Target advertising to a specific user offered through an intermediary internet service provider, server or wireless network

An advertising method controls the display of information on a client device. A user accesses first content on a server and a first link reference to second content is created. The first content and the first link reference are displayed in separate areas. User interaction with the first link reference sends second content to replace the first content on the content display area of the client computer. The second content includes a second link reference which can redirect the user to the hosting location of the second content. The server may operate as a wireless node. The first content is optionally parsed to key words or objects and the parsed content is used to identify the second content. Optionally, receiving data from a user's wireless device relates to user location; and, the location data is used to identify the second content.

TECHNICAL FIELD

In the field of data processing: financial, business practice, management, or cost/price determination, a method is disclosed for promoting or calling to the attention of the public to goods or services to induce the public to buy or use the goods or services. The method is implemented by targeting advertisements to users through an Internet Service Provider and by supplying related content influenced by a user-visited webpage, a user-visited website, a user-profile, previously-viewed content, user surfing-history and a wireless node's demographic data.

BACKGROUND ART

U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,761 (the '761 patent) teaches a method for providing advertises to Internet Service Providers (Internet Service Provider) where the Internet Service Provider has precise control over who receives an advertisement. Thus, in accordance with the '761 patent, an Internet Service Provider may offer advertisers precision advertising, since an Internet Service Provider has access to precise demographic data on each of the Internet Service Provider's customers.

The '761 patent discloses that the Internet Service Provider has access to data on the periods of usage, including the type of customers accessing the Internet during such periods of usage. By using this information, one may target advertisements to a precise audience. The '761 patent teaches the insertion of an advertising into a web page by the Internet Service Provider, or, the removal of an advertisement from a webpage by the Internet Service Provider and the insertion of substitute Internet Service Provider advertising.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

A method is disclosed for targeting advertising to a user operating a client computer accessing a server computer through an Internet Service Provider or a wireless node. The term client computer is broadly defined to include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or any of the variety of hand-held wireless computing devices now available, such as a variety of cellular telephones.

The server computer implements steps of hosting a first content on the server computer; enabling the client computer to access the server computer; creating a first link reference to second content; formatting the first content and the first link reference for display on the client computer wherein said formatting will display the first link reference in a: link display area that is separated from the first content that will display in a content display area; in a style that is indicative that other additional related content is available to the user; and in a configuration involving one of a tab; a link; a bar; a floating bar; a browser bar; a user downloaded bar; and a menu. The server computer then implements steps of transmitting the formatted first content and the first link reference to the client computer; responding to user interaction with the first link reference by sending the second content to replace the first content on the content display area of the client computer; the second content comprising a second link reference; and, redirecting the user to the hosting location of the second content when the user clicks on the second link reference.

Preferably, the method includes parsing the first content into key words or objects and then using the parsed content to identify related second content before creating the link.

Content displayed to a user is preferably indexed by an Indexing Server (Index Server), which may be the sever computer, at anytime (before the content is viewed by the user, while the user is viewing the content, or after the user views the content). The Indexing Server may then supply content to the user based on a previous user's interaction with the Internet Service Provider, such as, previously stated preferences, a similarity with previously viewed content, user's surf history, etc.

Wireless nodes may be used in the method, either by connecting the server computer to the wireless node or by integrating the wireless node into the server computer. The client computer or other user device may then connect to the server computer through the wireless node.

Technical Problem

Although The '761 patent teaches a method for targeting advertisements to a specific audience, it fails to teach a comprehensive way of targeting advertising or content to a specific audience without noticeable intrusions. The '761 patent teaches the insertion of advertisements web pages as users traffic through the Internet Service Provider. The '761 patent also teaches, in many cases, removing advertisements that are already rendered into the webpage. Such advertisement substitution can lead to copyright infringement by changing the contents of webpage without the consent of the content preparer or owner. The '761 patent may be problematic because it teaches changing advertisements that are already rendered into a webpage and this may lead to a false sense on the part of the user as to the sponsorship or legitimacy of the content. Thus, the '761 patent raises questions about the legality and ethical value of the advertising method disclosed.

The prior art where a user accesses a wireless node the user's receiving device receives some data from the wireless node and the receiving device displays the received data as a list of available devices in the range of the user's receiving device. Some wireless nodes may require the user a login and the user's receiving device asks the user for the login then transmits it to the wireless node as to authorize the user use of the wireless node. Still wireless companies like Sprint, ATT and others transmit text that are hosted by their servers to their users base, but the transmission is not directed to a wireless node per se, it is directed to a group of cellular-exchange nodes then the cellular-exchange node that is closest to the recipient device transmit the text-content to the user at the device. In the aforementioned case involving wireless companies, the signal travels from the wireless company's server to the a satellite then to the wireless cellular-exchange node, then from the cellular-exchange node to the receiving device, or, it may travel to one or more cellular-exchange node until it reaches the recipient device, this process happens if the transmitting device and the receiving device are within an area where satellite transmission is not necessary.

Solution to Problem

The solution is a method for targeting advertising to a user operating a client computer by transmitting requested content and related link references for separate display on the client computer. An Internet Service Provider supplies content related to a user-visited webpage, a user-visited website, a user profile, previously-viewed content, user surfing history, and wireless node's demography data. An Indexing Server works in harmony with the Internet Service Provider as to provide related content to the user and based on user's previously viewed contents, user's surfing history and user's profile. A wireless node working alone or in harmony with another server provides to a user additional contents and based on the wireless node's contents choice.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

The present invention advantageously provides content and related advertising to a user through an Internet Service Provider or a wireless service provider. The advertising is targeted to specific audience and is relevant to some interest of the user. For example, the advertising is based on some relationship between the user's previously viewed contents and advertisings, the user's profile, the user's surfing-history, wireless node's demography data, or the user's previously-viewed content's relationship with other content. The present invention further avoids any legality issues and cannot engender a false sense of content legitimacy. The term advertising and content are used interchangeably herein.

Currently, wireless nodes are passive in nature acting more as a communication link routing contents from a server to a client. The only time that a wireless node acts as an active device is when it transmits its identification to receiving devices. However, wireless node may be enhanced and be used as both passive and active devices. Since many devices (portable and non-portable) in use today have the ability to access wireless nodes anywhere, and if wireless nodes are enhanced according to the invention to become active in nature, then this would allow a wide range of software applications and business solutions to be developed and deployed.

The invention enables the wireless node to take on a new function to become an active device by transmitting to a client computer or other user receiving device information beyond the simple identification that it currently does.

One major advantage of the present invention is that it will enable a computer connected to the wireless node do become a server to the wireless node where a complete content page in the format used by Internet (HTML) format or any other format or it may provide a snapshot of the actual content, this way the user receiving device may display snapshot of a plurality of contents from a plurality of wireless nodes in the reach and it may be just a list of all the contents' snapshot with a brief description of each. Further, the present invention involves the computer acting as a host and being connected to the wireless node (wireless box) located to the proximity of the hosting computer, it may be located at a home, at an office or at a wireless range between the hosting computer and the wireless node device.

Any wireless device that may be programmed to transmit its own data (data related to the device like longitude, latitude and keywords describing the device or even a complete content page in any conceivable format) or to transmit the device enabled information, such as, location information, the method may then involve sending related store information to the wireless device.

The wireless-hosting computer combination will enable new industries by making a once inactive device an active one and doing all kind of hosting activities. New industries like programming to these devices as a platform and target advertisements (contents) to each device and user, enabling business to advertise to the general public located in the general area within reach of its wireless node and thus bring more business, generate more income and create more jobs.

The invention makes wireless nodes active and promotes free Internet access to all using the already available wireless nodes by enabling the wireless node's owner to receive compensation for its free use. The invention also encourages free or very low cost wireless devices to everyone because it provides a means for wireless node's manufacturers to be compensated with commissions.

One great improvement of the present invention over other presently available prior art is that each element may be incorporated as a standalone or each cooperating with others to enable a broader applicability that may not be possible with a single standalone element. For instance, the indexing server may be used as a search engine server cooperating with an Internet Service Provider, as well cooperating with wireless devices—receivers and transmitters (node).

The Internet Service Provider of the present invention offers advantageous improvement over others Internet Service Provider servers since it is able to directly cooperate with the Indexing Server and wireless devices, a further advantage is that the Internet Service Provider server, the Indexing Server, wireless devices or wireless-server devices of the present invention are able to associate other contents to the contents being served without interfering with content's integrity by making related contents available to the receiving device's external elements like a bar, a tab at the browser, a floating bar, an icon on the browser's task bar, or user's bar, icon on the bar, etc. If the browser bar is used, a bar may be programmed where JAVASCRIPT or other technology may be used to present a new bar or to add icons/links to an already existing bar, the programming code may be sent to the client by the Internet Service Provider server or any other server or means.

By having this mechanism, the Internet Service Provider can control the user's content that are served to the user and at a later visit place on the external element similar contents that are of importance to the user.

A further advantage of the present invention over currently available prior art is that the user will have a greater content availability related to the user's interest by having the Internet Service Provider associating relevant content to the user. It may be setup where the user opts out and the Internet Service Provider won't serve content to the user if opted out, as well the user can choose the kind of content that the Internet Service Provider server will associate with the user's contents. It can further be setup where the user is registered with the Internet Service Provider, the Indexing Server or registered in one and the user's information shared between the Internet Service Provider, Indexing Server, even the wireless devices or the wireless-server combination.

Other advantageous uses of the present invention include enabling wireless nodes to be programmed, transforming them from a passive to active devices. New industries will be incentivized to emerge and make use of the present invention. These new smart wireless devices become a platform much like smart cell phones are today. Furthermore, with the combination of smart-active wireless devices, nodes and transceivers a new industry will emerge in the arena of wireless communication such as, new smart software for the devices and new communication applications where the once upon a time inactive devices become smart active devices and programmable platform.

The invention creates a new advertising medium where consumers will access the medium from almost anywhere the consumers are located. Currently technologies enable business to target content, advertising in particular, based on the user accessing a specific website and the website may target content to the user based on the user profile. The present invention eliminates current technology's need for a user to be registered with the website and employs other means to target content based on the user's smart device by using the smart device's GPS as a means to identify the user's location.

The present invention has advantage by providing a simple, efficient and economic means where the business may target the content based on wireless devices and the content will be much more cost effective to the business. Further, anyone with the present invention will be incentivized by commissions to offer free access to others. Thus generating a new income stream in the process of promoting free Internet access to the general population. A practical example of this advantage involves a building with apartments for rent. A potential renter located in the area where the building is located may immediately access the available apartments for rent. The renter need not first visit a website and search for the information, which may or may not be up to date or may or may not be on available. Any building owner using the invention would incur no unnecessary advertising expenses on websites, but would rather be focused only on high interest customers already in the area.

The present invention may be used to enable a wireless device to become the hosting of third party content like friends, family, individuals or business in the general area where the device is located. It enables each wireless device to offer means where users can register and login to provide content thereto, contents may be provided thereto by the Indexing Server, Internet Service Provider server or any other server that the wireless device is connected with, is able to communicate and receive data from or send data to.

The contents to such wireless devices may be user supplied or supplied by accessing the devices (login in to the device or not) or supplied by another server that the device communicates with, like a server over the Internet/Network. In this arrangement, a once inactive device of the prior art becomes a new smart device where its owner can make money by hosting other's content or allowing others to provide content thereto. The invention thus creates smart wireless devices to a viable platform for expanded communication and a new industry where many new income streams are generated by these new smart wireless devices.

The owners of these new smart wireless devices can have income stream in sales of goods or services, advertisings, and many other methods to be conceived by the human mind. Furthermore, a wireless device may be used to send information to other servers where it is connect with through the Internet/Network, for instance the device may send its content to a host at another location on the Internet/Network or even send it to another wireless device.

The programs to be used by the new smart-wireless devices may be downloaded from a server, another smart-wireless device or any other storage device. Any such downloaded software application may be automatically incorporated and executed by the new smart-wireless device platform.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The present invention may be embodied as a method or a computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take a form of an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware. Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in the medium. Any computer readable medium may be utilized including but not limited to: hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, or magnetic devices.

Any reference to names of a product or of a company is only for the purpose of clarifying the discussion with a specific example in the context of current art and is not intended to be limiting.

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method for enabling an Index Server (also referred to as a server computer) and an Internet Service Provider operating the server computer to work in harmony or independently to provide related and targeted content to a user accessing content via the Internet through the Internet Service Provider. The invention is thus preferably characterized as a method implemented by a server computer and used for controlling the display of information on a client computer operated by a user.

Preferably, the Index Server or server computer hosts a first content on the server computer that may be accessed by the user. Thus, the server computer enables the user's client computer to access the server computer and the first content.

The server computer creates a first link reference to second content, also known as targeted content, which is identified by the server computer based on the user's previously visited contents or other relationships. The targeted content may be any kind of content, advertisings, video, audio, news, weather, etc.; preferably the targeted content is hosted by the Internet Service Provider and has it saved in the Index Server's database.

When a user accesses content through the Internet Service Provider, the Internet Service Provider associates the user's previously accessed contents with targeted content indexed by the Index Server. The Index Server may be located at the same site as the Internet Service Provider or in a separate site, separate URL (Universal Resource Locators) address. If the Index Server is located at a location other than the Internet Service Provider's location, the Index Server is, or will act similar to a search engine portal, e.g., GOOGLE, YAHOO, MSN, etc.

Upon user access, the server computer begins by formatting the first content and the first link reference for display on the client computer. The formatting will display the first link reference in a link display area that is separated from the first content that will display in a content display area in a style that is indicative that other additional related content is available to the user. The formatting will display the first link reference in a configuration selected from the group consisting of a tab; a link; a bar; a floating bar; a browser bar; a user downloaded bar; and a menu. Once formatted, the server computer transmits the formatted first content and the first link reference to the client computer.

Some or all of the contents accessed by a user may be indexed at the Index Server, preferably at the time the user is accessing content through the Internet Service Provider.

The Internet Service Provider or the Index Server may also parse the contents and save their objects (words, links, bold, italics, titles, etc.), and they will be objects of previously viewed contents, then at a later time once a user requests additional contents from the Internet Service Provider, Index Server, or any other server associated with the Internet Service Provider, the associated server, or the Internet Service Provider will provide contents and they will be based on the user's previously viewed contents objects (contents the user is viewing in the current session or a previous session), user's profile data, user's surf history, user's previously viewed content, and, if the user is accessing the Internet Service Provider through a wireless node link, the wireless topographical data (wireless's address location, zip code, city, longitude and latitude locations, etc.), data hosted by the smart-wireless device or hosted by the computer connected to the smart-wireless device node may be used as well.

If the data is hosted by the smart-wireless device node or hosted by the computer connected to the smart-wireless device node, the indexing server, the smart-wireless device node's computer, the computer connected to the smart-wireless device node, the ISP server, the login server or any other associated electronic device may index/parse the content, search the content's object or associate advertising and other contents to the content as needed before presenting the content to the smart-wireless device, at the time the content is being presented to the smart-wireless device node or after the content has been already presented to the smart-wireless device node.

User's profiling data may be any data pertinent to the user, including but not limited to: income, sex, age, hobbies, marital status, etc., and previous viewed contents may be any content in any category, including but not limited to: video, audio, advertisings, web pages, web sites, wireless nodes visited by the user, previous purchases of goods done by the user, user hobby, etc.

If such wireless node is used, the method of the invention may include a step of configuring the server computer to connect to the wireless node, or a step of integrating the server computer and the wireless node into a single unit. Additional steps may include receiving data from a user's wireless device relating to user location; and, using the data to identify the second content for display by the user's wireless device.

Thus, the method of the invention preferably includes steps of parsing the first content into parsed content comprising key words or objects; and using the parsed content to identify the second content before creating the link, such that the second content is based on a relationship to the parsed content. This relationship is preferably at least one of the following: a previously viewed content; a common word between the first and the second content; a user preference; a common category between the first and the second content; user personal information; user profiling information; location information; surf history; user hobby; user address information; a similar word between the first and the second content; a partial matching word between the first and the second content; a full matching word between the first and the second content; a synonymous word between the first and the second content; a homophone of a word in the first content; an advertisement containing any of the key words or objects; commonality with a user-supplied content having a relationship with the first content; and, a defined interest of the user.

Once a user receives a page through the Internet Service Provider, the Internet Service Provider may insert some kind of link, bar, floating bar links, tabs, etc., to indicate to the user that other contents (second contents) are available as well (contents based on the user's previously viewed contents objects, user's profile data, user's surf history, user's previously viewed content, etc.). The server computer responds to user interaction with the first link reference by sending the second content to replace the first content on the content display area of the client computer. The second content preferably includes a second link reference, which when clicked on by the user redirects the user to the hosting location of the second content.

Thus, once the user clicks on a second link reference, the user is directed to the Internet Service Provider, Index Server, or any accessible location through the Internet Service Provider, any of which such accessible location is referred to as an “associated server.” Additional content will be provided by one or more such locations. Any of the associated servers (e.g. Index Server, Internet Service Provider, other servers, etc.) will be able to share any or all information regarding the user accessing the Internet through the Internet Service Provider so as to enable the provision of appropriate targeted content to the user.

When a user accesses the Internet through a wireless node or any kind of node where a user is provided Internet access, the node will have means to insert (render) the aforementioned links into the webpage. Other means may be used as well, like, a program code (JAVA APPLET, JAVASCRIPT, ACTIVEX, etc.) may be used to interact with the web browser, and the web browser in turn will create a means (tab, bar, links, etc.) for the purpose of enabling the user means for viewing additional related content. Thus, the method includes configuring the server computer to render the first link reference on the client computer using programming code language selected from the group consisting of: JAVASCRIPT; JAVA APPLET; and, ACTIVEX.

The means for the user to access additional related content may be a bar that a user downloads and installs. For example, the bar may be downloaded from the Internet Service Provider, Index Server, or any other associated server to the Internet Service Provider. The bar may be user-downloaded or server-supplied (Internet Service Provider, Index Server, other server, etc.) as the user interacts with the Internet Service Provider. The bar may be a commonly used bar, one of those used frequently by all brands of browsers. Most of the time, the bar is static (fixed) at the top part of the web browser. It is typically next to, or just below, the browser's navigational bar. The bar may be floating as well, which would not depart from the true spirit of the teachings of this invention. The bar may a tab created by the web browser, such as for example, a tab created by the MOZILLA FIREFOX web browser.

I) Theory of Indexing Contents' Objects

A content page is comprised of objects (also referred to as contents). The objects are words, words within links, words within titles, words in bolds, words in underline, words in italics, name of images, invisible objects used by the web browser but not displayable to a user at the web browser, JAVA APPLETS, ACTIVEX, audio/video players embedded to the web page, etc.

An algorithm may be programmed in any conceivable way so as to index these contents. One commonly used way is to count the words of a content page based on the number of time they appear therein, and then set a threshold for the algorithm to choose target words for indexing. The threshold may be set to only index words that appear n-times in the page or higher, n-times or lower, the words that appear more often, less often, etc. If a word appears more often it will be a higher-choice candidate, if it appears less often, the same may be true, as well. Words appearing in bold, italics, underline, titles, images links, and links in general, may be assigned as higher-choice candidates as well. These choices will depend on how the algorithm's priority is set therefore.

The algorithm may be programmed to associate advertising or other content type to the displayed content based on one or more objects of a previously viewed content-page and the one or more object also appearing in the current displayed content page to the user.

The algorithm may be programmed to display advertising or other associated content type based on one or more objects of the previously viewed content that don't appear in the current displayed content page to the user.

The algorithm may further be programmed to associate advertising or other content type based on one or more content objects that appear on the currently displayed content page to the user that is not part of a previously viewed content page by the user. The previously viewed content page may be from the current session or it may be from prior session and stored in any of the aforementioned storing devices, computer, wireless device, or any device that may be used for the purpose of storing information.

The indexed content may be online user-supplied contents, contents fetched from a Content Server (CS) over the Internet or contents fetched from the Internet Service Provider. The Index Server will have means to related the objects (e.g., words, links, etc) of the online user-supplied contents (e.g. advertisings) and the fetched contents, their relationship may include, but are not limited to: common words, similar words, partial matching words, full matching words, synonymous words, words having similar sound, etc. The same mechanism that is available to the Index Server is also available to the Internet Service Provider. The Internet Service Provider can have means for receiving user-supplied content online, parsing, indexing and relating them with other contents that are hosted by the Internet Service Provider or routed through the Internet Service Provider, as well.

II) The Theory of Internet Communication

FIG. 4illustrates a server400(also referred to herein as a server computer), the Internet402and an optional wireless node404, and a client computer406. The Internet channel402is the communication channel between the client406and the server400. The client406initiates a request for contents from server400and it returns contents thereafter. The Internet is the transport vehicle for transporting data between the two computers. Each computer of the illustrated arrangement, the server400, the wireless node404and the client computer406, each has an electronic processing unit450responsible for its functionalities. Thus, the method of the invention preferably includes steps of adapting the server computer to operate as a wireless node; and, configuring the wireless node to render the first link reference to the client computer.

The electronic processing unit450may or may not have all the components shown, or may have more components than those depicted thereon. In any case, each electronic processing unit450will have at least some basic electronic units like the CPU460and it is the brain of the electronic processing unit450responsible for all of the device's functionalities. At power up, the CPU460loads instructions from ROM454and the instructions will instruct the CPU460to load an Operating System (OS) from the storage unit464(it may be a magnetic disc, CD ROM, etc) into RAM452. As needed, the electronic processing unit450will communicate with an outside environment through its I/O port468and in the case of the illustrated devices; this may be enabled by a network card that allows communication using the Internet.

The CPU460communicates differently with each connected electronic unit. In some cases, the communication and interaction is two-way and in other instances, one-way. As for the illustrated device450the CPU460implements one-way communication with the ROM454(one-way arrow456) unit and two-way communication with all other devices as indicated by the two-way arrows (466,462,458and470). Each device may have input means as well, such as a mouse, keyboard, and other visual interfacing means like a screen, etc.

III) The Invention

FIG. 1illustrates the Indexing Server (Index Server)106, the Internet Service Provider116, Internet contents102common to both servers, Index Server106which includes local contents100, and the Internet Service Provider116which includes local contents104. The Index Server106retrieves contents102and indexes them based on indexing rules previously mentioned, that is, the Index Server will index the contents' objects and save them into its database110. As a user interacts with the Internet Service Provider server116, the Internet Service Provider server116fetches and transmits to the user the same contents (others may be transmitted as well) to the user124. If a wireless node120is present, the user124will receive contents102through Internet Service Provider116, wireless node120and the link122.

As indicated by the dotted lines, the wireless node120is optional, and it may or may not be present all of the time. Contents102are hosted by other servers on the Internet and accessed by the user124through the Internet Service Provider116. Contents supplied by the Index Server106to the Internet Service Provider116and the Internet Service Provider116or to the user124may be contents that are online-user supplied (e.g., advertisements) to the Index Server116, or, they may be contents102fetched from Content Servers (CS) over the Internet and indexed at the Index Server106.

Index Server106and Internet Service Provider116are related114and they may exchange information, data, contents, etc. As the user interacts with the Internet Service Provider116, the Internet Service Provider116may at any time save the user's interaction, such as for example, user surf history132, or the contents102transmitted to the user. The Internet Service Provider116performs the same action as the Index Server106that is, indexing and saving them. Or, the Internet Service Provider116may send the user surf list132to the Index Server106and the Index Server106will fetch the contents102and index them for later use, if they are not yet indexed. The Internet Service Provider116may save the user surf list132in its database108as well, or just pass them to Index Server106along with user's profiling information112(128) and the Index Server106will do the indexation and saving. As illustrated the user profile112is present on the Internet Service Provider116but it may be present on Index Server106as well.

The user profiling information table112has three columns and the 1st column113represents the rows number for the table112. The 2nd column115represents the ID's for table112, and the 3rd column117represents the values for the ID's of column115. For simplicity, only one table is illustrated for the user, as it is well known to those skilled in the art, in the real world, table112would most likely be divided into more than one table.

Table112has “Name” row #1113, “Address” row #2113, “City” row #3113, “State” row #4113, “Zip Code” row #5113and “income” row #6113. The aforementioned rows are for the user profile. Rows #7 and #8 are for the user login credentials with Internet Service Provider116. Rows #9-#11 illustrate the user's interaction with Internet Service Provider116and rows #12-#14 indicate the user's preset preferences.

The wireless node120is optional as indicated by the dotted lines and in case it is present, its demographic data may include, but is not limited to, its longitude and latitude location, address, city, zip code, street, ID, site ID, etc. (134), which may be used by the Internet Service Provider116or the Index Server106for providing contents to the user124. The contents may be any kind of content that is geographical related, like but not limited to: shops in the surrounding area, accommodations, bars, SPAS, etc. The information may be in the form of advertisings, promotions, sales, maps, etc.

The topographic information of wireless120and user124may be used in conjunction or separately. If used separately, the user's124profile may be used to send contents (information) to the user concerning businesses, offers, events, etc. that are located in surrounding area of the wide are node120. Such information may be based on similar contents located at the user124location (address) if the user is using a wireless node not located at the user's fixed address (128and112). The content may be content-related129to the user's previously viewed content130or content relevant to the wireless node's120location. Once again, the information (content) may be any type and in any form as well.

FIG. 5illustrates three exemplary screens. The first one500A illustrates one way to present contents to a user accessing the Internet Service Provider. Once a content page is received500A with a “Content” displayed on content area512, it is “Content”102ofFIG. 1, and it is the content that the user received from the Internet through the Internet Service Provider server116. The top part of the content page500A illustrates a bar510with links. The bar510includes the link for the displayed “Content”502. That link may be used once the user is viewing other contents (contents associated with the other links of the bar). If the user wants to return to the original content “Content”512, link504will link to the Internet Service Provider116(FIG. 1) and receive contents, and it is the content illustrated on content area516of500B, link506will link to Index Server (Index Server)106(FIG. 1), receive contents from it, then have them displayed on display area516of500B, and a link for advertisements508will receive advertisements, and they will be displayed on screen area518500C. The bar510may be any kind of bar, floating bar, a tabs assigned by the Internet Service Provider to the web browser in the HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format, tabs assigned by the browser for the session, user downloaded bar, bar embedded to the web browser, etc.

The second exemplary screen500B illustrates the same bar510and at this time the Internet Service Provider504or the Index Server506link was selected. Since either server may provide content to the user, and the content is displayed on screen area516of the web page, and as depicted, this content may be any kind of content. Finally, screen area518illustrates advertising content and it may be about shops, business, points of interests, etc., in the surrounding area where the user is accessing the Internet Service Provider. The information may be related to the wireless node's data, to the user's profile, contents/advertisements related to the user's previously viewed content, user's profile, user's surf history, etc.

Any of the aforementioned embodiments and methods may be used individually or in a group without departing from the true spirit of this invention. If these arrangements are used differently in conjunction with other arrangements that produce the same or close to the same end results, the objective of this invention is thus fulfilled. The user will have a variety of contents besides the contents accessed from the Internet through the Internet Service Provider, the contents will enhance the user's experience and the contents are related to the user interests, profiling, previously viewed contents, user/wireless node demography, etc.

The user profile may include user's hobby, users preferences like, but not limited to: sports category, movie category, clothing preferences, shoes preferences, etc., and once the user is accessing the Internet through the Internet Service Provider, advertisements and other contents will be available to the user. If the user is in a specific location and that location is near a sports shop having a special sale on bowling shoes and the user's hobby preference is bowling, then once the user is viewing the contents from the Internet Service Provider and the Internet Service Provider's uses the user's profiling and the wireless node's data (if the user is accessing the Internet Service Provider through the wireless node), then the bowling advertisements may be correlated to the user, since the user is in the surrounding area. The same is true regarding previously viewed contents, if the user has in the past, or in the current session, viewed a content page/website for bowling equipment or information of the like, the advertising will be targeted to the user as well. Also, once the user accesses the Internet Service Provider, the Internet Service Provider can track how long the user stays at each page or at each website and correlate this information with other data pertaining to the user,FIG. 1table112rows #9-#11.

FIG. 2illustrates another embodiment using the arrangement illustrated inFIG. 1. All of FIG.2's reference numbers are consistent with those inFIG. 1, except for the database110, atFIG. 1. InFIG. 1, the database110is attached to Index Server106, and inFIG. 2it is attached to Internet Service Provider116. WhereasFIG. 2is based on Internet Service Provider116performing the contents'102indexing, inFIG. 1, Index Server106is performing the indexing. The difference between the arrangements ofFIG. 1and ofFIG. 2is that Index Server106has the ability to perform contents'102indexing before the contents are requested by a user and served to the user by the Internet Service Provider116. In this arrangement, in most situations, the indexing is be done as the contents are requested, although, they may be indexed prior to a user's request. The remaining elements of the arrangement ofFIG. 2are parallel to those discussed above forFIG. 1.

There are many ways to implement this invention and the more we review its functionalities, the more modes of uses become apparent and its tremendous potential will be appreciated by those of the skill in the art.

FIG. 3illustrates another embodiment, wherein contents302are transmitted to the user310through wireless node306connections304and308. Others obvious elements like an Internet Service Provider server have been omitted. For example, it is apparent that some kind of server will be supplying the contents302to the user310through wireless/communication node (hence forth called node)306.

FIG. 1andFIG. 2are premised on the Internet Service Provider server having means for supplying contents to the user, which is illustrated inFIG. 5. The user interacts with the related contents by selecting links in some kind of bar, tabs, floating bar, browser bar, etc.

As illustrated inFIG. 3, the same may be accomplished as well, by having the node to perform the same tasks that were performed by the Internet Service Provider. The node may have a computer attached to it as well, and the computer will act as an intermediary between the user310, the node306(can part of the node or separated from it) and contents302, parsing of contents and, as needed, saving the parsed contents therein.

The computer associated with node306will perform the functionalities that before were performed by the Internet Service Provider in the aforementioned arrangements. Once links518ofFIG. 5, are clicked by a user, the user may be directed to one or more servers (312,314and316) and information about the user visited contents, node's data and the user's preferences, etc., may be sent to the server(s), and one or more servers will be able to supply additional contents320directly to the user310, or, through the node's server306. The illustrated computer associated with the node306may be incorporated inside the node's electronic unit as well, without departing from the true spirit and teachings of this invention. A communication node may be any kind of a node between two computers; it may be a modem, a wireless node, a local area network, etc.

Wireless Node as an Active Device

The device may be programmed in many ways like by having a computer that is connected to the device send programming information to it, or have the device fetch the information from the computer that it is connected to, the computer that supplies the content information to the wireless node becomes a server. As well the server may be integrated into the device itself, or it may be a program that is downloaded and stored to the active wireless device node. Herein, the combination of the wireless device and the server may be referred to as a wireless device or a wireless node. If the combination includes the wireless server and the server computer it may also be referred to as a wireless-server or wireless-computer. If the meaning is intended to be any of the devices used in this disclosure or a combination thereof, the term wireless device(s) may be used.

In another embodiment of the present invention, more than one wireless device may act as an active device by transmitting contents to a variety of receiving devices where the receiving devices present the received content to the device's user. The content may be presented as a webpage or any other format means for a user interaction with the wireless-server or any other server that the content will redirect the user thereto.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a wireless device transmits other information to the receiving devices that users at receiving devices may use as means to search devices based on the device's transmitted data. The transmitted data may be in the form of white data (data that the receiving devices use for the purpose of searching devices' content and may or may not display them the device's user). For instance, a first device transmits “today special great salads restaurant California Californian food” and a second device transmits “clothing men man children child women woman food restaurant.” When the first device is located at a restaurant and the second device is located at a department store with a restaurant, and a user at a device initiates a search for “food restaurant,” then the two devices would show up in the search result for the user.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a wireless device acts as an intermediary that goes in between two or more wireless devices, the intermediary device receives content from a wireless node and transmits the received content to the other wireless device connected therewith. Each wireless node or wireless device may act as content cache to cache content and make the cached content available to other devices. In the case of the wireless node, the cached content may be contents that the device receives from a hosting device at another location where the device is connected to the Internet/network. The wireless node (device to enable wireless communication) may become an actual active server and the same applies to the wireless receiving devices.

In another preferred embodiment, the wireless node enables free Internet connection or even paid wireless access to all by enabling the owner of the wireless-device node to offer free access and receive a commission of the generated revenues by the user accessing the wireless node. The commission may be based on clicks on advertisements that appear on the receiving device's page and clicked by the user. The commission may be based on advertising appearance (impression on the page), or on a sale of goods commission, for example, assuming that the user at the receiving wireless device is where the user is having free access. The commission may be based on a share of the commission paid by the manufacturer of the devices to others that want users to gain access through the owner of the wireless-device node.

The invention may be used to widen the exposure of goods or services to consumers who would participate in this free access arrangement. In the case of business involvement, the business may be an online store that offers a commission to all involved parties once a purchased is made by the user using free access. It is to be understood that many other methods of commission sharing may be used to achieve the same or similar end results. As well it may be that only the wireless device offering the free access participates in the income sharing, just the manufacture, just the Internet Service Provider, etc. It may be incorporated at the Internet Service Provider of this invention where the Internet Service Provider inserts the content, advertising, goods for sale, other services, etc. in this case the Internet Service Provider may give discount to the wireless device owner offering free access and the Internet Service Provider will participate on the profit sharing as well.

FIG. 6illustrates an arrangement600where a wireless node640transmits signal610to various receiving devices690and a content page670is received from the wireless node640. The received content page670may have been supplied by the computer630to the wireless device640or the wireless device690or the wireless node640may be the hosting devices instead of computer630. Once a user accesses the “wireless node 1”640the user at any of the devices690will receive the “Content 1”670and it is supplied to “wireless node 1”640by “Computer 1”630, “Computer 1”630is the host of “content 1”670.

FIG. 7illustrates another embodiment of the arrangement shown inFIG. 6. A second wireless-computer “device n”740and computer760in the same arrangement as of the first wireless device-computer630and640. The content page680has two contents “Content 1”670received from “Device 1”640, and “Content n”710received from “Device n”740. Only two wireless devices are shown inFIG. 7, but as it clear to the one of the skill in the art that any number of devices may be used without departing from the teachings of the present invention. As inFIG. 6, each of the two wireless nodes transmits a content to receiving device from the device group690.

FIG. 8illustrates an alternative to the embodiment ofFIG. 7where two wireless devices (not shown) ofFIG. 8transmit data to the receiving client devices890. “Content 1”800was received from “Device 1”640ofFIG. 7and “Content n” was received from “Device n”740ofFIG. 7. “Content 1”800has the key words “Keyword a, Keyword b and Keyword c” and they may be part of the content or just data transmitted by the wireless device (white data), in any way, the receiving client device uses them to search for information that represents the wireless node640and740ofFIG. 7. The same explanation applies to “Content n”802. The wireless node can act as a server without departing from the teachings of the present invention; as well it can act as both a client and a content server computer or the computer may be part of the wireless device without departing from the true spirit of this invention.

As illustrated inFIG. 8, the hosting computers connected with the wireless-node devices enable a user to receive white data or any other data (displayable data to the user) where the user can search for contents/services in the general area. For instance, if the user is looking for a home to buy, the user will be able to see all the homes that are available and receive the information laid over on a map as illustrated byFIG. 9.

The present invention enables hosting and content searching very much like a search engine does. A user viewing the contents on these devices may interact with the content by touch screen, links, tabs, link on a bar, and icon on a bar, an icon on a tab or any other conceivable mean that is none these described herein that would perform the same functionality. Furthermore, the wireless-device receiver may receive data or information, which may include white data or displayable data from one or more wireless-device nodes. Data or information herein may be simply referred to as “data.” The wireless-device receiver may send the received data to any of the aforementioned computer, server, or other device that will receive the data. The wireless-device receiver may associate one or more content to data, or offer other services to be displayed with the received data, or in addition to the received data.

FIG. 9illustrates another preferred embodiment of the present invention. A map900and three wireless nodes960,970and980are shown. Each transmits a longitude and latitude data to the receiving device950. Wireless “node n”980transmits its corresponding longitude and latitude pair985, wireless node970transmits its corresponding longitude and latitude pair975, and wireless node960transmits its corresponding longitude and latitude pair965.

The receiving device950associates the corresponding longitude and latitude pair to a geographical position on the map900and the wireless nodes are geographically located in the surrounding topographical area in relation to the receiving device950. The wireless nodes are displayed over the map as business910,920and940.

FIG. 11illustrates another embodiment of the present invention where a wireless node1190is connected to a server1180. Such connection may be through the Internet/Network. Server1180or wireless device1190has longitude and latitude of businesses in the surround geographical area of the node1190and they are businesses1105,1110,1120,1130,1140,1150and1160. Then server/node transmits the businesses longitude and latitude data of the business1170that are close to the node1190and the node broadcast them to connected devices and the devices can display them in any conceivable way including the method of laying them out over a map as has already been explained elsewhere in this disclosure.

FIG. 12is a further embodiment ofFIG. 11and it includes coupon1200that may be used at shops in the surrounding geographical area of the wireless node. In this particular exemplary explanation, the coupon1200is for business1150. We've illustrated coupons but it may be any kind of promotional targeted to businesses in the surrounding area of a wireless node device. As well, the coupon or the promotional content may include a bar code where the business establishment can scan to facilitate its processing. The coupon may be printable or may be displayable on the receiving devices and be scanned by any scanning equipment direct from the device's screen.

This invention may be setup to compensate the wireless device's owner where once a user clicks on an advertisement that is associated with the node, the wireless device's owner earns a commission for the user's click; the same may be done for goods or services (accommodation, SPA visit, restaurant visit, etc.) sold to users through the wireless device, that is, to compensate the wireless device's owner with a commission for the sale.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the wireless node may be used to allow the user access to limited sites associated with an entity supporter of the wireless node—provider of content to the wireless node—or to be set by the wireless node's owner. For instance, the participating parties making use of the wireless node may compensate the wireless node's owner for allowing users to use its node by receiving advertising clicks, sales of goods commission, etc.

This way free Internet for all may be accomplished by having the wireless nodes providing free access to all and receiving commission for the access they provide. As well, it may be setup that wireless nodes' manufacturers receive a small commission as well for the devices they sell to the public, in such an arrangement, the wireless node manufacturer may sell the device for a very low cost or may provide it free of charge for anyone who participates in the initiative of providing free Internet access for all.

FIG. 13illustrates how to offer free Internet access to others, it is important to notice that this is a mere illustration and other mechanism may be used as well without departing from the true spirit of the invention, it may be used in unison with other elements of the present invention where this method may be incorporated by the Internet Service Provider server, Indexing server, the wireless node, at the wireless receiver, etc.

FIG. 13illustrates a group of devices1302accessing wireless-node device1300and having it communicating with a login server1304and it is used for the users at devices1302to login. The users at devices1302may be registered with the login server1304, it may be setup where users don't have to be registered and logged in as well without departing from the true spirit of the invention. The login server1340may also be used as verifier of other sites, servers, affiliation as to allow or deny them user access through the wireless node.

After a user gains access and moves to another site/server the wireless node will once again contact the login server1304to be sure that the site is affiliated. For example, a user at one of the devices1302after visiting site/server1304moves to “Server A”1306. Before the wireless node1300redirects the user to “Server A”1306, it will contact “Login Server”1304passing the new URL (Universal Resource Locator)—arrow line1308—to the Login Server1304. After the “Login Server”1304verifies the association, it will return acknowledgement back to wireless node1300, which is positive if the new server at the new URL is associated, or otherwise negative.

If the acknowledgement is positive the wireless node1300will allow the user to be redirected to the new location—arrow line1312—“Server A”1306. “Server A”1306may communicate with the “Login Server”1304—arrow line1310—as needed to receive contents or other information to be supplied to the user through the wireless node1300, contents like advertising, goods for sale, services, etc. The embodiment may be setup as to allow the “Login Server”1304to contact “Server A”1306as well and retrieve contents from server1306and supply them to wireless node1300without departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention.

FIG. 14it is another preferred embodiment of the present invention where a wireless receiver acts as a receiver and transmitter where one or more wirelesses receive content from wirelesses nodes and the receiving wireless device becomes a transmitter to other wireless devices that are out of range from the wireless node. The objective is to have the wireless node's content to be available to more wireless receivers, thus offering a longer range to the wireless node that otherwise it would.

Wireless node1405(the server is not included for clarity or it may be part of the device) hosts “content aa”1410and is available to wireless receiver1420as content1425and once device1420receives the content1425and device1420can make use of it as usual or make it available to other devices through a wireless connection. In the present illustration device1445receives content1425from device1420through wireless connection1430and it is content1435. As illustrated, the wireless node is incorporated into devices1420,1445,1453and1470.

Device1485hosts content1490and device1470receives content through wireless connection1480and it is “content bb”1475and the same is made available to device1445through wireless connection1465; it is “content bb”1440.

Device1445has two contents, “Content aa”1435that was received from wireless device1420and “Content bb”1440that was received from wireless device1470. It important to notice that once a wireless device receives content it not only will act as receiver transmitter of the content, it as well may act as a cache (save content for a period of time or permanently) that will save the content as need and make them available to other devices even after the device has moved away from the wireless device where the contend originated.

Device1453is located a distance away from either wireless node1485or wireless node1405, wireless receiver1453is making use (consuming) “Content aa”1455and “Content bb”1460, and both were retrieve from device1445through wireless connection1450. Once a device receives the content, it can save it (cache) for later use or just simply act as transmission wireless link between devices. In the latter instance, devices1420and1470may simply become a link between wireless nodes1405and1485and wireless device1445. The same is true for device1453where device1445may simply be an intermediary to device1453.

Once contents are cached at a device they may follow any rules that any caching mechanism follows like keeping the content permanently or disposing them (deleting from the cache) based on predetermined time span, like minutes, hours, days, months, years, etc., or based on the content(s) usability to other devices, like, keep the cache alive as long as other devices are connected and consuming the content(s) or saving portion of the content, the content's keywords, the URL (Universal Resource Locator) where the content originated, etc.

The present invention has been explained and the term object, word or keyword has been used throughout, it is to be understood that object is an appropriate term and the object may be an image, word, title, link, it may be in a hidden field like a comment, form element, word in bold, word in italics, words underlined, keyword embedded in the contents' body, etc.

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations could be made herein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods, computer software and steps described in the specification.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The invention has application to the advertising industry.