US5819092A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Online service development tool with fee setting capabilities
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 1997-10-06
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Granted: 1998-10-06
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Expires: 2017-10-06
Abstract
Abstract A visual editing system for creating commercial online computer services. The visual editing system creates online services that consist of a number of subservices. Each subservice is a program that provides a particular type of functionality to the online service. Different subservices exist for displaying hypermedia documents, searching directories and databases, displaying classified advertisements, providing a bulletin board system, etc. Each subservice has an associated database of information and a collection of scripts that handle events such as input from a user. The visual editing system of the present invention features a fee setting tool that allows the developer to develop a fee structure for an online service. The fee structure can handle both fees levied against users and third party content providers. For example, users can be levied fees for logging onto an online service, performing searches, or downloading information. Third party content providers can be levied fees for submitting advertisements or for executing a transaction with a user. Similarly, the fee setting tool also allows the developer to assign a payment system whereby users or content providers can be paid for certain actions. A user may be paid when that user that fills out a marketing questionnaire or wins a contest. A third party content provider can be paid when that third party content provider supplies valuable information desired by the users of the online service.
Inventors
- 👤 Charles H. Ferguson
- 👤 Randy J. Forgaard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:30
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/04; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/70; G06F16/74; G06F16/748; G06F16/90; G06F16/93; G06F16/94; G06F16/95; G06F16/955; G06F16/9558; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/10; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/0014
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 50
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising the elements of: (a) a first editor for enabling a user to edit a data store that contains information comprising the online service; (b) a second editor for enabling the user to define an interactive behavior of said online service, said second editor having a visual user interface for editing: (i) a format in which said information from said data store of said online service is displayed; (ii) a set of functional features provided by said online service; and (iii) a set of visual objects for accessing said functional features, said set of visual objects being accessed by the user of the online service; and (c) a fee setting tool, said fee setting tool for enabling the user to set fees associated with said online service for an entity.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
140 words
A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising the elements of: (a) a first editor for enabling a user to edit a data store that contains information comprising the online service; (b) a second editor for enabling the user to define an interactive behavior of said online service, said second editor having a visual user interface for editing: (i) a format in which said information from said data store of said online service is displayed; (ii) a set of functional features provided by said online service; and (iii) a set of visual objects for accessing said functional features, said set of visual objects being accessed by the user of the online service; and (c) a fee setting tool, said fee setting tool for enabling the user to set fees associated with said online service for an entity.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1, wherein each of said fees are triggered by a defined user action.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises access by said user to one of said visual objects on the online service.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises submittal of an object for inclusion in said data store of said online service.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a traverse of a hyperlink.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 2, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a connection to the online service.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1, wherein each of said fees are triggered by passage of a defined amount of time.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said fee setting tool defines a fee specifier for each fee, said fee specifier comprising a first field specifying a fee action that triggers said fee.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 8, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a second field specifying an entity to whom the fee is directed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 8, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a third field specifying an object associated with said fee action.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 8, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a fourth field defining a fee computation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 11, further comprising: a script editor, said script editor for editing a script specifying said fee computation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 11, wherein said fourth field comprises a script specifying said fee computation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 13, wherein said script comprises at least one fee setting script primitive.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said online service comprises a plurality of subservice programs.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1, wherein if said fee is positive, a fee is charged to said entity, and if said fee is negative, a payment is made to said entity.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said online service distributes information using a Hyper Text Transport Protocol (HTTP), said information comprising a hypermedia document.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 17, wherein said online service distributes information on the global Internet.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 17, wherein said hypermedia document comprises a Hyper -- Text Markup Language (HTML) document.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
79 words
A system for specifying fees for an entity associated with an online service comprising: (a) means associated with an object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee; (b) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for the entity; (c) means for editing a plurality of fee specifications for the entity; and (d) means for storing the plurality of fee specifications using the editing means.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
79 words
A system for specifying fees for an entity associated with an online service comprising: (a) means associated with an object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee; (b) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for the entity; (c) means for editing a plurality of fee specifications for the entity; and (d) means for storing the plurality of fee specifications using the editing means.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
90 words
A system for determining a fee for an entity associated with an online service, comprising: (a) means for detecting at least one of a plurality of actions on an object of the online service, said object being associated with an action; (b) means, operative in response to detection of the action, for identifying a fee specification for the action and the object associated with the action; (c) means for utilizing the fee specification to define the fee for the entity; and (d) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
90 words
A system for determining a fee for an entity associated with an online service, comprising: (a) means for detecting at least one of a plurality of actions on an object of the online service, said object being associated with an action; (b) means, operative in response to detection of the action, for identifying a fee specification for the action and the object associated with the action; (c) means for utilizing the fee specification to define the fee for the entity; and (d) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
87 words
The system of claim 21, further comprising a fee specifier for specifying fees for the entity associated with the online service, comprising: (a) means associated with an object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee; (b) means associated with the triggering action for defining a fee for the entity; (c) means for editing a plurality of fee specifications for the entity; and (d) means for storing the plurality of fee specifications using the means for editing.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 20, wherein each of said fees are triggered by a defined user action.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises access by a user to one of said objects on said online system that is a visual object.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises submittal of an object for inclusion in a data store of said online service.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a traverse of a hyperlink.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 23, wherein one of said defined user actions comprises a connection to an online service.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 20, wherein each of said fees are triggered by passage of a defined amount of time.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 20 wherein said means for defining the fee specification define a fee specifier, wherein the fee specifier comprises a first field specifying a triggering action that triggers said fee.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 29, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a second field specifying an entity to whom the fee is directed.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 29, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a third field specifying an object associated with said fee.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 29, wherein said fee specifier further comprises a fourth field defining a fee computation formula.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 32, further comprising: a script editor, said script editor enabling editing a script specifying said fee computation.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 32, wherein said fourth field comprises a script specifying said fee computation formula.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 34, wherein said script comprises at least one fee setting script primitive.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 20, wherein if said fee is positive, a fee is charged to an entity, and if said fee is negative, a payment is made to said entity.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 20, wherein a document object includes a Hyper -- Text Markup Language (HTML) document.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
142 words
A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising: (a) a first editing module for displaying and enabling editing of relationships among document objects of the online service; (b) a second editing module for enabling editing of individual document objects of the online service; (c) a mechanism for invoking the second editing module in response to selection of a document object in the first editing module; (d) means associated with said document object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee; (e) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for an entity; (f) means for editing the fee specification for the entity; and (g) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications using at least one of said first editing module and said second editing module.
Claim 42
Independent Claim
142 words
A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising: (a) a first editing module for displaying and enabling editing of relationships among document objects of the online service; (b) a second editing module for enabling editing of individual document objects of the online service; (c) a mechanism for invoking the second editing module in response to selection of a document object in the first editing module; (d) means associated with said document object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee; (e) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for an entity; (f) means for editing the fee specification for the entity; and (g) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications using at least one of said first editing module and said second editing module.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 38, wherein the relationships among the document objects are hyperlinks between the document objects.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
131 words
A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising: (a) a viewing module for displaying relationships among and enabling selection of document objects of the online service; (b) an editing module for editing individual document objects of the online service; (c) a linking mechanism for invoking the editing module in response to selection of a document object in the viewing module; (d) means associated with said document object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee; (e) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for an entity; (f) means for editing the fee specification for the entity; and (g) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications using the viewing module and the editing module.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
131 words
A system for developing an online service with a computer, comprising: (a) a viewing module for displaying relationships among and enabling selection of document objects of the online service; (b) an editing module for editing individual document objects of the online service; (c) a linking mechanism for invoking the editing module in response to selection of a document object in the viewing module; (d) means associated with said document object of the online service for defining at least one of a plurality of triggering actions for a fee; (e) means associated with a triggering action for defining a fee specification for an entity; (f) means for editing the fee specification for the entity; and (g) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications using the viewing module and the editing module.
Claim 46
Independent Claim
103 words
A system for editing fee structures of an online service with a computer, comprising: (a) means for displaying a visual representation of a fee specification having user-modifiable portions, wherein a user-modifiable portion is provided for entry of an indication of a document object of the online service, an indication of an event in connection with the document object, and a fee formula; (b) means for receiving user input to edit a fee specification using the visual representation and for storing edited fee specifications; and (c) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications defined using the means for displaying and means for receiving.
Claim 47
Independent Claim
103 words
A system for editing fee structures of an online service with a computer, comprising: (a) means for displaying a visual representation of a fee specification having user-modifiable portions, wherein a user-modifiable portion is provided for entry of an indication of a document object of the online service, an indication of an event in connection with the document object, and a fee formula; (b) means for receiving user input to edit a fee specification using the visual representation and for storing edited fee specifications; and (c) means for storing a plurality of fee specifications defined using the means for displaying and means for receiving.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 41, wherein the visual representation is a template.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
15 words
The system of claim 41, wherein the fee formula is defined using a scripting language.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 41, wherein the plurality of fee specifications are stored in a list.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-10-05 | 2002-04-06 | 2002-10-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-10-05 | 2006-04-06 | 2006-10-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-10-05 | 2010-04-06 | 2010-10-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |