Systems, methods and computer program products for providing sponsored proactive searches for sponsored quality of service network connections

• US 20050232131A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yeatts, Stanley K., Bulleit, Douglas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A user can select a higher Quality of Service network connection that is at least partially subsidized by a sponsor. In response, an indicia of the sponsorship of the higher Quality of Service connection is provided to the user. The indicia of sponsorship can be provided as a result of a sponsored proactive search, wherein advertising and/or sponsored links may be repeatedly or continuously provided to the user based on analysis of the user'"'"'s navigation of the network while using the higher Quality of Service connection. A sponsorship message (analogous to a “brought to you by” message in conventional radio or television programming) and/or a sponsored link also may be provided. Accordingly, higher Quality of Service network connections may be at least partially sponsored by third parties to provide revenue to the network provider that can at least partially subsidize the higher Quality of Service network connection.

Claims

1. A network communication method comprising:

displaying on a user device an indicia of sponsorship of a higher Quality of Service network connection compared to a standard Quality of Service network connection in response to user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection at the user device.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a message displayed at the user device that the higher Quality of Service network connection is sponsored by a sponsor.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises at least one link to a sponsor site that is displayed at the user device.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a series of links to a plurality of sponsored sites that are displayed at the user device as the user device navigates the network using the higher Quality of Service network connection.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein the series of links to the plurality of sponsored sites are displayed on the user device in response to analysis of the user device navigation of the network.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the analysis of the user device navigation of the network is independent of or in addition to user entry of key words in a browser interface at the user device.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein the network comprises the Internet, wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a series of links to a plurality of sponsored Web sites that are displayed in a persistent browser interface at the user device as the user device navigates the Internet to a plurality of Web pages and that supercede indicia of sponsorship that are associated with the plurality of Web pages.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of links to the plurality of sponsored Web sites are displayed in the persistent browser interface at the user device as the user device navigates the Internet to the plurality of Web pages in response to analysis of the user device navigation of the Internet.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein the user device includes a user interface display having a higher Quality of Service network connection launching interface thereon, and wherein user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection is performed by the higher Quality of Service network connection launching interface on the user interface display of the user device.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the higher Quality of Service connection comprises an on demand broadband network connection.

11. A method according to claim 1 further comprising:

providing the higher Quality of Service network connection to the user device in response to the user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection at the user device.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein displaying is preceded by:

providing the standard Quality of Service network connection at the user device.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein displaying is performed by a network connection provider and/or the user device.

14. A network communication method for an Internet-connected user device comprising:

providing a higher Quality of Service Internet connection compared to a standard Quality of Service Internet connection in response to user selection of a Webpage that sponsors the higher Quality of Service Internet connection.

15. A user device comprising:

a display that is configured to display an indicia of sponsorship of a higher Quality of Service network connection compared to a standard Quality of Service network connection in response to user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection at the user device.

16. A device according to claim 15 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a message displayed at the user device that the higher Quality of Service network connection is sponsored by a sponsor.

17. A device according to claim 15 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises at least one link to a sponsor site that is displayed at the user device.

18. A device according to claim 15 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a series of links to a plurality of sponsored sites that are displayed at the user device as the user navigates the network using the higher Quality of Service network connection.

19. A device according to claim 15 wherein the network comprises the Internet, wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a series of links to a plurality of sponsored Web sites that are displayed in a persistent browser interface at the user device as the user device navigates the Internet to a plurality of Web pages and that supercede indicia of sponsorship that are associated with the plurality of Web pages.

20. A device according to claim 15 wherein the user device includes a user interface display having a higher Quality of Service network connection launching interface thereon, and wherein user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection is performed by the higher Quality of Service network connection launching interface on the user interface display of the user device.

21. A network connection provider device comprising:

a computing device that is configured to display on selected user devices, indicia of sponsorship of a higher Quality of Service network connection compared to a standard Quality of Service network connection in response to user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection at the selected user devices.

22. A device according to claim 21 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a message displayed at the selected user devices that the higher Quality of Service network connection is sponsored by a sponsor.

23. A device according to claim 21 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises at least one link to a sponsor site that is displayed at the selected user devices.

24. A device according to claim 21 wherein the indicia of sponsorship comprises a series of links to a plurality of sponsored sites that are displayed at the selected user devices as the selected user devices navigate the network using the higher Quality of Service network connection.

25. A device according to claim 24 wherein the computing device is further configured to analyze the selected user device navigation of the network and to display the series of links to the plurality of sponsored sites of the selected user device in response to analyzing the selected user device navigation of the network.

26. A device according to claim 25 wherein the computing device is further configured to analyze the selected user device navigation of the network independent of or in addition to user entry of key words in browser interfaces at the selected user devices.

27. A device according to claim 21 wherein the network is the Internet, and wherein the computing device is configured to display the indicia of sponsorship as a series of links to a plurality of sponsored Web sites that are displayed in persistent browser interfaces at the selected user devices as the selected user devices navigate the Internet to a plurality of Web pages and that supercede indicia of sponsorship that are associated with the plurality of Web pages.

28. A device according to claim 21 wherein the computing device is configured to provide a higher Quality of Service network connection launching interface for a user interface display to the plurality of user devices, and wherein user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection is performed by the higher Quality of Service network connection launching interface on the user interface display of the user device.

29. A device according to claim 21 wherein the computing device is further configured to selectively provide the higher Quality of Service network connection to the selected user devices in response to the user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection at the selected user devices.

30. A computer program product that is configured to provide network communication, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer-readable program code comprising:

computer-readable program code that is configured to display on a networked user device an indicia of sponsorship of a higher Quality of Service network connection compared to a standard Quality of Service network connection in response to user selection of the higher Quality of Service network connection at the user device.