Software agent for facilitating electronic commerce transactions through display of targeted promotions or coupons
First Claim
1. A method for use in presenting on-line promotions to users, comprising:
- monitoring a user'"'"'s network interaction;
determining whether to present an indication of a promotion to the user based upon criteria related to the user'"'"'s network interaction and related to the user; and
selectively presenting the indication of the promotion to the user based upon the determining.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A software agent for locally tracking a user'"'"'s network interaction, such as web browsing, and providing targeted promotions with optional coupons to the user. The monitoring involves use of a downloaded file of network addresses and words potentially tailored to each individual user. The software agent locally compares addresses of sites accessed and words used in searching to the stored addresses and key words in the file. Upon detecting a match, the software agent contacts a system server to obtain a promotion with an optional coupon for the match, and displays an indication of the promotion or coupon to the user, providing the user with the option to view or decline the promotion. The user is provided with redeemable credits for viewing promotions, which can include transferring the user to a site of a merchant offering the promotion. The coupons can include coupons targeted to users geographically close to particular merchants so that the coupons can be printed and redeemed at the merchant'"'"'s establishment.
277 Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method for use in presenting on-line promotions to users, comprising:
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monitoring a user'"'"'s network interaction;
determining whether to present an indication of a promotion to the user based upon criteria related to the user'"'"'s network interaction and related to the user; and
selectively presenting the indication of the promotion to the user based upon the determining. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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25. A method for use in presenting on-line promotions to users, comprising:
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downloading pieces of information associated with possible promotions for the user based upon user criteria;
monitoring a user'"'"'s network interaction;
locally determining whether the user'"'"'s network interaction satisfies any of the pieces of information;
downloading, based upon the determining, a promotion associated with one of the pieces of information satisfied by the user'"'"'s network interaction; and
presenting, based upon the determining, the indication of the downloaded promotion to the user.
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29. An apparatus for use in presenting on-line promotions to users, comprising:
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a monitor module for monitoring a user'"'"'s network interaction;
a determine module for determining whether to present an indication of a promotion to the user based upon criteria related to the user'"'"'s network interaction and related to the user; and
a presentation module for selectively presenting the indication of the promotion to the user based upon the determining.
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53. A apparatus for use in presenting on-line promotions to users, comprising:
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a module for downloading pieces of information associated with possible promotions for the user based upon user criteria;
a monitor module for monitoring a user'"'"'s network interaction;
a determine module for locally determining whether the user'"'"'s network interaction satisfies any of the pieces of information;
a promotion module for downloading, based upon the determining, a promotion associated with one of the pieces of information satisfied by the user'"'"'s network interaction; and
a presentation module for presenting, based upon the determining, the indication of the downloaded promotion to the user. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 58)
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57. A computer program product, comprising:
electronically stored instructions, downloadable over a network, for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method including;
monitoring a user'"'"'s network interaction;
determining whether to present an indication of a promotion to the user based upon criteria related to the user'"'"'s network interaction and related to the user; and
selectively presenting the indication of the promotion to the user based upon the determining.
Specification