Demographic information gathering and incentive award system and method
First Claim
1. A distributed information gathering system for use with at least two web sites on the Internet, the system comprising:
- a plurality of independent participating web sites providing a plurality of content information;
a profile server including a database storing a plurality of client profiles wherein each of the plurality of client profiles is established by a participating client;
a transaction server communicatively connected to the profile server and the plurality of independent participating web sites, the transaction server configured to receive an information request from one of the plurality of independent participating web sites initiated by the participating client at one of the plurality of independent participating web sites, wherein the information request includes a request to retrieve content from a web server that is independent of the transaction server and the profile server, the content including a different one of the plurality of participating web sites, the transaction server further including;
a control circuit communicatively coupled to the profile server and the transaction server and programmed to execute;
a demographics routine to determine client demographic information based on the received information request initiated by the participating client at one of the plurality of participating web sites and the client profile corresponding to the participating client, wherein the received information request is stored on the transaction server and the client profile is stored on the profile server;
an incentive award routine to award incentive points to the participating client in response to the received information request initiated by the participating client at one of the plurality of participating web sites, to store the awarded incentive points on the profile server for future redemption by the participating client, to award the incentive award on a first visit to one of the plurality of participating web sites, and to award a second incentive award for a subsequent visit if the subsequent visit occurs after a predetermined period of time; and
a redirection routine to send a redirection message to the participating website at which the participating client initiated the information request that redirects the participating client to the different one of the plurality of participating web sites, where in the redirection message is sent from the transaction server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method provides web site proprietors with demographics information about the users who visit their web sites, and provides web site visitors with incentive awards (i.e., points) in exchange for providing the demographics information and interacting with the web sites in a predefined manner. Users complete a questionnaire designed to solicit various demographics data of interest to web site proprietors. A profile is then associated with user identification information and stored on a server. The identification information is also stored on the user'"'"'s local device to identify the user on subsequent visits to participating sites. Users visit the web sites of one or more participating web site proprietors. In so doing the participating user will be awarded points that can be redeemed for products or services at a later date. The system automatically awards points to deserving users without requiring the users to manually leave the web site awarding the points. Periodically, the system develops a report for each participating web site proprietor providing a demographics profile of the participating users that interacted with the web site in predefined ways. The system also provides redemption sites where participating users can visit to convert the points accumulated into products or services.
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Citations
41 Claims
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1. A distributed information gathering system for use with at least two web sites on the Internet, the system comprising:
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a plurality of independent participating web sites providing a plurality of content information; a profile server including a database storing a plurality of client profiles wherein each of the plurality of client profiles is established by a participating client; a transaction server communicatively connected to the profile server and the plurality of independent participating web sites, the transaction server configured to receive an information request from one of the plurality of independent participating web sites initiated by the participating client at one of the plurality of independent participating web sites, wherein the information request includes a request to retrieve content from a web server that is independent of the transaction server and the profile server, the content including a different one of the plurality of participating web sites, the transaction server further including; a control circuit communicatively coupled to the profile server and the transaction server and programmed to execute; a demographics routine to determine client demographic information based on the received information request initiated by the participating client at one of the plurality of participating web sites and the client profile corresponding to the participating client, wherein the received information request is stored on the transaction server and the client profile is stored on the profile server; an incentive award routine to award incentive points to the participating client in response to the received information request initiated by the participating client at one of the plurality of participating web sites, to store the awarded incentive points on the profile server for future redemption by the participating client, to award the incentive award on a first visit to one of the plurality of participating web sites, and to award a second incentive award for a subsequent visit if the subsequent visit occurs after a predetermined period of time; and a redirection routine to send a redirection message to the participating website at which the participating client initiated the information request that redirects the participating client to the different one of the plurality of participating web sites, where in the redirection message is sent from the transaction server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of gathering information from a plurality of participating distributed web sites comprising:
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creating a client profile in a profile database to identify the preferences of a participating client; requesting at one of the plurality of participating distributed web sites, content information from a different one of the plurality of participating web sites; receiving the request for content information intended for the different one of the plurality of participating distributed web sites at a transaction server communicatively connected to the plurality of participating distributed web sites and the profile database, wherein the request for content information is initiated by the participating client at one of the plurality of participating distributed web sites, wherein the transaction server is independent of the different one of the plurality of participating web sites; verifying that the request for content information was initiated by one of the participating clients; determining client demographic information based on the request for content information initiated by the participating client at one of the participating distributed web sites and the client profile corresponding to the participating client; awarding an incentive award to the participating client in response to the information request including storing the awarded incentive points for future redemption by the participating client, wherein the incentive award is awarded on a first visit to one of the plurality of participating web sites and a second incentive award is awarded for a subsequent visit if the subsequent visit occurs after a predetermined period of time; and sending a redirection message to the participating web site at which the participating client initiated the information request that redirects the participating client to the content information on the different one of the plurality of participating distributed web sites. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification