Method and System for Facilitating Access to a Promotional Offer

• US 20140074579A1
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Retailmenot Incorporated (J2 Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Retailmenot Incorporated (J2 Global, Inc.)
• Inventors: King, Guy Phillip William
• Granted Patent: US 9,626,688 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0211 Determining the effectiveness of discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A method of facilitating access to a promotional offer, the method comprising: receiving at a server system a page request from a client device; and sending program code executable in a browser application to the client device in response to the page request, the program code being executable to display at least one promotional offer and a promotional code, to provide a flash object at a display position of the promotional code and, in response to selection of the flash object, to cause the promotional code to be copied to a user-accessible memory of the client device and to open a new browser display of the browser application.

Claims

1. A system configured to operate a coupon-sharing website in an affiliate network, the coupon-sharing website facilitating user coupon redemption by serving instructions that when executed on a client computing device effectuate loading a user selected coupon code into a clipboard memory of the client computing device for pasting into a coupon redemption input of a merchant website, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, from a client computing device, at a coupon-sharing website server, one or more serve requests for promotional-offer web content;

sending, in response to the one or more serve requests, from the coupon-sharing website server, the promotional-offer web content to the client computing device, wherein the promotional-offer web content includes instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

displaying a promotional-offer web-page specified by the promotional-offer web content at the client computing device in a browser application of the client computing device, the promotional offer web-page having a promotional offer comprising;

a display portion associated with a coupon code and overlaid with a flash object,

a description of the promotion, and

a feedback portion indicative of the efficacy of the promotional offer;

receiving a selection of the flash object by a user;

after receiving the selection of the flash object by the user, automatically performing steps comprising;

copying the coupon code from within a secure sandbox of the browser application to a clipboard memory of the client computing device, the copying to the clipboard memory being caused at least in part by the selection of the flash object and being otherwise prohibited by the browser application; and

sending a second serve request from the client computing device to the coupon-sharing website server, the second serve request including an identifier of the promotional offer having the selected flash object;

after receiving the second serve request, at the coupon-sharing website server, sending to the client computing device a uniform resource locator (URL) of an affiliate-network server and instructions that direct the client computing device to the URL of the affiliate-network server and instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

sending a third serve request to the affiliate-network server addressed by the URL, wherein the third serve request identifies the coupon-sharing website to the affiliate network server, such that the affiliate-network server receives information sufficient to cause the third serve request to be associated with the coupon-sharing website and provision of the promotional offer by the coupon-sharing website is compensable by a retailer making the promotional offer;

receiving, from the affiliate-network server instructions that direct the client computing device to a retailer website to which the promotional offer pertains; and

displaying the retailer website on the client computing device, the retailer website including a field to redeem the promotional offer, wherein while displaying the retailer website, the coupon code remains in clipboard memory of the client computing device such that, after receiving direction from the user, the client computing device is operative to paste the coupon code from the clipboard memory of the client computing device into the field to redeem the promotional offer with the retailer website.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback portion comprises a positive and a negative voting button, wherein selection of the positive or negative voting buttons causes the client computing device to transmit a message to the coupon-sharing website server indicating a status of a vote.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the display portion associated with the coupon code displays the coupon code.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the flash object is a flash movie that is transparent, is overlaid on the coupon code, and is an empty flash movie.

5. A system configured to operate a coupon-sharing website in an affiliate network, the coupon-sharing website facilitating user coupon redemption by serving instructions that when executed on a client computing device effectuate loading a user selected coupon code into a clipboard memory of the client computing device for pasting into a coupon redemption input of a retailer website, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, from a client computing device, at a coupon-sharing website server, one or more serve requests for promotional-offer web content;

sending, in response to the one or more serve requests, from the coupon-sharing website server, the promotional-offer web content to the client computing device, wherein the promotional-offer web content includes instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

displaying a promotional-offer web-page specified by the promotional-offer web content at the client computing device in a browser application of the client computing device, the promotional offer web-page having a promotional offer comprising a display portion associated with a coupon code and a flash object,

receiving a selection of the promotional offer by a user;

after receiving the selection of the promotional offer, automatically performing steps comprising;

copying the coupon code from within a secure sandbox of the browser application to a clipboard memory of the client computing device, the copying to the clipboard memory being caused at least in part by the selection of the promotional offer and being otherwise prohibited by the browser application; and

sending a second serve request from the client computing device to the coupon-sharing website server, the second serve request including an identifier of the promotional offer having the selected flash object;

after receiving the second serve request, at the coupon-sharing website server, sending to the client computing device instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

requesting from an affiliate network server an address of a website of a merchant issuing the selected promotional offer, wherein the request for an address includes information sufficient to associate the request for an address with the coupon-sharing website,

wherein the coupon code remains in clipboard memory of the client computing device such that, after receiving direction from the user, the client computing device is operative to paste the coupon code from the clipboard memory of the client computing device into a website field to redeem the promotional offer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the promotional offer includes a feedback portion that comprises a positive and a negative voting button, wherein selection of the positive or negative voting buttons causes the client computing device to transmit a message to the coupon-sharing website server indicating a status of a vote.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the display portion associated with the coupon code displays the coupon code.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the flash object is a flash movie that is transparent, is overlaid on the coupon code, and is an empty flash movie.

9. A system configured to operate a coupon-sharing website in an affiliate network, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, from a client computing device, at a coupon-sharing website server, one or more requests for promotional-offer web content;

sending, in response to the one or more requests, from the coupon-sharing website server, the promotional-offer web content to the client computing device, wherein the promotional-offer web content includes instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

displaying a promotional-offer web-page specified by the promotional-offer web content at the client computing device in a browser application of the client computing device, the promotional offer web-page having a promotional offer associated with a coupon code;

receiving a selection of the promotional offer by a user;

after receiving the selection of the promotional offer, automatically performing steps comprising;

copying, with a flash object, the coupon code from within a secure sandbox of the browser application to a clipboard memory of the client computing device, the copying to the clipboard memory being caused at least in part by the selection of the promotional offer and being prohibited by the browser application for scripts other than the flash object; and

sending a second serve request from the client computing device to the coupon-sharing website server, the second serve request including an identifier of the promotional offer;

after receiving the second serve request, at the coupon-sharing website server, sending to the client computing device instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

requesting from an affiliate network server an address of a website of a merchant issuing the selected promotional offer, wherein the request for an address includes information sufficient to associate the request for an address with the coupon-sharing website.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the promotional offer includes a feedback portion that comprises a positive and a negative voting button, wherein selection of the positive or negative voting buttons causes the client computing device to transmit a message to the coupon-sharing website server indicating a status of a vote.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein promotional offer includes a display portion associated with the coupon code displays the coupon code.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the flash object is a flash movie that is transparent, is overlaid on the coupon code, and is an empty flash movie.

13. A system configured to operate a coupon-sharing website in an affiliate network, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, from a client computing device, at a coupon-sharing website server, one or more requests for promotional-offer web content;

sending, in response to the one or more requests, from the coupon-sharing website server, the promotional-offer web content to the client computing device, wherein the promotional-offer web content includes instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

displaying a promotional-offer web-page specified by the promotional-offer web content at the client computing device in a browser application of the client computing device, the promotional offer web-page having a promotional offer associated with a coupon code;

receiving a selection of the promotional offer by a user;

after receiving the selection of the promotional offer, automatically performing steps comprising;

copying, with a flash object, the coupon code from within a secure sandbox of the browser application to a clipboard memory of the client computing device, the copying to the clipboard memory being caused at least in part by the selection of the promotional offer and being prohibited by the browser application for scripts other than the flash object; and

requesting from an affiliate network server an address of a website of a merchant issuing the selected promotional offer, wherein the request for an address includes information sufficient to associate the request for an address with the coupon-sharing website.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the promotional-offer web-page includes a feedback portion that comprises a positive and a negative voting button, wherein selection of the positive or negative voting buttons causes the client computing device to transmit a message to the coupon-sharing website server indicating a status of a vote.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the promotional-offer web-page includes a display portion associated with the coupon code and displays the coupon code.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the flash object is a flash movie that is transparent, is overlaid on the coupon code, and is an empty flash movie.

17. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors effectuate operations comprising;

receiving, from a client computing device, one or more requests for promotional-offer web content;

sending, after the one or more requests, the promotional-offer web content to the client computing device, wherein the promotional-offer web content includes instructions that when executed by the client computing device effectuate operations comprising;

displaying a promotional-offer in a browser application of the client computing device, the promotional offer being associated with a coupon code;

receiving a selection of the promotional offer;

after receiving the selection of the promotional offer, programmatically performing steps comprising;

copying, with a flash object, the coupon code from within a secure sandbox of the browser application to a clipboard memory of the client computing device, the copying to the clipboard memory being caused at least in part by the selection of the promotional offer and being prohibited by the browser application for scripts other than the flash object; and

sending to an affiliate network server information sufficient to associate the selection of the promotional offer with a publisher website.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the promotional-offer includes a feedback portion that comprises a positive and a negative voting button, wherein selection of the positive or negative voting buttons causes the client computing device to transmit a message indicating a status of a vote.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the promotional-offer includes a display portion associated with the coupon code and displays the coupon code.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the flash object is a flash movie that is transparent, is overlaid on the coupon code, and is an empty flash movie.