Internet-based system and method for distributing interstitial advertisements

• US 8,402,157 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rich Media Club, LLC (Rich Media Worldwide)
• Original Assignee: Rich Media Worldwide
• Inventors: Krassner, Brad, Mentchoukov, Nikolai, Edwards, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US12/931,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 709202-203, 709217-218, 709/224, 709/229, 709/231, 709/245, 705/10, 705/14, 705 26- 27, 715/513, 715/854
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system and method for use by website operators and advertisers to place interstitial advertisements on websites. The system uses an Internet dispatcher server and a mass storage device containing one or more databases storing advertisement command files pertaining to placements of advertisements that are stored in an advertisement server. The method comprises the steps of selecting aid files stored in a computer ad server, designating the url for the ad file, the url for the website page where the ad will be displayed, the url for the websites to which a user will be directed depending on the user'"'"'s reaction to the advertisement, storing in a dispatcher server database a data string representing the ad placement commands with a url representing a dispatcher server-based application to execute said ad placement commands, and including said data string on said website for launching said dispatcher server command file.

Claims

1. A method for advertising on a computer network comprising the following steps:

receiving at a dispatcher server communicating via an electronic communications network with a website user-end computer, a website operator-end computer and an electronic content server, a request from a website user made by acting upon a URL data string placed on a said website,

processing said request via a software application run by said dispatcher server to cause a parameter/command record stored at a database of said dispatcher server to be accessed, said parameter/command record storing an address wherein an electronic content file is stored in said electronic content server, an address for a go-to page to which a website user is to be directed after said request is received and a tracking parameter/command, and causing said parameters/commands stored in said parameter/command record to be executed which in turn causes an advertisement file to be presented to said website user with said electronic content file being loaded from said electronic content server and for said go-to page and custom tracking parameter being passed to said advertisement file to present said electronic content to said website user as an advertisement without requiring downloading of said electronic content file into cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer in advance of receiving said request, and directing said website user to said go-to page after said request is received, and

receiving in a tracking server tracking data pertaining to presentation of said advertisement and said website user'"'"'s action with respect to said advertisement, said tracking data being sent by said advertisement file to said tracking server based on said tracking parameter/command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said advertisement is delivered by said dispatcher server as a file including encoding necessary to load said electronic content files for presentation as an advertisement to said website user and pass to said file said parameters and commands stored in said advertisement parameter/command placement record to direct said website user to a subsequent page and send tracking data to a tracking server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said parameter/command record that is retrieved corresponds to said URL data string placed on said website, and said website user action that results in a request being received at said dispatcher server is said website user'"'"'s click action at said website.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said website user makes said request by clicking on a link on said website.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said tracking data comprises a tracking query string received by said tracking server as a one-way non-conversational communication that is sent from said advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said uniform resource locator data string placed on said website page, when activated by action on said website page by said website user, accesses a said stored advertisement placement parameter/command record which causes a compiled file to be delivered to said website user, said compiled file accessing said electronic content file designated in said advertisement placement parameter/command record from said content server and presenting said electronic content file as said advertisement to said website user without requiring downloading of said advertisement file into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said go-to page is a merchant website page and said website where said advertisement is presented is a marketing distributor website and said system is used for multi-level marketing.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising an interface for system users to create customized sales and marketing materials for delivery to the website user that is presented said advertisement.

7. A method for electronic advertisement presentation comprising the following steps:

Receiving a selection of a record of data representing a content file previously stored in electronic format in a content file storage location at a content server communicating with an electronic communications network, for presentation of said content file as an advertisement to a user of a website, said website communicating via said electronic communications network and located remotely from said user of said website and said content server, said website user having a computer communicating with said website via said electronic communications network,

storing as a record in a database of a dispatcher server that does not reside at said website user'"'"'s computer or on said website an address for said storage location where said electronic content file is stored as well as an address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said user skips or does not act on said advertisement to request additional information and an address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said website user acts on said advertisement to request additional information, and parameters/commands to retrieve said selected electronic content files from said content server and present said electronic content files as an advertisement to said website user without requiring downloading of said electronic content files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of an advertisement, and

generating for placement on a page on said website a uniform resource locator data string that, when acted upon by said website user, launches a said dispatcher server database-stored advertisement placement parameter/command record, which in turn executes to cause said selected electronic content file designated in said advertisement placement parameter/command record to be presented to said website user without requiring downloading of said content files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said content files or requiring initiation of an additional application to present said advertisement and directs said website user to one of said go-to web pages depending on said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of tracking said presentation of said advertisement by receiving a tracking query string sent by said advertisement to a tracking server if said advertisement is presented to said website user, said tracking query string being sent by said advertisement as a one-way non-conversational communication from said advertisement.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said go-to page is a merchant website page and said website where said advertisement is presented is a marketing distributor website and said system is used for multi-level marketing.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing an interface for system users to create customized sales and marketing materials for delivery to the website user that is presented said advertisement.

9. A system for placement of electronic advertisements, comprising:

a dispatcher server communicating via an electronic communications network, said dispatcher server providing access to a database storing advertisement placement transaction parameter and command records,

an advertisement server communicating with said dispatcher server and having electronic content files stored thereon,

a system software application providing an advertiser user interface for receiving system user selection of one or more of said electronic content files for use as an advertisement to be presented at a website on said electronic communications network, for receiving designation of an address for a go-to web page where a user of said website will be directed if said website user skips or does not act on said advertisement to request additional information and an address for a go-to web page where said website user will be directed if said website user acts on said advertisement to request additional information, and for storage as an advertisement placement parameter and command record within said database of said dispatcher server said addresses for said go-to web pages, said location of said one or more selected electronic content files and the parameters and commands to retrieve said one or more selected electronic content files from said advertisement server and present said one or more selected electronic content files as an advertisement to a said website user,

said system software application further generating a link for placement on said website that when activated causes said stored parameter and command record to be activated, causing said selected one or more electronic content files designated in said advertisement placement parameter and command record to be retrieved from said electronic content server and be presented to said website user as an advertisement without requiring downloading of said content files into browser cache memory of said website user'"'"'s computer for storage in advance of a request for presentation of said advertisement.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein tracking parameters are stored in said advertisement placement parameter/command record and further comprising a tracking server for tracking of said website user'"'"'s activity with respect to said advertisement, said tracking server receiving a query string sent by said advertisement with tracking data collected based on said tracking parameters stored in said advertisement placement parameter/command record and passed to said advertisement.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said go-to page is a merchant website page and said website where said advertisement is presented is a marketing distributor website and said system is used for multi-level marketing.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising an interface for system users to create customized sales and marketing materials for delivery to the website user that is presented said advertisement.