Method and system for transacting with network traffic

• US 9,202,223 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): OBAID, FATEH M
• Application Number:
  US12/788,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method for using targeted network traffic as payment-in-kind in exchange for rights to anything that may be connected to a network, such as network-connected computer hardware and copyrighted software or content on such hardware, is disclosed. The method may be adapted for use with almost any product or service which may be tracked over a network. The system and method are for use with transactions between a user of a subject product or service and a provider of the subject product or service desiring to receive traffic to a target in exchange for it.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computer-based device, data encoding state information from a network-based product or service, wherein the network-based product or service is in networked communication with the computer-based device, wherein the network-based product or service corresponds to a network resource for a web page or web site, and wherein the state information is indicative of a usage of the network-based product or service by a user;

detecting, by the computer-based device, that a link displayed by a web browser has been selected by the user to request use of the network-based product or service;

based on the state information and detecting the request, the computer-based device determining a debit amount associated with the request to use the network-based product or service;

receiving, by the computer-based device, an indication that network traffic to a designated web-based target has been generated by the user;

calculating, by the computer-based device, a credit value for the user, wherein the credit value is associated with the network traffic generated by the user, and wherein the credit value is usable for the user to use the network-based product or service; and

determining, by the computer-based device, whether to grant the request to use the network-based product or service, wherein the determining is based on a comparison of the credit value usable for the user to use the network-based product or service to the debit amount.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that the request is not granted, the computer-based device modifying source code corresponding to the link to incorporate source code corresponding to an additional link selectable by the user to navigate to a particular designated web-based target.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network resource includes a server computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on information indicating that the credit value usable for the user to use the network-based product or service is lower than the debit amount, the computer-based device denying the request; and

the computer-based device notifying the user, via a networked connection, that additional credit value associated with network traffic to the designated web-based target should be generated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the computer-based device causing the state information to be updated subsequent to the computer-based device granting the request to use the network-based product or service.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based product or service includes a web-based application software.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the credit value is based on a type of action associated with the network traffic generated by the user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on information indicating that the network traffic to the designated web-based target includes a web-based transaction, the computer-based device calculating the credit value based on the web-based transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon detecting that the link has been selected, the computer-based device calculating the credit value based on a multiplier corresponding to the link.

10. A computing system, comprising:

a processor; and

one or more memories that are configured to communicate with the processor, the one or more memories having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor in order to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising;

receiving data encoding state information from a network-based product or service, wherein the network-based product or service is in networked communication with the computing system, wherein the network-based product or service corresponds to a network resource for a web page or web site, and wherein the state information is indicative of a usage of the network-based product or service by a user;

receiving a request from the user to use the network-based product or service, wherein the request is associated with a debit amount for the use of the network-based product or service;

receiving network traffic information indicative of network traffic generated by the user to a designated web-based target;

in response to receiving the network traffic information and based on the state information, calculating a credit value associated with the network traffic information, wherein the credit value is usable in exchange for the use of the network-based product or service; and

permitting the request to use the network-based product or service, based on an exchange of at least a portion of the credit value for at least a portion of the debit amount.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

incorporating source code for a link into a particular website, wherein the link is selectable by the user to navigate to the designated web-based target.

12. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the network traffic information from a sponsor of the network-based product or service;

based on the network traffic information, applying a conversion factor to the network traffic to calculate the credit value; and

deducting, from an account of the user, the portion of the credit value in exchange for permitting the request to use the network-based product or service.

13. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

prior to the permitting, notifying the user that additional network traffic to the designated web-based target should be generated based on information indicating that the credit value is less than a threshold value; and

modifying a particular website to include an additional link selectable by the user to navigate to the designated web-based target or a different designated web-based target.

14. The computing system of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the network traffic information, determining that the network traffic generated by the user includes a type of action performed at the designated web-based target; and

calculating the credit value based on the type of action.

15. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computing system to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving data encoding state information from a network-based product or service, wherein the network-based product or service is in networked communication with the computing system, wherein the network-based product or service corresponds to a network resource for a web page or web site, and wherein the state information is indicative of a usage of the network-based product or service by a user;

receiving a request of the user to use the network-based product or service, wherein the request is associated with a debit amount for the use of the network-based product or service;

receiving network traffic information indicative of network traffic generated by the user to a designated web-based target;

calculating a credit value associated with the network traffic information, wherein the credit value is usable in exchange for the use of the network-based product or service; and

determining whether to permit the request to use the network-based product or service by the user based on an exchange of at least a portion of the credit value for at least a portion of the debit amount.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

upon permitting the request, causing the state information to be updated based on a value, the value being the credit value reduced by the debit amount.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

communicating, via a networked connection, with a computer device having a hardware component configured to display the network-based product or service to the user; and

wherein the request is received based on the communicating.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on comparison information indicating that the credit value is lower than the debit amount, transmitting a payment request to the user for the request to use the network-based product or service; and

upon receiving a payment from the user, permitting the request to use the network-based product or service.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

based on the credit value, increasing a credit balance of an account of the user from a first balance to a second balance;

based on balance information indicating that the second balance is larger than the debit amount, permitting the request to use the network-based product or service; and

decreasing the second balance by the debit amount and causing the state information to be updated based on permitting the request.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

comparing the credit value a threshold amount; and

based on a result of the comparing, wherein the result indicates that the credit value is below the threshold value, providing the user with an option to generate additional network traffic to the designated web-based target or to transmit a payment for the use.