Method and apparatus for allowing a remote site to interact with an intermediate database to facilitate access to the remote site

• US 6,985,962 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: LV Partners LP (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US10/664,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059779A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 709200-203, 709217-219, 709/238, 709/245, 705/9, 705/10, 705/14, 705/26, 705/28
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/93 which locates resources of other pieces of information, e.g. URL [Uniform Resource Locator]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Method and apparatus for allowing a remote site to interact with an intermediate database to facilitate access to the remote site a method for delivering information from a source on a global communication network to a second and a user location thereon. A unique code is associated with an advertising action associated with the source location. The unique code is stored in a database and routing information over the global communication network to a defined location on the global communication network for the source associated with the unique code in the database. The unique code is delivered to the user and then accessed of the database by the user results in retrieval of the routing information associated with the delivered unique code by the user. The user is connected to the defined location associated with the delivered unique code in the database and in accordance with the associated routing information retrieved from the database. The associated routing information is changed in the database between the delivered unique code and another defined location on the global communication network in response to commands transferred to the database from the source, such that a later access of the database will cause the accessing user to be routed to another defined location.

Claims

1. A method for delivering information from a source location on a global communication network to a user location thereon, comprising the steps of:

associating a unique code having no routing information with an advertising action;

storing the unique code in a database;

associating with the unique code in the database with routing information over the global communication network to a defined source location on the global communication network;

delivering the unique code to a user;

accessing the database by the user and retrieving the routing information associated with the unique code delivered to the user;

connecting the user to the defined source location associated with the delivered unique code in the database and in accordance with the associated routing information retrieved from the database; and

changing the routing information associated in the database with the delivered unique code to another defined location on the global communication network in response to a previous access of information from the source, such that a later access of the database will cause the accessing user to be routed to the another defined location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is stored at a remote location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the remote location is disposed on a node on the global communication network, and the step of accessing comprises accessing the database over the global communication network at the remote node and retrieving the associated routing information therefrom over the global communication network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the remote location comprises an intermediate location and the step of accessing comprises the steps of:

transferring the unique code from the user location on the global communication network to the intermediate location;

comparing the received unique code with the database and determining if there is a match therein;

if there is a match, retrieving from the database the routing information associated with the received unique code; and

returning the retrieved routing information to the user location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of connecting comprises:

receiving the retrieved routing information delivered to the user location from the intermediate location; and

utilizing the received routing information from the intermediate location to define the route over the global communication network to the source location and connecting thereto.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering the unique code to the user comprises delivering the unique code to the user at the user location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering the unique code to the user comprises not delivering the unique code over the global communication network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of delivering comprises delivering the unique code to the user through a transmission broadcast which is receivable by the user at the user location.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the unique code is delivered by encoding the unique code in an audio segment of a relatively short duration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of accessing includes the step of receiving the encoded unique code and decoding the received unique code to extract the unique code information therefrom.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of delivering the unique code comprises delivering the unique code through the printed media.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of changing occurs over the global communication network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of changing comprises:

accessing the database over the global communication network from an advertising control server location on the global communication network; and

transferring updated parameter information comprising a new defined location in association with a predetermined one of the unique codes stored in said database.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the advertiser control server is associated with a predetermined plurality of unique codes in the database.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of accessing the database comprises a password protection method requiring the input of the password from the advertising control server before access is granted.

16. A method for receiving information from a source location on a global communication network at a user location thereon, comprising the steps of:

receiving a unique code by a user at the user location on the global communications network, the received unique code having no routing information associated therewith, and the received unique code associated with an advertising action;

accessing a database having a plurality of unique codes stored therein, at least the received unique code associated in the database with routing information over the global communication network to a defined source location on the global communication network;

the step of accessing the database by the user operable to retrieve the routing information associated with the received unique code in the database delivered to the user at the user location on the global communication network;

connecting the user to the defined source location associated with the delivered unique code in the database and in accordance with the associated routing information retrieved from the database; and

the step of accessing the database and retrieving operable to cause a change of the routing information associated in the database with the delivered unique code to another defined location on the global communication network, such that a later access of the database will cause the accessing user to be routed to the another defined location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein all of the plurality of unique codes in the database are associated with defined locations on the global communications network.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein all of the plurality of unique codes in the database are associated with an advertising action.

19. A method for delivering information from a source location on a global communication network to a user location thereon, comprising the steps of:

storing the unique code in a database;

associating with the unique code in the database with routing information over the global communication network to a defined source location on the global communication network;

delivering the unique code to a user;

accessing the database by the user and retrieving the routing information associated with the unique code delivered to the user;

connecting the user to the defined source location associated with the delivered unique code in the database and in accordance with the associated routing information retrieved from the database; and

changing the routing information associated in the database with the delivered unique code to another defined location on the global communication network in response to a previous access of information from the source, such that a later access of the database will cause the accessing user to be routed to the another defined location.