Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for a site-sensitive interactive chat network

US6442590B1 · kind B1 · utility

235Cited by
12References
38Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 27, 1999
Grant dateAug 27, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 27, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L69/329
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a site-sensitive Internet service system enhanced client browsers report URLs to an Internet-connected service-control server, which informs clients of other clients visiting common URLs, and organizes and enables chat sessions among simultaneous visitors to common Internet sites. In some cases the server activity, including chat sessions is transparent to hosts of the WEB sites visited. In others the WEB sites, through cooperation with the service-control server, control information streaming to clients, including chat sessions. Information streamed may include banner ads enabled as hyperlinks. In a further embodiment the service-control server maintains and reports statistics based on site visitation reported by clients.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.