SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING REFERRAL FEES

• US 20080046318A1
• Filed: 01/02/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: ROTHOLTZ, BEN AARON
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method, computer program product and computing device for offering complementary products/services includes monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website. One or more search terms are assigned to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user. One or more complementary terms are assigned that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user. A query is executed on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set.

Claims

1. A method for offering complementary products/services comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user;

assigning one or more complementary terms that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user; and

executing a query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the result set to the user of the website.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user is chosen from the group consisting of:

concert tickets;

clothing;

memorabilia;

compact discs;

digital video discs;

audio tapes;

video tapes;

books;

magazines, photographs;

autographs;

posters;

airline tickets;

train tickets;

ground transportation;

consumer products;

consumer services;

business products; and

business services.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user includes:

providing a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

9. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user;

assigning one or more complementary terms that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user; and

executing a query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

presenting the result set to the user of the website.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user is chosen from the group consisting of:

concert tickets;

clothing;

memorabilia;

compact discs;

digital video discs;

audio tapes;

video tapes;

books;

magazines, photographs;

autographs;

posters;

airline tickets;

train tickets;

ground transportation;

consumer products;

consumer services;

business products; and

business services.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the instructions for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user includes instructions for performing operations comprising:

providing a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

17. A computing device configured to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user;

assigning one or more complementary terms that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user; and

executing a query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

presenting the result set to the user of the website.

19. The computing device of claim 17 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

20. The computing device of claim 17 wherein the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user is chosen from the group consisting of:

concert tickets;

clothing;

memorabilia;

compact discs;

digital video discs;

audio tapes;

video tapes;

books;

magazines, photographs;

autographs;

posters;

airline tickets;

train tickets;

ground transportation;

consumer products;

consumer services;

business products; and

business services.

21. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

22. The computing device of claim 21, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

23. The computing device of claim 21 wherein facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user includes:

providing a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

24. The computing device of claim 17 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

25. A method for offering complementary products/services comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user;

generating a query string based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms; and

executing a query on a third party datastore based on the query string to generate a result set.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

28. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user;

generating a query string based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms; and

executing a query on a third party datastore based on the query string to generate a result set.

29. The computer program product of claim 28 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

31. A computing device configured to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user;

generating a query string based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms; and

executing a query on a third party datastore based on the query string to generate a result set.

32. The computing device of claim 31, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

33. The computing device of claim 32, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.