SYSTEN AND METHOD FOR TRACKING AND REWARDING USERS

• US 20080168099A1
• Filed: 01/07/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazen A. Skaf
• Original Assignee: Mazen A. Skaf
• Inventors: Skaf, Mazen A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0231 Awarding of a frequent usage incentive independent of the monetary value of a good or service purchased, or distance travelled

Abstract

Systems and methods of tracking and rewarding users of search engines, content networks, communication networks, other networks and/or combinations of networks are described. In many embodiments, users create accounts and control when and the type of information that is tracked. The tracked information can be used to provide rewards, customize offers and rewards and to improve services provided to the user. One embodiment includes receiving secure identification information from the user, retrieving user account information using the secure identification information, receiving a search query from the user, crediting the user account with a reward that is directly related to providing the search query, and returning search results.

Claims

1. A method of rewarding a user of a search engine, comprising:

receiving secure identification information from the user;

retrieving user account information using the secure identification information;

receiving a search query from the user;

crediting the user account with a reward that is directly related to providing the search query; and

returning search results.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is directly related to providing the search query, which is one of a predetermined set of search queries.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward is directly related to providing the search query, which is the final in a predetermined sequence of search queries.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying the authenticity of the search query.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user'"'"'s account is credited for authenticated searches only.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the user receives a higher credit for authenticated search queries.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein credits are deducted from the user account in response to a search query that could not be authenticated.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing information relating to the search query in a record of past search queries performed by the user;

wherein the reward credited to the user account is selected from one of a plurality of different types of rewards based upon the record of past search queries performed by the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving an authorization from the user to track information concerning the search query.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving authorization from the user to track at least one type of information from a plurality of categories of information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of categories of information include submitted search queries, and selections from search results.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of categories of information further include browsing activity and purchasing activity.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a user account using personal information received from the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the reward credited to the user account is selected from one of a plurality of different types of rewards based upon information contained within the user account.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the personal information received from the user includes information that links the user account to another user account.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the reward credited to the user account is selected from one of a plurality of different types of rewards based upon rewards programs linked to the user account.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the user account in response to browsing activity of the user.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the user account in response to search queries submitted by the user.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising updating the user account with information obtained from other accounts linked to the user account.

20. A method of rewarding users of a content network, comprising:

establishing a content network including a plurality of separate content sources;

receiving secure identification information from a user client application;

retrieving user account information using the secure identification information; and

crediting the user account with a reward that is related to a user interaction with a content source within the content network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the content network includes web sites.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the content network includes offline content sources.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising serving advertisements to content sources within the content network.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising displaying information concerning membership within an association of content sources on each site within the content network.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one content source within the content network includes an implementation of a common application programming interface for supporting third party applications.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the reward is directly related to the user viewing content from the content source.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the reward is directly related to the user performing a search for information within the content network.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the reward is directly related to the user submitting a search query to a search engine that is part of the content network.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein the reward is directly related to the user clicking through an advertisement provided by a content source within the content network.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the reward is directly related to the user providing personal information to a content source within the content network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein providing personal information comprises registering with a site within the content network.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the reward is directly related to the user subscribing to a service provided by a content source within the content network.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the reward is directly related to the user subscribing to a service provided by a content source outside of the content network.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein the reward is directly related to the user performing an action at a site of a content source within the content network.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the action is purchasing an item from a site within the content network.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the action is navigating to a site outside the content network and purchasing an item from that site.

37. The method of claim 20, further comprising recording information concerning sites visited by the user.

38. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

requesting authorization from the user to record information concerning sites visited by the user;

receiving authorization from the user; and

recording information concerning the sites visited by the user.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

requesting separate authorizations from the user to record different types of information concerning sites visited by the user;

receiving an authorization from the user to record at least one type of information concerning the sites visited by the user; and

recording the authorized type of information concerning the sites visited by the user.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising ceasing to track sites visited by the user in response to receipt of a predetermined instruction from the user.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising using recorded information concerning the sites visited by the user to select the type of reward to credit to the user account.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

recording user preferences; and

using recorded information concerning user preferences to select the type of reward to credit to the user account.

43. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

creating a user profile from information collected about the user; and

using recorded profile information to select the type of reward to credit to the user account.

44. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

recording search queries submitted by the user;

using recorded information concerning search queries submitted by the user to select the type of reward to credit to the user account.

45. The method of claim 38, wherein a mobile phone is associated with the user account.

46. The method of claim 38, wherein the reward includes a credit of free services.

47. The method of claim 38, wherein the reward includes a coupon code that can be used to download content to the phone.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the content can be a ring tone.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the content can be an application.

50. A system for tracking sites visited by a user, comprising:

a computing device connected to a network;

content servers connected to the network;

a tracking server connected to the network;

wherein the computing device is configured to view content provided by the content servers via the network;

wherein the computing device is configured to provide identification information and information concerning user activities to the tracking server via the network in response to a user authorization.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the identification information includes a cookie stored on the computing device.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the information concerning user activities is a log file generated by the computing device and provided to the tracking server.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein:

the computing device is configured to request authorization to track at least one of a plurality of different types of information;

the computing device is configured to receive authorization to track at least one of the different types of information; and

the computer is configured to provide authorized types of information concerning the content viewed to the tracking server.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the different types of information include at least one of information concerning content viewed by the user, profile information concerning the user, search queries performed by the user, purchases made by the user, and personal information provided to content servers by the server.

55. The system of claim 50, wherein the computing device is configured to provide a visual indication that information is being provided to the tracking server.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the computing device is configured to store a user authorization until the user authorization is revoked.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the visual indication is a toggle that can be used to provide user authorization or to revoke user authorization.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the computing device is configured to remind the user when user authorization has been revoked.

59. The system of claim 50, further comprising:

a search engine server;

wherein the computing device is configured to provide a search query and identification information to the search engine server via the network;

wherein the search engine server is configured to generate a list of refined search engine results from an initial list of search engine results using the identification information and information that has been provided to the tracking server by the computing device; and

wherein the search engine server is configured to provide the computing device with the list of refined search response results.

60. The system of claim 50, further comprising:

a rewards server;

wherein the rewards server is configured to use the identification information and information collected by the tracking server to credit an account associated with the identification information with a reward.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the rewards server is configured to select one of a plurality of rewards to credit the account using at least information collected by the tracking server.

62. A system for rewarding a user of a mobile communication device, comprising:

a mobile communication device configured to receive content from a content server via a mobile network provided by a network operator; and

a rewards server that is configured to track interactions between the mobile communication device and content servers; and

wherein the rewards server is configured to credit an account associated with the user in response to specific actions of the mobile communication device.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the rewards server is configured to receive information uniquely identifying the mobile communication device and information concerning interactions between the mobile communication device and content providers from the network operator.

64. The system of claim 62, further comprising:

a billing server;

wherein the billing server is configured to maintain an account associated with the mobile communication device containing information concerning the number of minutes used by the mobile communication device; and

wherein the billing server is configured to receive information including a number of minutes to be credited to the account associated with the mobile communication device from the rewards server.

65. The system of claim 62, wherein the mobile communication device is configured with an application that provides the rewards server with information uniquely identifying the user and information concerning content received by the mobile communication device from the network operator.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the account associated with the user includes information identifying the network provider of the user'"'"'s mobile communication device and the mobile phone number of the mobile communication device.

67. The system of claim 65, wherein the account associated with the user includes information concerning a financial account linked to the user account.

68. The system of claim 65, wherein the account associated with the user includes information concerning a rewards program account linked to the user account.

69. The system of claim 65, further comprising:

a billing server;

wherein the billing server is configured to maintain accounts associated with mobile communication devices, which contain information concerning the number of minutes used by each mobile communication device;

wherein the rewards server is configured to credit its account associated with the user with free minutes; and

wherein the billing server is configured to receive information including a number of minutes to be credited to an account and a mobile phone number from the rewards server;

wherein the billing server is configured to credit the received number of minutes to the account of the mobile communication device associated with the received mobile phone number.

70. The system of claim 62, wherein the tracked interactions include viewing content from a specific content server.

71. The system of claim 62, wherein the tracked interactions include providing personal information to a specific content server.

72. The system of claim 62, wherein the tracked interactions include subscribing to a service.

73. The system of claim 62, wherein the tracked interactions include purchasing a product from a content server.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the product is an application downloaded via the content server.

75. The system of claim 62, wherein the tracked interactions include making a payment using the mobile communication device.

76. The system of claim 62, wherein the mobile communication device is also configured to receive content via a wireless network.