Method and apparatus for dynamic information connection 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 - 62 . (canceled)  
     
     
         63 . A method, comprising: 
 initiating at least one communication session between an intermediate server and at least one information supplier;    conducting the communication session, wherein the communication session comprises transmitting, from the information supplier to the intermediate server, web page context information associated with the information supplier;    transmitting intermediate web page context information from the intermediate server to client software on a user computer; and    providing, from the client software to browser software on the user computer, data related to the intermediate web page context information.    
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the intermediate web page context information comprises a subset of the web page context information.  
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the data related to the intermediate web page context information comprises a subset of the intermediate web page context information.  
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the intermediate web page context information is transmitted from the intermediate server to the client software through the browser software.  
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 63 , further comprising receiving a transaction request transmitted from the user computer to the intermediate server.  
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the communication session is initiated from the intermediate server based upon the transaction request from the user computer.  
     
     
         69 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein transmitting the intermediate web page context information from the intermediate server to the user computer makes the user computer capable of continuing the communication session with the information supplier in place of the intermediate server.  
     
     
         70 . The method of  claim 69 , wherein the web page context information comprises at least one cookie.  
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the cookie makes the browser software capable of accessing a web page of the information supplier.  
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the client software comprises a browser helper object.  
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 71 , further comprising generating at least one result list displayed at the user computer, wherein the result list includes at least one URL link to a website purchase page utilized for purchasing an item from the information supplier.  
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the URL link is associated with the cookie transmitted to the user computer.  
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 73 , further comprising navigating, with the browser software, to the website purchase page identified by the URL link in the result list.  
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 75 , further comprising purchasing the item after navigating to the website purchase page identified by the URL link in the result list.  
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 76 , wherein the website purchase page comprises HTML.  
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the communication session is made using HTTP.  
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the item is selected from the group including: (a) airline reservations, (b) lodging reservations, and (c) ground transportation reservations.  
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 70 , wherein the cookie transmitted to the intermediate server from the information supplier is modified at the intermediate server before the cookie is transmitted from the intermediate server to the user computer.  
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the cookie is modified to include an Internet domain name associated with the information supplier.  
     
     
         82 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the web page context information is transmitted from the intermediate server to the user computer in JavaScript code.  
     
     
         83 . The method of  claim 82 , wherein selecting the URL link causes the web page context information to be unpacked from the JavaScript code and provided to the browser software.  
     
     
         84 . A web page access method, comprising: 
 receiving a transaction request transmitted from a user computer to an intermediate server;    initiating at least one communication session with at least one information supplier, wherein the communication session is initiated from the intermediate server based upon the transaction request from the user computer;    conducting the communication session, wherein the communication session comprises transmitting, from the information supplier to the intermediate server, web page context information associated with the information supplier;    transmitting intermediate web page context information from the intermediate server to client software on the user computer; and    providing, from the client software to browser software on the user computer, data related to the intermediate web page context information.    
     
     
         85 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein the intermediate web page context information comprises a subset of the web page context information.  
     
     
         86 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein the data related to the intermediate web page context information comprises a subset of the intermediate web page context information.  
     
     
         87 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein the intermediate web page context information is transmitted from the intermediate server to the client software through the browser software.  
     
     
         88 . The method of  claim 84 , wherein transmitting the intermediate web page context information from the intermediate server to the user computer makes the user computer capable of continuing the communication session with the information supplier in place of the intermediate server.  
     
     
         89 . The method of  claim 88 , wherein the web page context information comprises at least one cookie.  
     
     
         90 . The method of  claim 89 , wherein the cookie makes the browser software capable of accessing a web page of the information supplier.  
     
     
         91 . A web page access method, comprising: 
 receiving a transaction request transmitted from a user computer to an intermediate server;    initiating at least one communication session with at least one information supplier, wherein the communication session is initiated from the intermediate server based upon the transaction request from the user computer;    conducting the communication session, wherein the communication session comprises at least one request from the intermediate server to the information supplier and at least one response from the information supplier to the intermediate server, and wherein the response from the information supplier comprises web page context information;    storing the web page context information at the intermediate server;    generating at least one result list displayed at the user computer, wherein the result list includes at least one URL link to a website purchase page utilized for purchasing an item from the information supplier; and    transmitting the intermediate web page context information from the intermediate server to the user computer after the URL link is selected, wherein the selected URL link is associated with the web page context information.    
     
     
         92 . The method of  claim 91 , wherein the intermediate web page context information comprises a subset of the web page context information.  
     
     
         93 . The method of  claim 91 , wherein the intermediate web page context information is transmitted from the intermediate server to client software on the user computer through the browser software on the user computer.  
     
     
         94 . The method of  claim 93 , wherein transmitting the intermediate web page context information from the intermediate server to the user computer makes the user computer capable of continuing the communication session with the information supplier in place of the intermediate server.  
     
     
         95 . The method of  claim 94 , wherein the web page context information comprises at least one cookie.  
     
     
         96 . The method of  claim 95 , wherein the cookie makes the browser software capable of accessing a web page of the information supplier.