Method and system for use with the internet

• US 20060179060A1
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Perion Network Limited (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Conduit Limited (KGB)
• Inventors: Shilo, Ronen, Erez, Dror, Bilczyk, Gabriel, Zagury, Ehud, Malachi, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method of increasing the awareness of users of the Internet to services and products provided by web sites, wherein the method includes establishing a hosting web site on the Internet having a data processor for registering web site owners (WSO'"'"'s) as subscribers to a hosting service. The method also includes storing a program of a browser add-on in the web site, and incorporating a set of customizable characteristics, wherein each WSO subscriber is enabled on said hosting web site to customize said browser add-on for defining specific look and functionalities of the browser add-on. The method further includes registering WSO'"'"'s as subscribers to the hosting service, providing the data processor with a data base for each WSO subscriber, storing the customization data of the browser add-ons in the data bases of the respective WSO subscribers, generating code to be integrated in a web site of the WSO, wherein the code includes a unique identifier of the customization data stored at the hosting web site, in the data base of the respective WSO subscriber. Whenever a user of the Internet activates the code in the WSO subscriber web site, another step provides downloading the browser add-on and the customized data related to the WSO subscriber from the data processor of the hosting web site to the personal computer (PC) of the Internet user and integrating the browser add-on in a web browser installed in the PC.

Claims

1. A method of increasing the awareness of users of the Internet to services and products provided by web sites, comprising:

establishing a hosting web site having a hosting server on the Internet having a data processor for registering web site owners (WSO'"'"'s) as subscribers to a hosting service;

storing a program of a browser add-on in said hosting web site, the program incorporating a set of customizable characteristics, wherein each WSO subscriber is enabled on said hosting web site to customize said browser add-on for defining specific look and functionalities of said browser add-on;

registering WSO'"'"'s as subscribers to said hosting service;

providing said data processor with a data base for each WSO subscriber;

storing the customization data of said browser add-ons in the data bases of the respective WSO subscribers;

generating code to be integrated in a web site of said WSO, wherein said code comprises at least a unique identifier of the customization data stored at the hosting web site, in said data base of said respective WSO subscriber;

and whenever a user of the Internet activates said code in the WSO subscriber web site,

downloading the browser add-on and the customized data related to said WSO subscriber from said data processor of said hosting web site to a PC of the Internet user and integrating said browser add-on in a web browser installed in said PC.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generated code is integrated at the hosting web site, wherefrom it can be activated by users of the Internet, for downloading said related browser add on.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said browser add-on is a toolbar.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said customizable characteristics comprise at least a logo embedded in said browser add-on.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said logo is one of a set of logos stored in a database in said hosting web site data processor, wherein said logo is selected by the subscribing WSO during the customization of said browser add-on.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said logo is provided as a file by the subscribing WSO.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said customizable characteristics comprise at least a search box embedded in said browser add-on.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said search box is connected to one of a set of search engines existing in the Internet, said search engine selected from this set by the subscribing WSO during the customization of said browser add-on.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said search box is customized by the subscribing WSO to send parameters to a search engine of his choice.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said customizable characteristics comprise at least an icon embedded in said browser add-on, said icon linked to a URL defined by the subscribing WSO.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said icon is one of a set of icons stored in the database of said hosting web site data processor, wherein said icon is selected by the subscribing WSO during the customization of said browser add-on.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said icon is provided as a file by the subscribing WSO.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said customizable characteristics comprise at least a Rich Site Summary (RSS) feed embedded in said browser add-on.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said RSS feed is one of a set of RSS feeds stored in a database in said hosting web site data processor, wherein said RSS feed is selected by the subscribing WSO during the customization of said browser add-on.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said RSS feed is provided as a Uniform Resource Locators (URL'"'"'s) by the subscribing WSO.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein an Internet user who installed said browser add-on once, is capable of downloading a plurality of identifiers, wherein each identifier uniquely identifies a WSO subscriber from a plurality of web sites of said subscribing WSO'"'"'s, said browser add-on is capable of switching between the set of customizations related by said unique identifiers, according to the selection of said Internet user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the user is also capable of downloading a plurality of identifiers related to a plurality of WSO subscribers from said hosting web site.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a toolbar incorporating a plurality of identifiers is capable of indicating to the user that there is a new relevant data for him in one of the non-active toolbars.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said customizable characteristics comprises at least an email indicator embedded in said browser add-on, and wherein said WSO subscriber defines a web mail service related to said email indicator, and wherein said email indicator provides notifying of an Internet user who installed the browser add-on of the existence of new emails in his account in said web mail service.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said WSO subscriber is capable of updating his customized browser add-on, via said hosting web site, and wherein said hosting web site provides sending update messages to all installed browser add-ons, to be automatically updated with the changes made by said WSO subscriber.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said WSO subscriber is capable of defining at least one set having the following components:

a set of keywords related to at least one of a product and a service the WSO wishes to promote;

a message promoting at least one of a product and a service; and

a URL of an internet page in the web site of the WSO, describing said at least one of a product and a service.

such that whenever an Internet user who installs the browser add-on of said WSO subscriber visits web pages having content matching any set of keywords defined by the WSO subscriber, said browser add-on will view the message related to the set of keywords, linking the message to the related URL.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

performing lexical analysis on the visited web page by said browser add-on;

generating a set of weighted keywords as a result of said analysis;

sending the set of keywords to said hosting server; and

receiving, as a result of said sending, any message that matches said set of keywords, linking each message to its related URL.

23. A system for of increasing the awareness of users of the Internet to services and products provided by web sites, comprising:

a data processor defining a hosting web site for registering web site owners (WSO'"'"'s) as subscribers to a hosting service, wherein said hosting web site stores a program of a browser add-on, incorporating a set of customizable characteristics, wherein said data processor is programmed to enable said WSO subscriber, in said hosting web site, to customize said browser add-on for defining specific look and functionalities;

a data base for each WSO subscriber programmed to store said browser add-ons customization data in the data bases of the respective WSO subscribers, to generate code to be integrated in a web site of said WSO, said code comprising at least a unique identifier of the customization data stored at the hosting web site, in the data base of the respective WSO subscriber, and

a hosting server for coordinating the activities of said hosting web site and interacting with said WSO'"'"'s and said Internet users, such that an Internet user visiting a WSO subscriber web site is capable of activating said integrated code for downloading a customized browser add-on from the data processor of the hosting web site to the personal computer (PC) of said Internet user

for integrating said browser add-on in the web browser of said PC.