Web page annotation systems

An annotation and webpage technology, applied in transmission systems, storage systems, network data retrieval, etc., can solve problems such as limiting annotation service efficiency

CN1518702AInactive Publication Date: 2004-08-04IBM CORP
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2004-08-04
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for annotating web pages. A data processing system (1), connectable to a user station (2), receives web page data retrieved from the Internet (3) in response to a user's request. The web page data is analyzed to select, by subject matter, at least one product class to which the subject matter relates from a plurality of product classes represented in a product classification database (10). For each product class, the database (10) stores a set of product data items indicative of attributes of products in that class. Annotations available for display are each associated with a display condition dependent on one or more product data items in the database (10). For each product class selected following analysis of the web page data, product data items are retrieved from the database (10) and used to evaluate the annotation display conditions. If display conditions are satisfied, annotation data indicative of the annotations is supplied to the user station (2) for display.
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Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to annotation of web pages. Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for annotating web pages retrieved from the Internet for display on user terminals. Background technique

[0002] Annotation of web pages is performed in order to provide users browsing web pages with access to additional information beyond the basic web page content provided by the web page provider. In the prior art, various web page annotation systems are known, the nature of the additional information provided as annotations varies with the purpose of the particular system. Annotate.Net (www.annotate.net) provides an example of an annotation service. Users access the service by downloading an application that plugs into the user's web browser. When viewing web pages retrieved from the Internet, the app presents users with links to relevant web pages of participating "annotators" in the service. Thus, when viewin...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0042] The web page annotation system described in detail below implements a specific annotation service designed to assist consumers in gathering information that each consumer considers relevant to a product purchase decision.

[0043] The current HTML-based model of Internet browsing gives web page providers complete control over web content. They determine which links to include and which text and images to provide. In an e-commerce scenario, the overall control of the web provider makes it problematic for consumers to make purchasing decisions based on information provided at individual retailer websites. Before purchasing a product, many consumers tend to gather more information, such as gathering information about retailers from retailer credit rating sites and from specific item comparison and recommendation sites, professional consumer organizations, or product rating sites that may provide information about Websites of organizations such as Greenpeace and Amnesty In...