Patent Publication Number: US-2012047584-A1

Title: User request approval system using advertisments and method

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure generally relates to a user request approval system using advertisements and a method for approving request using advertisements. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA) is a type of challenge-response test used in computing as an attempt to ensure that a response to an internet advertisement, post to a forum, or login to a website, or other common internet transactions (herein collectively referred to as a “user request” is indeed a user response and not a computer generated response. The process usually involves a computer asking a user to complete a simple test that the computer generates and grades. If the user passes the test, the computer allows the user request. However, a common type of CAPTCHA requires the user to type a user response comprising letters or digits lacking any meaning or relevance to the user request and appearing in a distorted image that appears on the screen. It is difficult for users to quickly and correctly enter a user response having no commercial or logical relationship to the subject matter of the user request. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block view of a user request approval system in an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a view of a user interface in an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart of a method for approving user request according to an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
     In general, the word “module,” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming languages such as Java, C, or Assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. Modules may comprise logically connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and programmable units such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The modules described herein may be implemented as software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of computer-readable medium or other computer storage device. 
     A user request approval submitting system with advertisement response verification and method is provided to prevent standard automated software from having its user requests allowed. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , in an exemplary embodiment, a user request approval system includes an advertisement database  50  or access to a remote advertisement database, an advertisement verification generating module  20 , a user interface module  10 , a checking module  30 , a storage device  70 , an advertisement obtaining module  22 , and an advertisement linking module  24 . 
     The advertisement database  50  stores a plurality of advertisements. The advertisements may be stored in form of text or image. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, when a user request is made, the advertisement verification generating module  20  may receive an advertisement through the advertisement obtaining module  22 . The advertisement received may be selected in any way (e.g., randomly or according to an algorithm (see below)). The advertisement verification generating module  20  generates an advertisement verification based on the received advertisement. The form of the advertisement verification displayed may be in form of an image. The advertisement verification may be a simple advertised statement in words or an image, or a simple question related to the advertisement. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the user interface module  10  is logically connected to the advertisement verification generating module  20  and the checking module  30 . The user interface module  10  may provide a user interface on a web browser. The user interface may both display the advertisement verification and receive an input user verification. 
     The checking module  30  may be logically connected to the storage device  70 . The checking module  30  may determine if the input user verification is the same, or partially same, as the advertisement verification. In other words, the checking module determines whether the input user verification is “correct”. The storage device  70  may cache the input verification from the user and the advertisement verification. 
     If not done randomly, the advertisement obtaining module  22  may select advertisements from the advertisement database  50  according to classifications. The advertisements in advertisement database  50  may be classified into a plurality of the advertisement classifications. For example, the classifications may include food, mobile devices, or cars. At least one of the advertisement classifications may be selected relative to the browsing history of the user, or subject matter of the current website. Alternatively, the advertisement obtaining module  22  may provide a list of advertisement classifications on the user interface to directly receive selection from the user. When one or more classifications are selected, the advertisement output to the advertisement verification generating module  20  may be selected from the one or more selected classifications. In an exemplary embodiment, the advertisements stored in the advertisement database  50  may be classified, and the advertisement obtaining module  22  may directly read classification from the advertisement database  50 . 
     The advertisement linking module  22  may provide linkage to an advertised website relative to the selected advertisement by clicking on the advertisement verification displayed on the user interface. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , a computer-implemented method for approving user request may include the following steps. 
     Block B 20 , receiving a user request from a user interface. 
     Block B 21 , accessing an advertisement from the advertisement database. Block B 21  may further include: randomly selecting an advertisement from the advertisement database or providing advertisement classifications for a plurality of advertisement, and selecting the advertisement from at least one of the advertisement classifications associated with the user. In detail, the user interface displays a list of advertisement classifications and receives selections from the list of advertisement classifications from the user. Alternatively, selecting the advertisement from the advertisement database may further include; selecting the at least one of the advertisement classifications relative to the browsing history of the user, or subject of current website. 
     Block B 22 , receiving the advertisement from the advertisement database  10 . 
     Block B 24 , generating an advertisement verification based on the advertisement. 
     Block B 26 , displaying the advertisement verification on the user interface. 
     Block B 28 , receiving an input user verification. 
     Block B 30 , submitting a message when the input verification is correct. 
     Linking to an advertised website relative to the advertisement by clicking on the advertisement verification displayed on the user interface after Block B 28 . 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the advertisement obtaining module  22  may further analyze a favorite site of the user and may promote the corresponding classifications relative to the favorite site of the user. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the advertisements stored in the advertisement database may be amended or updated according to advertisement providers for keeping the advertisements fresh. 
     While the present disclosure has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such details. Additional advantages and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific details and illustrative examples shown and described. 
     Depending on the embodiment, certain steps of methods described may be removed, others may be added, and the sequence of steps may be altered. It is also to be understood that the description and the claims drawn to a method may include some indication in reference to certain steps. However, the indication used is only to be viewed for identification purposes and not as a suggestion as to an order for the steps.