# US 6,804,660 B2 · System method and article of manufacture for internet based affiliate pooling > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 6,804,660 B2 - Document ID: US6804660B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 09/846,159 - Filed: 2001-05-01 - Published: 2001-11-29 - Granted: 2004-10-12 - Earliest claimed: 2000-05-01 - Assignees: Essociate, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Landau; Evan Horowitz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6804660B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/0277: {Online advertisement} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The present invention provides a method, system and computer program for affording Virtual Affiliates access to an existing affiliate system. First, having been assigned a unique identifier within a source affiliate system, a Webmaster operates a web site. Next, a request for a target Merchant Web site triggers a correlation function, such that the source Webmaster unique identifier is correlated to a target Webmaster unique identifier functional within the unique identification system of the requested Merchant system. Next, a properly formatted entry mechanism URL is returned, enabling a hand off to the target Merchant affiliate system and including the correlated target Webmaster unique identifier. The Virtual Affiliate system is notified of transactions that originated from a referring Webmaster. Referring Webmasters may be compensated for each completed transaction according to agreed-upon terms and conditions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for providing Virtual Affiliates to an existing target affiliate system, the method comprising the operations of: configuring an existing target affiliate system to receive referrals from a first plurality of Webmasters in an affiliate pool of source Webmasters such that the target Merchant affiliate system recognizes a transaction as originating from a source Webmaster in an affiliate pooling system, including the step of: assigning a source Webmaster unique identifier for each of said first plurality of Webmasters each operating at least one web site; receiving a user request for a target Merchant affiliate system URL from a web site operated by a particular referring Webmaster of the first plurality of Webmasters, wherein the user request includes the source Webmaster unique identifier for the particular referring Webmaster, and wherein the target Merchant affiliate system includes a unique identification system for its own affiliated Webmasters; correlating the received source Webmaster unique identifier to a target Webmaster unique identifier corresponding to the unique identification system of the requested Merchant affiliate system; and generating a URL for the requested Merchant affiliate system, wherein the URL includes the correlated target Webmaster Merchant unique identifier, whereby the URL can be utilized to access the requested Merchant affiliate system, and further provide identification of the source Webmaster for requisite tracking. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation of correlating the received source Webmaster unique identifier and generating a URL for the target Merchant affiliate system occur prior to the receipt of the user request for the target Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the operation of obtaining transaction information from the target Merchant affiliate system for specified transactions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the transaction information includes a target Webmaster unique identifier, as well as other relevant transaction data, such as a transaction amount and a transaction date. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the transaction information is obtained by granting an affiliate pooling system access to a target Merchant affiliate system and allowing the affiliate pooling system to retrieve stored transaction information from said Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the transaction information is obtained by granting the target Merchant affiliate system access to an affiliate pooling system and allowing said Merchant affiliate system to transfer the transaction information to the affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the received user request further includes an identifier for the target Merchant affiliate system, and an identifier for a source affiliate pool of the referring Webmaster. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the operation of correlating the source Webmaster unique identifier to the target Webmaster unique identifier comprises the operation of performing a lookup function utilizing the identifier for the source affiliate pool of the referring Webmaster and the source Webmaster unique identifier for the referring Webmaster. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the lookup function provides the target Webmaster unique identifier from a block of designated codes within the requested target Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of Webmasters operates a web site having a banner ad for a related Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the banner ad utilizes a link that includes an identifier for the target Merchant affiliate system whose banner is being displayed and a source Webmaster unique identifier for at least one of the plurality of Webmasters operating the web site. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the link further includes a URL for a Virtual Affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the operation of configuring a Merchant affiliate system to receive referrals from a first plurality of Webmasters, further includes the step of: selecting at least one transfer mode by which transaction information is transferred from the target Merchant affiliate system to the affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as recited in claim 13, wherein at least one transfer mode is selected from the group consisting of electronic mail, file transfer protocol, script call and manual entry. ### Claim 15 A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for providing Virtual Affiliates to an existing affiliate system, the computer program code comprising: a code segment for configuring an existing affiliate system to receive referrals from source Webmasters of an affiliate pool of Webmasters, including: a code segment for assigning a unique identifier for each of a first plurality of Webmasters each operating at least one web site; a code segment for receiving a user request for a target Merchant affiliate system URL from a web site operated by a particular referring Webmaster of the first plurality of Webmasters, wherein the user request includes the source unique identifier for the particular referring Webmaster, and wherein the target Merchant affiliate system includes a unique identification system for its own affiliated Webmasters; a code segment for correlating the received source Webmaster unique identifier to a target Webmaster unique identifier corresponding to the unique identification system of the requested Merchant affiliate system; and a code segment for generating a URL for the requested Merchant affiliate system, wherein the URL includes the correlated target Webmaster Merchant unique identifier, whereby the URL can be utilized to access the requested Merchant affiliate system, and further provide identification of the source Webmaster for requisite tracking. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A computer program as recited in claim 15, further comprising a code segment for obtaining transaction information from the target Merchant affiliate system for specified transactions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A computer program as recited in claim 15, wherein the transaction information includes a target Webmaster unique identifier, a transaction amount and a transaction date. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein transaction information is obtained by granting an affiliate pooling system access to a target Merchant affiliate system and allowing the affiliate pooling system to retrieve stored transaction information from said Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) A computer program as recited in claim 16, wherein the transaction information is obtained by granting the target Merchant affiliate system access to an affiliate pooling system and allowing said Merchant affiliate system to transfer the transaction information to the affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) A computer program as recited in claim 15, wherein the received user request further includes an identifier for the target Merchant affiliate system, and an identifier for a source affiliate pool of the referring Webmaster. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A computer program as recited in claim 20, wherein the operation of correlating the source Webmaster unique identifier to the target Webmaster unique identifier comprises the operation of performing a lookup function utilizing the identifier for the source affiliate pool of the referring Webmaster and the source Webmaster unique identifier for the referring Webmaster. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A computer program as recited in claim 21, wherein the lookup function provides the target Webmaster unique identifier from a block of designated codes within the requested target Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) A computer program as recited in claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of Webmasters operates a web site having a banner ad for a related Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A computer program as recited in claim 23, wherein the banner ad utilizes a link that includes an identifier for the target Merchant affiliate system whose banner is being displayed and a source Webmaster unique identifier for at least one of the plurality of Webmasters operating the web site. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) A computer program as recited in claim 24, wherein the link further includes a URL for a Virtual Affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 26 (depends on 15) A computer program as recited in claim 15, wherein the code segment for configuring a Merchant affiliate system to receive referrals from a first plurality of Webmasters, further includes: code segment for selecting at least one transfer mode by which transaction information is transferred from the target Merchant affiliate system to the affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) A computer program as recited in claim 26, wherein at least one transfer mode is selected from the group consisting of electronic mail, file transfer protocol, script call and manual entry. ### Claim 28 A system for providing Virtual Affiliates to an existing affiliate system, the system comprising: logic for configuring an existing affiliate system to receive referrals from a referring Webmaster in an affiliate pool of Webmasters, including: logic for assigning a source Webmaster unique identifier for each of a first plurality of Webmasters each operating at least one web site; logic for receiving a user request for a target Merchant affiliate system URL from a web site operated by a particular referring Webmaster of the first plurality of Webmasters, wherein the user request includes the source Webmaster unique identifier for the particular referring Webmaster, and wherein the target Merchant affiliate system includes a unique identification system for its own affiliated Webmasters; logic for correlating the received unique identifier to a Merchant unique identifier corresponding to the unique identification system of the requested Merchant affiliate system; and logic for generating a URL for the requested Merchant affiliate system, wherein the URL includes the correlated Merchant unique identifier, whereby the URL can be utilized to access the requested Merchant affiliate system, and further provide identification of the source Webmaster for requisite tracking. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) A system as recited in claim 28, further comprising logic for obtaining transaction information from the target Merchant affiliate system for specified transactions. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) A system as recited in claim 29, wherein the transaction information includes a target Webmaster unique identifier a transaction amount and a transaction date. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) A system as recited in claim 29, wherein the transaction information is obtained by granting an affiliate pooling system access to a target Merchant affiliate system and allowing the affiliate pooling system to retrieve stored transaction information from said Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) A system as recited in claim 29, wherein the transaction information is obtained by granting the target Merchant affiliate system access to an affiliate pooling system and allowing said Merchant affiliate system to transfer the transaction information to the affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the received user request further includes an identifier for the target Merchant affiliate system, and an identifier for a source affiliate pool of the referring Webmaster. ### Claim 34 (depends on 28) A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the logic for correlating the source Webmaster unique identifier to the target Webmaster unique identifier comprises logic for performing a lookup function utilizing the identifier for the source affiliate pool of the referring Webmaster and the source Webmaster unique identifier for the referring Webmaster. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) A system as recited in claim 34, wherein the lookup function provides the target Webmaster unique identifier from a block of designated codes within the requested target Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 36 (depends on 28) A system as recited in claim 28, wherein at least one of the plurality of Webmasters operates a web site having a banner ad for a related Merchant affiliate system. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) A system as recited in claim 36, wherein the banner ad includes a link that includes an identifier for the target Merchant affiliate system whose banner is being displayed and a source Webmaster unique identifier for at least one of the plurality of Webmasters operating the web site. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) A system as recited in claim 37, wherein the link further includes a URL for a Virtual Affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 39 (depends on 28) A system as recited in claim 28, wherein the logic for configuring a Merchant affiliate system to receive referrals from a first plurality of Webmasters, further includes: logic for selecting at least one transfer mode by which transaction information is transferred from the target Merchant affiliate system to the affiliate pooling system. ### Claim 40 (depends on 28) A system as recited in claim 28, wherein at least one transfer mode is selected from the group consisting of electronic mail, file transfer protocol, script call and manual entry.