Systems, methods and computer program products for integrating advertising within web content

• US 7,653,748 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ebm/Ip, Llc
• Original Assignee: Simplexity LLC d/b/a Wirefly (Simplexity)
• Inventors: Borger, Dana, Gordon, Tom, Squire, Matthew, Cox, Steve, Spitz, David, Thrash, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Chankong, Dohm
• Application Number:
  US09/922,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20020062393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,098 Days
• Field of Search: 345/727, 704/270, 704/260, 704/2, 704/7, 709/218, 709/246, 709/217, 705/10, 455/414.4, 715/249
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/60 Medium conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2083 Confirmation by serviced party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products that facilitate the integration and accounting of advertising within audio Web content requested by users via telephone devices are provided. Upon receiving a request from a user for Web content via a telephone device, a Web server retrieves an advertisement from an advertisement server, inserts the retrieved advertisement within the user requested Web content, and forwards the user requested Web content and advertisement to a text-to-speech transcoder for conversion to an audio format. The text-to-speech transcoder converts the Web content and advertisement from a text-based format to an audio format and serves the Web content and advertisement in the audio format to the user client device via a telephone link established with the user client device. If an advertisement is interactive, a text-to-speech transcoder may be configured to notify an advertisement server of user interaction with the advertisement. Information such as an identification of a requesting client device, user, as well as time and date information, may be recorded by an advertisement server for use in measuring effectiveness of a particular marketing and/or advertising campaign. Information associated with providing a user with additional information associated with an advertisement may also be stored.

Claims

1. A computer system configured to integrate advertising within user-requested Web content, comprising:

an advertisement server that hosts advertisements in a text-based format, the advertisement server comprising;

means for selecting a plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content when the user-requested Web content is converted to an audio format for insertion within the user-requested Web content in response to a request for Web content, wherein the means for selecting the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with user-requested Web content comprises means for retrieving the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a predetermined time length when delivered in an audio format;

a text-to-speech transcoder, comprising;

means for converting Web content from a text-based format to an audio format content prior to streaming the audio format content to a user client device; and

means for serving Web content in an audio format to the user client device via a telephone link with the user client device; and

a Web server that hosts Web content in a text-based format, comprising;

means, responsive to a user request via the client device for Web content, for retrieving an advertisement from the advertisement server, in response to the subject matter of the Web content;

means for inserting the retrieved advertisements within the user requested Web content; and

means for forwarding the user requested Web content and advertisement to the text-to-speech transcoder for conversion to an audio format and subsequent delivery to the user client device.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the text-based format comprises voice extensible markup language (VXML) format.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the advertisement server further comprises means for storing information associated with serving an advertisement to a user.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the advertisement server further comprises means for determining if a user listened to an advertisement in its entirety.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the advertisement server further comprises means for determining how many times a user listened to an advertisement.

6. A computer system configured to integrate interactive advertising within user-requested Web content, the computer system comprising:

an advertisement server that hosts advertisements in a text-based format, wherein the advertisements are interactive when converted to an audio format comprising;

means for selecting a plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content when the user-requested Web content is converted to an audio format for insertion within the user-requested Web content in response to a request for Web content, wherein the means for selecting the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with user-requested Web content comprises means for retrieving the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a predetermined time length when delivered in an audio format;

means for storing information associated with user interaction with an advertisement;

a text-to-speech transcoder, comprising;

minor matter of form with respect to means for serving Web content in an audio format to the user client device via a telephone link with the user client device;

means for notifying the advertisement server of user interaction with an advertisement;

means for retrieving additional information associated with the advertisement in response to user interaction with the advertisement, wherein the user interaction comprises recognizing a key pressed on a keypad or one or more key words spoken by a user during delivery of an advertisement;

means for delivering the additional information to the user client device in an audio format; and

a Web server that hosts Web content in a text-based format, comprising;

means, responsive to a user request via the client device for Web content, for retrieving an advertisement from the advertisement server in response to the subject matter of the Web content;

means for inserting the retrieved advertisement within the user requested Web content; and

means for forwarding the user requested Web content and advertisement to the text-to-speech transcoder for conversion to an audio format and subsequent delivery to the user client device.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the text-to-speech transcoder further comprises:

means for redirecting the user client device to additional audio content associated with the advertisement in response to recognition of one or more key words spoken or pressing of a key on a keypad by the user.

8. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the means for retrieving additional information associated with an advertisement in response to user interaction with the advertisement comprises means for retrieving additional information from the advertisement server.

9. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the text-based format comprises voice extensible markup language (VXML) format.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the advertisement server further comprises means for determining if a user listened to an advertisement in its entirety.

11. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the advertisement server further comprises means for determining how many times a user listened to an advertisement.

12. A system for integrating advertising within user-requested Web content, the system comprising:

a server accessible by a user client device via a telephone link, wherein the server performs a method comprising;

retrieving a plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content when the user-requested Web content is converted to an audio format-from an advertisement server in response to the subject matter of the Web content and in response to a user request for Web content received by a Web server from a client device, wherein the Web content and advertisement have a text-based format, wherein retrieving the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with user-requested Web content comprises retrieving the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a predetermined time length when delivered in an audio format;

inserting the retrieved advertisement within the user requested Web content;

forwarding the user requested Web content and advertisement to a text-to-speech transcoder for conversion to an audio format prior to streaming the audio format content to the user client device;

converting the Web content and advertisement from a text-based format to an audio format; and

serving the Web content and advertisement in an audio format to the user client device via a telephone link with the user client device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the text-based format comprises voice extensible markup language (VXML) format.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising storing information associated with serving the advertisement to the user.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising determining if a user listened to the advertisement in its entirety.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising determining how many times the user listened to the advertisement.

17. A system for integrating interactive advertising within user-requested Web content, the system comprising:

a plurality of servers accessible by a user client device via a telephone link, wherein the servers perform a method comprising;

retrieving a plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content when the user-requested Web content is converted to an audio format from an advertisement server in response to a user request for Web content received by a Web server from a client device and in response to the subject matter of the Web content, wherein the Web content and advertisement have a text-based format, and wherein the advertisement is configured to be interactive when converted to an audio format, wherein retrieving the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with user-requested Web content comprises retrieving the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a predetermined time length when delivered in an audio format;

inserting the retrieved advertisement within the user requested Web content;

forwarding the user requested Web content and advertisement to a text-to-speech transcoder for conversion to an audio format prior to streaming the audio format content to the user client device;

converting the Web content and advertisement from a text-based format to an audio format;

serving the Web content and advertisement in an audio format to the user client device via a telephone link with the user client device;

storing information associated with user interaction with an advertisement;

notifying the advertisement server of user interaction with the advertisement retrieving additional information associated with the advertisement in response to user interaction with the advertisement wherein the user interaction comprises recognizing a key pressed on a keypad or one or more key words spoken by a user during delivery of an advertisement; and

delivering the additional information to the user client device in an audio format.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

redirecting the user client device to additional Web content associated with the advertisement in response to recognition of one or more key words spoken or pressing of a key on a keypad by the user.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein retrieving additional information associated with the advertisement in response to user interaction with the advertisement comprises retrieving additional information from the advertisement server.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the text-based format comprises voice extensible markup language (VXML) format.

21. The system of claim 17, further comprising storing information associated with serving the advertisement to the user.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising determining if a user listened to the advertisement in its entirety.

23. The system of claim 17, further comprising determining how many times the user listened to the advertisement.

24. A computer program product that integrates advertising within user-requested Web content, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to retrieve a plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content when the user-requested Web content is converted to an audio format from an advertisement server in response to a user request for Web content received by a Web server from a client device and in response to the subject matter of the Web content, wherein the Web content and advertisement have a text-based format, wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to retrieve the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with user-requested Web content comprises computer readable program code that is configured to retrieve the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a predetermined time length when delivered in an audio format;

computer readable program code that is configured to insert the retrieved advertisement within the user requested Web content;

computer readable program code that is configured to forward the user requested Web content and advertisement to a text-to-speech transcoder for conversion to an audio format prior to streaming the audio format content to the user client device;

computer readable program code that is configured to convert the Web content and advertisement from a text-based format to an audio format; and

computer readable program code that is configured to serve the Web content and advertisement in an audio format to the user client device via a telephone link with the user client device.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the text-based format comprises voice extensible markup language (VXML) format.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to store information associated with serving the advertisement to the user.

27. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to determine if a user listened to the advertisement in its entirety.

28. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to determine how many times the user listened to the advertisement.

29. A computer program product that integrates interactive advertising within user-requested Web content, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to retrieve a plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content when the Web content is converted to an audio format from an advertisement server in response to a user request for Web content received by a Web server from a client device and in response to the subject matter of the Web content, wherein the Web content and advertisement have a text-based format, and wherein the advertisement is configured to be interactive when converted to an audio format, wherein the computer program code that is configured to retrieve the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with user-requested Web content comprises computer readable storage program code that is configured to retrieve the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a predetermined time length when delivered in an audio format;

computer readable program code that is configured to insert the retrieved advertisement within the user requested Web content prior to streaming the audio format content to the user client device;

computer readable program code that is configured to forward the user requested Web content and advertisement to a text-to-speech transcoder for conversion to an audio format;

computer readable program code that is configured to convert the Web content and advertisement from a text-based format to an audio format;

computer readable program code that is configured to serve the Web content and advertisement in an audio format to the user client device via a telephone link with the user client device;

computer readable program code that is configured to store information associated with user interaction with an advertisement;

computer readable program code that is configured to notify the advertisement server of user interaction with the advertisement

computer readable program code that is configured to retrieve additional information associated with an advertisement in response to user interaction with the advertisement, wherein the user interaction comprises recognizing a key pressed on a keypad or one or more key words spoken by a user during delivery of an advertisement; and

computer readable program code that is configured to deliver the additional information to the user client device in an audio format.

30. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising:

computer readable program code that is configured to redirect the user client device to additional Web content associated with the advertisement in response to recognition of one or more key words spoken or pressing of a key on a keypad by the user.

31. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the computer readable program code that is configured to retrieve additional information associated with the advertisement in response to user interaction with the advertisement comprises computer readable program code that is configured to retrieves additional information from the advertisement server.

32. The computer program product of claim 29, wherein the text-based format comprises voice extensible markup language (VXML) format.

33. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to store information associated with serving the advertisement to the user.

34. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to determine if a user listened to the advertisement in its entirety.

35. The computer program product of claim 29, further comprising computer readable program code that is configured to determine how many times the user listened to the advertisement.

36. An advertising server that integrates interactive advertising within user-requested Web content, the advertising server comprising:

means for selecting a plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content when the user-requested Web content is converted to an audio format for insertion within Web content, in response to the subject matter of the Web content, requested by a user via a client device in communication with a Web server, wherein the advertisement has a text-based format and is configured to be interactive when converted to an audio format, wherein the means for selecting the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a format and size compatible with the user-requested Web content comprises means for retrieving the plurality of aggregated advertisements having a predetermined time length when delivered in an audio format;

means for forwarding the selected advertisement to the Web server for insertion within the Web content requested by the user;

means for receiving notification from a text-to-speech transcoder that the selected advertisement has been delivered to the user client device in an audio format;

means for storing information associated with delivery of the advertisement to the user client device; and

means for storing information associated with user interaction with the advertisement.

37. The advertisement server of claim 36, further comprising means for providing additional information associated with the advertisement to the user client device in response to user interaction with the advertisement.

38. The advertisement server of claim 36, wherein the text-based format comprises voice extensible markup language (VXML) format.