Internet-based system and method for distributing interstitial advertisements

• US 7,886,067 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2003
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rich Media Club, LLC (Rich Media Worldwide)
• Original Assignee: Rich Media Club, LLC (Rich Media Worldwide)
• Inventors: Mentchoukov, Nikolai, Krassner, Brad, Edwards, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong; Dohm
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain; Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US10/641,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,735 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-203, 709217-218, 709/224, 709/229, 709/231, 709/245, 705/10, 705/14, 705 26- 27, 715/513, 715/854
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system and method for use by website operators and advertisers to place interstitial advertisements on websites. The system uses an Internet dispatcher server and a mass storage device containing one or more databases storing advertisement command files pertaining to placements of advertisements that are stored in an advertisement server. The method comprises the steps of selecting ad files stored in a computer ad server, designating the url for the ad file, the url for the website page where the ad will be displayed, the url for the websites to which a user will be directed depending on the user'"'"'s reaction to the advertisement, storing in a dispatcher server database a data string representing the ad placement commands with a url representing a dispatcher server-based application to execute said ad placement commands, and including said data string on said website for launching said dispatcher server command file.

Claims

1. A method for placing electronic advertisements comprising the following steps:

Providing a user interface via a computer system communicating with an electronic communications network for an advertiser to select a record of data representing a content file previously stored in electronic format in a content file storage location at a content server of a computer system communicating with said electronic communications network, for presentation of said content file as an advertisement to a user of a website, said website communicating via said electronic communications network and located remotely from said user interface and said content server, said website user having a computer communicating with said website via said electronic communications network,

storing as a record in a database of a dispatcher server that does not reside at said website user'"'"'s computer or on said website the uniform resource locator address for said storage location where said electronic content file is stored as well as a uniform resource locator address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said user skips or does not act on said advertisement to request additional information and a uniform resource locator address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said website user acts on said advertisement to request additional information and the parameters/commands to retrieve said one or more selected electronic content files from said content server and present said electronic content files as an advertisement to said website user without requiring downloading of said electronic content files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of an advertisement, and

generating for placement on a page on said website said uniform resource locator data string that, when acted upon by said website user, launches a said dispatcher server database-stored advertisement placement parameter/command record, which in turn executes to cause said selected electronic content file designated in said advertisement placement parameter/command record to be presented to said website user from said content file storage location as an advertisement file without requiring downloading of said content files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement, and passes said go-to page parameters to said selected advertisement file, and then directing said website user to one of said go-to web pages depending on said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking said presentation of said advertisement by causing a tracking query string to be sent by said advertisement file to a tracking server if said advertisement is presented to said website user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said uniform resource locator data string placed on said website page, when activated by action on said website page by said website user, accesses a said stored advertisement placement parameter/command record which causes a compiled file to be delivered to said website user, said compiled file accessing said electronic content file designated in said advertisement placement parameter/command record from said content server and presenting said electronic content file as said advertisement to said website user without requiring downloading of said advertisement file into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing additional sales and marketing content files stored at a said content server to said website user after said advertisement has been presented to said website user by storing additional commands and parameters for retrieval and presentation of said additional sales and marketing content files in said parameter/command record stored in said dispatcher server database and causing said additional commands and parameters to be executed if said website user acts on said advertisement to request additional information.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of selecting a record of data representing an electronic content file comprises selecting two or more records of data representing two or more electronic content files and wherein said two or more electronic content files are presented as a combined advertisement to said website user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said electronic content files may be stored in two or more different storage locations located remotely from each other and remotely from said website location and remotely from said dispatcher server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said advertisement is delivered by said dispatcher server as a file including encoding necessary to load said electronic content files from said content server for presentation as said advertisement to said website user and pass to said file said parameters and commands stored in said advertisement parameter/command placement record to direct said website user to a said go-to page and send tracking data to a tracking server.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement after said advertisement has been presented to said website user by causing a query string to be sent by said advertisement file to a tracking server after said advertisement is presented to said user and further website user activity occurs with respect to said advertisement.

21. The method of claim 2, wherein said advertisement file establishes a direct connection via said electronic communications network with said tracking server to deliver said tracking query string as a one-way non-conversational communication without requiring a browser application to deliver said query string.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of tracking said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement by causing a query string to be sent by said advertisement to a tracking server after said advertisement is rendered to said user and further website user activity occurs with respect to said advertisement, said query string being sent as a one-way non-conversational communication established directly between said advertisement and said tracking server without requiring a browser application to deliver said query string.

5. A system for placement of electronic advertisements comprising:

a system-end computer communicating via an electronic communications network with system user computers, website operator-end computers and website user-end computers,

a dispatcher server located remotely from said website operator-end computers and said website user-end computers and communicating with said system-end computer and said website user-end computers via said electronic communications network, containing a database storing advertisement placement transaction parameter and command records,

an advertisement server communicating with said dispatcher server and said website user-end computers and having electronic content files stored thereon,

a system software application providing a user interface for system user selection of one or more of said electronic content files for use as an advertisement, for designating a uniform resource locator address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said website user skips or does not act on said advertisement to request additional information and a uniform resource locator address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said website user acts on said advertisement to request additional information, and for storage as an advertisement placement parameter and command record within said database of said dispatcher server said uniform resource locator addresses for said go-to web pages, said location of said one or more selected electronic content files and the parameters and commands to retrieve said one or more selected electronic content files from said advertisement server and present said one or more selected electronic content files as an advertisement to a said website user without requiring downloading of said electronic content files into cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer,

said system software application further generating a link for placement on a website, and

a system-end software application that is executed when said link placed on said website is acted upon by said website user, receiving a request from said link on said website to process said parameters and commands stored in a said advertisement placement parameter and command record and cause said selected one or more electronic content files designated in said advertisement placement parameter and command record to be retrieved from said electronic content server and be presented to said website user without requiring downloading of said advertisement files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said link for placement on said website comprises a data string with a uniform resource locator address for accessing a said advertisement placement parameter/command record stored at said dispatcher server database and said link is activated when said website user acts on said website page where said link is placed.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein tracking parameters are stored in said advertisement placement parameter/command record and further comprising a tracking server for tracking of said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement, said tracking server receiving a query string sent by said advertisement file with tracking data collected based on said tracking parameters stored in said advertisement placement parameter/command record and passed to said advertisement file.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said system software applications further provide a system user template for creating parameter/command record uniform resource locator address data strings for placement as a link on said website.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said system software applications further provide for tracking electronic commerce transactions conducted by said website user if said website user, in response to said advertisement, proceeds to conduct an electronic commerce transaction for products or services advertised in said advertisement.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein said system software applications further provide for processing an electronic commerce transaction with a said website user who accesses a said go-to page via said advertisement to engage in said electronic commerce transaction for products or services advertised in said advertisement.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein said system software applications provide an interface for system users to create customized sales and marketing materials for delivery to said website user that is presented said advertisement and requests additional information relating to said advertisement and for said system users to store the uniform resource locator address for said sales and marketing materials as part of said advertisement placement transaction parameter/command record stored within said database of said dispatcher server.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein said system software application allows system users to select two or more electronic content files for use in combination as an advertisement to be rendered in said designated website interstitial space.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said two or more electronic content files are stored in two or more different electronic content servers located remotely from each other and located remotely from said website computer and remotely from said dispatcher server.

19. The system of claim 5, wherein said system-end software application that is executed when said link placed on said website is acted upon by said website user processes said parameters and commands from said stored advertisement placement parameter/command record and causes a compiled file to be delivered to said website user computer, said compiled file then retrieving said electronic content file from said content server and assembling and presenting said selected electronic content file as said advertisement to said website user without requiring downloading of said advertisement files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement.

20. The system of claim 7, wherein said advertisement file establishes a direct connection via said electronic communications network with said tracking server to deliver a tracking query string as a one-way non-conversational communication without requiring a browser application to deliver said query string.

23. The system of claim 5, wherein said advertisement is delivered by said dispatcher server as a file including encoding necessary to load said electronic content files for presentation as an advertisement to said website user and pass to said file said parameters and commands stored in said advertisement parameter/command placement record to direct said website user to a subsequent page and send tracking data to a tracking server, and further comprising a tracking server for receipt of said tracking data.

12. A multi-level marketing business method operating via an electronic communications network comprising the steps of:

providing one or more electronic advertisement files pertaining to a merchant'"'"'s product or service for use as an advertisement accessed via a distributor website, said product or service being made available for purchase via electronic commerce at an online store website, said one or more electronic advertisement files being previously stored in electronic file format in a computer system having an electronic communications advertisement file server,

storing a uniform resource locator address for said online store website to which a website user that views an electronic advertisement accessed via said distributor website will be directed for purchases of said product or service advertised in said advertisement, and a uniform resource locator address for a go-to web page where said website user is directed if said website user does not proceed to said online store website, and the uniform resource locator address for said one or more advertisement files stored at said advertisement file server as a parameter/command record in a database within a dispatcher server that does not reside at said website user'"'"'s computer browser cache,

generating for placement on said distributor website a link with a uniform resource locator address for accessing a said parameter/command record stored on said dispatcher server, said link, when said website user reaches said website page wherein said link is placed and acts upon said link, launching a said dispatcher server parameter/command record, which in turn causes said selected one or more advertisement files designated in said parameter/command record to be loaded from said advertisement file server and be presented to said website user as an advertisement without requiring downloading of said one or more advertisement files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement, and directs said website user to said online store website or to said go-to web page depending upon said website user'"'"'s action with respect to said advertisement, and

sharing between said merchant and said distributor revenues generated from a purchase of a said product or service by said website user that views said advertisement via said distributor website and then proceeds to said online store website to complete said purchase.

34. The method of claim 12, wherein said online store website is a mirror site of a said merchant'"'"'s website.

24. A website advertisement method comprising:

Providing a user interface of a computer system communicating with an electronic communications network for receiving a designation of;

an electronic content file to be displayed as an advertisement to a website user, said website user having an electronic communications device with a browser application for accessing and viewing websites and communicating with said electronic communications network, said electronic content file being stored in electronic format in a content file storage location at a content server communicating with said electronic communications network,

a go-to page to which said website user will be directed after said electronic content file is presented to said website user if said website user acts on said advertisement to obtain further information relating to said advertisement, and

a go-to page to which said website user will be directed if said website user does not act on said advertisement to obtain further information relating to said advertisement;

storing as a parameter and command record in a relational database of a dispatcher server communicating with said electronic communications network, said dispatcher server not residing in said website user'"'"'s electronic communications device;

an address for said electronic content file storage location where said electronic content file is stored,

an address for said go-to page to which said website user will be directed after said electronic content file is presented to said website user if said website user acts on said advertisement to obtain further information relating to said advertisement,

an address for said go-to page to which said website user will be directed if said website user does not act on said advertisement to obtain further information relating to said advertisement,

and one or more custom tracking parameters;

generating a data string including a uniform resource locator address for accessing said stored parameter/command record for placement at said website,

placing said data string at said website at a web page to be accessed by said website user before said advertisement is to be presented,

receiving and processing via said computer system a request to said dispatcher server in response to said website user acting upon said data string, causing a said parameter/command record stored at said dispatcher server database to be accessed and for said stored parameters/commands to be executed, causing an advertisement file to be presented to said website user without requiring said electronic content file designated in said parameter/command record to be downloaded into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s electronic communications device in advance of said request, said execution of said parameter/command record causing said electronic content file to be loaded from said electronic content file storage location and for said go-to page and custom tracking parameters to be passed to said advertisement file and causing said website user to be directed to said go-to page to which said website user is directed if said website user acts on said advertisement to obtain further information relating to said advertisement, or to said go-to page to which said website user is directed if said website user does not act on said advertisement to obtain further information relating to said advertisement, and sending tracking data pertaining to presentation of said advertisement and said website user'"'"'s action with respect to said advertisement from said advertisement to a tracking server based on said one or more tracking parameters.

25. A system for advertising on electronic networks, comprising:

a system-end computer communicating via an electronic communications network with website-end computers and website user-end computers,

a dispatcher server located remotely from said website-end computers and said website user-end computers and communicating with said system-end computer containing a database storing advertisement placement transaction parameter/command records,

a content server communicating with said electronic network and communicating with said dispatcher server and said website user-end computers and having electronic content files stored thereon,

a system software application providing a user interface for system user selection of one or more of said electronic content files for use as an advertisement to be assembled and rendered to a website user, for designating a uniform resource locator addresses for a go-to web page to which a website user will be directed after presentation of said advertisement is requested, and for storage as an advertisement placement parameter/command record within said database of said dispatcher server said uniform resource locator addresses for said go-to web page, said location of said one or more selected electronic content files at said content server and the parameters/commands to retrieve said one or more selected electronic content files from said content server and present said one or more selected electronic content files as an advertisement to a said website user without requiring downloading of said electronic content files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement and provide tracking data relating to said presentation of said advertisement to said website user,

said system software application further generating said link for placement on said website comprising a uniform resource locator address data string for accessing said advertisement placement parameter/command record stored at said dispatcher server database,

a system-end software application that is executed when said link placed on said website is acted upon by said website user, causing a said parameter/command record stored at said dispatcher server database to be retrieved and for said stored parameters/commands to be executed, causing an advertisement file to be presented to said website user without requiring downloading of said advertisement files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement, said execution of said stored parameters/commands causing said one or more electronic content files to be loaded from said electronic content file storage location at a said content server where said one or more electronic content files are stored and for said go-to page and tracking parameters to be passed to said advertisement file to present said one or more electronic content files to said website user as an advertisement without requiring downloading of said advertisement'"'"'s electronic content files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement, and directing said website user to said go-to page, and sending tracking data pertaining to presentation of said advertisement and said website user'"'"'s action with respect to said advertisement from said advertisement file to a tracking server based on said one or more tracking parameters; and

a tracking server for receiving said tracking data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein said system software applications further provide a system user template for creating parameter/command file uniform resource locator address data strings for placement as a link on said website.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein said system software applications further provide for tracking electronic commerce transactions conducted by said website user if said website user, in response to said advertisement, proceeds to conduct an electronic commerce transaction for products or services advertised in said advertisement.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein said system software applications further provide for processing an electronic commerce transaction for products or services advertised in said advertisement with said website user who accesses a said go-to page via said advertisement to engage in said electronic commerce transaction.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein said advertisement file is delivered by said dispatcher server as a file including encoding necessary to load said electronic content files for presentation as an advertisement to said website user and pass to said file said parameters and commands stored in said advertisement parameter/command placement record to direct said website user to a said go-to page and send tracking data from said file to a tracking server.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein said system software applications provide an interface for system users to create customized sales and marketing materials for delivery to said website user that is presented said advertisement and requests additional information relating to said advertisement and for said system users to store a uniform resource locator address for said sales and marketing materials as part of said advertisement placement transaction parameter and command record stored within said database of said dispatcher server.

31. A multi-level marketing business method implemented using the system of claim 25 comprising the steps of

providing one or more electronic advertisement files pertaining to a merchant'"'"'s product or service for use as an advertisement accessed via a distributor website, said merchant providing an online store website for sale of said product or service via electronic commerce, said one or more electronic advertisement files being previously stored in electronic file format in an advertisement file server,

storing a uniform resource locator address for said online store website to which a website user that views said electronic advertisement on said distributor website will be directed for a purchase of said product or service advertised in said advertisement, and a uniform resource locator address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said website user does not proceed to said online store website, and a uniform resource locator address for each of said one or more advertisement files stored at said advertisement file server as a parameter/command file in said dispatcher server database,

generating a link for placement on said distributor website, said link comprising a uniform resource locator address corresponding to said parameter/command record stored on said dispatcher server, said link, when said website user reaches said website page wherein said link is placed and acts upon said link, launching said dispatcher server parameter/command record, which in turn causes said one or more advertisement files to be retrieved from said advertisement content server and be displayed to said website user as an advertisement, and directs said website user to said designated online store website or to said designated go-to web page depending upon said website users action with respect to said advertisement, and

sharing between said merchant and said distributor revenues generated from a purchase of a product or service by said website user that views said advertisement via said distributor website and then proceeds to said online store website to complete said purchase.

32. The system of claim 25, further comprising a database storing one or more content files for use in creating an electronic marketing and sales presentation, and said user interface application provides an interface for system users to select one or more of said content files from said database for creation of a customized sales and marketing presentation for delivery to said website user after being presented said advertisement and requesting further information relating to said advertisement, via an electronic mail addressed to said website user.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said email to said website user causes said sales and marketing presentation to be delivered via a data string placed in said electronic mail representing said selected content files stored in said database constituting said marketing and sales presentation and a URL attached thereto representing said custom server-based application, that in response to action with respect to said electronic mail at said website user/electronic mail recipient end, causes a file to be delivered to said website user at said website user'"'"'s electronic mail address, said file causing said selected one or more sales and marketing presentation content files to be retrieved, assembled and presented to said website user/electronic mail recipient as said sales presentation within said file, and substantially simultaneously causes a non-conversational message comprising a data string with tracking data pertaining to said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said sales presentation to be sent from said file to said tracking server.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein said online store website is a mirror site of a said merchant'"'"'s website.