US7103563B1 — System and method for advertising with an interne…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 703 words

A method of advertising, the method comprising: maintaining an Internet-related communication session between a user and a voice portal; during the communication session, periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; and selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein said periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j. and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 703 words

A method of advertising, the method comprising: maintaining an Internet-related communication session between a user and a voice portal; during the communication session, periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; and selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein said periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j. and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 67 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of selectively providing advertisements comprises: playing an audio message identifying a product or service to be advertised, including a query as to whether the user would like to hear more information regarding the product or service; identifying a response of the user; and selectively playing an audio advertisement for the product or service, if the response was affirmative.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of playing an audio message identifying a product or service is in response to a previous user selection.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of playing an audio message identifying a product or service comprises identifying a preference of the user and selecting an advertisement for a product or service which corresponds to the preference of the user.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 4 , wherein the step of identifying a preference of the user comprises identifying the user and retrieving preference information corresponding to the user, the preference information being stored in a database.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of identifying a response of the user comprises applying voice recognition techniques.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 45 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of selectively playing an audio advertisement comprises defining a set of advertisements, assigning weights to each member of the set of advertisements, and selecting a member of the set of advertisements based on its assigned weight.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of assigning weights to each member of the set of advertisements comprises prioritizing each member of the set of advertisements.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 35 words

The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of prioritizing each member of the set of advertisements comprises determining a ratio based on sales criteria corresponding to each advertisement of the set of advertisements.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 7 , further comprising making a record of the audio advertisement selectively played, the record being used in defining a cost of advertising for the audio advertisement.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of identifying a response comprises playing a confirmation audio message to confirm the response.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of maintaining an Internet-related communication session between a user and a portal comprises establishing a communication connection between a wireless application protocol (WAP) device and the portal.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of maintaining a communication session between a user and a portal comprises establishing a communication connection between a web device and the portal.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of maintaining an Internet-related communication session comprises communicating with a voice interface.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of maintaining an Internet-related communication session comprises communicating with a personal computer (PC) interface.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 772 words

A service which provides audio advertisements over a two way communication device during a communication session, the service comprising: a user interface which coordinates communication of the service with a user and receives voice commands from the user that allow the user to navigate through the service; an advertising subsystem coupled to the user interface, the advertising subsystem being configured to coordinate the selective presentation of advertisements to the user, said selective presentation based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; whereby the advertisements include sponsorship advertisements which accompany each communication session, advertisements selectively played based on particular attributes of the user, and advertisements selectively played based on permission by the user; and selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein selective presentation based on context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows; initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t}, kε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k, and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 772 words

A service which provides audio advertisements over a two way communication device during a communication session, the service comprising: a user interface which coordinates communication of the service with a user and receives voice commands from the user that allow the user to navigate through the service; an advertising subsystem coupled to the user interface, the advertising subsystem being configured to coordinate the selective presentation of advertisements to the user, said selective presentation based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; whereby the advertisements include sponsorship advertisements which accompany each communication session, advertisements selectively played based on particular attributes of the user, and advertisements selectively played based on permission by the user; and selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein selective presentation based on context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows; initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t}, kε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k, and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 26 words

The service of claim 16 , wherein the user interface comprises a receiver and a transmitter configured to communicate audio signals to and from the user.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 31 words

The service of claim 16 , further comprising at least one database coupled to the advertising subsystem, the at least one database storing information about the user and the advertisements played.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 29 words

The service of claim 16 , wherein the advertisements selectively played based on permission by the user are selected by the user voicing an affirmative response to a query.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 28 words

The service of claim 16 , wherein advertisements selectively played based on particular attributes of the user comprise a prioritization based on the particular attributes of the user.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 28 words

The service of claim 16 , wherein advertisements selectively played based on particular attributes of the user comprise a prioritization based on sales criteria associated with the advertisements.

Claim 24

Independent Claim 716 words

A system for advertising using voice control, the system comprising: means for maintaining a communication session between a user and a voice portal; means for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically during the communication session based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; and selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein means for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically during the communication session based on context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises means for performing the following algortihm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 25

Independent Claim 716 words

A system for advertising using voice control, the system comprising: means for maintaining a communication session between a user and a voice portal; means for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically during the communication session based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; and selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein means for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically during the communication session based on context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises means for performing the following algortihm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 71 words

The system of claim 22 , wherein the means for providing advertisements comprises: means for playing an audio message identifying a product or service to be advertised, including a query as to whether a user would like to hear more information regarding the product or service; means for identifying a user's response; and means for selectively playing an audio advertisement for the product or service, if the user's response was affirmative.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 26 words

The system of claim 23 , wherein the means for playing an audio message identifying a product or service is in response to a previous selection.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 45 words

The system of claim 23 , wherein the means for playing an audio message identifying a product or service comprises means for identifying a preference of the user and selecting an advertisement for a product or service which corresponds to the preference of the user.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 38 words

The system of claim 24 , wherein the means for identifying a preference of the user comprises means for identifying the user and retrieving preference information corresponding to the user, the preference information being stored in a database.

Claim 30

Dependent Claim 19 words

The system of claim 23 , wherein the means for identifying a user's response comprises applying voice recognition techniques.

Claim 31

Dependent Claim 52 words

The system of claim 23 , wherein the means for selectively playing an audio advertisement comprises means for defining a set of advertisements, means for assigning sales criteria to each member of the set of advertisements, and means for selecting a member of the set of advertisements based on its sales criteria.

Claim 32

Dependent Claim 21 words

The system of claim 28 , wherein the means for assigning sales criteria comprises means for determining achieved advertisement delivery rate.

Claim 33

Dependent Claim 33 words

The system of claim 28 , further comprising means for making a record of the audio advertisement selectively played, the record being used in defining a cost of advertising for the audio advertisement.

Claim 34

Dependent Claim 28 words

The system of claim 23 , wherein the means for identifying a user's response comprises means for playing a confirmation audio message to confirm the identified listener's response.

Claim 35

Independent Claim 744 words

A method of selecting and playing advertising in a voice controlled computer environment comprising: receiving voice navigational commands from a user; generating a set of possible advertisements, the set of possible advertisements being related to a context; ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements and based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering; and selectively disabling a users ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein ordering based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises performing the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 36

Independent Claim 744 words

A method of selecting and playing advertising in a voice controlled computer environment comprising: receiving voice navigational commands from a user; generating a set of possible advertisements, the set of possible advertisements being related to a context; ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements and based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering; and selectively disabling a users ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein ordering based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises performing the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 37

Dependent Claim 21 words

The method of claim 32 , wherein the context comprises information on the user's preferences, user's location, and user's personal characteristics.

Claim 38

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 32 , wherein the sales criteria comprise information on duration of the advertising contract, information on the number of times the advertisement is to be played, and information on the number of times the advertisement has already been played.

Claim 39

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 32 , wherein the step of providing advertisements from the set of possible advertisements comprises querying the user on whether to play a particular advertisement in its entirety.

Claim 40

Dependent Claim 27 words

The method of claim 32 , wherein the step of providing advertisements from a set of possible advertisements comprises selecting an advertisement based on prior user selections.

Claim 41

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method of claim 32 , wherein the step of ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements comprises providing billing information on advertisements used based on a per use rate of charge.

Claim 42

Dependent Claim 31 words

The method of claim 32 , wherein the step of providing advertisements from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering comprises playing an audio advertisement via a voice interface.

Claim 43

Dependent Claim 32 words

The method of claim 32 , wherein the step of providing advertisements from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering comprises displaying advertisements on a wireless application protocol (WAP) device.

Claim 44

Dependent Claim 23 words

The method of claim 32 , further comprising recording which particular advertisements were provided to a particular user to form a user record.

Claim 45

Dependent Claim 43 words

The method of claim 40 , wherein the step of ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements comprises identifying played advertisements for a particular user from the user record.

Claim 46

Independent Claim 758 words

A system of selecting and playing advertising in a voice controlled computer environment comprising: means for receiving voice navigational commands from a user; means for generating a set of possible advertisements, the set of possible advertisements being related to a context; means for ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements and based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; means for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering; and means for selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein means for ordering based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises means for performing the following algorthim: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio; for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 47

Independent Claim 758 words

A system of selecting and playing advertising in a voice controlled computer environment comprising: means for receiving voice navigational commands from a user; means for generating a set of possible advertisements, the set of possible advertisements being related to a context; means for ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements and based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; means for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering; and means for selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein means for ordering based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises means for performing the following algorthim: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio; for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 48

Dependent Claim 34 words

The system of claim 42 , wherein the means for providing advertisements from a set of possible advertisements comprises means for querying the user on whether to play a particular advertisement in its entirety.

Claim 49

Dependent Claim 44 words

The system of claim 42 , wherein the means for ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements comprises means for assigning weights to reflect purchasing behavior characteristics of the user.

Claim 50

Dependent Claim 48 words

The system of claim 42 , wherein the means for ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements comprises means for providing billing information on advertisements used based on a per use rate of charge.

Claim 51

Dependent Claim 780 words

A computer program product comprising computer readable program code for advertising with an Internet voice portal, the program code in the computer program product comprising: first computer readable program code for generating a set of possible advertisements; second computer readable program code for ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements and based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; third computer readable program code for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering; fourth computer readable program code for receiving voice navigational commands from a user; and fifth computer readable program code for selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein second computer readable program code for ordering based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 52

Dependent Claim 780 words

A computer program product comprising computer readable program code for advertising with an Internet voice portal, the program code in the computer program product comprising: first computer readable program code for generating a set of possible advertisements; second computer readable program code for ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements and based on context ratio and sales ratio determination; third computer readable program code for periodically selecting and playing advertisements automatically from the set of possible advertisements based on the ordering; fourth computer readable program code for receiving voice navigational commands from a user; and fifth computer readable program code for selectively disabling a user's ability to stop or interrupt an advertisement from being played depending upon the advertisement being played; wherein second computer readable program code for ordering based on said context ratio and sales ratio determination further comprises the following algorithm: setting category weights, W k , for each category C k as follows: initializing each W k =0, where kε{1, . . . , n}; for each iε{1, . . . , m} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, based on the current attributes of the existant, {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, if e i satisfies p j , and p j is associated with category C k , then setting W k =W k +w j , where kε{1, . . . , n}; tabulating the categories' total weights independent of the attributes of the existant, wherein from said total weights, establishing each category's context ratio: for each kε{1, . . . , n} and for each jε{1, . . . , t}, if p j is associated with category C k , then setting T k =T k +w j and setting the context category context ratio, R k =W k /T k ; for each category k, multiplying each R k by the category weight x k of each Ad A i , and then multiplying the sum by the sales criteria ratio of the Ad, S i , to get context total G i : for each iε{1, . . . , r}, calculate G i where G i =S i ·(R 1 x 1 + . . . +R n x n ); and selecting the Ad A i , where i is defined by max(G i ), iε{1, . . . , r}; wherein: the list of attributes of the existant passed into the algorithm is defined by the set {e 1 , e 2 , . . . , e m }, where m is the number of attributes in the existant; the list of categories available to associate advertisements with is defined by the set {C 1 , C 2 , . . . , C n }, where n is the total number of categories; W i is a context category weight for each category, C i , where iε{1, . . . , n}; the market research criteria for all existants is represented by P={p 1 , p 2 , . . . , p t } where t is the total of all criteria in the database, each criterion p j has an associated weight w j , where jε{1, . . . , t} and each attribute e i tries to satisfy all p j , for all i, j, where iε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , t} such that thus, if e i satisfies p j , and p j belongs to category C k , then W k =W k +w j , where iε{1, . . . , m}jε{1, . . . , m}, jε{1, . . . , n}; the associated strength ratio R s is calculated as R k =W k /T k , where T k is the total weight of all criteria in P relating to category k; and the list of advertisements generated by the demographic query are defined by the set A={A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A r }, where r is the total number of ads in the list, each ad A i has its own category weight x k , where iε{1, . . . , r} and kε{1, . . . , n} which is used in conjunction with the algorithm's corresponding context category weight ratio R k ; and wherein a sales ratio of an advertisement is defined as follows: (% of units of time already played−% of ads played)/Number of units of time remaining in contract.

Claim 53

Dependent Claim 33 words

The program code of claim 46 , wherein the first computer readable program code for generating a set of possible advertisements comprises computer readable program code for selecting advertisements based on user constraints.

Claim 54

Dependent Claim 55 words

The program code of claim 46 , wherein the second computer readable program code for ordering the set of possible advertisements based on a sales criteria associated with each advertisement of the set of possible advertisements comprises computer readable program code for assigning values to advertisements based on contractual arrangements and attractiveness of the user.

Claim 55

Dependent Claim 44 words

The program code of claim 46 , wherein the third computer readable program code for providing advertisements from the set of possible advertisements based on ordering comprises computer readable program code for transforming semantically structure data and providing the data via a speech interface.

Claim 56

Dependent Claim 41 words

The program code of claim 46 , wherein the third computer readable program code for providing advertisements from the set of possible advertisements based on ordering comprises computer readable program code for transmitting advertisements to a wireless application protocol (WAP) device.

Claim 57

Dependent Claim 43 words

The program code of claim 46 , wherein the third computer readable program code for providing advertisements from the set of possible advertisements based on ordering comprises computer readable program code for transforming internet-based information into speech or vocal transmission over the telephone.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2009-09-04	2010-03-06	2010-09-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2013-09-04	2014-03-06	2014-09-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2017-09-04	2018-03-06	2018-09-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

System and method for advertising with an internet voice portal

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