Method for Opting into Online Promotions

• US 20100223130A1
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OPT-Intelligence, Inc.
• Original Assignee: OPT-Intelligence, Inc.
• Inventors: Broumand, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,186 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.520
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

In a system and method for flexibly offering on-line promotions to visitors of a website hosted by a server, when a user signs up with the website, the server collects a plurality of user data from the visitor. If a user'"'"'s data matches predetermined criteria from an advertiser, then on-line promotions from this advertiser are included in an opt-in window displayed to the user. The server dynamically generates pricing information for each advertiser according to a flexible algorithm. The flexible algorithm depends on the type and quality of user requested by the advertiser.

Claims

1. A system for presenting a customized opt-in window to a user, the system having a server connected to a global computer network, the server comprising:

a. a network interface in communication with the global computer network;

b. a controller that is configured for communicating with the user on the global computer network, the controller also configured for selecting on-line promotions, according to a set of advertiser criteria, for display in the customized opt-in window communicated to the user;

c. a user data validation unit configured for validating information received from the user including information indicating that the user has opted into at least one on-line promotion;

d. an electronic mail handler configured for sending a confirmation e-mail to a user that has opted to at least one on-line promotion;

e. a pricing calculator configured for generating pricing information to advertisers whose on-line promotions have been selected by at least one user, the pricing information being generated according to at least one objective factor indicative of a success level of the on-line promotions; and

f. a data storage unit configured for storing the set of advertiser criteria.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data storage unit further stores a plurality of promotional records, each promotional record corresponding a promotional campaign.

3. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a computer program for presenting a customized opt-in window, the computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

a. receiving target information from an advertiser, the target information setting forth a set of criteria used to select a user from a plurality of users to receive a selected on-line promotion;

b. displaying a web page to the plurality of users, the web page having a plurality of fields for collecting user information;

c. receiving the user information from each of the plurality of the users;

d. comparing the user information from each of the plurality of the users to the set of criteria; and

e. for each of the plurality of users whose user information matches the set of criteria, displaying an on-line promotion from the advertiser in an opt-in window.

4. The computer program of claim 3, further performing the step of validating the user information from each of the plurality of the users.

5. The computer program of claim 4, wherein the validating step includes the steps of:

a. checking a user address against a postal service database; and

b. checking a user telephone number against a telephone service provider database.

6. The computer program of claim 4, wherein the validating step includes the step of comparing the user'"'"'s age against a predefined age range.

7. The computer program of claim 4, wherein the validating step includes the step of checking the user'"'"'s e-mail address.

8. The computer program of claim 3, further performing the step of formatting the user information from each of the plurality of the users according to a predefined standard.

9. The computer program of claim 3, further performing the steps of:

a. receiving at least one selection from a user who has opted to receive at least one selection from the opt-in window displayed to the user; and

b. sending a confirmation e-mail to the user who has opted to receive at least one selection.

10. The computer program of claim 9, further performing the step of sending the user information of the user who has opted for at least one selection to the advertiser.

11. The computer program of claim 3, further performing the steps of:

a. using a portion of the user information to retrieve additional user data from a record; and

b. assembling the retrieved user data into the user information.

12. The computer program of claim 3, further performing the step of, if a user has opted to receive additional information from an advertiser, requesting user'"'"'s personal information and receiving the user'"'"'s personal information.

13. The computer program of claim 3, further performing the steps of:

a. using part of the user information to retrieve census data from a database; and

b. assembling the census data into the user information.