Internet system for producing electronic reward cards

• US 6,256,614 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony R. Carpenterie, Jeff H. Wecker, Mack, John
• Original Assignee: Anthony R. Carpenterie, Jeff H. Wecker, Mack, John
• Inventors: Mack, John, Carpenterie, Anthony R., Wecker, Jeff H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lastra, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/358,352
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 705/10, 705/14, 705/15, 705/16, 705/25, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/14.19
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system to build and provide an immediate electronic reward to a consumer'"'"'s PC, Web-TV, Pager (or other electronic media) in return for some action taken by the consumer on the Internet. Typically the reward is manifested in the image of an Electronic Phone Card that contains free long distance calling minutes. The amount of the reward and the nature of the accompanying marketing message (printed and audio) are built in real time according to the consumer'"'"'s actions or answers to survey questions on the Internet, thus making this an “intelligent” system. Free long distance calling may be added to an existing card or may be delivered in the form of a new card.

Claims

1. An internet system method of giving a reward of free telephone call minutes to a potential customer or client accessing a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software from manually operable means of a customer'"'"'s or client'"'"'s user station;

each reward-giving web site having a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein a reward message including the number of free telephone call minutes if a reward is to be given and at least one reward denial message with the reason given that the reward was previously given, and various inquiries relevant to a given customer or client category;

each user station having manually operable means to address a selected web site and to send inquiry answers to the web site and a display unit, said display unit having a display screen with a telephone calling card information-receiving area thereon and means for printing out at least said information-receiving area thereof to form a calling card, said method comprising the steps of;

when the user properly accesses the web site the web site'"'"'s software automatically sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit screen the accessed web site'"'"'s appropriate data base stored inquiries which include an inquiry for the user'"'"'s identification including at least the name and address of the user; and

in response to the inquiry answers sent to the web site by the user if the reward is to be given, the web site obtaining automatically under software control an available pin number and telephone access number and automatically immediately transmitting the same and the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded from said data base to said telephone card information-receiving area of said user station display unit screen, and the web site recording in the web site data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for answering the inquiries involved, and if the data base stored information indicates that a reward was previously given for answering these inquiries under software control immediately transmitting said reward refusal message to the user'"'"'s station display unit screen.

2. The internet system method of claim 1 wherein said reward giving web site data base includes reward messages for rewarding different numbers of free telephone calling minutes depending upon the web site accessing customer or client category;

and the method including the step of sending a reward message selected from the web site data base with the number of free telephone call minutes corresponding to the customer or client category indicated on the received category inquiry answer.

3. The internet system method of claim 1 wherein said reward giving web site data base includes inquiries identifying different customer or client categories and different informational messages specifically designed for the different customer or client categories;

and the method including the step of sending to the user'"'"'s display unit screen the informational message corresponding to the customer or client category indicated on the received category inquiry answer.

4. The internet method of claim 3 wherein there is an audio message corresponding to each pin number which is stored in the telephone company'"'"'s data base;

and when the user uses the assigned pin and telephone access numbers to make a free telephone call the telephone company plays back the associated audio message stored in its data base to the user.

5. The internet system method of claim 1 wherein the reward-giving web site is operated by a pharmaceutical company and the user is expected to be potential patients or doctors, said inquiries stored in the web site data base including (a) inquiries whose answers identify whether the user station was that of a doctor or patient, (b) inquiries asking a potential patient to identify a medical problem of the patient treatable by an identified product sold by the web site'"'"'s pharmaceutical company, and (c) inquiries asking the doctor if he or she ever recommended the identified product;

and said web site data base site having different messages which give patient or doctor-type information relating to such identified product; and

said web site sending the appropriate product informational message to the user'"'"'s station display unit screen depending on whether the user is a doctor or patient needing information on said product.

6. The internet system method of claim 1 wherein the user station manually operable means includes a mouse;

and the web site data base contains data for sequentially sending initial, intermediate and final messages upon a mouse click request, the initial message being an acknowledgment that the web site has been accessed and that free telephone call minutes are only a click or so away and indicating a click location, an intermediate message including a click location and a message which includes said client or customer category and other inquiries, and said final messages being if a reward message one including the number of free telephone minutes, the pin and telephone access numbers if not previously given, and where applicable an informational message especially suited to the client category involved, and if an award refusal message it being one which gives the reason for the award refusal; and

the method including the steps of sending sequentially the appropriate initial, intermediate and final messages depending on the answers given by the user station to said inquiries.

7. The internet system method of claim 1 wherein the web site software generated inquiries sent to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit includes inquiries about a particular problem which the accessing user may have, and at least when a reward is to be given to an accessing user the reward-giving web site sends to the display unit of the accessing user station information on a product or service offered by the web site company to aid in solving the problem involved.

8. The internet system method of claim 1 wherein the web site'"'"'s stored inquiries include an inquiry whether the user has or has not a free calling card and if so the pin number thereof, and in response to the inquiry answers sent to the web site by the user if a reward is to be given to a user already having a calling card sending the new added free calling card minutes thereto.

9. An internet system for giving a reward of free telephone call minutes to a potential customer or client user station accessing a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software;

said system including at least one reward-giving web site having a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein various inquiries including a customer or client identification inquiry including at least the customer'"'"'s or client'"'"'s name and address and messages including at least a reward message of the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded and the pin and telephone access numbers involved, and least one reward denial message which includes the fact that the denial is based on the fact that a reward was previously given for answering the inquiries involved;

each user station having a manually operable means to address a selected web site and send thereto answers to web site inquiries and a display unit, said display unit having a display screen with a telephone card information-receiving area thereof to form when printed out a calling card, said internet system further comprising;

first means including software at the web site responsive to receipt of initial access signals from said user station manually operable means for automatically sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit the accessed web site'"'"'s appropriate data base stored inquiries and which include an inquiry for the user'"'"'s identification including at least the name and address of the user and other information to identify the customer or client category involved;

said web site software including software means responsive to the inquiry answers sent thereto by the user by operation of said manually operable means and to the absence in said data base of information that the user has been given a reward before for answering the inquiries involved for obtaining said reward message from said data base and for transmitting the same to said telephone calling card information-receiving area of said user station display unit screen and for recording that a reward has been given to the user involved in the web site'"'"'s data base;

and said web site software including software means responsive to web site data base stored information indicating that a reward was previously given for answering the inquiries involved by transmitting said data base stored reward refusal message to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit screen.

10. The internet system of claim 9 wherein said reward giving web site data base includes reward messages for rewarding different numbers of free telephone call minutes depending upon the web site accessing customer or client category;

and said web site software including software means responsive to the category inquiry answers for sending a reward message selected from the web site data base with the number of free telephone call minutes corresponding to the indicated customer or client category.

11. The Internet system of claim 9 wherein said reward giving web site data base includes inquiries identifying different customer or client categories and different informational messages specifically designed for the different customer or client categories;

and the web site software including software means responsive to the category inquiry answer transmitted to the web site by the user for sending to the user display unit the informational message corresponding to the customer or client category indicated on the received category inquiry answer.

12. The internet method of claim 11 wherein there is an audio message corresponding to each pin number which is stored in the telephone company'"'"'s data base;

and when the user uses the assigned pin and telephone access numbers to make a free telephone call the telephone company includes means for playing back the associated audio message stored in its data base to the user.

13. The internet system of claim 9 wherein the reward-giving web site is operated by a pharmaceutical company and the user is expected to be a patient or doctor, said inquiries stored in the web site data base including (a) inquiries whose answers identify whether the user station was that of a doctor or patient, (b) inquiries asking a potential patient to identify a medical problem of the patient treatable by an identified product sold by the web site'"'"'s pharmaceutical company, and (c) inquiries asking the doctor if he or she ever recommended the identified product;

and said web site data base site having different messages which give patient or doctor-type information relating to such identified product; and

said web site software means being adapted to send the appropriate product informational message to the user'"'"'s station display unit screen depending on whether the user is a doctor or patient needing information on said product.

14. The internet system of claim 9 wherein the user station manually operable means includes a mouse;

and the web site data base contains data for sequentially sending initial, intermediate and final messages upon a mouse click request, the initial message being an acknowledgment that the web site has been accessed and that free telephone call minutes are only a click or so away and indicating a click location, an intermediate message including a click location and a message which includes said client or customer category and other inquiries, and said final messages being if a reward message one including the number of free telephone minutes, the pin and telephone access numbers if not previously given, and where applicable an informational message especially suited to the client category involved, and if an award refusal message it being one which gives the reason for the award refusal; and

the web site software including software means for sending sequentially the appropriate initial, intermediate and final messages depending on the answers given by the user station to said inquiries.

15. The internet system of claim 9 wherein the web site software inquiries sent to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit includes inquiries about a particular problem which the accessing user may have, and at least when a reward is to be given to a patient accessing user the web site software send to the display unit of the accessing user'"'"'s station information on a product or service of the company to aid in solving the problem involved.

16. The internet system of claim 9 wherein the web site'"'"'s stored inquiries include an inquiry whether the user has or has not a free calling card and if so the pin number thereof, and in response to the inquiry answers sent to the web site by the user if a reward is to be given to a user already having a calling card said web site software means sending the new added free calling card minutes to the user station.

17. Computer-readable media containing a computer program that when loaded into a web site'"'"'s reward-giving computer performs functions for an internet system which is to give a reward of free telephone call minutes to a potential customer or client user accessing this web site'"'"'s program, each reward-giving web site to have a data base accessible by this program and which has stored therein various inquiries relevant to the customer or client category involved, each user station to have a display unit screen with a telephone calling card information-receiving area thereon and associated with said display unit are means for printing out at least said information-receiving area thereof to form a calling card, and manually operable means to address the reward-giving web site and send thereto answers to be web site transmitted inquiries, said program functions including:

responding to receipt at the web site of initial access signals from said user station'"'"'s manually operable means by automatically sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit the web site'"'"'s appropriate data base stored inquiries and which include an inquiry for the user'"'"'s identification including at least the name and address of the user and other information to identify the customer or client category involved;

responding to receipt by the web site of inquiry answers sent thereto by the user by operation of said manually operable means by accessing the web site'"'"'s data base to see if a previous reward was given to the person identified by the inquiry answers which justify denial of a reward and if no previous reward was given, by obtaining an available pin number and telephone access number and immediately sending the pin number only to the E-mail address, if the user has one, and to said information calling card information-receiving area of said display unit screen of the user'"'"'s display unit if the user has no E-mail address, and in each case to said screen area the number of free telephone minutes and the telephone access number, and recording in the web site data base that a reward has been given to the user involved;

and responding to the web site data base stored information indicating that a reward was previously given by transmitting a reward refusal message to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit screen.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 17 designed to add free calling card minutes to an accessing user card when answers to a new set of inquiries indicates that the user had previously received such a card and desires added free minutes, said media program upon the web site'"'"'s receipt of new inquiry answers indicating that new free minutes are to be rewarded the accessing user sending to the user'"'"'s display unit the new added free calling card minutes.

19. Software applied to a medium from which the software can be downloaded for use in a data processor at a reward-giving web site in an internet system for giving a reward of free telephone minutes to a potential customer or client user accessing a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software;

each reward-giving web site to have a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein pin and telephone access numbers and associated free telephone minute rewards which vary in value, a reward-denial message including the reason for the award denial, various inquiries including those asking for the name and at least E-mail address of the potential customer or client involved and others relevant to the customer or client category involved;

each user station to have a manually operable means to address a selected web site and send thereto answers to web site inquiries and a display unit, said web site software comprising;

means responsive to the receipt of initial access signals from said user station manually operable means for automatically sending to the accessing user'"'"'s station manually operable means for automatically sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit said accessed web site'"'"'s data base stored inquiries;

means responsive to the inquiry answers sent thereto by the user by operation of said manually operable means and data based stored data indicating that a reward was not previously given for answering the same inquiries for immediately transmitting to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded which can vary depending upon the answers given and for immediately transmitting to one of the display unit and E-mail address, if any, the pin and telephone access numbers involved, and for recording in the web site'"'"'s data base that a reward has been given to the user for answering the inquiries involved;

and means responsive to said web site data based stored information indicating that a reward was previously given in response to answering the inquiry involved for transmitting said reward denial message including the reason for such denial to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit.

20. An internet system method for adding free telephone call minutes to a telephone calling card of a potential customer or client having a given pin number and telephone access number when the customer or client accesses a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software from manually operable means of the customer'"'"'s or client'"'"'s user station and answers inquiries in a reward-giving manner;

each reward-giving web site having a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein the number of the to be added free telephone call minutes and various inquiries relevant to the customer or client category involved which when answered for the first time will result in the reward of additional telephone call minutes, and the pin numbers for which a reward was given before for the answering of the inquiries involved;

each user station having manually operable means to address a selected web site and to send inquiry answers to the web site and a display unit, said method comprising the steps of;

when the user properly accesses the web site the web site'"'"'s software automatically sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit screen the accessed web site'"'"'s appropriate data base stored inquiries which include an inquiry for the user'"'"'s identification by pin number and access telephone number or otherwise; and

in response to the correct reward-deserving inquiry answers sent to the web site by the user and the absence of a record that the pin number involved was previously rewarded for answering the inquiries involved the web site obtaining automatically under software control the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded from said data base and sending to both said user station display screen and the telephone company for entry in the telephone company'"'"'s records for the pin number and telephone access number involved the added reward minutes, and the web site software also then recording in the web site data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for correctly answering the inquiries involved, and if the data base stored information indicates that a reward was previously given for such answers said software immediately transmitting a reward refusal message to the user'"'"'s station display unit screen.

21. An internet system for adding a reward of free telephone call minutes to a telephone calling card having already given pin and telephone access numbers when the card holder accesses a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software;

said system comprising;

at least one such reward-giving web site having a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein various inquiries relevant to the customer or client category involved and messages including the number of free telephone minutes to be added if a reward is to be given, a reward refusal message if a reward is to be denied, and a record of the pin numbers which have been given rewards before for answering the inquiries involved;

user stations each having a manually operable means to address a selected reward-giving web site and send thereto answers to web site inquiries and a display unit;

and said web site'"'"'s software including means responsive to the receipt of web-site accessing signals generated by said manually operable means of a user station for sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit the accessed web site'"'"'s appropriate data base stored inquiries which include an inquiry for the user'"'"'s identification by pin number and access telephone number or otherwise; and

means responsive to the correct reward-deserving inquiry answers sent to the web site by the user and the absence in the for sending from said web site data base the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded to both said user station display unit and the telephone company for entry in the telephone company'"'"'s records for the pin number and telephone access number involved and for then recording in the web site'"'"'s data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for correctly answering the inquiries involved, and means responsive to data base information which indicates that a reward was previously given for such answers for immediately transmitting a reward refusal message to the user'"'"'s station display unit.

22. An internet system for giving a reward of free telephone call minutes to potential patients and physicians user stations which can access a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software of a pharmaceutical company selling a given product to treat a given ailment;

said system comprising;

a reward-giving web site having said software and a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein various inquiries including (a) user identifying inquiries asking for the name and address of the user and whether the user is a patient or a physician, and (b) user ailment and ailment-treating product using inquiries;

said data base also having stored therein or otherwise automatically accessible (c) pin and telephone access numbers and associated numbers of free telephone minutes to be given to patient'"'"'s who for the first time answer the inquiry involved or to physicians who for the first time answer the inquiry involved, (d) different appropriate informational messages about said product respectively for patients with and physicians who treat such ailment, and (e) a reward refusal message and the reason therefor if a reward is to be denied;

each user station having a manually operable means to address a selected web site and send thereto answers to web site inquiries and a display unit;

said web site software including means responsive to the receipt of initial web site-accessing signals generated upon operation of said user station manually operable means for automatically accessing said data base and sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit said inquiries;

said web site software including means responsive to the inquiry answers sent thereto by the user by operation of said manually operable means and to the absence in said data base of information that the user has been given a reward before for answering the inquiries involved by obtaining the appropriate available pin and telephone access numbers and the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded and for transmitting at least the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded to the user'"'"'s display unit and the pin number and telephone access number to one of the user station'"'"'s display unit and the user'"'"'s E-mail address if the user has an E-mail address, for transmitting the appropriate ailment-treating information to the user station'"'"'s display unit and for recording in said data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for answering said inquiries;

and said web site software including means responsive to web site data base stored information indicating that a reward was previously given for answering said inquiries by transmitting said reward refusal message to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit.

23. The internet system of claim 22 wherein the web-site'"'"'s data base has stored therein reward information where some pin numbers have relatively small numbers of free telephone minutes to be given deserving potential patients and much larger number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded deserving physicians.

24. Computer-readable media containing a computer program that when loaded into a web-site'"'"'s reward-giving computer performs functions for an internet system where a pharmaceutical company selling a given product to treat a given ailment can give through its web site a reward of free telephone minutes to a potential patient or physician answering given inquiries from a user station having manually operable means to communicate with said web site and a display unit to display inquiries and information sent thereto from said web site, said web site to have a data base accessible by said software and which has stored therein various inquiries including (a) user identifying inquiries asking for the name and address of the user and whether the user is a patient or physician, and (b) user ailment and ailment-treating product information for said ailment;

said data base also having stored therein or otherwise automatically accessible (c) pin and telephone access numbers and associated numbers of free telephone minutes to be given to patient'"'"'s who for the first time answer the inquiry involved or to physicians who for the first time answer the inquiry involved, (d) different appropriate informational messages for patients and doctors about said product and (e) a reward refusal message and the reason therefor if a reward is to be denied;

said program functions including;

responding to the receipt of initial web site-accessing signals generated upon operation of said user station manually operable by automatically accessing said data base and sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit said inquiries;

responding to the inquiry answers sent thereto by the user by operation of said manually operable means and to the absence in said data base of information that the user has been given a reward before for answering the inquiries involved by obtaining the appropriate available pin and telephone access numbers and the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded, for transmitting at least the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded to the user'"'"'s display unit and the pin number and telephone access number to one of the display unit and the user'"'"'s E-mail address if the user has an E-mail address, for transmitting to the user'"'"'s display unit the appropriate informational message about said product, and for recording in said data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for answering said inquiries;

and responding to said web site data base stored information indicating that a reward was previously given for answering said inquiries by transmitting said reward refusal message to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit.

25. The computer-readable media of claim 24 wherein said web site has immediately available in said data base or otherwise the DEA numbers of all physicians in a given operating area, said inquiries including one asking for the user'"'"'s DEA number if a physician is the user, said software functions include checking if the user physician'"'"'s DEA number is listed for the user as a condition for sending said reward message and if not sending to the physician'"'"'s user station'"'"'s display unit a reward denial message which indicates that a reward is being refused for this reason.

26. An internet system for giving a reward of free telephone call minutes to a potential customer'"'"'s or client'"'"'s user station accessing a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software;

said system comprising;

a reward-giving web site having said software and a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein various inquiries including (a) user identifying inquiries asking for the name and address of the user, and (b) user and user ailment category identifying inquiries asking whether the user is a patient and if so to identify an ailment of concern or is a physician and if so whether he or she is familiar with said product and the ailment to be treated thereby;

said data base also having stored therein or otherwise automatically accessible (c) pin and telephone access numbers and associated numbers of free telephone minutes to be given to patient'"'"'s who for the first time answer the inquiry involved or to physicians who for the first time answer the inquiry involved, (d) messages which identify and give information about the company'"'"'s product, if any, which treats the ailment involved and (e) a reward refusal message and the reason therefor if a reward is to be denied;

each user station having a manually operable means to address a selected web site and send thereto answers to web site inquiries and a display unit;

said web site software including means responsive to the receipt of initial web site-accessing signals generated upon operation of said user station manually operable means for automatically accessing said data base and sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit said inquiries;

said web site software including means responsive to the inquiry answers sent thereto by the user by operation of said manually operable means and to the absence in said data base of information that the user has been given a reward before for answering the inquiries involved by obtaining the appropriate available pin and telephone access numbers and the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded and for transmitting at least the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded to the user'"'"'s display unit and the pin number and telephone access number to one of the display unit and the user'"'"'s E-mail address if the user has an E-mail address and for recording in said data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for answering said inquiries;

and said web site software including means responsive to web site data base stored information indicating that a reward was previously given for answering said inquiries by transmitting said reward refusal message to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit.

27. The internet system of claim 26 where said web site has automatic access to numbers which identify physician or other possible other professional users, and said web site software sending rewards to the user'"'"'s display unit only when the user is such a professional user and said web site station'"'"'s accessible number involved correspond.

28. An internet system method for giving a reward of free telephone call minutes to a potential customer'"'"'s or client'"'"'s user station accessing a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software, said web site having a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein various inquiries including (a) user identifying inquiries asking for the name and address of the user, and (b) user category identifying inquiries asking whether the user is one of a number of different user types who could be interested in certain products or services offered by the web site owner, said web site data base also having stored therein or otherwise automatically accessible information on (c) the pin and telephone access numbers and associated numbers of free telephone minutes and audio messages relevant to the user category involved to be given to users who for the first time answers the inquiries involved, (d) messages which identify and give information about the company'"'"'s product or services which could match the interests of the user category involved, and (e) a reward refusal message and the reason therefor if a reward is to be denied;

there being a telephone company data base which has stored therein said pin and telephone access numbers and the associated number of free telephone minute rewards and audio messages which are to be sent to the user when he or she places a telephone call using the associated pin and telephone access numbers; and

there being a user station having a manually operable means to address a selected web site and send thereto answers to web site inquiries and a display unit;

said method comprising the steps of;

when the user properly accesses said web site software the software thereof automatically accessing said data base and sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit said inquiries;

in response to the inquiry answers sent to the web site by the user if the web site data base indicates that a reward was not previously given to the user for answering the inquiries involved the web site obtaining automatically from the data base under software control the appropriate available pin and telephone access numbers and the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded and for transmitting at least the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded to the user'"'"'s display unit and the pin number and telephone access number to one of the display unit and the user'"'"'s E-mail address if the user has an E-mail address and for recording in said data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for answering said inquiries;

and if the web site data base stored information indicates that a reward was previously given for answering the inquiries involved under data base software control transmitting said reward refusal message and the reason therefor to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit;

and when said rewarded user initiates a telephone call using said rewarded pin and telephone access numbers the telephone company send to the user said recorded message associated with said pin number.

29. An internet system for giving a reward of free telephone call minutes to a potential customer'"'"'s or client'"'"'s user station accessing a reward-giving web site'"'"'s software;

said system comprising;

a reward-giving web site having said software and a data base accessible by this software and which has stored therein various inquiries including (a) user identifying inquiries asking for the name and address of the user and whether the user is a patient or physician, and (b) user ailment and ailment-treating product information inquiries;

said web site data base also having stored therein or otherwise automatically accessible information on (c) the pin and telephone access numbers and associated numbers of free telephone minutes and audio messages relevant to the user category involved to be given to users who for the first time answers the inquiries involved, (d) different appropriate informational messages about said product, and (e) a reward refusal message and the reason therefor if a reward is to be denied;

a telephone company data base which has stored therein said pin and telephone access numbers and the associated number of free telephone minute rewards and audio messages which are to be sent to the user when he or she places a telephone call using the associated pin and telephone access numbers;

a user station having a manually operable means to address a selected web site and send thereto answers to web site inquiries and a display unit;

web site software including means responsive to the receipt of initial web site-accessing signals generated upon operation of said user station manually operable means for automatically accessing said data base and sending to the accessing user'"'"'s display unit said inquiries;

said web site software further including means responsive to the inquiry answers sent thereto by the user by operation of said manually operable means and to the absence in said data base of information that the user has been given a reward before for answering the inquiries involved by obtaining the appropriate available pin and telephone access numbers and the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded and for transmitting at least the number of free telephone minutes to be rewarded to the user'"'"'s display unit and the pin number and telephone access number to one of the display unit and the user'"'"'s E-mail address if the user has an E-mail address, for transmitting to said user display unit the appropriate ailment treating product informational message, and for recording in said data base that a reward has been given to the user involved for answering said inquiries;

said web site software including means responsive to web site data base stored information indicating that a reward was previously given for answering said inquiries by transmitting said reward refusal message and reason therefor to the accessing user'"'"'s station display unit.