ADVERTISING SYSTEM SUPPORTING MULTI-ADVERTISER SYSTEM REMOTE ADVERTISEMENT POSTING

• US 20120253919A1
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Enpulz LLC
• Inventors: Bennett, James D., Winslade, Christopher C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,504,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 : Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 : Insurance

Abstract

A system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption provides customers making online purchases to automatically retrieve and redeem all applicable rebates and coupons during an online purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system makes purchases from merchants or manufacturers using all applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system automatically retrieves coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site and to retrieve manufacturer'"'"'s and merchant'"'"'s coupons prior to an online purchasing activity for subsequent submission to an online merchant during a subsequent purchasing activity.

Claims

1. A method performed by a non-seller server, the method comprising:

responding to a request from a user'"'"'s computer by delivering web page data, the web page data representing visual non-sales information;

assisting a delivery of advertising post data selected from a remote, multi-seller advertising database service, the advertising post data including link data; and

wherein the web page data and at least a portion of the advertising post data are combined into a single page display via a browser on the user'"'"'s computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a user selection of an item being displayed on the user'"'"'s computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a search request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the visual non-sales information comprises a search result.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising at least supporting a vectoring of the user'"'"'s computer to a third party website based on the link data.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising charging a fee in connection with the assisting the delivery.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising post data represents a banner ad.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the web page data and the at least a portion of the advertising post data are related to the request.

9. A method performed by a first sales portal of a first seller that competes with a second sales portal of a second seller, the method comprising:

delivering first information relating to a first sales item listed by the first sales portal for combination in competitive web page data produced by a multi-seller portal, the competitive web page data including second information relating to a second sales item listed by the second sales portal, the first sales item being at least similar to the second sales item; and

responding to a first request by delivering to a user'"'"'s computer a first web page relating to the first sales item, the first request being constructed by the multi-seller portal in response to interaction with the user'"'"'s computer, the construction being based at least in part on the first information delivered, and the first request having an associated fee assessment.

10. The method of claim 9, paying the associated fee in connection with the first request.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising assisting in a transaction involving the first sales item and the multi-seller portal.

12. The method of claim 9, comprising completing a transaction involving the first sales item based on input received via the user'"'"'s computer.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first information comprises link data, and wherein interaction with the user'"'"'s computer comprises receiving a selection of the link data.

14. A method performed by a central advertising system that supports a plurality of competing sellers, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of groups of advertisement posting data from a plurality of independent seller systems;

sending competitive advertising data to a first buyer computer, the competitive advertising data being selected from the plurality of groups of advertisement posting data;

delivering, in response to a request for advertising data, a data selection from a portion of the plurality of groups of advertisement posting data, both the data selection and seller content from a first sales portal of an independent seller being used to construct a visual display on a second buyer computer; and

responding to a purchase related communication associated with the data selection by at least assisting in a process relating to a purchase transaction.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising charging, by the central advertising system, the independent seller a fee in connection with the at least assisting in the process relating to the purchase transaction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least assisting in the process relating to the purchase transaction comprises facilitating a transaction between the first sales portal of the independent seller and the second buyer computer.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least assisting in the process relating to the purchase transaction comprises completing the transaction by collecting a purchase price in connection with the purchase transaction.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising paying at least a portion of the purchase price collected to the independent seller.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the request is received via the second buyer computer.

20. A method performed by a non-seller server, the method comprising:

responding to a request from a user'"'"'s computer by delivering web page data, the web page data representing visual non-sales information;

assisting a delivery of promotion post data selected from a remote, multi-promoter database service, the promotion post data including link data and price reduction data; and

wherein the web page data and at least a portion of the promotion post data are combined into a single page display via a browser on the user'"'"'s computer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the request comprises a user selection of an item being displayed on the user'"'"'s computer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the request comprises a search request.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the visual non-sales information comprises a search result.

24. The method of claim 20, comprising at least supporting a vectoring of the user'"'"'s computer to a third party website based on the link data.

25. The method of claim 20, comprising charging a fee in connection with the assisting the delivery.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the price reduction data represents one or both of a coupon and a rebate.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the web page data and the at least a portion of the promotion post data are related to the request.