Systems, methods, and media for awarding credits based on provided usage information

• US 20060173837A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Forlenza, Randolph Michael, Berstis, Viktors
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

Systems, methods and media for awarding credits based on provided usage information are disclosed. More particularly, hardware and/or software for collecting and disseminating usage information related to electronic documents and for awarding usage credits to users in exchange for providing usage information are disclosed. Embodiments include receiving an indication of the usage of an electronic document by a user and aggregating the received usage indication for the document with usage indications relating to other users. Embodiments may also include creating document utilization information for the electronic document based on the aggregated usage indications and awarding usage credit to the user based on the user'"'"'s providing statistics on the usage of the electronic document. Further embodiments may include transmitting an indication of the awarded usage credit to the user and receiving a request to use the usage credits.

Claims

1. A method for collecting and disseminating information relating to the usage of an electronic document, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of usage of the electronic document by a user;

aggregating the received usage indication for the electronic document with received usage indications for the electronic document related to other users;

creating document utilization information for the electronic document based on the aggregated usage indications; and

awarding usage credit to the user, wherein the awarded usage credit is based on the user'"'"'s usage of the electronic document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting an indication of the awarded usage credit to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request to use usage credits.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the document utilization information to a search engine server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication that statistics credits have been granted.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a request to use statistics credits.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the awarded usage credit may be exchanged by the user for premium searches.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the awarded usage credit may be exchanged by the user for one or more of goods, services, electronic coupons, document utilization information relating to an electronic document, electronic documents, portions of electronic documents, discounted electronic documents, or monetary rewards.

14. The machine-accessible medium of claim 1, wherein the awarded usage credit may be exchanged by the user for one or more of goods, services, electronic coupons, document utilization information relating to an electronic document, electronic documents, portions of electronic documents, discounted electronic documents, or monetary rewards.

9. A machine-accessible medium containing instructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, to cause said data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of usage of the electronic document by a user;

aggregating the received usage indication for the electronic document with received usage indications for the electronic document related to other users;

creating document utilization information for the electronic document based on the aggregated usage indications; and

awarding usage credit to the user, wherein the awarded usage credit is based on the user'"'"'s usage of the electronic document.

10. The machine-accessible medium of claim 9, further comprising transmitting an indication of the awarded usage credit to the user.

11. The machine-accessible medium of claim 9, further comprising receiving a request to use usage credits.

12. The machine-accessible medium of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the document utilization information to a search engine server.

13. The machine-accessible medium of claim 9, wherein the awarded usage credit may be exchanged by the user for premium searches.

15. A data processing system, the system comprising:

a document computer system having a usage tracking module, the usage tracking module being adapted to track a user'"'"'s usage of an electronic document; and

an aggregator server in communication with the document computer system, the aggregator server having an aggregator module and a usage credit module, the aggregator module being adapted to create document utilization information based on document usage information from one or more users, wherein the usage credit module is adapted to award usage credit to users based on their usage of the electronic document.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a search engine server for generating search results in response to a search request from a user search computer system, the search engine server having a statistics credit module and being adapted to receive document utilization information from an aggregator server, wherein the statistics credit module is adapted to award statistics credits based on the received document utilization information.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the document computer system further comprises a document reader, the document reading being adapted to allow a user to view the electronic document.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the aggregator server further comprises a usage credit module.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the usage credit allows users to exchange usage credits for goods or services of value.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the usage credit allows users to exchange usage credits for one or more of premium searches, document utilization information relating to an electronic document, electronic documents, portions of electronic documents, discounted electronic documents, or monetary rewards.