PROVIDING COMPENSATION TO SUPPLIERS OF INFORMATION
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for providing compensation to suppliers of information, the apparatus comprising:
- a storage device; and
a server computing device in communication with the storage device and configured to interact over a communications system with one or more client computing devices, each of the client computing devices having associated therewith one or more user profiles, each of the user profiles including one or more user profile information items, each of the user profile information items from one of one or more suppliers, the server computing device also configured to execute one or more computer programs that, for each of the user profiles;
collect the user profile information items based on a user employing one of the client computing devices to access over the communications system web pages of one or more of the suppliers;
determine the identity of each of the suppliers associated with each of the collected user profile information items, and store in the storage device information about those identities and associations;
select, based on the user profile, one or more advertisements from a plurality of possible advertisements, and store in the storage device the selected advertisements and information about the user profile upon which the selection was based;
present one or more of the selected advertisements as a user employs one of the client computing devices to access over the communications system web pages that include one or more advertisement spaces;
access at least some of the information stored in the storage device to determine the identity of at least one of the suppliers associated with at least one of the user profile items used in the selection of at least one of the presented advertisements; and
provide compensation to at least the at least one supplier whose identity was determined.
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Abstract
The invention relates to providing compensation to suppliers of information, particularly in an on-line, web-based environment. In one embodiment, a server computing device is in communication with a storage device, and is configured to interact over a communications system with one or more client computing devices. Each of the client computing devices has associated therewith one or more user profiles, each of the user profiles includes one or more user profile information items from one or more suppliers. The server computing device is configured to execute software that results in compensation to one or more of the suppliers.
146 Citations
47 Claims
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1. Apparatus for providing compensation to suppliers of information, the apparatus comprising:
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a storage device; and a server computing device in communication with the storage device and configured to interact over a communications system with one or more client computing devices, each of the client computing devices having associated therewith one or more user profiles, each of the user profiles including one or more user profile information items, each of the user profile information items from one of one or more suppliers, the server computing device also configured to execute one or more computer programs that, for each of the user profiles; collect the user profile information items based on a user employing one of the client computing devices to access over the communications system web pages of one or more of the suppliers; determine the identity of each of the suppliers associated with each of the collected user profile information items, and store in the storage device information about those identities and associations; select, based on the user profile, one or more advertisements from a plurality of possible advertisements, and store in the storage device the selected advertisements and information about the user profile upon which the selection was based; present one or more of the selected advertisements as a user employs one of the client computing devices to access over the communications system web pages that include one or more advertisement spaces; access at least some of the information stored in the storage device to determine the identity of at least one of the suppliers associated with at least one of the user profile items used in the selection of at least one of the presented advertisements; and provide compensation to at least the at least one supplier whose identity was determined. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for providing compensation to suppliers of information, the apparatus comprising:
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a storage device and; a client computing device configured to interact over a communications system with one or more server computing devices, the client computing device in communication with the storage device that is maintained inside a security wall on the client computing device, the storage device holding one or more user profiles, each of the user profiles including one or more user profile information items, each of the user profile information items from one of one or more suppliers, the client computing device also configured to execute one or more computer programs that are maintained inside the security wall that, for each of the user profiles; collect the user profile information items based on a user employing one of the client computing devices to access over the communications system web pages of one or more of the suppliers; determine the identity of each of the suppliers associated with each of the collected user profile information items, and store in the storage device information about those identities and associations; select, based on the user profile, one or more advertisements from a plurality of possible advertisements, and store in the storage device the selected advertisements and information about the user profile upon which the selection was based; present one or more of the selected advertisements as a user employs the client computing device to access over the communications system web pages that include one or more advertisement spaces; access at least some of the information stored in the storage device to determine the identity of at least one of the suppliers associated with at least one of the user profile items used in the selection of at least one of the presented advertisements; and provide compensation to at least the at least one supplier whose identity was determined. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. Method for providing compensation to suppliers of information, the method comprising:
providing one or more client computing devices to access one or more server computing devices in communication with one or more storage devices, each of the server computing devices configured to interact over a communications system with each of the client computing devices, each of the client computing devices having associated therewith one or more user profiles, each of the user profiles including one or more user profile information items, each of the user profile information items from one of one or more suppliers, the method further comprising, for each user profile; collecting the user profile information items based on a user employing one of the computing devices to access over a communications system web pages of one or more of suppliers; determining the identity of each of the suppliers associated with each of the collected user profile information items, and storing in the storage device information about those identities and associations; selecting, based on the user profile, one or more advertisements from a plurality of possible advertisements, and storing in the storage device the selected advertisements and information about the user profile upon which the selection was based; presenting one or more of the selected advertisements as the user employs one of the client computing devices to access over the communications system web pages that include one or more advertisement spaces; accessing at least some of the information stored in the storage device to determine the identity of at least one of the suppliers associated with at least one of the user profile items used in the selection of at least one of the presented advertisements; and providing compensation to at least the at least one supplier whose identity was determined. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. Method for providing compensation to suppliers of information, the method comprising:
providing one or more client computing devices configured to interact over a communications system with one or more server computing devices, each of the client computing devices in communication with a storage device that is maintained inside a security wall on each of the client computing devices, the storage device holding one or more user profiles, each of the user profiles including one or more user profile information items, each of the user profile information items from one of one or more suppliers, the method further comprising, for each user profile; collecting the user profile information items based on a user employing one of the client computing devices to access over the communications system web pages of one or more of the suppliers; determining the identity of each of the suppliers associated with each of the collected user profile information items, and storing in the storage device information about those identities and associations; selecting, based on the user profile, one or more advertisements from a plurality of possible advertisements, and storing in the storage device the selected advertisements and information about the user profile upon which the selection was based; presenting one or more of the selected advertisements as a user employs the client computing device to access over the communications system web pages that include one or more advertisement spaces; accessing at least some of the information stored in the storage device to determine the identity of at least one of the suppliers associated with at least one of the user profile items used in the selection of at least one of the presented advertisements; and providing compensation to at least the at least one supplier whose identity was determined. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
Specification