Method and system for transacting with network traffic

• US 20060015366A1
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,734,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for using targeted network traffic as payment-in-kind in exchange for rights to anything that may be connected to a network, such as network-connected computer hardware and copyrighted software or content on such hardware, is disclosed. The method may be adapted for use with almost any product or service which may be tracked over a network. The system and method are for use with transactions between a user of a subject product or service and a provider of the subject product or service desiring to receive traffic to a target in exchange for it. The user, called a “traffic generator” is capable of generating network traffic to the target. The subject product or service is connected to a network. A target traffic destination is designated by the provider or sponsor of the subject, such as a web page or web site. An traffic manager application for performing steps of the method, is connected to the network. The traffic manager may be incorporated into the subject (for example, if the subject comprises a web site), or may reside in a separate device. The traffic manager is configured to receive state information from the subject, and particularly, information about the state of use of the subject, such as the extent and manner to which the subject has been used or consumed, and to correspondingly debit a traffic generator account an amount depending on its state of use. The traffic generator is provided with a unique redirection code, and causes requests containing the redirection code to be directed to the traffic manager. The traffic manager is further configured to generally receive requests over the network. When the traffic manager receives a request containing a redirection code, the traffic manager redirects the request to the target, and credits a traffic generator account an amount depending on how the traffic to the target is measured. The traffic manager retains the traffic generator account information for use by the sponsor.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. A method for transacting over a wide area network, comprising the steps of:

receiving use information about use of a computer resource by users, the resource selected from computer hardware or software;

debiting an account a debit amount determined from the use information;

receiving traffic over a wide area network, wherein the traffic comprises requests originating from the resource in response to use of the resource by users, the requests associated with information designating the account;

determining a credit amount based on a measure of the traffic received in the receiving step designating the account; and

crediting the credit amount to the account to facilitate a barter transaction in which at least access rights to the resource are exchanged for at least a portion of the traffic.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a balance amount of the account to a sponsor of the resource.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising redirecting over the network the requests associated with information designating the account to at least one target designated by the sponsor.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining step further comprises receiving traffic information from the sponsor.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising causing the resource to generate additional ones of the requests associated with information designating the account when a value of the account is less than a predetermined value.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising changing a state of the resource depending on a value of the account.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving traffic step further comprises receiving the requests originating from the resource comprising a web page for display on a client device.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving traffic step further comprises receiving the information designating the account comprising a network address of an executable file.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving use information step further comprises receiving the use information about ones of a plurality of resources, and debiting the account an amount related to the use information pertaining to the ones of the plurality of resources.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving use information step further comprises receiving the use information from a plurality of network-connected client devices each containing a copy of the resource.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving traffic step further comprises receiving the traffic from the resource, wherein the resource comprises a network-connected server, and wherein the information designating the account originates from links stored on the server.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving traffic step further comprises receiving the traffic from the resource, wherein the resource comprises software operating on a network-connected computer, and wherein the information designating the account is automatically generated by the software without being requested by a user.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the first receiving step further comprises receiving the use information from the resource, wherein the resource comprises application software installed on a web server.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising providing the application software configured to generate the requests originating from the resource.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising providing the application software configured to generate the requests comprising a redirection code designating an executable program module configured to initiate redirecting of the requests.

34. The method of claim 31, further comprising providing the application software configured to generate the requests without selection of a link by a user.