Method and system to facilitate an online promotion relating to a network-based marketplace

• US 20040204967A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Pedone, Greg, McSpadden, Kevin, Lee, Stacy A., Early, Justin Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,881,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A method and system to facilitate an online promotion in a network-based marketplace. A user-provided election to participate in the online promotion is recorded on a client machine associated with a user. Responsive to a trigger event, a determination of the user-provided election as recorded on the client machine associated with the user is made. The determination causes a presentation of the online promotion if so elected.

Claims

1. A method to facilitate an online promotion in a network-based marketplace, the method including:

causing a user-provided election to participate in the online promotion to be recorded on a client machine associated with a user; and

responsive to a trigger event, requesting a determination of the user-provided election as recorded on the client machine associated with the user, the determination to cause a presentation of the online promotion if so elected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing includes communicating a user-interface that enables the user to elect to participate in the online promotion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing includes storing the user-provided election within a cookie on the client machine.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the requesting includes reading the cookie as stored on the client machine.

5. The method of claim 4, further including a one-by-one invisible pixel in a further user-interface presented to the user, the invisible pixel to read the cookie stored on the client machine and to determine the user-provided election.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger event includes a progression of an online transaction to a predetermined activity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined activity includes submission of a bid during an online auction.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined activity includes submitting an offer as part of the online transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, further including communicating user information associated with the user to a service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user information includes at least one of a referring universal resource locator, a user identifier, a time and date stamp, and a listing number.

11. The method of claim 10, further including communicating the user information via the service to the network-based marketplace.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the time and date stamp is utilized to limit participation of the user in the online promotion.

13. A system to facilitate an online promotion in a network-based marketplace, the method including:

an election module to cause a user-provided election to participate in the online promotion to be recorded on a client machine associated with a user; and

responsive to a trigger event, a listing module to request a determination of the user-provided election as recorded on the client machine associated with the user, the determination to cause a presentation of the online promotion if so elected.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the election module is to communicate a user-interface to enable the user to elect to participate in the online promotion.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the election module is to cause to record the user-provided election within a cookie on the client machine.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the listing module is to request to read the cookie as stored on the client machine.

17. The system of claim 16, further including the listing module to communicate a user interface that includes a one-by-one invisible pixel, the invisible pixel to read the cookie stored on the client machine and to determine the user-provided election.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the trigger event includes a progression of an online transaction to a predetermined activity.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined activity includes submission of a bid during an online auction.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined activity includes submitting an offer as part of the online transaction.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the listing module to request to determine the user-provided election further includes to cause to communicate user information associated with the user to a service, if the online promotion is so elected.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the user information includes at least one of a referring universal resource locator, a user identifier, a time and date stamp, and a listing number.

23. The method of claim 22, further including a detection module to receive information from the service.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the detection module is to read the information that includes a time and date stamp that is used to limit participation of the user in the online promotion.

25. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

cause a user-provided election to participate in the online promotion to be recorded on a client machine associated with a user; and

responsive to a trigger event, to request a determination of the user-provided election as recorded on the client machine associated with the user, the determination to cause a presentation of the online promotion if so elected.

26. A method to facilitate an online promotion in a network-based marketplace, the method including:

at a client machine associated with a user, recording a user-provided election to participate in the online promotion on the client machine;

at the client machine, responsive to a trigger event, reading the user-provided election; and

at the client machine, if the user-provided election indicates participation in the online promotion, presenting the online promotion to the user.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the causing includes presenting a user-interface that enables the user to elect to participate in the online promotion.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the causing includes storing the user-provided election within the cookie on the client machine.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the determining includes reading the cookie as stored on the client machine.

30. The method of claim 29, further including a one-by-one invisible pixel in a further user-interface presented to the user, the invisible pixel to read the cookie stored on the client machine and to determine the user-provided election.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the trigger event includes a progression of an online transaction to a predetermined activity.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the predetermined activity includes submission of a bid during an online auction.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the predetermined activity includes submitting an offer as part of the online transaction.

34. The method of claim 26, further including communicating user information associated with the user to a service.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the user information includes at least one of a referring universal resource locator, a user identifier, a time and date stamp, and a listing number.

36. The method of claim 35, further including communicating the user information via the service to the network-based marketplace.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the time and date stamp is utilized to limit participation of the user in the online promotion.

38. A client application program to facilitate an online promotion in a network-based marketplace, the client application program including:

a logic component to record a user-provided election to participate in the online promotion on a client machine associated with a user; and

a communication component to receive a trigger event and to communicate with the logic component, wherein the logic component is to utilize the trigger event to determine if the user-provided election indicates participation in the online promotion, the communication component to cause presentation of the online promotion if so elected.

39. The client application program of claim 38, wherein the communication component is to present a user-interface to the user that enables the user to elect to participate in the online promotion.

40. The client application program of claim 38, wherein the logic component is to record the user-provided election within a cookie on the client machine.

41. The client application program of claim 40, wherein the logic component is to determine if the user provided election indicates participation in the online promotion capable by reading the cookie as stored on the client machine.

42. The client application program of claim 41, wherein the logic component is to execute a one-by-one invisible pixel to read the cookie stored on the client machine and to determine if the user provided election indicates participation in the online promotion.

43. The client application program of claim 38, wherein the trigger event includes a progression of an online transaction to a predetermined activity.

44. The client application program of claim 43, wherein the predetermined activity includes submission of a bid for an online auction.

45. The client application program of claim 43, wherein the predetermined activity includes a submission of an offer as part of the online transaction.

46. The client application program of claim 38, wherein the communication component is to communicate user information associated with the user to a service.

47. The client application program of claim 38, wherein the user information includes at least one of a universal resource locator, a user identifier, a time and date stamp, and a listing number.

48. The client application of claim 46, wherein the communication component is to communicate the user information via the service to the network-based marketplace.

49. The client application of claim 48, wherein the user information includes a time and date stamp that is utilized to limit participation of the user in the online promotion.

50. A machine readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

record a user-provided election to participate in the online promotion on the client machine;

responsive to a trigger event, read the user-provided election; and

if the user-provided election indicates participation in the online promotion, present the online promotion to the user.

51. A client application program to facilitate an online promotion in a network-based marketplace, the client application program including:

a first means to record a user-provided election to participate in the online promotion on a client machine associated with a user; and

a second means to receive a trigger event and to communicate with the first means, wherein the first means is to utilize the trigger event to determine if the user-provided election indicates participation in the online promotion, the second means to cause presentation of the online promotion if so elected.