Network advertising methods and apparatus
First Claim
1. A network advertising system, comprising:
- a primary advertiser database that stores a list of primary advertisers willing to pay a secondary advertiser to (i) embed advertising content into electronic media to which access by a potential customer is controlled by the secondary advertiser, and (ii) make the electronic media with the embedded advertising content viewable by the potential customer in a manner that allows the potential customer to be exposed to an advertisement;
a tagging unit that allows a secondary advertiser to embed the advertising content by tagging an item within the electronic media by indicating an area on or near the item, the tagging causing either or both of (i) a visual indicator and (ii) a tag label to be displayed on the electronic media, the tag label being text generated by the secondary advertiser;
a text block unit that receives a search query from the secondary advertiser, retrieves primary advertiser information from the primary advertiser database in response to the search query and displays the primary advertiser information to the secondary advertiser, receives the secondary advertiser'"'"'s selection of the primary advertiser information, and, after the item has been tagged by the secondary advertiser, associates the tagged item with a link of the primary advertiser in response to the selection of the primary advertiser information, wherein no advertisement other than the tag label or visual indicator is displayed with the electronic media, and wherein the link directs the potential customer to a specific site selected by the secondary advertiser;
a revenue-generating transaction database that records secondary advertising events for which the primary advertiser is willing to pay; and
an accounting unit that tracks what is owed by the primary advertiser based on the events recorded by the revenue-generating transaction database.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network advertising system and method includes an item within electronic media being tagged by a secondary advertiser. A text block unit receives a search query from the secondary advertiser, retrieves primary advertiser information from the primary advertiser database in response to the search query and displays the primary advertiser information to the secondary advertiser, receives the secondary advertiser'"'"'s selection of the primary advertiser information, and associates the tagged item with advertising content of the primary advertiser in response to the selection of the primary advertiser information. Revenue may be shared based on recorded secondary advertising events, the secondary advertising events including one or more of (i) an indication that a potential customer has viewed the advertising content, (ii) an indication that the primary advertiser information has been displayed as a search result to the secondary advertiser, (iii) an indication that a potential customer has completed a purchase of a product based on the advertising content and (iv) an indication that the secondary advertiser has associated or maintained the association of an item with the advertising content.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A network advertising system, comprising:
-
a primary advertiser database that stores a list of primary advertisers willing to pay a secondary advertiser to (i) embed advertising content into electronic media to which access by a potential customer is controlled by the secondary advertiser, and (ii) make the electronic media with the embedded advertising content viewable by the potential customer in a manner that allows the potential customer to be exposed to an advertisement; a tagging unit that allows a secondary advertiser to embed the advertising content by tagging an item within the electronic media by indicating an area on or near the item, the tagging causing either or both of (i) a visual indicator and (ii) a tag label to be displayed on the electronic media, the tag label being text generated by the secondary advertiser; a text block unit that receives a search query from the secondary advertiser, retrieves primary advertiser information from the primary advertiser database in response to the search query and displays the primary advertiser information to the secondary advertiser, receives the secondary advertiser'"'"'s selection of the primary advertiser information, and, after the item has been tagged by the secondary advertiser, associates the tagged item with a link of the primary advertiser in response to the selection of the primary advertiser information, wherein no advertisement other than the tag label or visual indicator is displayed with the electronic media, and wherein the link directs the potential customer to a specific site selected by the secondary advertiser; a revenue-generating transaction database that records secondary advertising events for which the primary advertiser is willing to pay; and an accounting unit that tracks what is owed by the primary advertiser based on the events recorded by the revenue-generating transaction database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19)
-
-
15. A network advertising method, comprising:
-
maintaining a primary advertiser database that stores a list of primary advertisers willing to pay secondary advertisers to (i) embed advertising content into electronic media to which access by a potential customer is controlled by the secondary advertiser, and (ii) make the electronic media with the embedded advertising content viewable by the potential customers in a manner that allows the potential customer to be exposed to an advertisement; receiving an indication that the secondary advertiser has embedded the advertising content by tagging an item within the electronic media by indicating an area on or near the item, the tagging causing either or both of (i) a visual indicator and (ii) a tag label to be displayed on the electronic media, the tag label being text generated by the secondary advertiser; receiving a search query from the secondary advertiser, retrieving primary advertiser information from the primary advertiser database in response to the search query and displaying the primary advertiser information to the secondary advertiser, receiving the secondary advertiser'"'"'s selection of the primary advertiser information, and, after the item has been tagged by the secondary advertiser, associating the tagged item with a link of the primary advertiser in response to the selection of the primary advertiser information, wherein no advertisement other than the tag label or visual indicator is displayed with the electronic media, and wherein the link directs the potential customer to a specific site selected by the secondary advertiser; recording secondary advertising events for which the primary advertiser is willing to pay; and tracking what is owed by the primary advertiser based on the events recorded by the revenue-generating transaction database. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
Specification