Internet-based system and method for distributing interstitial advertisements

• US 20050038900A1
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rich Media Club, LLC (Rich Media Worldwide)
• Original Assignee: Rich Media Club, LLC (Rich Media Worldwide)
• Inventors: Mentchoukov, Nikolai, Krassner, Brad, Edwards, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system and method for use by website operators and advertisers to place interstitial advertisements on websites. The system uses an Internet dispatcher server and a mass storage device containing one or more databases storing advertisement command files pertaining to placements of advertisements that are stored in an advertisement server. The method comprises the steps of selecting aid files stored in a computer ad server, designating the url for the ad file, the url for the website page where the ad will be displayed, the url for the websites to which a user will be directed depending on the user'"'"'s reaction to the advertisement, storing in a dispatcher server database a data string representing the ad placement commands with a url representing a dispatcher server-based application to execute said ad placement commands, and including said data string on said website for launching said dispatcher server command file.

Claims

1. A method for placing rich media interstitial advertisements on Internet websites comprising the following steps:

selecting a record of data pertaining to one or more advertisement files previously stored in electronic format in one or more storage locations within a computer system having an Internet communications advertisement server for display to a website user upon commencement of a specified interstitial space in a website,

storing as a record in a relational database of a dispatcher server the uniform resource locator address for the website location where said one or more selected advertisement files will be displayed, the uniform resource locator address identifier data string representing the record in said one or more storage locations that contains said one or more selected advertisement files as well as the uniform resource locator address for each go-to web page where the advertisement viewer will be directed depending on said advertisement viewer'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement, for retrieval and execution when said website user clicks on a link to said go-to page, and

placing on said website a data string that, when clicked upon by a website user, launches said dispatcher server database record upon website user action reaching said website interstitial space, which in turn loads the selected advertisement file from its storage location and passes said go-to page parameters, causing said one or more selected advertisement files to be displayed to said website user and then directing said website user to said go-to web page(s) depending on said advertisement viewer'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisements by causing a data string to be sent by said ad to a tracking server each time that said website user accesses one or more of said interstitial advertisements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said data string comprises a link stored on said website representing a uniform resource locator forming part of said data string representing a record in a dispatcher server-based database for retrieval and execution to provide access to said advertisement files from its storage location upon clicking on said link.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing additional sales and marketing content files to said website user via execution said dispatcher server parameter and command file after said advertisement has been displayed to said website user.

5. A system for placement of interstitial advertisements on websites, comprising:

a system-end computer configured and equipped for Internet communications, including a dispatcher server containing one or more databases storing interstitial advertisement placement transaction parameter and command files and including one or more Internet communications graphical user interface software applications for system user selection of one or more interstitial advertisement files for placement on said website and storage of the uniform resource locator addresses for the go-to web page(s) to which a website user is directed depending on said user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement stored as an interstitial advertisement placement parameter and command file data record within said one or more databases of said dispatcher server,

one or more advertisement servers configured and equipped for Internet communications communicating with said system-end dispatcher server and website user-end computer systems and having one or more advertisement files stored thereon,

a website operator-end computer configured and equipped for Internet communications and communicating with said system dispatcher server, and a website user-end computer systems,

a website user-end computer configured and equipped for Internet communications and communicating with said website and said advertisement server, and

computer Internet communication means for displaying said interstitial advertisement to said website user directly from said advertisement server, and then directing said website user to said specified go-to web pages depending on said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said one or more system dispatcher server software applications create a record in said dispatcher server database containing a data string representing the uniform resource locator address of said interstitial advertisement files as well as the specified go-to web page uniform resource locator address(es) with a uniform resource locator attached to said data string, representing a dispatcher server-based application to provide to said website user access to said advertisement files at said advertisement server and said specified go-to pages upon website user click action on a link on said website containing said data string.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising means for tracking of said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises a system user template for creating parameter/command file uniform resource locator address data strings for placement as a link on said website where said advertisement files are to be displayed to said website user.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising one or more software applications for calculating and tracking multi-level marketing commission payments.

10. The system of claim 5, further comprising one or more software applications for receiving and processing electronic commerce transactions with viewers of said advertisements originating from one or more websites where said advertisements are displayed.

11. The system of claim 5, further comprising one or more software applications for creation of customized sales and marketing materials for delivery to said advertisement viewers via said computer Internet communications means and storing the uniform resource locator address for said sales and marketing materials as part of said interstitial advertisement placement transaction parameter and command files stored within said one or more databases of said dispatcher server.

12. A multi-level advertising business method for use by Internet merchants and downstream distributors of said Internet merchants having online store websites for electronic commerce utilizing the system of claim 5, comprising the steps of:

selecting one or more advertisement files pertaining to said Internet merchant'"'"'s products or services previously stored in electronic file format in a computer system having an Internet communications advertisement file server for display on said downstream distributor'"'"'s website,

storing the uniform resource locator address for an online store site to which only viewers of said advertisements will be directed for purchases of products or services advertised in said advertisements, and the uniform resource locator address for the go-to web page(s) where viewers of said advertisements are directed if said viewers do not proceed to said online store website, and the uniform resource locator address for said advertisement files stored at said advertisement file server as a parameter/command file in a database within said dispatcher server for execution when said website user reaches said downstream distributor'"'"'s website interstitial space,

storing on said downstream distributor'"'"'s website a link with the uniform resource locator address for said parameter/command file stored on said dispatcher server that launches said dispatcher server parameter/command file upon website user click-action, which in turn causes said ad server to display said one or more selected advertisement files to said website user and direct said website user to said go-to web page(s) upon user action,

sharing revenues generated from purchases of products by said ad viewers at said online store website between said Internet merchant and said downstream distributor.