US 2009/0157507 A1Published application

System and method to monetize the referral of web pages

AssigneeSlingpage, Inc.

InventorsBrenda Agius, Ryan J. Stephens, Peter Weinberg

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Abstract

A system and method for monetizing the referral of web pages comprises a source client system, at least one target client system, a referral server, and an accounting server. The source client system comprises a web browser adapted to render an advertising merchant's web page. A source referral module is coupled to the source web browser and, in response to user selection of at least one target client, generates a referral message to the referral server. The referral server in turn provides a provide a referral instruction to a target client system. The target client system includes a referral module receiving the referral message and upon the target client accepting the referral message, passes identification of the advertising merchant's web page to a target web browser for rendering. The target client system further generates an informational message upon the execution of a revenue event by the target client system. The accounting server, in response to receipt of the informational message: i) debits at least a referral fee from an account associated with the advertising merchant's web page; and ii) credits the referral fee to an account associated with the referral server providing the referral instruction.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for monetizing the referral of a web pages, the system comprising a source client system, at least one target client system, a referral server, and an accounting server:

the source client system being operated by a first user and comprising:
a source web browser adapted to render an advertising merchant's web page;
and
a source referral module coupled to the source web browser and being adapted to, in response to user selection of at least one target client, generate a referral message to the referral server, the referral message identifying at least one target client and the advertising merchant's web page;
the referral server adapted to:
provide a referral instruction to a target client system, the target client system being distinct from the source client system and being operated by one of the identified target clients, the referral instruction comprising identification of the advertising merchant's web page;
and
the target client system, the target client system comprising:
a target referral module adapted to:
receive the referral message and render a window prompting the target client to one of accept and decline the referral message;
upon the target client accepting the referral message, pass identification of the advertising merchant's web page to a target web browser, the target web browser rendering the advertising merchant's web page on the target client system;
and
generate an informational message upon the execution of a revenue event by the target client system, the revenue event being an event selected from a group of events consisting of:
i) rendering the advertising merchant's web page on the target client system;
ii) generating a second referral message to the referral server, the second referral message including identification of the advertising merchant's web page and at least a second target client;
iii) linking to an additional web page related to the advertising merchant's web page;
and iv) posting information entered into data fields by the target client to the advertising merchant;
and
initiate transfer the informational message to the accounting server;
and
the accounting server being adapted to, in response to receipt of the informational message:
debit at least a referral fee from an account associated with the advertising merchant's web page;
and
credit the referral fee to an account associated with the referral server providing the referral instruction.

21 more elements

A system for monetizing the referral of a web pages, the system comprising:

a source client system operated by a first user;
the source client system comprising:
a source web browser adapted to:
render a base web page;
render, within the base web page, an advertisement associated with an advertising merchant's web page, the advertisement being one of a paid listing within search results and advertisement content;
and
in response to user selection of the advertisement, linking to a URL associated with the advertisement to obtain the advertising merchant's web page;
a referral module coupled to the web browser and being adapted to, in response to user selection of at least one target client, generate a referral message to a referral server, the referral message identifying at least one target client and the advertising merchant's web page;
a referral server adapted to provide a referral instruction to a target client system, the target client system being distinct from the source client system and being operated by one of the identified target clients, the referral instruction comprising identification of the advertising merchant's web page;
and
an accounting server, the accounting server being adapted to:
receive an informational message, the informational message including an indication that the target client system has executed a revenue event, the revenue event being an event selected from a group of events consisting of:
i) rendering the advertising merchant's landing page on the target client system;
ii) generating a second referral message to the referral server, the second referral message including identification of the advertising merchant's landing page;
iii) linking to an additional web page related to the advertising merchant's web page;
and vi) posting information entered into data fields by the target client to a web server of the advertiser;
and
in response to receipt of the informational message:
debit at least referral fee from an account associated with the advertisement impression;
and
credit the referral fee to an account associated with the referral server providing the referral instruction.

18 more elements

A system for monetizing the referral of web pages, the system comprising:

an advertisement server adapted to:
maintain an index of at least two distinct advertisement classifications;
associate with each advertisement classification, at least one relevant advertisement;
upon receipt of a search request, the search request including a search query:
determining the advertisement classification to which the search query matches;
and
return a relevant advertisement from the classification to which the search query matches as a paid listing within search results, the advertisement being one of a paid listing within search results and graphic advertisement content;
upon receipt of a click report,
debit at least a first click fee from an account associated with the relevant advertisement;
and
credit the first click fee to an account associated with the advertisement server;
a source client system operated by a first user;
the source client system comprising:
a web browser adapted to:
obtain user entry of the search query;
generate the search request to the advertisement server;
in response to receipt of search results, rendering the paid listing in combination with the search results;
in response to user selection of the paid listing:
generating the click report to the advertisement server;
and
linking to a URL associated with the advertisement content to obtain the advertising merchant's landing page;
a referral module coupled to the web browser and being adapted to:
in response to user selection of at least one target client, generate a referral message to a referral server, the referral message identifying at least one target client and the advertising merchant's landing page;
a referral server adapted to:
provide a referral instruction to a target client system, the target client system being distinct from the source client system and being operated by one of the identified target clients, the referral instruction comprising identification of the referred web page;
and
the advertisement server being further adapted to:
receive a referral informational message, the referral informational message including an indication that the target client system has executed a revenue event, the revenue event being an event selected from a group of events consisting of:
i) rendering the advertising merchant's landing page on the target client system;
ii) generating a second referral message to the referral server, the second referral message including identification of the advertising merchant's landing page;
and iii) posting information entered into data fields by the target client to a web server of the advertiser;
and
in response to receipt of the referral informational message:
debit at least a referral fee from the account associated with the relevant advertisement;
and
credit the referral fee to an account associated with the referral server providing the referral instruction, the referral fee being distinct from the click fee.

33 more elements

A method of operating a source client system, at least one target client system, a referral server, and an accounting server system for monetizing the referral of a web pages, the method comprising:

rendering, by a web browser of the source client system, an advertising merchant's web page;
in response to user selection of at least one target client, generating a referral message to the referral server, the referral message identifying at least one target client and the advertising merchant's web page;
generating a referral instruction from the referral server to the target client system, the target client system being distinct from the source client system and being operated by one of the identified target clients, the referral instruction comprising identification of the advertising merchant's web page;
and
in response to receipt of the referral message by the target client system, rendering a window prompting the target client to one of accept and decline the referral message;
upon the target client accepting the referral message, passing identification of the advertising merchant's web page to a target web browser, the target web browser rendering the advertising merchant's web page on the target client system;
and
generating an informational message upon the execution of a revenue event by the target client system, the revenue event being an event selected from a group of events consisting of:
i) rendering the advertising merchant's web page on the target client system;
ii) generating a second referral message to the referral server, the second referral message including identification of the advertising merchant's web page and at least a second target client;
iii) linking to an additional web page related to the advertising merchant's web page;
and iv) posting information entered into data fields by the target client to the advertising merchant;
and
initiating transfer the informational message to the accounting server;
and
in response to receipt of the informational message by the accounting server:
debiting at least a referral fee from an account associated with the advertising merchant's web page;
and
crediting the referral fee to an account associated with the referral server providing the referral instruction.

16 more elements

A method of operating a source client system, at least one target client system, a referral server and an accounting server for monetizing the referral of a web pages, the method comprising:

rendering a base web page by a web browser of the source client system;
rendering, within the base web page, an advertisement associated with an advertising merchant's web page, the advertisement being one of a paid listing within search results and advertisement content;
and
in response to user selection of the advertisement, linking to a URL associated with the advertisement to obtain and render by the web browser, the advertising merchant's web page;
in response to user selection of at least one target client to initiate referral of the merchant's web page, generating a referral message to the referral server, the referral message identifying at least one target client and the advertising merchant's web page;
generating a referral instruction from the referral server to the target client system, the target client system being distinct from the source client system and being operated by one of the identified target clients, the referral instruction comprising identification of the advertising merchant's web page;
and
receiving an informational message at the accounting server, the informational message including an indication that the target client system has executed a revenue event, the revenue event being an event selected from a group of events consisting of:
i) rendering the advertising merchant's landing page on the target client system;
ii) generating a second referral message to the referral server, the second referral message including identification of the advertising merchant's landing page;
iii) linking to an additional web page related to the advertising merchant's web page;
and vi) posting information entered into data fields by the target client to a web server of the advertiser;
and
in response to receipt of the informational message:
debiting at least a referral fee from an account associated with the advertisement impression;
and
crediting the referral fee to an account associated with the referral server providing the referral instruction.

14 more elements

A method of operating a source client system, at least one target client system, an advertisement server, a referral server and an accounting server for monetizing the referral of web pages, the method comprising:

obtaining, at the source client system, user entry of a search query;
generating a search request to the advertisement server, the search request including the search query;
maintaining, at the advertisement server, maintain an index of at least two distinct advertisement classifications;
associating, with each advertisement classification, at least one relevant advertisement;
upon receipt of a search request by the advertisement server:
determining the advertisement classification to which the search query matches;
and
returning a relevant advertisement from the classification to which the search query matches, the advertisement being one of a paid listing within search results and graphic advertisement content;
in response to receipt of search results at the source client system, rendering the paid listing in combination with the search results;
in response to user selection of the advertisement:
generating the click report to the advertisement server;
and
linking to a URL associated with the advertisement content to obtain the advertising merchant's web page;
upon receipt of a click report at the advertisement server:
debiting at least a first click fee from an account associated with the relevant advertisement;
and
crediting the first click fee to an account associated with the advertisement server;
in response to user selection of at least one target client to initiate a referral of the advertising merchant's web page, generating a referral message to the referral server, the referral message identifying at least one target client and the advertising merchant's landing page;
generating a referral instruction from the referral server to the target client system, the target client system being distinct from the source client system and being operated by one of the identified target clients, the referral instruction comprising identification of the referred web page;
and
receiving, at the advertisement server, an informational message, the informational message including an indication that the target client system has executed a revenue event, the revenue event being an event selected from a group of events consisting of:
i) rendering the advertising merchant's landing page on the target client system;
ii) generating a second referral message to the referral server, the second referral message including identification of the advertising merchant's landing page;
and iii) posting information entered into data fields by the target client to a web server of the advertiser;
and
in response to receipt of the informational message:
debiting at least a referral fee from the account associated with the relevant advertisement;
and
crediting the referral fee to an account associated with the referral server providing the referral instruction, the referral fee being distinct from the click fee.

26 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/150,243Filed 26 Apr 2008
Priority: 17 Dec 2007
Published: 18 Jun 2009
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G06Q 30/02
Commerce: marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
G06Q 30/0239
Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates: online discounts or incentives
G06Q
Information and communication technology [ict] specially adapted for administrative, commercial, financial, managerial