. The present invention comprises an iFrame solution to provide features and functionality related to reader comment areas. The embedded technologies in the iFrame Solution include HTML, PHP, Javascript, MySQL, CSS, and AJAX methods.
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Referring to FIG. 23AA, beginning at 452, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23BB, beginning at 454, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23CC, beginning at 456, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23DD, beginning at 458, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23EE, beginning at 460, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23FF, beginning at 462, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23GG, beginning at 464, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23HH, beginning at 464, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23II, beginning at 468, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23JJ, beginning at 470, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23KK, beginning at 472, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23LL, beginning at 474, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23MM, beginning at 476, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23NN, beginning at 480, the following steps are performed.
Referring to FIG. 23OO, beginning at 482, the following steps are performed.
The present invention comprises an “iFrame solution” to add reader comment areas to web pages. Typically, XML code is used to display input from a local web site to a remote web site. However, XML code cannot display database input fields from one site to another. This requirement is met using an “iFrames.” The use of iFrames with XML code is a unique combination that allows this feature to be implemented. The reason that HTML Frames are not used exclusively is that the text of reader comments would not be placed on the remote web site (even though it would appear to be), thus preventing the search engine optimization feature of this system as produced in the keyword label 262 of the display page as shown in
The “iFrame solution” of the present invention may be implemented with an existing web page framework. In the following example, the www.wealthysoul.com domain is used. An iFrame is a webpage element that creates an inline frame that contains another document. An iFrame functions as a document within a document, or like a floating FRAME. It just loads another HTML document within the <iframe> tags. Syntax <IFRAME> . . . </IFRAME>. The following example uses the IFRAME element and an HTML fragment to create a frame containing the page sample.htm as shown in
The embedded technologies into iFrame solution are HTML, PHP, Javascript, MySQL, CSS and AJAX methods.
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Additionally, during step (2), the computer system of the administrator recognizes characteristics of the administrator's parsing choices. By way of a non-limiting example, the system will recognize: non-void lines to receive a designated line number; indented beginnings of a line and/or text separated by at least two line breaks to be designated a paragraph with a designated paragraph number; and, text following a period and a space to be designated with a specific designated sentence number.
The parsing feature may further comprise a method to provide granularized commenting related to a screen of displayed information, the method comprising the actions of: a) identifying zones of a displayed screen; b) associating an identifier with each zone of the displayed screen; c) receiving a comment related to one or more zones of the displayed screen; d) associating the received comment with the one or more identifiers associated with the one or more zones; and, e) providing the comment along with the identifiers to a system for storing and displaying of the comments.
A number of implementations have been described. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, elements of one or more implementations may be combined, deleted, modified, or supplemented to form further implementations. As yet another example, the logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In addition, other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be added to, or removed from, the described systems. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
The present embodiments may further computer program products for one or more embodiments disclosed herein, wherein the products comprise computer code stored in memory on the system server, such as a remote cloud-based server, and/or accessible by or stored in whole or in part the within the memory of an end user's electronic computing device. The products may further comprise non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions to carry out, by the processor, the methods when the instructions are run on an end user's electronic computing device or on a network, and wherein the instructions are downloadable from or stored on a system server. In one embodiment, for example, the computer program product is a mobile application on an end user's computing device (e.g. smartphone), wherein the product comprises non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing software instructions that, when executed by the device's processor, cause the device to perform acts included in one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein.
This is a utility patent application being filed in the United States as a non-provisional application for patent under Title 35 U.S.C. §100 et seq. and 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) and, claiming the priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to the provisional application for patent filed in the United States on Oct. 17, 2013, bearing the title of “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PARSING CONTENT IN A DIGITAL MEDIA DISPLAY”, and assigned application Ser. No. 61/892,433. Further, this application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/759,693, filed on Feb. 5, 2013, which application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/818,912 filed on Jun. 15, 2007 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,402,357 to Norwood et al., on Mar. 19, 2013, and bears the title of “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING POSTING OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE USERS COMMENTS AT A WEBSITE”, which application is a non-provisional application of United States. Provisional Application for patent filed on Jun. 15, 2006 and assigned Ser. No. 60/813,982. Each of these above-referenced applications are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61892433 | Oct 2013 | US |