Method and apparatus for generating targeted impressions to internet clients

• US 20020046104A1
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GeoMicro Incorporated (The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: GeoMicro Incorporated (The Descartes Systems Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wang, John, Kaddeche, Karim
• Application Number:
  US09/851,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046104A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration

Abstract

A method and system of using a server to facilitate a transaction between a subscriber and providers for a right to advertise to the subscriber is disclosed. The server is configured to have access to a profile database storing a set of information regarding the subscriber. The method comprises the steps of connecting the subscriber to the server, generating an identifier to specify the subscriber, retrieving from the profile database at least a set of information regarding the subscriber with the identifier, forwarding the retrieved information to the providers, receiving an offer from the providers, the offer being responsive to the information of the subscriber, accepting an offer from the providers based on given criteria, and forwarding the buyer'"'"'s advertisement to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of using a server to facilitate a transaction between a subscriber and at least one provider for a right to advertise to the subscriber, the server being configured to have access to a profile database storing a predetermined set of information regarding the subscriber, comprising the steps of:

(a) connecting the subscriber to the server;

(b) generating an identifier to specify the subscriber;

(c) retrieving from the profile database at least a portion of the predetermined set of information regarding the subscriber with the identifier;

(d) forwarding the retrieved information to said at least one provider;

(e) receiving an offer from said at least one provider, the offer being responsive to the information of the subscriber;

(f) accepting said offer from said at least one provider based on predetermined criteria;

(g) forwarding the buyer'"'"'s advertisement to the subscriber.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said information comprises geographical location of the Internet client.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria comprise at least one of the following:

(a) the offer being the first to reply among all offers;

(b) the offer being the highest among all offers.

4. A method for using a server to provide targeted impression to an Internet client, the Internet client accessing the Internet through a wireless network and the server, the server being configured to have access to a profile database storing profile information regarding the Internet client, comprising:

(a) connecting the Internet client to the server through the wireless network;

(b) generating an identifier to describe the Internet client;

(c) retrieving, from the profile database, profile information regarding the Internet client with the identifier;

(d) forwarding the profile information to a plurality of impression providers;

(e) receiving at least one offer from a plurality of impression providers for a right to make at least one impression to the Internet client;

(f) selecting an offer based on predetermined criteria;

(g) forwarding the impression from one of said providers to the Internet client.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising a step of filtering at least a subset of the profile information based on predetermined criteria during the step of retrieval.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said profile information retrieved comprises geographical information of the Internet client.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined criteria in Step d) are specified by the impression providers.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined criteria in Step d) are specified by the Internet client.

9. A method for using a server to provide targeted impression to an Internet client, the Internet client accessing the Internet through a wireless network and the server, the server being configured to have access to a profile database storing profile information regarding the Internet client, comprising:

(a) connecting the Internet client to the server through the wireless network;

(b) generating an identifier to specify the Internet client;

(c) retrieving, from the profile database, profile information regarding the Internet client with the identifier;

(d) determining whether at least a subset of the Internet client'"'"'s profile information is already reserved by a predetermined impression provider, and if so, forwarding the provider'"'"'s impression to the Internet client;

(e) and if not reserved, forwarding the profile information to a plurality of impression providers;

(f) receiving at least one offer from a plurality of impression providers for a right to make at least one impression to the Internet client;

(g) selecting an offer based on predetermined criteria;

(h) forwarding the impression from the winning provider to the Internet client.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the information retrieved from the profile database comprises geographical location of said Internet client.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

(a) the server monitoring the Internet client'"'"'s response to the impression;

(b) the server modifying the profile database for the Internet client based on the Internet client'"'"'s response to the impression.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

(a) the server caching impressions supplied by a plurality of impression providers;

(b) the server forwarding one of the impressions to the Internet client upon a successful bidding by one of the impression providers.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

(a) the server caching impressions supplied by a plurality of impression providers;

(b) the server also caching standing bids reserved by the impression providers, the standing bids being reviewed when the retrieved user profile for the Internet client matches a predetermined set of criteria;

(c) the server determining which one of the standing bids is to be invoked;

(d) the server forwarding one of the cached impressions to the Internet client upon the standing bid.