Interactive marketing and advertising system and method

• US 20020032906A1
• Filed: 06/02/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avram S. Grossman
• Original Assignee: Avram S. Grossman
• Inventors: Grossman, Avram S.
• Application Number:
  US09/872,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20020032906A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An information delivery system is adapted to selectively deliver information to a viewer across a bi-directional, digital communications link. The information delivery system delivers, as its primary content, video commercials and infomercials of various lengths to an Internet device. Each commercial presented to the viewer may be “packaged” with any one of a number of promotional activities, data gathering activities or programs as selected by the advertiser. Each time a viewer watches a commercial and complies with other advertiser directed activities the viewer may be rewarded immediately with prizes and/or with one or more points that are accumulated in the viewer'"'"'s account. The data from the viewers'"'"'profiles and responses are compiled to provide real-time information relating to the effectiveness of the commercial. The profile data may also be used for statistical tracking of consumer patterns and trends.

Claims

1. In a communications network having an interactive delivery system and at least one network device, a method for operating the interactive delivery system comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for a commercial from the network device;

transmitting the requested commercial to the network device;

transmitting interactive control information associated with the requested commercial to the network device, whereby the network device uses the interactive control information to present an interactive display to a user; and

receiving data describing the user'"'"'s interaction with the interactive display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the commercial is a television commercial.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

identifying the user; and

awarding at least one point to the user based on the user'"'"'s interactions.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of:

maintaining a user profile, the user profile including user demographic information and personal preferences.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of receiving a request further comprises the steps of:

retrieving the user'"'"'s personal profile; and

generating a list of available commercials matching the user'"'"'s personal profile; and

transmitting the generated list to the network device.

6. In a communications network having an interactive delivery system and at least one network device, a method for operating the network device comprising the steps of:

transmitting a request for a commercial to the interactive delivery system;

receiving the requested commercial from the interactive delivery system;

receiving interactive control information associated with the requested commercial;

creating an interactive display using the interactive control information;

displaying the requested commercial;

processing user interactions; and

transmitting data describing the user interactions to the interactive delivery system.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the commercial is a television commercial.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the interactive control information includes at least one control function having an associated point value.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of transmitting a request further comprises the steps of:

receiving a list of available commercials from the interactive delivery system; and

displaying the list of available commercials for selection by the user.