System and method for linking information in a global computer network

Claim 2

A wide area network system for retrieving information, comprising: a first server comprising first commands that are executed in response to a request for a web page component, wherein execution of the first commands results in storing a consumer identifier on a consumer computer; and a second server comprising second commands that are executed in response to a the consumer computer accessing a merchant server, the second commands performing a method comprising: reading the consumer identifier from the consumer computer; translating the consumer identifier to a linkage key; accessing selected consumer data in a third party database based on the linkage key; and transmitting the accessed consumer data and the consumer identifier to the merchant server.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 , wherein the consumer data is accessed by comparing the Linkage Key with a Linkage Key database comprising consumer data indexed by the Linkage Key.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 , wherein the consumer identifier is selected from the group consisting of: a 10-digit telephone number, an United States Postal Service address, an United States Postal Service address plus a consumer name, a 10-digit telephone number plus a consumer name, a latitude and longitude, an IP address and an e-mail address.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 , wherein the web page component is an image or a pixel.

Claim 6

The system of claim 1 , wherein the first server and the second server are the same server, and the second commands comprise instructions for reading a cookie data file from the consumer computer.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1 , wherein the first server and the second server are the same server, and the first commands comprise instructions for storing a cookie data file on the consumer computer.

Claim 8

A wide area network system for providing consumer data to a merchant, comprising: a first information server in communication with a first merchant server, said first information server configured to store a cookie data file comprising a consumer identifier on a consumer computer after said consumer computer has accessed said first merchant server; and said first information server being in communication with a second merchant server, said first information server comprising: a database of consumer data, wherein said first information server is configured so that, in response to said consumer computer accessing said second merchant server, said cookie data file is read, said consumer identifier is accessed and translated to a linkage key, data specific to a consumer desired by the merchant associated with said second merchant server is determined, said desired consumer specific data from said database of consumer data is retrieved based on said linkage key, and said desired consumer specific data is transmitted from said database to said second merchant server.

Claim 9

A wide area network system for providing consumer data to a merchant, comprising: a first information server in communication with a first merchant server, said first information server configured to store a cookie data file comprising a consumer identifier on a consumer computer after said consumer computer has accessed said first merchant server; and said first information server being in communication with a second merchant server, said first information server comprising: a database of consumer data, wherein said first information server is configured so that, in response to said consumer computer accessing said second merchant server, said cookie data file is read, said consumer identifier is accessed and translated to a linkage key, data specific to a consumer desired by the merchant associated with said second merchant server is determined, said desired consumer specific data from said database of consumer data is retrieved based on said linkage key, and said desired consumer specific data is transmitted from said database to said second merchant server.

Claim 10

The system of claim 7 , wherein said consumer identifier is selected from the group consisting of: a 10-digit telephone number, an United States Postal Service address, an United States Postal Service address plus a consumer name, a 10-digit telephone number plus a consumer name, a latitude and longitude, an IP address and an e-mail address.

Claim 11

The system of claim 7 , wherein said consumer data comprises demographic data, consumer mailing addresses, median home prices or business locations.

Claim 12

The system of claim 7 , wherein said cookie data file is read in response to said consumer computer requesting a page from said second merchant server.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11 , wherein the Linkage Key is an United States Postal Service Delivery Point Code (DPC).

Claim 16

The method of claim 11 , wherein the Linkage Key is a spatial key that defines a geographic area.

Claim 17

The method of claim 13 , wherein the spatial key is a zip code.

Claim 18

The method of claim 11 , wherein the consumer data is a United States Postal Address.

Claim 19

The method of claim 11 , wherein the consumer identifier is selected from the group consisting of: a 10-digit telephone number, an United States Postal Service address, an United States Postal Service address plus a consumer name, a latitude and longitude, an IP address and an e-mail address.

Claim 20

The method of claim 11 , wherein the consumer identifier is a Linkage Key input parameter value, and the method comprises converting the Linkage Key input parameter value into a Linkage Key.

Claim 21

The method of claim 11 , wherein writing a consumer identifier comprises writing a cookie data file to the consumer computer.

Claim 22

The method of claim 11 , wherein the consumer information comprises median income data, property value data, census data, business location data or government location data.

Claim 23

The method of claim 11 , wherein the web page component is an image file.

Claim 26

The method of claim 21 , wherein the Linkage Key is an United States Postal Service Delivery Point Code (DPC).

Claim 27

The method of claim 21 , wherein the consumer identifier is selected from the group consisting of: a 10-digit telephone number, an United States Postal Service address, an United States Postal Address plus a consumer name, 10-digit telephone number plus a consumer name, a latitude and longitude, an IP address and an e-mail address.

Claim 28

The method of claim 21 , wherein the consumer identifier is a Linkage Key input parameter value, and the method comprises converting the Linkage Key input parameter value into a Linkage Key.

Claim 29

The method of claim 21 , wherein writing a unique consumer identifier comprises writing a cookie data file to the consumer computer.

Claim 30

The method of claim 21 , wherein the web page information is an image file.