System and method for generating referral fees

• US 7,711,725 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Rotholtz, Ben Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thai; Hanh B
• Application Number:
  US11/619,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20080046318A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 9, 707100-102, 707/104.1, 705/14
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method, computer program product and computing device for offering complementary products/services includes monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website. One or more search terms are assigned to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user. One or more complementary terms are assigned that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user. A query is executed on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for offering complementary products/services comprising:

monitoring, via a computing device, one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

automatically assigning, via the computing device, one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user based upon, at least in part, metadata associated with said one or more actions;

assigning, via the computing device, one or more complementary terms that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user;

in response to at least one of the actions, executing a query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set; and

displaying, via the computing device, the result set including a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale the one or more products/services, the link embedded with a referring party identifier configured to identify a referring party to a merchant operating the ecommerce website for payment of a referral fee.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

presenting the result set to the user of the website.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user is chosen from the group consisting of:

concert tickets;

clothing;

memorabilia;

compact discs;

digital video discs;

audio tapes;

video tapes;

books;

magazines, photographs;

autographs;

posters;

airline tickets;

train tickets;

ground transportation;

consumer products;

consumer services;

business products; and

business services.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

8. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

automatically assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user based upon, at least in part, metadata associated with said one or more actions;

assigning one or more complementary terms that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user;

in response to at least one of the actions, executing a query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set; and

displaying the result set including a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale the one or more products/services, the link embedded with a referring party identifier configured to identify a referring party to a merchant operating the ecommerce website for payment of a referral fee.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

presenting the result set to the user of the website.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

11. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user is chosen from the group consisting of:

concert tickets;

clothing;

memorabilia;

compact discs;

digital video discs;

audio tapes;

video tapes;

books;

magazines, photographs;

autographs;

posters;

airline tickets;

train tickets;

ground transportation;

consumer products;

consumer services;

business products; and

business services.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

15. A computing device configured to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

automatically assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user based upon, at least in part, metadata associated with said one or more actions;

assigning one or more complementary terms that define one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user;

in response to at least one of the actions, executing a query on a datastore based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms and at least a portion of the one or more complementary terms to generate a result set; and

displaying the result set including a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale the one or more products/services, the link embedded with a referring party identifier configured to identify a referring party to a merchant operating the ecommerce website for payment of a referral fee.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

presenting the result set to the user of the website.

17. The computing device of claim 15 wherein the one or more actions taken by the user are chosen from the group consisting of:

rendering a media file;

uploading a data file;

downloading a data file;

posting an article;

reviewing an article;

posting a message;

reviewing a message;

executing a query;

purchasing a product;

offering a product for sale;

purchasing a service; and

offering a service for sale.

18. The computing device of claim 15 wherein the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user is chosen from the group consisting of:

concert tickets;

clothing;

memorabilia;

compact discs;

digital video discs;

audio tapes;

video tapes;

books;

magazines, photographs;

autographs;

posters;

airline tickets;

train tickets;

ground transportation;

consumer products;

consumer services;

business products; and

business services.

19. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

21. The computing device of claim 15 wherein the datastore includes one or more of:

a database servable by a computing device; and

a system memory accessible by a computing device.

22. A computer implemented method for offering complementary products/services comprising:

monitoring, via a computing device, one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

automatically assigning, via the computing device, one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user based upon, at least in part, metadata associated with said one or more actions;

generating, via the computing device, a query string based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms;

in response to at least one of the actions, executing a query on a third party datastore based on the query string to generate a result set; and

displaying, via the computing device, the result set including a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale one or more products/services, the link embedded with a referring party identifier configured to identify a referring party to a merchant operating the ecommerce website for payment of a referral fee.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 22 further comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 23 further comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

25. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

automatically assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user based upon, at least in part, metadata associated with said one or more actions;

generating a query string based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms;

in response to at least one of the actions, executing a query on a third party datastore based on the query string to generate a result set; and

displaying the result set including a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale one or more products/services, the link embedded with a referring party identifier configured to identify a referring party to a merchant operating the ecommerce website for payment of a referral fee.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for performing operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

28. A computing device configured to perform operations comprising:

monitoring one or more actions taken by a user while browsing a website;

automatically assigning one or more search terms to at least one of the one or more actions taken by the user based upon, at least in part, metadata associated with said one or more actions;

generating a query string based on at least a portion of the one or more search terms;

in response to at least one of the actions, executing a query on a third party datastore based on the query string to generate a result set; and

displaying the result set including a link to an ecommerce website that offers for sale the one or more products/services, the link embedded with a referring party identifier configured to identify a referring party to a merchant operating the ecommerce website for payment of a referral fee.

29. The computing device of claim 28, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.

30. The computing device of claim 29, wherein the computing device is further configured to perform operations comprising:

charging a fee for facilitating the sale of the one or more products/services that complement the one or more actions taken by the user.