DELIVERING ELECTRONIC CONTENT

• US 20090259727A1
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Reg of Texas, LLC (DRM Technologies LLC)
• Original Assignee: Digital Reg of Texas, LLC (DRM Technologies LLC)
• Inventors: Patterson, Patrick E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Delivering electronic content includes providing instructions that might cause a computer to collect information including a network address and transmitting the collected information to a receiving computer. The computer that receives the transmitted information selects electronic content based on the received information and sends the selected electronic content to the network address included in the received information. Access to the electronic content might be selectively granted based on criteria.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A network-based system for delivering electronic content, the system comprising:

a server interconnected to a network, the server configured to select an electronic data item from a database containing a plurality of electronic data items; and

the database containing the plurality of electronic data items,

wherein server is configured to select a specific electronic data item from among the plurality of electronic data items based on at least one of the request for data and identifying information, and

wherein the server is configured to initiate transmission of the selected electronic data item to a network location in the network indicated by the identifying information sent by a first computer, and

wherein the first computer sends the identifying information based on instructions provided to the first computer in a message, the instructions configured to dynamically provide the identifying information including at least some information obtained at the first computer, and the instructions configured to determine whether the selected electronic data item has been previously accessed at the first computer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are configured to attempt to send notification information to the server as a result of an attempt to access the selected electronic data item.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are configured to grant or deny access to the selected data item based on a result of an attempt to transmit notification information indicating an access attempt to the selected data item.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the message comprises a web-page.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the message comprises an email.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the instructions are expressed in a markup language.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the markup language is expressed in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

9. The system of claim 2, further comprising the plurality of electronic data items.

10. A network-based system for delivering electronic content, the system comprising:

a server interconnected to a network, the server configured to provide a message with instructions that causes a first computer to initiate transmission of identifying information to a second computer in response to a request for data; and

a database containing a plurality of electronic data items;

wherein the second computer is configured to select a specific electronic data item from among the plurality of electronic data items based on at least one of the request for data and the identifying information, and

wherein the second computer is configured to initiate transmission of the selected electronic data item to a network location in the network indicated by the identifying information, and

wherein the instructions are configured to dynamically provide the identifying information including at least some information obtained at the first computer, and configured to attempt to send notification information to the server as a result of an attempt to access the selected electronic data item.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are configured to determine whether the selected electronic data item has been previously accessed.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are configured to grant or deny access to the selected electronic data item based on a result of the attempt to send notification information.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are configured to control access to the selected electronic data subsequent to the attempt to transmit notification information.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the selected electronic data item comprises at least any one of:

text, video, data, computer instructions and audio information.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the second computer comprises a server.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the message comprises an e-mail.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the message comprises a web-page.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions are expressed in a markup language.

19. The system of claim 10, wherein the markup language is expressed in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

20. The system of claim 10, further comprising the plurality of electronic data items.

21. A computer-implemented method of delivering electronic content, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a message with instructions that causes a first computer to initiate transmission of identifying information to a second computer in response to a request for data;

processing the request for data at the second computer and selecting electronic content based on at least one of the request for data and the identifying information;

initiating transmission of the electronic content to a network location indicated by the identifying information; and

receiving notification information from across a network as a result of an attempt to access the electronic content,

wherein the instructions are configured to attempt to transmit the notification information and to control access to the electronic content subsequent to the attempt to transmit.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the instructions collect the notification information.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the step for providing a message provides executable instructions.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 23, wherein the executable instructions are expressed in a markup language.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, wherein the markup language is expressed in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the instructions comprise web-page instructions.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein the web-page instructions comprise at least one of:

HTML instructions and form instructions.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the instructions comprise instructions that query the first computer for information.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the instructions comprise instructions that receive user input.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the identifying information comprises demographic information.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the identifying information comprises system information.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the network location is an identifier associated with the first computer.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising the step of presenting an invitation to request the data, prior to the providing step.

34. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the network location comprises an identifier associated with a user using the first computer.

35. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the electronic content comprises at least any one of:

text, video, data, computer instructions and audio information.

36. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the electronic content comprises graphics information.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the step of providing a message comprises providing an e-mail.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the step of providing a message includes providing a web page.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 38, wherein the transmitting electronic content step provides the electronic content to the network location without changing a current Universal Resource Locator (URL) of a browser displaying the web page.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the identifying information includes at least any one of:

an identifier associated with the instructions;

an identifier identifying the network location;

a network address;

an identification of the electronic content;

an identification of a site on the network providing the message; and

an identification of an electronic device.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the network location is identified by a network address.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the network location is identified by one of an email address and a Universal Resource Locator (URL).

43. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the instructions are configured to control access to the electronic content by granting or denying access to the electronic content.

44. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein in the processing step, the second computer comprises a server.

45. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the instructions are configured to control access by granting or denying access to the electronic content based on a result of the attempt to transmit.

46. A computer-implemented method of delivering electronic content, the method comprising the steps of:

providing instructions that cause a first computer to dynamically transmit identifying information to a second computer in response to a request for data;

processing the request for data at the second computer to select electronic content and to transmit the electronic content to a location indicated by the identifying information; and

receiving notification information from the location indicated by the identifying information,

wherein the instructions include executable instructions and are configured to attempt to transmit the notification information based on an event, and to control access to the electronic content after the attempt to transmit.

47. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the instructions are web-page instructions.

48. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the executable instructions are configured to collect the notification information.

49. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the instructions are expressed in a markup language.

50. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the markup language is expressed in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML).

51. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the identifying information includes at least any one of:

an identifier associated with the instructions;

an identifier identifying the network location;

a network address;

an identification of the electronic content;

an identification of a site on a network providing the instructions; and

an identification of an electronic device.

52. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the step of providing the instructions includes providing a message.

53. The computer-implemented method of claim 52, wherein the message is an email message.

54. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the message is a web-page message.

55. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the instructions are configured to control access by granting or denying access to the electronic content based on a result of the attempt to transmit.

56. The computer-implemented method of claim 46, wherein the electronic content comprises at least any one of:

text, video, data, computer instructions and audio information.