MONETIZATION OF INTERACTIVE NETWORK-BASED INFORMATION OBJECTS

• US 20110060667A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 03/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kraft, Reiner
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers

Abstract

An information objects is defined that is representative of a real-world entity (e.g., a product or a service). The information object may be stored in a data store. The information object has an associated owner. A communication channel is associated with the information object that is configurable to route communications to a manager assigned to the information object. A party is enabled to obtain management of the information object for a time period. The communication channel is configured to route to the party requests that are made by interacting with the information object during the time period. A plurality of users is enabled to interact with the information object during the time period to input requests to the party over the communication channel.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

defining an information object representative of a real-world entity, the information object being stored in a data store and the information object having an associated owner;

associating a communication channel with the information object that is configurable to route communications to a manager assigned to the information object;

enabling a party to obtain management of the information object for a time period;

configuring the communication channel to route to the party requests that are made by interacting with the information object during the time period; and

enabling a plurality of users to interact with the information object during the time period to input requests to the party over the communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling a party to obtain management of the information object for a time period comprises:

enabling the party to obtain management of the information object for a time period in exchange for compensation to the owner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling a party to obtain management of the information object for a time period comprises:

receiving a plurality of bids from a plurality parties for temporary management of the information object, the plurality of bids including a bid from the party; and

performing an auction using the plurality of bids to select the party to obtain management of the information object for a time period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said enabling a party to obtain management of the information object for a time period further comprises:

determining compensation to be provided by the selected party to the owner according to a monetary amount associated with the plurality of bids.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said configuring comprises:

associating at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL), an email address, a chat address, or a text messaging address associated with the party with the information object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said enabling a plurality of users to interact with the information object during the first time period to input requests to the party over the communication channel comprises:

providing the information object to be displayed on a page, the display of the information object including at least one user interface element that enables a user to input a request to the party over the communication channel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a second party to obtain management of the information object for a second time period subsequent to the first time period; and

configuring the communication channel to route to the second party requests that are made by interacting with the information object during the second time period.

8. A system, comprising:

an object builder module configured to enable an information object representative of a real-world entity to be defined, and to associate a communication channel with the information object, the information object having an associated owner, the communication channel being configurable to route communications to a manager assigned to the information object; and

an information object allocator configured to enable a party to obtain management of the information object for a time period, and to configure the communication channel to route to the party requests that are made by interacting with the information object during the time period.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the information object allocator is configured to enable the party to obtain management of the information object for a time period in exchange for compensation to the owner.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the information object allocator comprises:

a bid interface module configured to receive a plurality of bids from a plurality parties for temporary management of the information object, the plurality of bids including a bid from the party; and

an auction module configured to perform an auction using the plurality of bids to select the party to obtain management of the information object for a time period.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the information object allocator further comprises:

a compensation module configured to determine compensation for the owner for providing management of the information object to the selected party for the time period according to a monetary amount associated with the plurality of bids.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the information object allocator comprises:

a managing party assigner configured to assign at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL), an email address, a chat address, or a text messaging address associated with the party with the information object.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the information object allocator is configured to enable the plurality of users to interact with the information object by transmitting the information object to a server to be enabled to be displayed to the users.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the information object allocator is configured to enable a second party to obtain management of the information object for a second time period subsequent to the first time period, and to configure the communication channel to route to the second party requests that are made by interacting with the information object during the second time period.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to manage information objects, comprising:

first computer program logic means for enabling the processor to configure an information object representative of a real-world entity, the information object being stored in a data store and the information object having an associated owner;

second computer program logic means for enabling the processor to associate a communication channel with the information object that is configurable to route communications to a manager assigned to the information object;

third computer program logic means for enabling the processor to enable a party to obtain management of the information object for a time period;

fourth computer program logic means for enabling the processor to configure the communication channel to route to the party requests that are made by interacting with the information object during the time period; and

fifth computer program logic means for enabling the processor to enable a plurality of users to interact with the information object during the first time period to input requests to the party over the communication channel.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said third computer program logic means comprises:

sixth computer program logic means for enabling the processor to receive a plurality of bids from a plurality parties for temporary management of the information object, the plurality of bids including a bid from the party; and

seventh computer program logic means for enabling the processor to perform an auction using the plurality of bids to select the party to obtain management of the information object for a time period.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said third computer program logic means further comprises:

eighth computer program logic means for enabling the processor to determine compensation to be provided by the selected party to the owner according to a monetary amount associated with the plurality of bids.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said fourth computer program logic means comprises:

sixth computer program logic means for enabling the processor to associate at least one of a uniform resource locator (URL), an email address, a chat address, or a text messaging address associated with the party with the information object.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said fifth computer program logic means comprises:

sixth computer program logic means for enabling the processor to provide the information object to be displayed on a page, the display of the information object including at least one user interface element that enables a user to input a request to the party over the communication channel.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

sixth computer program logic means for enabling the processor to enable a second party to obtain management of the information object for a second time period subsequent to the first time period; and

seventh computer program logic means for enabling the processor to configure the communication channel to route to the second party requests that are made by interacting with the information object during the second time period.