ON-LINE ADVERTISEMENT ENHANCEMENT AND INCENTIVE SYSTEM
First Claim
1. An electronic on-line advertisement enhancement and incentive system which offers an incentive to an incentive user of an electronic computer network, said system comprising:
- an incentive administration server, comprising;
1) an input/output device;
2) an electronic computer network interface connected to said electronic computer network;
3) an incentive issuer database;
4) an incentive user database;
5) an incentives database; and
6) a processor connected to said input/output device, said electronic computer network interface, said incentive issuer database, said incentive user database, and said incentives database and operative to control an issuance, award, storage, and redemption of said incentives over said electronic computer network; and
at least one incentive issuer node, comprising an electronic stamps symbol to be displayed to users accessing said at least one incentive issuer node, said electronic incentive symbol representing said at least one incentive issuer node'"'"'s participation in said electronic on-line system.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic on-line advertisement enhancement and incentive method and apparatus which offers an incentive to an incentive user over an electronic computer network is provided according to a first aspect of the invention. The method includes the steps of electronically awarding an incentive to an incentive user over the electronic computer network, the incentive preferably being in the form of an electronic incentive awarded by an incentive issuer, electronically storing over the network the incentive in a incentives administration server, and electronically redeeming over the network the incentive at the incentive user'"'"'s discretion.
Additional aspects of the invention include associating logo representations of incentives to be awarded with on-line advertisements and thereby encouraging incentive users to click through such advertisements to incentive issuer sites, where, on such issuer sites, they may select electronic incentive symbols and be awarded incentives or be awarded incentives for purchasing.
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Citations
72 Claims
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1. An electronic on-line advertisement enhancement and incentive system which offers an incentive to an incentive user of an electronic computer network, said system comprising:
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an incentive administration server, comprising;
1) an input/output device;
2) an electronic computer network interface connected to said electronic computer network;
3) an incentive issuer database;
4) an incentive user database;
5) an incentives database; and
6) a processor connected to said input/output device, said electronic computer network interface, said incentive issuer database, said incentive user database, and said incentives database and operative to control an issuance, award, storage, and redemption of said incentives over said electronic computer network; and
at least one incentive issuer node, comprising an electronic stamps symbol to be displayed to users accessing said at least one incentive issuer node, said electronic incentive symbol representing said at least one incentive issuer node'"'"'s participation in said electronic on-line system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 72)
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15. An electronic incentive for use on an electronic computer network, comprising:
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1) an electronically stored incentive user identifier;
2) an electronically stored incentive issuance date and time; and
3) an electronically stored incentive symbol identifier.
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18. A printed incentive for use with an electronic computer network, said printed incentive capable of being converted into an electronic incentive, comprising:
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1) an electronically stored incentive user identifier;
2) an electronically stored incentive issuance date and time;
3) an incentive serial number printed on said incentive; and
4) an incentive lot number printed on said incentive.
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22. An electronic advertisement enhancement and incentive method which offers an incentive to an incentive user over an electronic computer network comprising the steps of:
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electronically awarding an incentive to said incentive user over said electronic computer network, said incentive being in the form of a predetermined amount of electronic incentives awarded by an incentive issuer;
electronically storing over said network said incentive in an incentive administration server, and accessible over said electronic computer network; and
electronically redeeming over said network said incentive at said incentive user'"'"'s discretion. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. An electronic incentive method which offers an incentive to a user over an electronic computer network, comprising the steps of:
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electronically registering over said network an incentive user and granting said incentive user an incentive account in an incentives administration server;
electronically displaying over said network said incentives at a site of an incentive issuer;
electronically awarding over said network a predetermined value of incentives to said user upon access of said site of said incentive issuer and upon selection of a displayed electronic incentive symbol; and
electronically crediting over said network an incentive user'"'"'s incentive account in said incentives administration server;
wherein said registered incentive user may accumulate and redeem said incentives. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. An electronic incentive method which offers an incentive to an incentive user over an electronic computer network, comprising the steps of:
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distributing said incentives to an incentive issuer;
recording, in said incentives administration server, data identifying said incentives that were distributed;
electronically registering over said network an incentive user and granting said incentive user an electronic incentive account in an incentives administration server;
displaying a representation of said incentives at a site of an incentive issuer;
electronically awarding over said network a predetermined value of incentives to said incentive user upon access of said site of said incentive issuer and upon selection of a displayed electronic incentive representation;
electronically crediting over said network an electronic incentive users account of said registered incentive user in said incentives administration server; and
electronically redeeming said incentives from an incentive issuer, over said network;
wherein said registered incentive user may accumulate and redeem said electronic incentive. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. An electronic incentive method permitting an incentive user to obtain electronic incentives from a incentive issuer, including the steps of:
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selecting an electronic incentive symbol on said incentive issuer'"'"'s site;
obtaining incentive user information from a computer network browser of said incentive user;
determining whether said incentive issuer has said electronic incentives available to issue by comparing the amount of incentives issued by said incentive issuer with a total amount of incentives allocated to the issuer;
determining whether said incentive user is eligible to receive said electronic incentives by verifying that said incentive user is a registered incentive user;
determining whether an incentive user identifier has been received from said browser of said incentive user;
prompting for said incentive user identifier if said incentive user identifier has not been received; and
adding a predetermined award value of said electronic incentives to a cumulative incentive total of said incentive user. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. An electronic incentive method which incorporates a printed incentive with an electronic incentive on an electronic computer network, comprising the steps of:
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connecting to an incentive administration application;
communicating an incentive identifier to said incentives administration application;
verifying said identifier is authentic; and
crediting said incentive to an incentive user'"'"'s account. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 70, 71)
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69. An electronic on-line advertisement enhancement method comprising the steps of:
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displaying an electronic incentive symbol on a node on a computer network;
electronically awarding over the network an incentive to an incentive user upon selection of said electronic incentive symbol; and
displaying an advertisement to the incentive user upon the user'"'"'s selection of said electronic incentive symbol.
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Specification