System for prioritizing advertiser communications over a network
First Claim
1. A method for distributing electronic communications by a computer over a computer network, the computer linked to the computer network, the method comprising:
- maintaining a database including a plurality of categories associated with the computer;
maintaining a database of modifiable communications, each of the modifiable communications provided by the computer, the database including at least one modifiable communication for each category of the plurality of categories associated with the computer, each modifiable communication configured for being transmitted over the computer network;
the computer receiving input from users over the computer network, the input including the designation of a category, text for a modifiable communication, a Uniform Resource Locator for a targeted web site on the computer network associated with the user, for the modifiable communication, and a plurality of modifiable bid amounts for the designated category corresponding to the modifiable communication associated with the user, a first bid amount of the plurality of modifiable bid amounts associated with an e-mail distribution channel for the modifiable communication and a second bid amount of the plurality of modifiable bid amounts associated with a web distribution channel for the modifiable communication;
the computer creating at least one operable communication for transmission over the computer network, by providing the inputted text and the Uniform Resource Locator into the at least one modifiable communication for the category designated by the user to create the at least one operable communication associated with the user, the at least one operable communication, when activated by a recipient, is configured for directing the browsing application of a computer associated with the recipient to the targeted web site corresponding to the uniform resource locator, over the computer network; and
,maintaining a database of the modifiable bid amounts for each category associated with the computer, each modifiable bid amount corresponding to each operable communication associated with each user; and
,the computer selecting the at least one operable communication for transmission to a destination over the computer network for a recipient, the selection of the at least one operable communication from a category selected by the computer.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A user creates an advertising campaign by selecting categories and building communications associated with the requisite categories selected. Each user places a bid amount on each category and when the requisite category is selected, the communications associated with the highest bid amounts are sent to recipients, typically over e-mail and/or web channels. The communications typically include text and a link, that includes the uniform resource locator (URL) of a targeted web sire associated with the user, such that when the recipient user activates the link, the browser of the recipient is directed to the targeted web site of the user.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A method for distributing electronic communications by a computer over a computer network, the computer linked to the computer network, the method comprising:
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maintaining a database including a plurality of categories associated with the computer; maintaining a database of modifiable communications, each of the modifiable communications provided by the computer, the database including at least one modifiable communication for each category of the plurality of categories associated with the computer, each modifiable communication configured for being transmitted over the computer network; the computer receiving input from users over the computer network, the input including the designation of a category, text for a modifiable communication, a Uniform Resource Locator for a targeted web site on the computer network associated with the user, for the modifiable communication, and a plurality of modifiable bid amounts for the designated category corresponding to the modifiable communication associated with the user, a first bid amount of the plurality of modifiable bid amounts associated with an e-mail distribution channel for the modifiable communication and a second bid amount of the plurality of modifiable bid amounts associated with a web distribution channel for the modifiable communication; the computer creating at least one operable communication for transmission over the computer network, by providing the inputted text and the Uniform Resource Locator into the at least one modifiable communication for the category designated by the user to create the at least one operable communication associated with the user, the at least one operable communication, when activated by a recipient, is configured for directing the browsing application of a computer associated with the recipient to the targeted web site corresponding to the uniform resource locator, over the computer network; and
,maintaining a database of the modifiable bid amounts for each category associated with the computer, each modifiable bid amount corresponding to each operable communication associated with each user; and
,the computer selecting the at least one operable communication for transmission to a destination over the computer network for a recipient, the selection of the at least one operable communication from a category selected by the computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer system for distributing electronic communications over a computer network, the computer system comprising:
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a database including at least one category; a database including a plurality of communications provided by the computer system for the at least one category, each of the communications associated with a user and including a link to direct a browsing application of a computer, associated with a recipient of one of the communications, to a targeted address on the computer network, the link provided by the user, and each of the communications configured for being transmitted to a destination over the computer network; a database of modifiable bid amounts for the at least one category, a first bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with an e-mail distribution channel for a first communication in the at least one category and a second bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with a web distribution channel for the first communication in the at least one category; a bidding engine for ordering each of the communications associated with each user, in accordance with the modifiable bid amounts, into an order for the at least one category; a computerized component for initiating the selecting of a category from the at least one category; and a computerized component for selecting a communication from the selected category from the order for transmission to a destination for a recipient over the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer system for distributing electronic communications over a computer network, the computer system comprising:
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a database including at least one category; a database including a plurality of communications provided by the computer system for the at least one category, each of the communications associated with a user and including a link to direct a browsing application of a computer associated with a recipient of one of the communications to a targeted address on the computer network, the link provided by the user, and each of the communications configured for being transmitted to a destination over the computer network; a database of modifiable bid amounts for the at least one category for at least one of an e-mail channel or a web channel, a first bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with an e-mail distribution channel for a first communication in the at least one category and a second bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with a web distribution channel for the first communication in the at least one category; a bidding engine for ordering each of the communications associated with each user, in accordance with the modifiable bid amounts, for a category, for at least one of the e-mail channel or the web channel; a computerized component for initiating the selecting of a category from the at least one category; and a computerized component for selecting a communication from the selected category from the order for transmission to a destination for a recipient over the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for distributing electronic communications over a computer network comprising:
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a database including a plurality of categories; a database including a plurality of modifiable communications, each of the modifiable communications provided by the system, at least one modifiable communication of the plurality of modifiable communications for each category of the plurality of categories; a processor programmed to; receive input from users over the computer network including, the designation of a category, text, a Uniform Resource Locator for a targeted web site associated with the user and the resulting operable communication associated with the user, and, a plurality of modifiable bid amounts for the category designated, a first bid amount of the plurality of modifiable bid amounts associated with an e-mail distribution channel for the modifiable communication and a second bid amount of the plurality of modifiable bid amounts associated with a web distribution channel for the modifiable communication; and
,create at least one operable communication for transmission over the computer network, by providing the inputted text and the Uniform Resource Locator into the at least one modifiable communication for the designated category, to create the at least one operable communication for the determined category associated with the user, the at least one operable communication for transmission by the system to a destination over the computer network; and
,a bidding engine configured for receiving the modifiable bid amounts for each category designated by each user, each modifiable bid amount corresponding to each of the operable communications associated with each user, and ordering each of the operable communications associated with each user into an order for each category in accordance with the modifiable bid amounts provided by each user. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for distributing electronic communications by a computer system over a computer network, the computer system linked to the computer network, the method comprising:
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maintaining a database in the computer system including at least one category; maintaining a database including a plurality of communications provided by the computer system for the at least one category in the computer system, each of the communications associated with a user, and including a link to direct a browsing application of a computer, associated with a recipient of one of the communications, to a targeted address on the computer network, the link provided by the user, and each of the communications configured for being transmitted to a destination over the computer network; maintaining a database of modifiable bid amounts for the at least one category in the computer system, a first bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with an e-mail distribution channel for a first communication in the at least one category and a second bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with a web distribution channel for the first communication in the at least one category; the computer system initiating the selecting of one category of the at least one category; the computer system ranking each of the communications in an order, in accordance with the modifiable bid amounts, for the selected category; and the computer system selecting one of the communications from the selected category from the order for transmission to a destination for a recipient over the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for distributing electronic communications by a computer system over a computer network, the computer system linked to the computer network, the method comprising:
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maintaining a database in the computer system including at least one category; maintaining a database including at least one communication provided by the computer system for the at least one category in the computer system, each communication associated with a user, and including a link to direct a browsing application of a computer, associated with a recipient of one of the communications, to a targeted address on the computer network, provided by the user, and each of the communications configured for being transmitted to a destination over the computer network; maintaining a database of modifiable bid amounts for the at least one category in the computer system, a first bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with an e-mail distribution channel for a first communication in the at least one category and a second bid amount of the modifiable bid amounts associated with a web distribution channel for the first communication in the at least one category; the computer system initiating the selecting of one category of the at least one category; the computer system ranking each communication in an order, for the selected category; and the computer system selecting one communication from the selected category from the order for transmission to a destination for a recipient over the computer network. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification