Interactive commercials as interface to a search engine

• US 20040215506A1
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MindArrow Systems, Inc. (Avalon Digital Marketing Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MindArrow Systems, Inc. (Avalon Digital Marketing Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blakeley, Thomas, Mcewan, Richard
• Application Number:
  US09/856,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215506A1
• 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 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

A user submits a search request to an Internet or other network search engine from within an e-mail client. The software for performing this task is preferably provided as part of e-mail advertisement (15) sent to the user (recipient). The advertisement preferably includes a first portion having a first branding graphic (20), and a second portion that receives to a search string designated by the recipient (50). In especially preferred embodiments the search engine returns the search results to the recipient within the e-mail client.

Claims

1. An interactive electronic commercial sent to a recipient as an attachment to an e-mail comprising:

a commercial message portion that includes a first branding graphic;

an interface portion that receives a search string designated by the recipient;

a search engine interface; and

a searching routine that submits the search string to a search engine via the search engine interface, and returns results to the recipient from within an e-mail client, without using a browser.

2. The commercial of claim 1 wherein the search string is selected from a list of search strings presented to the recipient in the commercial.

3. The commercial of claim 1 wherein the interface portion contains a space into which the recipient types the search string.

4. The commercial of claim 1 wherein the search engine is a commercial searching facility available through a portal other than the commercial.

5. The commercial of claim 1 wherein the search engine is a commercial searching facility available through a web page of the Internet.

6. The commercial of claim 1 wherein the search engine further comprises a graphical hyperlink to an internet site.

7. The commercial of claim 1 further comprising an ordering routine through which the recipient orders a product.

8. The commercial of claim 1 further comprising a results routine that returns a set of results to the recipient through an interface provided by the commercial based upon submitting the search string to the search engine.

9. The commercial of claim 8 further comprising an ordering routine through which the recipient orders a product from among a listing of products contained in the set of results.

10. The commercial of claim 8 further comprising an audio containing clip that motivates the recipient to order a product from among a listing of products contained in the set of results.

11. The commercial of claim 10 having a playing routine by which the audio containing clip is played at will by the recipient.

12. The commercial of claim 1 where the commercial further includes branding graphics for multiple products.

13. The commercial of claim 1 where the commercial includes additional branding graphics for multiple products from unrelated vendors.

14. The commercial of claim 1 where the ordering routine involves taking ordering information for multiple products from unrelated vendors.

15. A method of sending an interactive electronic commercial to a recipient as an attachment to an e-mail, comprising:

providing the commercial with a commercial message portion that includes a first branding graphic;

the recipient opening the attachment;

the opened attachment displaying an interface portion that receives a search string designated by the recipient;

an e-mail client submitting the search string to a search engine; and

returning a set of results from submission of the search string to the recipient from within the e-mail client, without using a browser.

16. A method of sending an interactive electronic commercial to a recipient as an e-mail message, the method comprising:

providing an e-mail message to a recipient the email message including a commercial message portion;

the recipient opening the e-mail message;

the opened e-mail message displaying the commercial message portion and an interface portion, the interface portion being operable to receive a recipient designated search string;

an e-mail client that is operable to submit the recipient designated search string to a search engine; and

returning a set of results from submission of the search string to the recipient from within the e-mail client, without using a browser.