Prodigy's System for Interactive Online Information and Shopping
Prodigy's 1994 patent outlines an interactive online system that delivered news, shopping, and banking to personal computers by breaking applications into 'objects' stored locally or remotely, and used user data for targeted ads.
Original patent title: “Reception system for an interactive computer network and method of operation”
Prodigy's 1994 patent outlines an interactive online system that delivered news, shopping, and banking to personal computers by breaking applications into 'objects' stored locally or remotely, and used user data for targeted ads. Granted to Prodigy Services Co in 1994 with 46 claims and 808 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a 'reception system' for an interactive computer network, designed to present 'partitioned applications' offering information and transactional services to users. The system includes 'input means' to receive user requests, 'storage means' to hold 'objects' (data and program instructions) needed for applications, and 'object processing means' to interpret these objects. If required objects are not stored locally, 'communication means' fetch them from the network. For example, a user requesting news might trigger the system to retrieve specific news article objects and display program instructions, some of which might be temporarily stored on their personal computer for faster access.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover interactive computer networks that do not use 'objects' with a prescribed structure for data and program instructions.
- Does not cover systems where all application logic and data reside entirely on the user's local computer without fetching 'objects' from a network.
- Does not cover networks that lack a mechanism for monitoring user characteristics to generate and display specific advertisements.
- Does not cover peer-to-peer networks, as it describes a 'reception system' within an 'interactive computer network' implying a client-server model.
- Does not cover systems where the 'reception system' is not capable of retaining 'objects' between requests for partitioned applications.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The innovation was in using 'partitioned applications' and 'objects' – small, self-contained units of data and code – that could be stored both locally on a user's computer and remotely on a 'host computer'. This allowed complex interactive services to run efficiently on less powerful personal computers by intelligently distributing the workload and data, retrieving only what was needed, when it was needed.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Prodigy online service (1990s)
Early online banking platforms
Early online shopping systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent describes the core technology behind Prodigy, one of the earliest major consumer online services in the United States. It enabled users to access news, financial information, shopping, and banking from their personal computers before the widespread adoption of the World Wide Web. Prodigy pioneered many features, like targeted advertising based on user behavior, that are now common in modern online platforms.
Filed
July 28, 1989
Granted
September 13, 1994
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
While Prodigy itself is no longer active, the fundamental concepts described in this patent are foundational to modern computing. Companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft build on these ideas with their cloud services, distributed applications, and personalized content delivery. The principle of distributing application components and data between client devices and remote servers is a cornerstone of today's internet.
Market impact
This patent, and the Prodigy service it enabled, helped establish the viability of consumer-grade interactive online services. It demonstrated a model for delivering rich content and transactional capabilities to home users, influencing the design of subsequent online platforms. It also showcased the commercial potential of targeted advertising based on user data, a practice that has since become central to the digital economy.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a 'reception system' for an interactive computer network, designed to present 'partitioned applications' offering information and transactional services to users. The system includes 'input means' to receive user requests, 'storage means' to hold 'objects' (data and program instructions) needed for applications, and 'object processing means' to interpret these objects. If required objects are not stored locally, 'communication means' fetch them from the network. For example, a user requesting news might trigger the system to retrieve specific news article objects and display program instructions, some of which might be temporarily stored on their personal computer for faster access.
The clever bit
The innovation was in using 'partitioned applications' and 'objects' – small, self-contained units of data and code – that could be stored both locally on a user's computer and remotely on a 'host computer'. This allowed complex interactive services to run efficiently on less powerful personal computers by intelligently distributing the workload and data, retrieving only what was needed, when it was needed.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover interactive computer networks that do not use 'objects' with a prescribed structure for data and program instructions.
- Does not cover systems where all application logic and data reside entirely on the user's local computer without fetching 'objects' from a network.
- Does not cover networks that lack a mechanism for monitoring user characteristics to generate and display specific advertisements.
- Does not cover peer-to-peer networks, as it describes a 'reception system' within an 'interactive computer network' implying a client-server model.
- Does not cover systems where the 'reception system' is not capable of retaining 'objects' between requests for partitioned applications.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
This patent is in the public domain
See the Freedom to Build guide — what is free to use, what is not, and how to cite this patent.
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$101K – $323K
Midpoint $202K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
The original legal language
Original claims
46 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Bidwell, A. W., Wolf, A. M., Bellar, M., Young, F. C., Abrahams, L., Silfen, M. J., Tiemann, D., Filepp, R., Appleman, K. H., Meo, S., Gordon, M. L., & Cohen, R. D. (1994). Prodigy's System for Interactive Online Information and Shopping (U.S. Patent No. 5,347,632). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5347632/java-programming-language
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Prodigy's System for Interactive Online Information and Shopping cover?
Prodigy's 1994 patent outlines an interactive online system that delivered news, shopping, and banking to personal computers by breaking applications into 'objects' stored locally or remotely, and used user data for targeted ads.
Who owns patent US 5347632?
Prodigy Services Co owns this patent, granted in 1994.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 5347632 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 808 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent describes the core technology behind Prodigy, one of the earliest major consumer online services in the United States. It enabled users to access news, financial information, shopping, and banking from their personal computers before the widespread adoption of the World Wide Web. Prodigy pioneered many features, like targeted advertising based on user behavior, that are now common in modern online platforms.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover interactive computer networks that do not use 'objects' with a prescribed structure for data and program instructions.
Patent monitoring