Method and apparatus for dynamic information connnection engine

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for a dynamic information connection engine. User actions are detected on at least one client system. In response, a determination is made whether the user is searching for supported information. When the user is searching for supported information, information is extracted electronically from third party web sites, direct supplier connections, and intermediate databases. Potential information suppliers are automatically selected in response to the detected user search. Queries are formulated from the user search and transferred to each selected supplier over a network coupling. The queries include a request for information. Responses are received from the suppliers, and the responses are used to generate a result list for the user. The result list includes information and query status information. Further, an electronic link may be provided to a web site of each supplier from which the information was derived.

1 . An information system, comprising: 
 monitoring software, which monitoring software monitors at least one user action, which user action is associated with user software running on a user computer and which user action produces an information identifier;    evaluating software, which evaluating software evaluates the information identifier produced by the monitored user action to determine if the information identifier relates to supported information; and    communication software, which communication software opens a new communication session when it is determined that the evaluated information identifier relates to the supported information.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring software comprises a client software program running on the user computer and communicating with the user software.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the user software comprises browser software and the client software program comprises a browser helper object.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating software comprises a client software program running on the user computer and communicating with the user software.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the user software comprises browser software and the client software program comprises a browser helper object.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the communication software comprises a client software program running on the user computer and communicating with the user software.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the user software comprises browser software and the client software program comprises a browser helper object.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user software comprises browser software and the new communication session comprises at least one of: (a) a new window associated with the browser software; and (b) a sub-window of an existing window associated with the browser software.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the new communication session is associated with the user software.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring, evaluating and opening is carried out on the user computer.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the monitoring, evaluating and opening is carried out by a client software program running on the user computer.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information identifier includes a URL and wherein the evaluating software further comprises comparing software, which comparing software compares at least a portion of the URL with at least one list of strings.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising forwarding software, which forwarding software forwards at least a portion of at least one evaluated information identifier to an information system server.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising determining software, which determining software determines, based at least in part upon the forwarded information identifier, whether the user action is a request for travel information.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the comparing software comprises a client software program running on the user computer and wherein the determining software comprises a server software program running on the information system server.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the list of strings is stored on the user computer.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the list of strings stored on the user computer is updated.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the list of strings stored on the user computer is updated by the information system server.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the evaluating is carried out on an information system server.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the evaluating is carried out by a server software program running on the information system server.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information identifier includes a URL and wherein: 
 (a) the evaluating software further comprises comparing software, which comparing software compares at least a portion of the URL with at least one list of strings;    (b) the system further comprises generating software, which generating software generates an information request when it is determined that the evaluated URL is a matching URL;    (c) the generating software comprises a client software program running on the user computer and communicating with the user software; and    (d) the information request directs the new communication session to an information system server.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein an information system server returns information to the user computer essentially concurrently with any return of information caused by the monitored user action.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein an information system server returns information to the user computer and action on the monitored user action is delayed.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein an information system server returns information to the user computer and action on the monitored user action is terminated.  
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information identifier further comprises information selected from the group including: (a) an HTTP header; (b) an HTTP POST; and (c) a URL.  
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user software comprises a web browser and the web browser is the INTERNET EXPLORER web browser.  
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information identifier includes a URL and wherein: 
 (a) the evaluating software further comprises comparing software, which comparing software compares at least a portion of the URL with at least one list of strings; and    (b) the list of strings includes at least one string that will match at least a portion of a URL of a website page of a suppler of an item.    
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the item is a travel-related item.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the travel-related item is selected from the group including: (a) airline reservations, (b) lodging reservations, and (c) ground transportation reservations.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the user action is selected from the group including: (a) a navigate event; (b) selection of a single control that indicates an interest in the supported information; (c) selection of a sequence of controls that indicate an interest in the supported information; (d) entry of information by the user in a control; (e) entry of information by the user in a sequence of controls; (f) entry of information through natural-language techniques; (g) entry of information through N-gram techniques; and (h) selection of a pre-existing set of information as identifying the user's interest.  
     
     
         31 . An information system for exchanging information between a user computer, a server of an information supplier and an information system server, comprising: 
 monitoring software, which monitoring software monitors at least one user action, which user action is associated with user software running on the user computer and which user action produces an information identifier for a website page;    evaluating software, which evaluating software evaluates a URL contained within the information identifier to determine if the evaluated URL at least partially matches at least one URL in a comparison list, wherein the comparison list includes at least one string that will match at least a portion of a URL of a website page of a supplier of information;    communication software, which communication software opens a new communication session associated with the user software when it is determined that the evaluated URL at least partially matches at least one entry in the comparison list; and    generating software, which generating software generates an information request when it is determined that the evaluated URL at least partially matches at least one entry in the comparison list;    wherein the user software comprises browser software;    wherein the new communication connection comprises a sub-window of an existing window associated with the browser software; and    wherein the information request directs the new communication session to the information system server.    
     
     
         32 . A method for operating an information system, comprising: 
 monitoring at least one user action, which user action is associated with user software running on a user computer and which user action produces an information identifier;    evaluating the information identifier to determine if the information identifier relates to supported information; and    opening a new communication session when it is determined that the evaluated information identifier relates to the supported information.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the steps are carried out in the order recited.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the monitoring, the evaluating and the opening is performed in real time.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein at least one of the monitoring, the evaluating, the opening and the generating is performed in real time.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein at least one of the monitoring, the evaluating and the opening is performed in real time.