System and method for communicating information relating to a network resource

Claim 1

A system comprising: (a) a network having a first web server, a second web server, and a reference server, all of which are in communication with each other on the network; (b) a client computer having a display screen, wherein the client computer is operated by a user, and wherein the client computer is on the network and in communication with the first web server, the second web server, and the reference server; and (c) a data storage medium that is accessible to the client computer and that has stored on it a supplemental information program that interfaces with a web browser application executing on the client computer, wherein the web browser application has a web browser application window that is displayed on the client computer display screen and that includes within it (1) a primary web browser window and also (2) a secondary window, wherein both of these windows are displayed simultaneously and are integrated into the web browser application window, and wherein the supplemental information program is configured to interface with the web browser application by: communicating with the web browser application through an OLE interface so that the web browser application provides to the supplemental information program a notification of when the document displayed in the primary web browser window changes, waiting for the web browser application to begin retrieving a first document over the network from the first web server, wherein the first document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved using HTTP protocol, and wherein the first document is displayed in the primary web browser window as a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements, automatically receiving a notification from the web browser application that the first document is being retrieved from the first web server and displayed in the primary web browser window, wherein the notification is received from the web browser application through an OLE interface, and wherein the notification from the web browser application identifies the first document, upon receiving the notification from the web browser application, automatically sending the identity of the first document over the network to the reference server so that information relating to the first document can be determined based on the identity of the first document, receiving a reply in response to sending the identity of the first document over the network to the reference server, wherein the reply includes a first supplemental document that has information that relates to the first document, and wherein the first supplemental document is a hypertext document, upon receiving the reply in response to sending the identity of the first document over the network to the reference server, displaying the first supplemental document in the secondary window that is integrated into the web browser application window, wherein the first supplemental document includes an advertisement from an advertiser and a link to a second document, wherein the first supplemental document is published by an entity different than the publisher of the first document and is not part of the first document, wherein the advertiser associated with the advertisement included in the first supplemental document has determined that advertising in the secondary window at the first document would be effective marketing and has advertised at the first document, and wherein the secondary window and the primary web browser window are displayed simultaneously within the web browser application window so that the advertisement included in the first supplemental document is automatically displayed for the user along with the first document that is displayed in the primary web browser window, monitoring the user's selection of the link to the second document in the simultaneously displayed secondary window, displaying the second document in the primary web browser window when the user selects the link to the second document, wherein the second document has a resource identifier associated with it, wherein the web browser application retrieves the second document over the network from the second web server, wherein the second document is retrieved from the second web server using HTTP protocol, and wherein the second document replaces the first document in the primary web browser window, automatically sending the identity of the second document over the network to the reference server so that information relating to the second document can be determined based on the identity of the second document, receiving a reply in response to sending the identity of the second document over the network to the reference server, wherein the reply includes a second supplemental document that has information that relates to the second document, and wherein the second supplemental document is a hypertext document, upon receiving the reply in response to sending the identity of the second document over the network to the reference server, displaying the second supplemental document in the secondary window that is integrated into the web browser application window so that the secondary window is automatically updated when the second document replaces the first document in the primary web browser window, wherein the second supplemental document includes a link to a document that relates to the second document, wherein the second supplemental document is published by an entity different than the publisher of the second document and is not part of the second document, and wherein the secondary window and the primary web browser window are displayed simultaneously within the web browser application window, waiting for the web browser application to begin retrieving a third document over the network, wherein the third document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved using HTTP protocol, wherein the third document is displayed in the primary web browser window as a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements, and wherein the third document replaces a document displayed in the primary web browser window, automatically receiving a notification from the web browser application that the third document is being retrieved and displayed in the primary web browser window, wherein the notification is received from the web browser application through an OLE interface, and wherein the notification from the web browser application identifies the third document, upon receiving the notification from the web browser application, automatically sending the identity of the third document over the network to the reference server so that information that relates to the third document can be determined based on the identity of the third document, receiving a reply in response to sending the identity of the third document over the network to the reference server, wherein the reply includes a third supplemental document that has information that relates to the third document, and wherein the third supplemental document is a hypertext document, and upon receiving the reply in response to sending the identity of the third document over the network to the reference server, displaying the third supplemental document in the secondary window that is integrated into the web browser application window so that the secondary window is automatically updated when the third document replaces the document displayed in the primary web browser window.

Claim 2

A system comprising: (a) a network having a first web server, a second web server, and a reference server, all of which are in communication with each other on the network; (b) a client computer having a display screen, wherein the client computer is operated by a user, and wherein the client computer is on the network and in communication with the first web server, the second web server, and the reference server; and (c) a data storage medium that is accessible to the client computer and that has stored on it a supplemental information program that interfaces with a web browser application executing on the client computer, wherein the web browser application has a web browser application window that is displayed on the client computer display screen and that includes within it (1) a primary web browser window and also (2) a secondary window, wherein both of these windows are displayed simultaneously and are integrated into the web browser application window, and wherein the supplemental information program is configured to interface with the web browser application by: communicating with the web browser application through an OLE interface so that the web browser application provides to the supplemental information program a notification of when the document displayed in the primary web browser window changes, waiting for the web browser application to begin retrieving a first document over the network from the first web server, wherein the first document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved using HTTP protocol, and wherein the first document is displayed in the primary web browser window as a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements, automatically receiving a notification from the web browser application that the first document is being retrieved from the first web server and displayed in the primary web browser window, wherein the notification is received from the web browser application through an OLE interface, and wherein the notification from the web browser application identifies the first document, upon receiving the notification from the web browser application, automatically sending the identity of the first document over the network to the reference server so that information relating to the first document can be determined based on the identity of the first document, receiving a reply in response to sending the identity of the first document over the network to the reference server, wherein the reply includes a first supplemental document that has information that relates to the first document, and wherein the first supplemental document is a hypertext document, upon receiving the reply in response to sending the identity of the first document over the network to the reference server, displaying the first supplemental document in the secondary window that is integrated into the web browser application window, wherein the first supplemental document includes an advertisement from an advertiser and a link to a second document, wherein the first supplemental document is published by an entity different than the publisher of the first document and is not part of the first document, wherein the advertiser associated with the advertisement included in the first supplemental document has determined that advertising in the secondary window at the first document would be effective marketing and has advertised at the first document, and wherein the secondary window and the primary web browser window are displayed simultaneously within the web browser application window so that the advertisement included in the first supplemental document is automatically displayed for the user along with the first document that is displayed in the primary web browser window, monitoring the user's selection of the link to the second document in the simultaneously displayed secondary window, displaying the second document in the primary web browser window when the user selects the link to the second document, wherein the second document has a resource identifier associated with it, wherein the web browser application retrieves the second document over the network from the second web server, wherein the second document is retrieved from the second web server using HTTP protocol, and wherein the second document replaces the first document in the primary web browser window, automatically sending the identity of the second document over the network to the reference server so that information relating to the second document can be determined based on the identity of the second document, receiving a reply in response to sending the identity of the second document over the network to the reference server, wherein the reply includes a second supplemental document that has information that relates to the second document, and wherein the second supplemental document is a hypertext document, upon receiving the reply in response to sending the identity of the second document over the network to the reference server, displaying the second supplemental document in the secondary window that is integrated into the web browser application window so that the secondary window is automatically updated when the second document replaces the first document in the primary web browser window, wherein the second supplemental document includes a link to a document that relates to the second document, wherein the second supplemental document is published by an entity different than the publisher of the second document and is not part of the second document, and wherein the secondary window and the primary web browser window are displayed simultaneously within the web browser application window, waiting for the web browser application to begin retrieving a third document over the network, wherein the third document has a resource identifier associated with it and is retrieved using HTTP protocol, wherein the third document is displayed in the primary web browser window as a hypertext document that includes graphical display elements, and wherein the third document replaces a document displayed in the primary web browser window, automatically receiving a notification from the web browser application that the third document is being retrieved and displayed in the primary web browser window, wherein the notification is received from the web browser application through an OLE interface, and wherein the notification from the web browser application identifies the third document, upon receiving the notification from the web browser application, automatically sending the identity of the third document over the network to the reference server so that information that relates to the third document can be determined based on the identity of the third document, receiving a reply in response to sending the identity of the third document over the network to the reference server, wherein the reply includes a third supplemental document that has information that relates to the third document, and wherein the third supplemental document is a hypertext document, and upon receiving the reply in response to sending the identity of the third document over the network to the reference server, displaying the third supplemental document in the secondary window that is integrated into the web browser application window so that the secondary window is automatically updated when the third document replaces the document displayed in the primary web browser window.