Abstract:
The present invention is a Keyword search by email system and procedures to allow a user to receive by email information related to any subject of his interest (products, services, persons or companies, news, events, any other subject) by submitting through email a search under the form of a text describing the subject of their interest. The Keyword search by email system can greatly reduce and possibly eliminate completely the problem known as “click fraud.” In fact, sponsored links included in the information sent by email are shown only and exclusively to the user who performed the keyword search by email.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS (IF ANY) 
       [0001]    None 
       STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND  DEVELOPMENT (IF ANY) 
       [0002]    None 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    This invention relates generally to a Keyword search by email system, and more particularly to the process that allows for the reduction of click fraud. 
         [0005]    2. Description of Prior Art 
         [0006]    With the increasing popularity of the Internet and the global workplace, many companies are selling and paying for advertisement on the Internet. A popular method of payment for this advertisement is to pay an advertiser for the number of times that a potential customer goes to the seller&#39;s website through a hyper-text link on the advertiser&#39;s website. This can be called a click. One of the major issues with this type of payment plan is click fraud, which is where an advertiser or someone on behalf of the advertiser, clicks on the hyper-link with no intention of buying the seller&#39;s product but with the intention of increasing the number of “clicks” and therefore the amount of compensation that the advertiser receives. 
         [0007]    Click fraud most commonly happens when advertisers, who get a portion of the fees earned by a search engine each time a link is clicked, deliberately generate excessive clicks with no chance that any of the clicks will result in a sale for the business that is paying for them. 
         [0008]    These clicks can be generated through automated programs or by paying people to click over and over on a link. 
         [0009]    Click Fraud can also occur when competitors who are in the same business on a list of paid search results clicks so much on a competitor&#39;s ad in a goal to push the rival over its spending limit, as Companies typically set a daily budget for individual search terms as well as their entire campaign. This will knock them out of paid search listings for the day. 
         [0010]    Click Fraud needs to be reduced and eliminated if this type of advertising is going to survive. There exists room for improvement in the art. 
       PRIOR ART 
       [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,033 by Schutzer and issued on Aug. 30, 2005, is for a system and method of using e-mail centered internet interaction. It discloses an invention that allows an e-mail server to process requests for Web pages and forward copies of the requested Web pages as attachments to e-mail messages. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,768,991 by Hearnden and issued on Jul. 27, 2004, is for a searching for sequences of character data. It discloses a modified Boyer-Moore searching algorithm used within an E-mail filtering system for detecting the presence of a plurality of target band strings during a single traversal of the character data to be searched. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,275,820 by Navin-Chandra, et al. and issued on Aug. 14, 2001, is for a system and method for integrating search results from heterogeneous information resources. It discloses a system and method for relative ranking and contextual summarization of search hits from multiple distributed, heterogeneous information resources based upon the original content of each hit. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,156 by Hussey and issued on May 8, 2001, is for an electronic mail interface for a network server. It discloses a networked system for processing queries for a server in a distributed processing environment. The system includes a plurality of clients disposed for communication with a database server through an electronic mail system. The server includes an electronic mail interface for receiving queries submitted by the clients and for transmitting the corresponding responses. 
         [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,077 by Kanoh, et al. and issued on Feb. 16, 1999, is for a method and apparatus for searching for and retrieving documents using a facsimile machine. It discloses an invention that obtains documents by receiving a facsimile transmission of a document with at least one search term and performing a search based on search terms on the received document. 
         [0016]    United States Patent Application 20040215506 by Mcewan, et al. and published on Oct. 28, 2004, is for interactive commercials as interface to a search engine. It discloses an invention in which user submits a search request to an Internet or other network search engine from within an e-mail client. 
         [0017]    There is still room for improvement within the art. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The present invention is a Keyword search by email system and procedures to allow a user to receive by email information related to any subject of his interest (products, services, persons or companies, news, events, any other subject) by submitting through email a search under the form of a text describing the subject of their interest. The Keyword search by email system can greatly reduce and possibly eliminate completely the problem known as “click fraud.” In fact, sponsored links included in the information sent by email are shown only and exclusively to the user who performed the keyword search by email. 
         [0019]    The process is more efficient, effective, and functional than the current art. 
       GLOSSARY OF TERMS 
       [0020]    Browser: a software program that runs on a client host and is used to request Web pages and other data from server hosts. This data can be downloaded to the client&#39;s disk or displayed on the screen by the browser. 
         [0021]    Client host: a computer that requests Web pages from server hosts, and generally communicates through a browser program. 
         [0022]    Content provider: a person responsible for providing the information that makes up a collection of Web pages. 
         [0023]    Embedded client software programs: software programs that comprise part of a Web site and that get downloaded into, and executed by, the browser. 
         [0024]    Cookies: data blocks that are transmitted to a client browser by a web site. 
         [0025]    Hit: the event of a browser requesting a single Web component. 
         [0026]    Host: a computer that is connected to a network such as the Internet. Every host has a hostname (e.g., mypc.mycompany.com) and a numeric IP address (e.g., 123.104.35.12). 
         [0027]    HTML (HyperText Markup Language): the language used to author Web Pages. In its raw form, HTML looks like normal text, interspersed with formatting commands. A browser&#39;s primary function is to read and render HTML. 
         [0028]    HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol): protocol used between a browser and a Web server to exchange Web pages and other data over the Internet. 
         [0029]    HyperText: text annotated with links to other Web pages (e.g., HTML). 
         [0030]    IP (Internet Protocol): the communication protocol governing the Internet. 
         [0031]    Server host: a computer on the Internet that hands out Web pages through a Web server program. 
         [0032]    URL (Uniform Resource Locator): the address of a Web component or other data. The URL identifies the protocol used to communicate with the server host, the IP address of the server host, and the location of the requested data on the server host. For example, “http://www.lucent.com/work.html” specifies an HTTP connection with the server host www.lucent.com, from which is requested the Web page (HTML file) work.html. 
         [0033]    UWU server: in connection with the present invention, a special Web server in charge of distributing statistics describing Web traffic. 
         [0034]    Visit: a series of requests to a fixed Web server by a single person (through a browser), occurring contiguously in time. 
         [0035]    Web master: the (typically, technically trained) person in charge of keeping a host server and Web server program running. 
         [0036]    Web page: multimedia information on a Web site. A Web page is typically an HTML document comprising other Web components, such as images. 
         [0037]    Web server: a software program running on a server host, for handing out Web pages. 
         [0038]    Web site: a collection of Web pages residing on one or multiple server hosts and accessible through the same hostname (such as, for example, www.lucent.com). 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0039]    Without restricting the full scope of this invention, the preferred form of this invention is illustrated in the following drawings: 
           [0040]      FIG. 1  shows an overview of the accessing of the system; 
           [0041]      FIG. 2  shows the user sending an E-mail for the search; and 
           [0042]      FIG. 3  shows a response coming back from the search. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0043]    Below is the preferred embodiment of the current invention, but it is not the only embodiment of the current invention and should not be read as such. 
         [0044]    The present invention relates to system  1  that is a Keyword search by email system and procedures to allow a user to receive by email information related to any subject of his interest (products, services, persons or companies, news, events, any other subject) by submitting through email a search under the form of a text describing the subject of his interest. 
         [0045]      FIG. 1  illustrates a functional diagram of a computer network for World Wide Web  500  access to the System  1  from a plurality of Users  10  who access the system Web Site  100  or the Users  10  can connect directly to the System  1 . Accessing the System Web Site  100  can be accomplished directly through a communication means such as a direct connection, an intranet, a local Internet Service Provider, often referred to as ISPs, or through an on-line service provider like CompuServe, Prodigy, American Online, etc. or Wireless devices using services like AT&amp;T or Verizon. Each user  10  will have a computer  15 , with display device such as a monitor and input device like a keyboard. This display and input device can even be a PDA like a Blackburn. 
         [0046]    The Users  10  contact the System Web Site  100  using an informational processing system (Client) capable of running an HTML compliant Web browser such as Microsoft&#39;s Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Lynx and Mosaic and/or with an E-mail system such as Outlook, Hotmail or AOL. A typical system that is used is a personal computer with an operating system such as Windows 95, 98 or ME, NT, 2000 or Linux, running a Web browser. The exact hardware configuration of computer used by the Users  10 , the brand of operating system or the brand of Web browser configuration is unimportant to understand this present invention. 
         [0047]    In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the Users  10  connect to the System Web Site  100 . The system  1  allows for secure input, data transfer and storage of a wide array of information which is stored on a database  310 . The data processing system  1  for both embodiments includes computer processing means for processing data, storage means for storing data on a storage medium, and communication means for transferring data in a secure environment. 
         [0048]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the system  1  comprises a choice of software interfaces  20 , any of which allows the user  10  to provide the data required to perform a keyword search (as well as additional data optionally provided by the user). Then upon activation by the user of a specific command, the software interface sends by email  30  the data provided by the user  10  to a default email address  50 . 
         [0049]    The system  1  has a back end system management  40  controlling the server that hosts the email address to which is directed the user&#39;s search and performs through the interaction of software procedures and human staff the following tasks: analyse the data provided by the user to extract the relevant information describing the user&#39;s search, produce a response to the user&#39;s search containing a set of information as pertinent as possible to the search, send by email  30  to the user  10  the response  70  produced as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0050]    The procedures which allow the user  10  to perform the keyword search by email  30  and then to receive in response by email information related to his search&#39;s subject, is as follows: The user  10  installs and then executes, on his own server or computer, one of the software interfaces  20  or the web based software interfaces  230  or, on alternative, to access a web based email client which has installed one of the software interfaces. 
         [0051]    Using the software interfaces, the user  10  provides text that will describe any subject (product, service, person or company, news, event, any other subject) about which the user  10  wants to perform a search on what the user  10  wants to receive information on. The text describing the subject of the search can be either a sequence of keywords (separated by any separator) or a description in natural language. 
         [0052]    Using the software interfaces  20  allows the user  10  to start the transmission by email  30  of the search by clicking on command button (or any other command activation tool). The user does not need to specify any email address when submitting his search as the software interface  20  keeps stored a destination email address  50  which is used by default. 
         [0053]    Once the user  10  activates the email transmission of his search, in the preferred embodiment, the software interface  20  sends via email  30  to a default email address  50  hosted on a server under control of the back end system management  40  the following data: the text describing the search&#39;s subject, the user&#39;s IP address, and any other additional information optionally provided by the user  10 . 
         [0054]    The server controlled by the back end system management  40  receives by email  30  the data sent by the software interface  20 . 
         [0055]    The text describing the search&#39;s subject, the user&#39;s IP address and any other optional information provided by the user are analyzed by software and/or humans to produce a response to the user&#39;s search containing information as relevant as possible with: Relevant keyword/s contained in the text describing the user search&#39;s subject User&#39;s IP address (from which, for example, can be established the user&#39;s geographic area), and any other additional information optionally provided by the user such as gender, age, family status, geographic location related to the search if different by the one obtained form the IP address, or any other additional information. 
         [0056]    The set of information produced is sent by email  30  to the user  10  as response to the user&#39;s search. 
         [0057]    The system  1  and procedures are to guarantee that the email address of the user  10 , the content of his search, his IP, as well as any other information the user decides to provide are not disclosed to any third party. 
         [0058]    The system  1  performs a validation check to ensure that any user  10  utilizing the system I is providing a valid email address under their control. It uses security encrypting of all the data interchanged between the user&#39;s server  110  and the server  120  controlled by the system management, to ensure that all of the data provided by the user  10  are not visible to any third party and are utilized only to provide to the user information strictly related to their search. 
         [0059]    The system  1  stores all the information provided by the user only and exclusively on the user&#39;s server in a database  310 . This information is under total and exclusive control of the user  10 . The user  10  can delete or make the information inaccessible. The system  1  will use the information related to each specific search only to produce the requested response. Once the response is submitted by email  30  to the user  10  all the information is deleted from the system server  120 , unless the user  10  specifically authorizes the system  1  to keep stored part or all of the information which the system  1  can use to provide a faster and better response to future inquiries. 
         [0060]    The system  1  can use different formats of software interfaces  20  which allow the user  10  to perform keyword inquiries by email  30 . Each email  30  will have a validation check performed to ensure that they are valid and under control of the user  10 . 
         [0061]    One of these software interfaces is a stand alone application  210  which can be either downloaded online or installed from a portable memory device such as a CD. When the stand alone application  210  is installed on the user&#39;s computer  15  and launched it shows a search form where the user  10  can type the text describing the subject of their search. In the preferred embodiment, the application  210  shows a “send search” button or other command activation tool which, when clicked by the user  10 , activates the search&#39;s transmission by email  30  to a default email address  50  hosted on a system server  120 . 
         [0062]    The application  210  provides the user  10  the ability to configure options and preferences such as: which user&#39;s email address or addresses  55  the response  70  to the search is to be sent; in which formats the user  10  prefers to receive the response  70  to his search (such as text, html, other specific format) as well as the maximum size allowed for the set of information contained in the search&#39;s response; whether the user  10  want the system  1  to provide and store additional personal information (such as age, gender, hobbies, interests, .etc) to be added to their profile, which together with the search&#39;s description and the user&#39;s IP address are then sent by email  30  to the system  1  and used by the system  1  to produce a set of information as related as possible to the user&#39;s search; whether the user  10  wants the response  70  to be stored only on the user&#39;s server  110 , which is the default, or if the user  10  wants to allow some information to be stored on the system server  120  controlled by the system  1 , allowing the system  1  to provide faster and better responses to future user&#39;s  10  inquiries. 
         [0063]    The user  10  will be able to uninstall the system  1  completely from their server  110  and permanently delete all the information ever exchanged with the system  1 . 
         [0064]    This stand-alone interface  210  can work also without being connected to Internet  500 . It can collect the searches and store them, and then as soon as an internet connection is established the system  1  will send by email  30  all the pending inquiries previously stored. 
         [0065]    One of these software interfaces is a patch (add-on) module  220  which can be either downloaded online or installed from a portable memory device such as a CD. When launched the patch (add-on) module  220  will install itself as an addition of the default email client software present on the user&#39;s computer  15 . When activating the “compose new email” command of their email client software the user  10  can type in any of the fields of the email form (either to: and/or subject: and/or cc: and/or bcc: and/or body) the text describing the subject of their search. When the user  10  hits the “send email” button of their email client software the patch (add-on) module  220  will check to see if the user is sending a standard email  30  to a specific address where the patch (add-on) module  220  will check the presence of an email address in the to: , cc:, bcc: fields and other checks to verify if the user  10  is sending a standard email. If the check result is negative that the user  10  is not sending a standard email  30  to specific email address then the patch (add-on) module  220  will send the text describing the user&#39;s search, the user&#39;s IP address and any other information provided by the user  10  on their profile to a default email address  50  hosted on a server  120  under control of the system  1 . If the patch (add-on) module  220  detects that the user  10  is sending a standard email it will just quit and let the email client software complete its standard functions. 
         [0066]    The add-on module  220  provides to the user  10  the ability to configure options and preferences such as: to which of the user&#39;s email addresses  55  the search&#39;s response  70  is to be sent to. By default the user&#39;s email address used to send the search will be the one used, in what formats the user  10  prefers to receive the response  70  such as text, html, other specific format supported by the system, the maximum size allowed for the response  70 , the option for the user  10  to provide and store additional personal information like age, gender, hobbies and interests, .etc to be added to their profile, which together with the search&#39;s description and the user&#39;s IP address are then sent by email  30  and used by the system  1  to produce a set of information as related as possible to the user&#39;s search. The add-on module  220  will allow the user  10  to have the add-on software showing an additional command, for example a “send search” button, to his email software user interface to be used instead of the standard “send mail” command. The add-on module  220  will allow the user  10  to have the add-on software adding to his email client user interface a selection tool which allows the user  10  to select categories and subcategories to further refine his keyword search. 
         [0067]    The user  10  will have the option to uninstall completely the add-on module  220  from his server  110  and permanently delete all the information ever exchanged with the system  1 . This patch (add-on) module  220  interface can work also without being connected to internet  500 . It can collect searches and store them, and then as soon as an internet connection is established the interface will send by email  30  all the pending inquiries previously stored. 
         [0068]    The software interface  20  can be also implemented and used as web based software interface  230 , which is a website  100  that shows the user  10  a box where to type the text describing the search&#39;s subject and a “send search” button to activate the transmission by email  30  to a default email address of the user&#39;s search. The web based software interface  230  will also perform a validation check of each user  10  using the system  1  in order to achieve the email address  55  where to send back the response  70  to the search and at the same time ensure that the user  10  utilizing the system is providing a valid email address  55  under their control. The web based interface  230 , in the preferred embodiment, has a selection tool which allows the user  10  to select categories and subcategories to further refine their search. The web based interface  230  can also offer to the users  10  the option to download other software interfaces  20  such as the stand alone application  210  and add-on module  220  which allow the user  10  to perform inquiries locally without accessing the web based interface  230 . 
         [0069]    The web based interface  230  provides the user  10  the ability to open an account. The user  10  follows a standard login procedure allowing the user  10  to provide a logon username and password. The system  1  will allow the user  10  to configure options and preferences such as: to which user&#39;s email addresses  55  the response  70  to user&#39;s search is to be sent with a validation check performed for each email address provided; in which formats the user  10  prefers to receive the response  70  to their search such as text, html, or other specific format, as well as the maximum size allowed for the set of information contained in the search&#39;s response, the option for the user  10  to provide and store additional personal information like age, gender, hobbies and interests, . . . etc to be added to their profile, which together with the search&#39;s description and the user&#39;s IP address are then sent by email  30  and used by the system  1  to produce a set information as relevant as possible to the user&#39;s search, and the option for the user  10  to choose what information is stored only on the user&#39;s server  110 , which will be the default and what is to be stored on the system&#39;s server  120  to allow the system to provide faster and better responses to future user&#39;s inquiries. 
         [0070]    The user  10  can cancel his account and permanently delete all the information ever exchanged with the system 
         [0071]    Once the user  10  has opened an account and configured his options and preferences he can log in and then perform as many inquiries as he likes through the web based interface without specifying and validating an email address  55  for each search submitted. 
         [0072]    The software interface  20  can be also distributed as an internet add-on module  240  specifically designed for web-based email client  250  such as hotmail, gmail, yahoo mail, msn mail, or any other. The internet add-on module  240  would be added to the web based email client  250  to provide the following functionalities: when activating the “compose new email” command of the web based email client  250  the user  10  can type in any of the fields of the email form, either to: and/or subject: and/or cc: and/or bcc: and or body, the text describing the subject of his search. When the user  10  hits the “send email” button of the web based email client  250  the internet add-on module interface is invoked to verify if the user  10  is sending a standard email  30  to a specific address. If the check result is negative where the user  10  is not sending a standard email  30  to specific email addresses  50  then the internet add-on module  240  will send the text describing the user&#39;s search, the user&#39;s IP address and any other information provided by the user  10  on his profile to a default email address hosted on a system server  120 . If the internet add-on module  240  detects that the user  10  is sending a standard email it will just quit and let the web based email client  250  complete its standard functions. 
         [0073]    The internet add-on module  240  for web based email client  250  allows the user  10  the ability to configure options and preferences such as: to which user&#39;s email addresses  55  the response  70  to user&#39;s search is to be sent with a validation check performed for each email address provided; in which formats the user  10  prefers to receive the response  70  to their search such as text, html, or other specific format, as well as the maximum size allowed for the set of information contained in the search&#39;s response, the option for the user  10  to provide and store additional personal information like age, gender, hobbies and interests, etc to be added to their profile, which together with the search&#39;s description and the user&#39;s IP address are then sent by email  30  and used by the system  1  to produce a set of information as relevant as possible to the user&#39;s search, and the option for the user  10  to choose what information is stored only on the user&#39;s server  110 , which will be the default and what is to be stored on the system&#39;s server  120  to allow the system to provide faster and better responses to future user&#39;s inquiries. 
         [0074]    The internet add-on module  240  for web based email client  250  will allow for the user  10  to have an additional command, for example a “send search” button, to the web based email user interface to be used instead of the standard “send mail” and to allow the user  10  to have the add-on software adding to the web based email client user interface a selection tool which allows the user  10  to select categories and subcategories to further refine his keyword search and the option for the user  10  to choose what information is stored only on the user&#39;s server  110 , which will be the default and what is to be stored on the system&#39;s server  120  to allow the system to provide faster and better responses to future user&#39;s inquiries. 
         [0075]    The user  10  can cancel his account and permanently delete all the information ever exchanged with the system 
       Advantages 
       [0076]    Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. Therefore, the point and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions contained herein. 
         [0077]    As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided. 
         [0078]    With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0079]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.