Patent US5974398A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5974398A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and apparatus enabling valuation of user access of advertising carried by interactive information and entertainment services
Assignee: AT&T Properties LLC
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Filing: 1997-04-11
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Granted: 1999-10-26
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Expires: 2017-04-11
Abstract
Abstract Interactive information and entertainment service customers see advertisers' bids for their attention which are displayed on their display screens and choose which advertisements to view. For each advertisement viewed, the advertisers' bid amount would pay for a portion of the user's service or usage charge. A display on the user's terminal screen includes the advertisers most willing to pay for the user's attention and the dollar amount bid. If the user chooses to see a particular advertiser's message, then the user is reimbursed, or a credit is applied to the user's service account for the amount of the bid promised by the advertiser whose message was viewed. Customer interest profiles and service usage data collected by the service provider are used to identify particular user characteristics to advertisers. Advertisers define user characteristics of particular desirability and place a dollar value on having messages viewed by individual users based on the desirability of the user.
Inventors
- 👤 Bruce Lowell Hanson
- 👤 Kenneth Mervin Huber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 12:34
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0241; G06Q30/0251; G06Q30/0267; G06Q30/0269; G06Q30/0273; G06Q30/0275; G06Q30/0277
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
263 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, an advertiser's maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding; receiving in a network, a user request for a service; accessing in the network, a user profile of user characteristics about the user; accessing in the network, at least two advertiser specifications of user characteristics, each specification associated with a respective advertiser; comparing in the network, the characteristics of the user from the user profile, with the user characteristics from each advertiser specification; selecting in the network, first and second selected advertiser specifications from the at least two specifications, corresponding to selected first and second respective advertisers; if one of said advertisers has a maximum bid less than a highest minimum bid of said advertisers, then dropping said one advertiser from bidding; if one of said advertisers has a maximum bid greater than a second highest maximum bid of said advertisers, then retain said one advertiser in bidding; computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said second highest maximum bid; transmitting in the network to the user, said computed bid value for the retained advertiser, for display to the user; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected advertiser; transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected advertiser for an advertising display to the user; and providing to the user a reward corresponding to the selected bid value, in response to the user having selected the advertiser.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
263 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, an advertiser's maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding; receiving in a network, a user request for a service; accessing in the network, a user profile of user characteristics about the user; accessing in the network, at least two advertiser specifications of user characteristics, each specification associated with a respective advertiser; comparing in the network, the characteristics of the user from the user profile, with the user characteristics from each advertiser specification; selecting in the network, first and second selected advertiser specifications from the at least two specifications, corresponding to selected first and second respective advertisers; if one of said advertisers has a maximum bid less than a highest minimum bid of said advertisers, then dropping said one advertiser from bidding; if one of said advertisers has a maximum bid greater than a second highest maximum bid of said advertisers, then retain said one advertiser in bidding; computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said second highest maximum bid; transmitting in the network to the user, said computed bid value for the retained advertiser, for display to the user; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected advertiser; transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected advertiser for an advertising display to the user; and providing to the user a reward corresponding to the selected bid value, in response to the user having selected the advertiser.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 1, wherein said network is a telephone network.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 1, wherein said network is an internet network.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 1, wherein said network is a cable television network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 1, wherein said network is an earth-orbiting satellite communications network.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 1, wherein said network is a radio frequency network.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 1, which further comprises: providing the selected advertiser with an identity of the user.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
216 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, an advertiser's maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding; receiving in a network, a user request for a service; accessing in the network, a user profile of user characteristics about the user; accessing in the network, at least two advertiser specifications of user characteristics, each specification associated with a respective advertiser; comparing in the network, the characteristics of the user from the user profile, with the user characteristics from each advertiser specification; selecting in the network, first and second selected advertiser specifications from the at least two specifications, corresponding to selected first and second respective advertisers; computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said maximum and minimum bids for said selected first and second respective advertisers; transmitting in the network to the user said computed bid value for display to the user; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected advertiser; transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected advertiser for an advertising display to the user; and providing to the user a reward corresponding to the selected bid value, in response to the user having selected the advertiser.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
216 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, an advertiser's maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding; receiving in a network, a user request for a service; accessing in the network, a user profile of user characteristics about the user; accessing in the network, at least two advertiser specifications of user characteristics, each specification associated with a respective advertiser; comparing in the network, the characteristics of the user from the user profile, with the user characteristics from each advertiser specification; selecting in the network, first and second selected advertiser specifications from the at least two specifications, corresponding to selected first and second respective advertisers; computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said maximum and minimum bids for said selected first and second respective advertisers; transmitting in the network to the user said computed bid value for display to the user; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected advertiser; transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected advertiser for an advertising display to the user; and providing to the user a reward corresponding to the selected bid value, in response to the user having selected the advertiser.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 8, wherein said network is a telephone network.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 8, wherein said network is an internet network.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 8, wherein said network is a cable television network.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 8, wherein said network is an earth-orbiting satellite communications network.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 8, wherein said network is a radio frequency network.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 8, which further comprises: providing the selected advertiser with an identity of the user.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
238 words
A system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: means for receiving in a network, an advertiser's maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding; means for receiving in a network, a user request for a service; means for accessing in the network, a user profile of user characteristics about the user; means for accessing in the network, at least two advertiser specifications of user characteristics, each specification associated with a respective advertiser; means for comparing in the network, the characteristics of the user from the user profile, with the user characteristics from each advertiser specification; means for selecting in the network, first and second selected advertiser specifications from the at least two specifications, corresponding to selected first and second respective advertisers; means for computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said maximum and minimum bids for said selected first and second respective advertisers; means for transmitting in the network to the user, said computed bid value for display to the user; means for receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected advertiser; means for transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected advertiser for an advertising display to the user; and means for providing to the user a reward corresponding to the selected bid value, in response to the user having selected the advertiser.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
238 words
A system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: means for receiving in a network, an advertiser's maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding; means for receiving in a network, a user request for a service; means for accessing in the network, a user profile of user characteristics about the user; means for accessing in the network, at least two advertiser specifications of user characteristics, each specification associated with a respective advertiser; means for comparing in the network, the characteristics of the user from the user profile, with the user characteristics from each advertiser specification; means for selecting in the network, first and second selected advertiser specifications from the at least two specifications, corresponding to selected first and second respective advertisers; means for computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said maximum and minimum bids for said selected first and second respective advertisers; means for transmitting in the network to the user, said computed bid value for display to the user; means for receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected advertiser; means for transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected advertiser for an advertising display to the user; and means for providing to the user a reward corresponding to the selected bid value, in response to the user having selected the advertiser.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 15, wherein said network is a telephone network.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 15, wherein said network is an internet network.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 15, wherein said network is a cable television network.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 15, wherein said network is an earth-orbiting satellite communications network.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 15, wherein said network is a radio frequency network.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network of claim 15, which further comprises: providing the selected advertiser with an identity of the user.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
171 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding from each of a plurality of absentee advertisers; if an absentee advertiser of said plurality has a maximum bid less than a minimum bid of other advertisers of said plurality, then dropping the advertiser from bidding; if an absentee advertiser of said plurality has a maximum bid greater than a second highest maximum bid of other advertisers of said plurality, then retaining said first advertiser in bidding; computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said second highest maximum bid; transmitting in the network to a user, said computed bid value for at least some of the absentee advertisers of said plurality, for display to a user; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected absentee advertiser; and transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected absentee advertiser.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
171 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding from each of a plurality of absentee advertisers; if an absentee advertiser of said plurality has a maximum bid less than a minimum bid of other advertisers of said plurality, then dropping the advertiser from bidding; if an absentee advertiser of said plurality has a maximum bid greater than a second highest maximum bid of other advertisers of said plurality, then retaining said first advertiser in bidding; computing in the network, a computed bid value that is derived from said second highest maximum bid; transmitting in the network to a user, said computed bid value for at least some of the absentee advertisers of said plurality, for display to a user; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to a selected absentee advertiser; and transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the selected absentee advertiser.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding from first and second absentee advertisers; computing in the network, first and second computed bid values, each said value being derived from respective said maximum and minimum bids for each of said first and second absentee advertisers; transmitting in the network to a user, said first and second computed bid values; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to said first advertiser; and transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the first absentee advertiser.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
110 words
A method for managing access to advertising carried by a communications network, comprising: receiving in a network, maximum and minimum bids for absentee bidding from first and second absentee advertisers; computing in the network, first and second computed bid values, each said value being derived from respective said maximum and minimum bids for each of said first and second absentee advertisers; transmitting in the network to a user, said first and second computed bid values; receiving in the network from the user, a user selection of a bid value corresponding to said first advertiser; and transmitting in the network to the user, an advertising message about the first absentee advertiser.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-10-25 | 2003-04-26 | 2003-10-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-10-25 | 2007-04-26 | 2007-10-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-10-25 | 2011-04-26 | 2011-10-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |