Dynamic indicator for context sensitive real-time communications

• US 20050044224A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Inventors: Jun, Gyuchang, Graves, Matthew C., Huang, Kurt H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,041 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method and apparatus in which a Spender may spend money to buy an item, spend money on a donation, etc. A Spender (sometimes called a buyer) will typically use client software to access content, where the client is typically a computing device that includes a display, which facilitates the transaction between a Spender and an Earner. An “Earner” (sometimes called a seller) is someone who provides items or content within the system for sale, trade, or acquisition in return for credit or money earned. In the described embodiments, an Earner'"'"'s server may be anything, which serves content and/or includes an Earner gateway, which facilitates trusted third party interaction frequently used in the system, and may also be used to describe several servers or a server farm. In some embodiments, the Earner'"'"'s server is included as a part of the server controlling content access.

Claims

1. A method of allowing access to web-based content, comprising:

allowing a potential spender to place money into an account stored in a database;

receiving from the potential spender, an indication that the potential spender desires access to the web-based content; and

deciding whether the potential spender is granted access to the web-based content in accordance with a login status of the potential spender.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication includes:

receiving an indication that the potential spender has performed an activity associated with the web-based content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication includes:

mousing over an icon associated with the web-based contents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication includes:

mousing over text displayed on a web page, the text associated with the web-based content.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

displaying an icon associated with the web-based content, the icon indicating whether the potential spender has enough money in the account to afford the web-based content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication includes:

displaying an icon associated with the web-based content, the icon indicating that the web-based content is free to the potential spender.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication includes:

displaying an icon associated with the web-based content, the icon indicating that the web-based content costs more than a threshold amount associated with the potential spender.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication includes:

displaying an icon associated with the web-based content, the icon indicating that the web-based content costs less than a threshold amount associated with the potential spender.

11. The Method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an indicator associated with the web-based content in a first color when the potential spender is not logged in; and

displaying an indicator associated with the web-based content in a second color when the potential spender is not logged in.

9. A method of allowing access to web-based content, comprising:

allowing a potential spender to prepay money into an account stored in a database;

receiving from the potential spender, an indication that the potential spender desires access to the web-based content; and

deciding whether the potential spender is granted access to the web-based content in accordance with an amount of money in the account.

10. A method of allowing access to web-based content, comprising:

allowing a potential spender to prepay money into an account stored in a database;

receiving from the potential spender, an indication that the potential spender desires access to the web-based content; and

deciding whether the potential spender is granted access to the web-based content in accordance with a threshold value set by the potential spender and a cost of the web-based content.