Active marketing based on client computer configurations

• US 6,370,578 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: MC.Afee.Com, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Lingarkar, Ravi, Revashetti, Siddaraya B., Katchapalayam, Babu, Balasubramaniam, Chandrasekar
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/785,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/223, 705/14, 705/28
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0248 Avoiding fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A system and method for actively marketing products and services to a user of a client computer such as over a network are disclosed. A product information database comprising product summary files that facilitate determination of presence or absence of products associated with the client computer, a marketing rule knowledge base comprising opportunity rule files governing marketing opportunities, and an opportunity detection object for determination of marketing opportunities are utilized to determine active marketing opportunities and may be downloaded to the client computer from a service provider computer system. The opportunity detection object may comprise a scan engine, an opportunity analysis engine, and a presentation engine which collectively determine and present marketing information to the client computer user. The scan engine compares the client computer against the product information database to determine the configurations of the client computer and to generate a client computer inventory database. The opportunity analysis engine analyzes the client computer inventory database against the marketing rule knowledge base and generates a list of marketing opportunities for the client computer. The presentation engine analyzes the list of marketing opportunities and provides marketing and/or other information regarding marketed products to the user.

Claims

1. A method for marketing using information on a client computer, comprising:

scanning for products associated with the client computer, the scanning includes scanning the client computer and comparing results of the client computer scanning against a product information database;

generating a client computer product inventory based on products associated with the client computer as determined in said scanning;

performing an opportunity analysis to identify marketing opportunities, said performing the opportunity analysis includes comparing marketing rules of a marketing rule knowledge base to the client computer product inventory; and

presenting the detected marketing opportunity to the user of the client computer upon detection of a marketing opportunity.

2. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 1, wherein said scanning the client computer includes scanning for at least one of software files, operating system, hardware peripherals, and hardware components.

3. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 1, wherein said marketing rule knowledge base includes a first marketing rule file defining a marketing opportunity and a condition for a product in the client computer inventory for the marketing opportunity, the condition being of a predefined value selected from the group consisting of absent, present, optional, and value of a measurable characteristic of the product in the client computer inventory.

4. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 1, wherein said product information database includes a product summary file including a detection command and a product signature comprising a value for indicating association of the product with the client computer.

5. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 4, wherein said scanning for products associated with the client computer includes executing the detection command to detect a presence of a product signature on the client computer, and, upon detection of the product signature on the client computer, writing a product record of the detected product associated with the client computer to said client computer inventory.

6. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 5, wherein each product record comprises at least one of an existing product identification, an existing product category, and an existing product property of the detected product associated with the client computer.

7. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 4, wherein said product summary file is selected from the group consisting of a software product summary file, a hardware product summary file, and an operating system product summary file.

8. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 4, wherein said product signature of the product summary file is selected from the group consisting of an executable-type product signature, a registry-type product signature, an initialization-type product signature, a driver-type product signature, and a command-type product signature.

9. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 8, wherein the product signature of the product summary file is an executable-type product signature, the executable-type product signature comprising at least one executable file property for indicating a presence of a product on the client computer.

10. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 9, wherein the executable file property is selected from the group consisting of an executable name, an executable file size, and an executable timestamp.

11. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 8, wherein the product signature of the product summary file is a registry-type product signature, the registry-type product signature comprising at least one registry entry for indicating a presence of a product on the client computer.

12. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 8, wherein the product signature of the product summary file is an initialization-type product signature, the initialization-type product signature comprising at least one initialization file property for indicating a presence of a product on the client computer.

13. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 12, wherein the initialization file property is selected from the group consisting of initialization file name, initialization parameter name, and initialization parameter value.

14. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 8, wherein the product signature of the product summary file is a driver-type product signature, the driver-type product signature comprising at least one driver file property for indicating a presence of a product on the client computer.

15. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 14, wherein the driver file property is selected from the group consisting of driver file name, driver file size, and driver file timestamp.

16. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 1, further comprising storing at least one of the product information database and the marketing rule knowledge base in the client computer.

17. The method for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 1, wherein the detected marketing opportunity is selected from the group consisting of a product commerce marketing opportunity, a service advertisement marketing opportunity, and a product advertisement marketing opportunity.

18. A system for marketing using information on a client computer, comprising:

a product information database;

a scanning engine for detecting products associated with the client computer and for generating a client computer product inventory by comparing result of the detecting against the product information database;

a marketing rule knowledge base having marketing rules;

an opportunity analysis engine for identifying marketing opportunities by comparing the marketing rules of the marketing rule knowledge base to the client computer product inventory; and

a presentation engine for presenting the detected marketing opportunity related to the client computer upon detection of a marketing opportunity.

19. The system for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 18, wherein said marketing rule knowledge base includes a marketing rule file defining a marketing opportunity and a condition for a product in the client computer inventory for the marketing opportunity, the condition being of a predefined value selected from the group consisting of absent, present, optional, and value of a measurable characteristic of the product in the client computer inventory.

20. The system for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 18, wherein said product information database includes a product summary file including a detection command and a product signature comprising a value for indicating association of the product with the client computer.

21. The system for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 20, wherein said scanning engine executes the detection command of the product summary file to detect a presence of a product signature on the client computer, and, upon detection of the presence of the product signature, writes a product record of the detected product associated with the client computer to said client computer inventory.

22. The system for marketing using information on a client computer according to claim 20, wherein said product signature of the product summary file is selected from the group consisting of an executable-type product signature, a registry-type product signature, an initialization-type product signature, a driver-type product signature, and a command-type product signature.

23. A computer product for marketing using information on a client computer, comprising:

computer code that scans for products associated with the client computer, the computer code that scans for products includes computer code that scans the client computer and compares results of the client computer scanning against a product information database;

computer code that generates a client computer product inventory based on products associated with the client computer as determined by the computer code that scans for products;

computer code that performs an opportunity analysis to identify marketing opportunities, the computer code that performs the opportunity analysis includes computer code that compares marketing rules of a marketing rule knowledge base to the client computer product inventory; and

computer code that presents the detected marketing opportunity to the user of the client computer upon detection of a marketing opportunity; and

a computer readable medium that stores said computer codes.

24. The computer product for marketing using information according to claim 23, wherein the marketing rule knowledge base includes a first marketing rule file defining a marketing opportunity and a condition for a product in the client computer inventory for the marketing opportunity, the condition being of a predefined value selected from the group consisting of absent, present, optional, and value of a measurable characteristic of the product in the client computer inventory.

25. The computer product for marketing using information according to claim 23, wherein the product information database includes a product summary file including a detection command and a product signature comprising a value for indicating association of the product with the client computer.

26. The computer product for marketing using information according to claim 25, wherein said computer code that scans includes computer code that executes the detection command to detect a presence of a product signature on the client computer, and, upon detection of the presence of the product signature on the client computer, writes a product record of the detected product associated with the client computer to the client computer inventory.

27. The computer product for marketing using information according to claim 25, wherein the product signature of the product summary file is selected from the group consisting of an executable-type product signature, a registry-type product signature, an initialization-type product signature, a driver-type product signature, and a command-type product signature.