Method and apparatus for virtual location-based services
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- monitoring a user'"'"'s presence at a virtual location on the World Wide Web, the virtual location being selected by the user from among a plurality of different websites on the World Wide Web;
communicating the monitored virtual location to a server that is separate from the plurality of different websites; and
providing services to the user depending on the monitored virtual location, whereby first services are provided to the user when the user selects a first one of the websites, and second different services are provided to the user when the user selects a second one of the websites,wherein the step of providing the first and second different services comprises serving content to the user from the server that is different from content served to the user from the first and second websites, the services further being provided to the user independently from any content delivery operations of the first and second websites.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer and network software, and more particularly it relates to a method and apparatus for providing virtual goods and/or on-line services based on a user'"'"'s virtual location while surfing the web. According to certain aspects, the invention allows interactive objects, virtual goods and on-line services to be automatically provided to users when they visit predetermined partner sites or perform some predetermined on-line activity. According to other aspects, the invention automatically provides parallel destinations for predetermined partner sites that only users of the system can visit, and where such users can receive virtual goods and on-line services, among other content.
118 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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monitoring a user'"'"'s presence at a virtual location on the World Wide Web, the virtual location being selected by the user from among a plurality of different websites on the World Wide Web; communicating the monitored virtual location to a server that is separate from the plurality of different websites; and providing services to the user depending on the monitored virtual location, whereby first services are provided to the user when the user selects a first one of the websites, and second different services are provided to the user when the user selects a second one of the websites, wherein the step of providing the first and second different services comprises serving content to the user from the server that is different from content served to the user from the first and second websites, the services further being provided to the user independently from any content delivery operations of the first and second websites. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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reporting a user'"'"'s presence at a first virtual location on the World Wide Web to a server separate from the first virtual location, the reporting being performed independently from the first virtual location; reporting the user'"'"'s presence at a second virtual location on the World Wide Web to the server, which is also separate from the second virtual location, the reporting being performed independently from the second virtual location; configuring the server to provide a service to users who access the first virtual location, wherein the second virtual location is not similarly configured; serving additional content associated with a service to the user from the server in response to the report of the user'"'"'s presence at the first virtual location, the serving of additional content being performed separately and independently from content served from the first virtual location; and preventing the provision of the service to the user from the server in response to the report of the user'"'"'s presence at the second virtual location. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification