Incentive network for distributing incentives on a network-wide basis and for permitting user access to individual incentives from a plurality of network servers
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for providing access to incentives via a computer network, the computer network comprising at least one incentive host server and at least two network servers for providing a user with access to incentives from the incentive host server, comprising:
- receiving, at a network server, an access request from a client device associated with the user;
transmitting a first identifier and a network server identifier (NID) corresponding to the access request to the incentive host server;
determining at the incentive host server available incentives using at least the first identifier and the NID, wherein the NID is used to identify available incentives in an incentive server database associated with the NID; and
transmitting information regarding the determined available incentives to the client device.
17 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An incentive network equipped with methods for distributing incentives on a network-wide basis and for permitting user access to individual incentives from any network server. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method performed by a server for accessing incentives in an network, comprises steps of receiving an access request from a device associated with a user and connected to the network, transmitting identifying information corresponding to the access request to a host, receiving incentive information from the host reflecting available incentives corresponding to the identifying information, and transmitting a network document, including the incentive information, to the device associated with the user in response to the access request. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a computer-implemented method for accessing incentives in an network, comprises transmitting an access request to access a server in the network, receiving a subscriber request for a subscriber ID associated with the access request, transmitting the subscriber ID to the server, and receiving in response to the access request incentive information reflecting available incentives corresponding to the subscriber ID, wherein the server provides the subscriber ID to a host that selects and transmits the incentive information to the server.
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Citations
88 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for providing access to incentives via a computer network, the computer network comprising at least one incentive host server and at least two network servers for providing a user with access to incentives from the incentive host server, comprising:
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receiving, at a network server, an access request from a client device associated with the user;
transmitting a first identifier and a network server identifier (NID) corresponding to the access request to the incentive host server;determining at the incentive host server available incentives using at least the first identifier and the NID, wherein the NID is used to identify available incentives in an incentive server database associated with the NID; and transmitting information regarding the determined available incentives to the client device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 22, 23, 24, 75)
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8. A computer-implemented method for providing access to incentives via a computer network, the computer network comprising at least one incentive host server and at least two network servers for providing a user with access to incentives from the incentive host server, comprising:
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transmitting an access request to access one of the network servers in the network; transmitting a first identifier and a network server identifier (NID) corresponding to the access request to the incentive host server; and
determining available incentives using at least the first identifier and the NID, wherein an incentive host server identifies available incentives in an incentive server database associated with the NID. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 25, 26, 27)
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11. A system for providing access to incentives via a computer network, the computer network comprising at least one incentive host server and at least two network servers for providing a user with access to incentives from the incentive host server, comprising:
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access request receiving means for receiving, at a network server, an access request from a client device associated with at least one user; identifying information transmitting means for transmitting a first identifier and a network server identifier (NID) corresponding to the access request to an incentive host server; incentive information determining means for determining available incentives using the NID and the first identifier, wherein the NID is used to identify available incentives in an incentive server database associated with the NID; and incentive transmitting means for transmitting information regarding the determined available incentives to the client device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 28, 29, 30)
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18. A system for providing access to incentives via a computer network, the computer network comprising at least one incentive host server and at least two network servers for providing a user with access to incentives from the incentive host server, comprising:
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access request transmitting means for transmitting an access request to access a network server in the network;
user request receiving means for receiving a user request for a first identifier associated with the access request;transmitting means for transmitting the first identifier and a network server identifier (NID) to the incentive host server; and incentive information determining means for determining, in response to the access request, available incentives using the first identifier and the NID, wherein the incentive host server identifies available incentives associated with the NID. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A system for distributing information in a network, comprising:
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a host server having at least one of an incentive distribution module and an account creation module accessible to a plurality of users; a plurality of network servers coupled to and selectively accessible to the host server for providing identifying information including a first identifier and a network server identifier (NID) to the host server, wherein the identifying information is used by the incentive distribution module, at least in part, to identify available incentives associated with the NID; and at least one client machine coupled to and selectively accessible to at least one of the plurality of network servers for accessing network documents, wherein when at least one user causes the at least one client machine to access one of the plurality of network servers, the accessed network server communicates with the host server to obtain data corresponding to the at least one user, and wherein the at least one client machine is adapted to present the data from the host to the at least one user. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. A computer-implemented method for providing coupons over a network, comprising:
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receiving a request for a document associated with a network server from a client device;
receiving, by a host server, information regarding the document request, wherein the received information includes a network server identifier (NID) associated with the network server;receiving, by the host server, a first identifier stored by the client device; determining, at the host server, information regarding a set of one or more coupons from a plurality of coupons based at least in part on the NID and the first identifier; and
transmitting, to the client device, at least some of the information regarding the set of one or more coupons. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A computer-implemented method performed by an incentive host server for providing coupons over a network, comprising:
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receiving information regarding a request from a client device for a document received at one of a plurality of network servers, wherein the information received by the incentive host server includes a network server identifier corresponding to the one of the plurality of network servers; receiving a first identifier stored by the client device; determining information regarding a set of one or more coupons from a plurality of coupons based at least in part on the network server identifier and the first identifier; transmitting at least some of the information regarding the set of one or more coupons to the client device. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A system for providing coupons via a network, comprising:
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a client device associated for accessing the network;
a plurality of network servers for providing web pages;a host server storing information regarding a plurality of coupons; and wherein the host server is capable of receiving a network server identifier associated with at least one of the network servers, receiving a first identifier stored on the client device, determining information regarding a set of one or more coupons from the plurality of coupons based at least in part on the network server identifier and the first identifier, and transmitting at least some of the determined information regarding the set of one or more coupons to the client device. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47)
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48. A system for providing coupons over a network, comprising:
one or more databases for storing information regarding a plurality of coupons, a plurality of first identifiers, and a plurality of network server identifiers; and
one or more processors capable of performing a method comprising the steps of;receiving a request for information regarding one or more coupons, wherein the received request includes a network server identification associated with at least one network server; receiving a first identifier stored by the client device; determining information regarding one or more coupons based at least in part on the received network server identification and first identifier; and
transmitting at least some of the determined information.- View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51)
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52. A system, comprising:
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means for receiving a request for a document from a client device, wherein the requested document is associated with a network server; means for receiving information regarding the document request, wherein the received information includes a network server identifier associated with the network server; means for receiving a first identifier stored by the client device; means for determining information regarding a set of one or more coupons from a plurality of coupons based at least in part on the network server identifier and the first identifier; and means for transmitting to the client device at least some of the information regarding the set of one or more coupons.
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53. A system, comprising:
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means for receiving information regarding a request from a client device for a document received at one of a plurality of network servers, wherein the information includes a network server identifier associated with the network server;
means for receiving a first identifier stored by the client device;means for determining information regarding a set of one or more coupons from a plurality of coupons based at least in part on the network server identifier and the first identifier; and
means for transmitting the information regarding the set of one or more coupons to the client device.
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54. An incentive host server for use in an incentive network, the incentive network including the incentive host server and at least two incentive network servers, the incentive host server comprising:
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an incentive database for storing incentives; a registration module for receiving registration information from a client device, and for transmitting a Unique ID (UID) to the client device that submitted the registration information for storage on the client device to enable the UID to be subsequently used in connection with requesting incentives from any of the incentive network servers within the incentive network; and an incentive determination module for; i) receiving a request for incentives from any of the incentive network servers; ii) receiving a UID and a Network ID (NID) associated with the request; iii) determining currently available incentives based on the UID and NID; and iv) transmitting information about the incentives determined to be currently available. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56)
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57. An incentive network, comprising:
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an incentive host server; at least two incentive network servers, wherein an incentive network server comprises a network interface for receiving from a client device a request for access to incentives, and for communicating information about the request to the incentive host server; and
wherein the incentive host server comprises;i) an incentive database for storing incentives; ii) a registration module for receiving registration information from a client device, and for transmitting a Unique ID (UID) to the client device that submitted the registration information for storage on the client device to enable the UID to be subsequently used in connection with requesting incentives from any of the incentive network servers within the incentive network; iii) a network interface for receiving from any of the incentive network servers a request for access to at least some of the stored incentives, and for receiving with the request a Network ID (NID) associated with the incentive network server from which the request is received; iv) an incentive determination module for determining currently available incentives based on the NID and a UID of the client device from which the request was initiated; and v) means for transmitting information about the incentives determined to be currently available to the UID and NID combination. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59)
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60. An electronic coupon distribution system comprising:
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an incentive host server system, an incentive network server system, a client system and a distributed computer network; each one of said incentive host server system, said incentive network server system, and said client system comprising its own central processing unit, memory, input, and output; said incentive host server system storing in its memory an incentive host server database, and storing in said incentive host server database coupon offers, subscriber IDs, and incentive network server IDs, wherein various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said subscriber IDs, and various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said incentive network server IDs, such that a particular subscriber ID is associated with a first set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers and a particular incentive network server ID is associated with a second set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers; said incentive network server system storing therein said particular incentive network server system ID; said distributed computer network configured to link linking said incentive host server system, said incentive network server system, and said client system, so that each may communicate with the others; said incentive network server system programmed to respond to receipt of said particular subscriber ID by transmitting said particular subscriber ID and its particular incentive network server system, to said incentive host server system; said incentive host server system programmed to respond to receipt of said particular subscriber ID and said particular incentive network server system ID by determining a difference set of incentive offers by excluding from said first set of incentive offers any incentive offer contained in said second set of incentive offers, and to transmit coupon data defining electronic coupons corresponding to said difference set of incentive offers to said client system. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62)
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63. An electronic coupon distribution system comprising:
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an incentive host server system comprising a central processing unit, memory, input, and output; and
a network interface;an incentive host server database stored in said memory; wherein said incentive host server database stores stored incentive offers, subscriber IDs, and incentive network server IDs; wherein said incentive host server database stores associations of various ones of said stored incentive offers with various ones of said subscriber IDs; wherein said incentive host server database stores associations of various ones of said incentive offers with various ones of said incentive network server IDs; such that a particular subscriber ID stored in said incentive host server database is associated with a first set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said stored incentive offers; and such that a particular incentive network server ID stored in said incentive host server database is associated with a second set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said stored incentive offers; said incentive host server system programmed to respond to receipt of said particular subscriber ID and said particular incentive network server system ID by determining a difference set of incentive offers by excluding from said first set of incentive offers any incentive offer contained in said second set of incentive offers, and to transmit coupon data defining at least one electronic coupon corresponding to at least one incentive offer of said difference set of incentive offers to a network address. - View Dependent Claims (64)
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65. An electronic coupon distribution system comprising:
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an incentive host server system comprising a central processing unit, memory, input, and output; and
a network interface;an incentive host server database stored in said memory; wherein said incentive host server database stores stored incentive offers, subscriber IDs, and incentive network server system IDs; said incentive host server system programmed to respond to receipt of a particular subscriber ID in association with a particular incentive network server system ID, by making an incentive offer selection, said incentive offer selection defining at least one selected incentive offer, said incentive offer selection based upon associations in said incentive host server database between said particular subscriber ID, said particular incentive network server system ID, and said stored incentive offers; and said incentive host server system programmed to transmit coupon data defining at least one of said at least one selected incentive offer to a network address. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68)
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69. An electronic coupon distribution method comprising:
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storing, in an incentive host server database, stored incentive offers, subscriber IDs, and incentive network server system IDs, wherein said incentive host server database is stored in memory of an incentive host server system that comprises a central processing unit, said memory, an input, an output, and a network interface; programming said incentive host server system to respond to receipt of a particular subscriber ID in association with a particular incentive network server system ID, by making an incentive offer selection defining at least one selected incentive offer, wherein said incentive offer selection is based upon associations in said incentive host server database between said particular subscriber IDs, said particular incentive network server system ID, and said stored incentive offers; and programming said incentive host server system to transmit coupon data defining at least one of said at least one selected incentive offer to a network address. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A method of operating an electronic coupon distribution system comprising the steps of:
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storing, in memory of an incentive host server system, subscriber IDs; storing, in said memory, coupon offers; storing, in said memory, incentive network server IDs; wherein, in said memory, various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said subscriber IDs, and various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said incentive network server IDs, such that a particular subscriber ID is associated with a first set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers and a particular incentive network server ID is associated with a second set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers; programming said incentive host server system to respond to receipt of said particular subscriber ID in association with said particular incentive network server ID by (1) determining a difference set of incentive offers by excluding from said first set of incentive offers any incentive offer contained in said second set of incentive offers, and (2) transmitting coupon data defining electronic coupons corresponding to said difference set of incentive offers to an address associated with said particular subscriber ID. - View Dependent Claims (76)
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77. A method of operating an electronic coupon distribution system comprising:
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storing in memory of an incentive host server system, subscriber IDs;
coupon offers, and incentive network server IDs;wherein, in said memory, various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said subscriber IDs, and various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said incentive network server IDs, such that a particular subscriber ID is associated with a first set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers and a particular incentive network server ID is associated with a second set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers; said incentive host server system responding to receipt of said particular subscriber ID in association with said particular incentive network server ID, by comparing associations in said memory between said particular subscriber IDs, said particular incentive network server ID, and said stored incentive offers as part of making an incentive offer selection defining at least one selected incentive offer; and
said incentive host server system transmitting coupon data defining at least one of said at least one selected incentive offer to a network address. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82)
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83. An electronic coupon distribution system comprising:
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an incentive host server system comprising memory, an input, an output, a processor; said memory storing subscriber IDs, coupon offers, and incentive network server IDs; wherein, in said memory, various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said subscriber IDs, and various ones of said incentive offers are associated with various ones of said incentive network server IDs, such that a particular subscriber ID is associated with a first set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers and a particular incentive network server ID is associated with a second set of incentive offers consisting of at least some of said incentive offers; said incentive host server system programmed to respond to receipt of said particular subscriber ID in association with said particular incentive network server ID, by comparing associations in said memory between said particular subscriber IDs, said particular incentive network server ID, and said stored incentive offers, as part of making an incentive offer selection defining at least one selected incentive offer; and said incentive host server system programmed to transmit coupon data defining at least one of said at least one selected incentive offer to a network address. - View Dependent Claims (84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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Specification