Patent ID: 7451152

Claim:
A computer-implemented method performed by an information server computer for communication transaction proposals to a user, the method comprising: for each of a plurality of partners, storing in a location accessible to the information server computer, partner data representing products available from that partner; receiving, at the information server computer, a request from a user for information related to a currently presented content item, the request including context data representing content of the currently presented content item, wherein the content item is a World Wide Web page; selecting at least one of the partners as a transaction partner, wherein the selection is based at least in part on comparing the context data to the stored partner data for the plurality of partners; obtaining at least one transaction proposal from each transaction partner; and transmitting a representation of at least one of the obtained transaction proposals to the requesting user, wherein the act of obtaining a transaction proposal includes: for each transaction partner: formulating a query, the query being based at least in part on the context data; submitting the query to a partner server associated with the transaction partner; and receiving a response to the query from the partner server, the response including at least one transaction proposal; and selecting at least one of the received transaction proposals for transmission to the requesting user.