SYSTEM AND METHOD OF AUTOMATICALLY
DISPLAYING CONTENT TO USERS AND
COMPENSATING THE USERS VIA AN ELECTRONIC NETWORK
Cross-Reference to Related Applications
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. application Serial No. 60/267,911, filed February 9, 2001 entitled "System and Method of Automatically Displaying Content to Users and Compensating the Users Via an Electronic Network", which application is incorporated herein by reference.
Background of the Invention The present invention is directed to a system and method of automatically displaying content to users and compensating users for viewing the displayed content over an electronic network based upon the user's entry of coded information, h particular, the present invention is directed to a system which can be employed using the internet or other electronic network, in which a user enters a code into a personal computer or other terminal connected to the electronic network, for example by scanning a bar code, which then decodes an internet address referenced by the bar code (or alternatively encoded within the bar code) to connect with a site located at the referenced (or decoded) address. The code is thus automatically supplied to the computer. The bar code may contain, for example, a reference to an address, for example, a uniform resource locator address (URL). The reference causes the site to obtain the address, e.g., URL, desired which causes the web page corresponding to the URL to be displayed in the user' s web browser. Scanning the bar code also results in an award of compensation in the form of non-monetary currency in electronic form to be credited to a user in an account designated for this purpose. The awards or compensation can be accumulated and spent for products or services at the compensation provider's website or another vendor's website. Alternatively, the bar code itself may contain the URL, but it is preferred to merely have a reference to it in the bar code because this effectively allows storage of a large quantity of data in a small code by keeping the details on line and only encoding the reference.
U.S. Patent No. 6,039,244 to Finsterwald discloses a method of building up a data bank containing customer data and/or for the organization of a rebate or coupon system. In that system, the user connects to a website by entering the website address via a keyboard, i.e., the user manually enters the website address. Once the user connects to the website, the user then enters a code which appears on the product that has been purchased. Upon entry of the code, an amount corresponding to a preselected value as determined by the manufacturer of the product is then credited to the user's account, assuming the user has already set up an account. If the user has not yet set up the account the user is provided with the option to do so and then the amount is credited to the user's account. The-user can accumulate amounts in the account and redeem the accumulated value at a later time for a purpose selected by the user. For example, the user may redeem the value and apply it to the purchase of goods or services. The Finsterwald patent, however, teaches manually entering a web address and furthermore, manually entering a code corresponding to the product purchased.
Summary of the Invention h the present invention, in contrast, a code contained on the product or service purchased by the user, for example a bar code located on a page in a magazine relating to a product or service or some other advertisement, is scanned using a bar code scanning device which automatically provides the coded information to the computer, in the preferred embodiment, the reference to the desired address, e.g., URL. The computer decodes the reference, obtains the URL and then automatically connects to the website defined by the URL.
Alternatively, the URL may be provided in the bar code by the manufacturer or provider of the product or service described in the advertisement, for example, on which the code is provided. If the user is already a subscriber, upon connecting to the website, the user's account is credited. If the user is not already a subscriber, the user is provided an opportunity via a window administered by the administrator of the account to open up an account by providing identifying information and any other information required. Once the user has opened an
account, the account is then credited. The system thus provides an incentive for the customer to visit the web address by scanning the code on the product or advertisement. Typically, the product or advertisement will inform the customer that he/she can receive compensation if he/she scans the code to visit the website.
Brief Description of the Figures Fig. 1 shows the operation of the system. Although Fig. 1 shows the operation of the system using a bar code scanner, other means of providing the code can be employed. The invention is not limited to a bar code scanner for entering the code into the computer. For example, the code can be entered by any other suitable means which allows the computer to automatically connect to the appropriate website which is defined by the reference to the address in the code (or alternatively the address, e.g., URL, in the code).
Fig. 2 shows the overall diagram of the system of the invention. The user first scans the code as shown at 5 which is automatically entered into the user's computer shown at 10. The computer 10 is connected to the network which might comprise the internet. The network is shown generally at 20. An account administrator 30 also connected to the network, includes a database 35 wherein the account information is stored. The account administrator 30, connected to the network, is provided with identifying information by the user and an account is established in the user's name. Based on the reference in the code, the site obtains the address for the desired website from a database cross referencing the references and addresses (URLs). Once the user connects to a website 40, as identified by the reference or URL in the code scanned by the user, the account administrator 30 will credit the user's account in the database 35. Alternatively, the user can be required to perform certain jobs/functions/operations on the web site before receiving compensation.
As discussed, the invention is not limited to scanning a bar code. Other means of entering the coded information can be employed and the coded information need not be a bar code. The code information could be provided by a digital watermark and suitable reader, for example, or by a magnetic medium and reader, for example, a magnetic disc or by a CD ROM or other storage
device. For example, a CD ROM purchased by the user may have the code stored thereon, and when the user uses the CD ROM, the user is automatically or at user selection, connected to the referenced or encoded web site.