Method improving pay-per-click web-based search engines, and the like

• US 20040158528A1
• Filed: 02/07/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brite Smart Corporation
• Original Assignee: Brite Smart Corporation
• Inventors: Zuili, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

This invention improves upon existing pay-per-click arrangements periodically generating a code associated with the search-engine users. This code, preferably in the form of a serial number, is compared to the user of the website, such that by observing a metric like the number of clicks for a given period of time, be it a short time or a longer period, such as a day or a week, the system can automatically determine if certain clicks are illegitimate. This allows the pay-per-click company to more fairly invoice the merchants, thereby preventing fraudulent over use.

Claims

1. In a pay-per-click system of the type wherein a search engine lists merchant websites in an order according to incremental compensation for click-through to the websites, the improvement comprising the steps of:

generating a code associated with a user of the search engine; and

concatenating the code prior to the click-through to determine whether the requested link to the merchant website is legitimate or fraudulent.

2. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the code is a serial number.

3. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the code is stored using activeX.

4. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the code is stored using Java or Javascript.

5. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the code is stored as a cookie.

6. The improvement of claim 1, wherein the pay-per-click system prevents a click-though to the merchant website if it is determined that the requested link to the merchant website is fraudulent.

7. The improvement of claim 1, wherein system determines that the requested link to the merchant website is fraudulent based upon a predetermined number of requests from the same user during a given period of time.