METHOD OF SHARING REVENUE IN AN INTERNET PRINTING SYSTEM

• US 20090319371A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: YOUNG, CHIHSIN STEVEN
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search

Abstract

The present invention shares revenue in an Internet printing system comprising a search engine provider, a host computer capable of browsing the Internet, and an advertisement sponsor. A user of the host computer registers with the search engine provider as a participant in an Internet advertisement revenue sharing system managed by the search engine provider. The user of the host computer conducts a search utilizing a web page of the search engine provider and the search results in a search result page being displayed on a browser of the host computer. The user of the host computer selects an option to print the displayed search result page on a printer connected to the host computer. The host computer generates print data to print out the search result page together with advertisement data and submits the generated print data to the printer for printing. The host computer receives a confirmation message from the printer confirming that the printout of the generated print data, which includes the advertisement data, was successful. The host computer notifies the search engine provider that the printout of the print data, that included the advertisement data, was successful. The search engine provider then charges the advertisement sponsor for the printing of the advertisement data included in the printout. Finally, the search engine provider credits an account of the registered user a portion of the amount charged to the advertisement sponsor for the printing of the advertisement data.

Claims

1. A method of sharing revenue in an Internet printing system comprising a search engine provider, a host computer capable of browsing the Internet, and an advertisement sponsor, the method comprising:

a user of the host computer registering with the search engine provider as a participant in an Internet advertisement revenue sharing system managed by the search engine provider;

the user of the host computer conducting a search utilizing a web page of the search engine provider, the search resulting in a search result page being displayed on a browser of the host computer;

the user of the host computer selecting an option to print the displayed search result page on a printer connected to the host computer;

the host computer generating print data to print out the search result page together with advertisement data, and submitting the generated print data to the printer for printing;

the host computer receiving a confirmation message from the printer confirming that the printout of the generated print data, which includes the advertisement data, was successful;

the host computer notifying the search engine provider that the printout of the print data, that included the advertisement data, was successful;

the search engine provider charging the advertisement sponsor for the printing of the advertisement data included in the printout; and

the search engine provider crediting an account of the registered user a portion of the amount charged to the advertisement sponsor for the printing of the advertisement data.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, in response to the user'"'"'s selection of the option to print the search result page, the search engine provider preparing advertisement data for the printout and downloading the advertisement data to the host computer.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the downloaded advertisement data for the printout is handled by a plug-in to the browser that prepares a print job that includes the search result page and the downloaded advertisement data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plug-in to the browser generates the print data, receives the confirmation from the printer, and notifies the search engine provider of the successful printing.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement data is provided to the host computer by the search engine provider, and the search engine provider searches for advertisement data related to content of the search result page and downloads the searched advertisement data.