METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING SPONSORED INFORMATION ON ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20140201230A1
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Messer, Alan, Sheshagiri, Mithun, Nguyen, Phuong, Rathod, Priyang, Kunjithapatham, Anugeetha
• Granted Patent: US 9,792,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/767
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3322 using system suggestions G06F16/3325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system implementing a method for providing sponsored information on an electronic device determines information of interest to the user as relevant information, accesses sponsored information, and provides sponsored information based on said relevant information.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for displaying sponsored information on a consumer electronic device, comprising:

maintaining a file including multiple pieces of sponsored information, wherein each piece of sponsored information corresponds to a particular keyword;

monitoring user activity on the electronic device;

determining a plurality of suggested keywords based on the user activity, wherein each suggested keyword represents a potential user interest;

displaying the plurality of suggested keywords on the electronic device;

receiving a user selection of a keyword selected from the plurality of suggested keywords; and

determining whether any piece of sponsored information in the file corresponds to the selected keyword, wherein each piece sponsored information corresponding to the selected keyword is displayed on the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the file is maintained on an operator server;

the multiple pieces of sponsored information include at least one of the following;

a specific web link, a dynamic web link, text, a piece of audio content, a piece of video content; and

each one piece of sponsored information is associated with a particular sponsor that the operator server entered into a sponsor agreement with.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

a sponsor is one of a web page owner and an Internet service provider.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

accessing the file maintained on the operator server using a sponsored services module, wherein the sponsored services module determines whether any piece of sponsored information in the file corresponds to the selected keyword.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

downloading the file maintained on the operator server to the sponsored services module, wherein the sponsored services module accesses the downloaded file to determine whether any piece of sponsored information in the downloaded file corresponds to the selected keyword.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the sponsored services module is on one of the following;

a standalone module, a set-top box, and a module residing on the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a plurality of suggested keywords based on the user activity using a related-data generator module.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the related-data generator module is on one of the following;

a standalone module, a set-top box, and a module residing on the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a user interface including the plurality of suggested keywords; and

displaying the user interface on the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein:

based on a sponsor agreement between the operator server and a sponsor, the sponsor pays the operator server each time a piece of advertising information associated with the sponsor is displayed on the electronic device or selected by a user of the electronic device.

11. A system, comprising:

an operator server for maintaining a file including multiple pieces of sponsored information, wherein each piece of sponsored information corresponds to a particular keyword;

a related-data generator module for determining a plurality of suggested keywords based on user activity on an electronic device, wherein each suggested keyword represents a potential user interest, and wherein the plurality of suggested keywords are displayed on the electronic device for user selection; and

a sponsored services module for;

accessing the file maintained on the operator server; and

determining whether any piece of sponsored information in the file corresponds to a keyword selected from the plurality of suggested keywords, wherein each piece sponsored information corresponding to the selected keyword is displayed on the electronic device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the multiple pieces of sponsored information include at least one of the following;

a specific web link, a dynamic web link, text, a piece of audio content, a piece of video content; and

each one piece of sponsored information is associated with a particular sponsor that the operator server entered into a sponsor agreement with.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

a sponsor is one of a web page owner and an Internet service provider.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the sponsored services module is further configured for:

downloading the file maintained on the operator server, wherein the sponsored services module accesses the downloaded file to determine whether any piece of sponsored information in the downloaded file corresponds to the selected keyword.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the sponsored services module is on one of the following;

a standalone module, a set-top box, and a module residing on the electronic device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the related-data generator module is on one of the following;

a standalone module, a set-top box, and a module residing on the electronic device.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein:

based on a sponsor agreement between the operator server and a sponsor, the sponsor pays the operator server each time a piece of advertising information associated with the sponsor is displayed on the electronic device or selected by a user of the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the electronic module includes a client module for;

generating a user interface including the plurality of suggested keywords;

displaying the user interface on the electronic device; and

displaying each piece sponsored information corresponding to the selected keyword on the electronic device.

19. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for displaying sponsored information on a consumer electronic device, the method comprising:

maintaining a file including multiple pieces of sponsored information, wherein each piece of sponsored information corresponds to a particular keyword;

monitoring user activity on the electronic device;

determining a plurality of suggested keywords based on the user activity, wherein each suggested keyword represents a potential user interest;

displaying the plurality of suggested keywords on the electronic device;

receiving a user selection of a keyword selected from the plurality of suggested keywords; and

determining whether any piece of sponsored information in the file corresponds to the selected keyword, wherein each piece sponsored information corresponding to the selected keyword is displayed on the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the file is maintained on an operator server;

the multiple pieces of sponsored information include at least one of the following;

a specific web link, a dynamic web link, text, a piece of audio content, a piece of video content; and

each one piece of sponsored information is associated with a particular sponsor that the operator server entered into a sponsor agreement with.