Network portal system and methods

US7269664B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Sun Microsystems Inc. · US

Inventors

• Matthias Hütsch · Hamburg, DE
• Ralf Hofmann · Heidenheim, DE
• Kai Sommerfeld · Hamburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jan 12, 2001
• Grant date: Sep 11, 2007
• Expiry date: Oct 18, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S707/99933
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A network portal system includes a web-top manager and a universal content broker system. The web-top manager is configured to receive a content request from a user device, where the content request includes a content provider identifier. The universal content broker system is coupled to the web-top manager. The universal content broker system includes a plurality of content providers. Each content provider in the plurality of content providers is associated with a different content provider identifier. Also, each content provider accesses content having a different raw data format. A universal content broker is coupled to the web-top manager and to the plurality of content providers. Upon the receipt of the content request from the web-top manager, the universal content broker passes the request to a content provider in the plurality of content providers that is associated with the content provider identifier.