Patent ID: 7873765

Claim:
A machine-implemented method, comprising: obtaining data at a server coupled to a network, the data relating to a peripheral device coupled to a client in communication with the server over the network, wherein the data comprises information describing characteristics of the peripheral device and any attached accessories of the peripheral device, and metadata to further describe the information, wherein the data is automatically gathered from the client over the network without user intervention; processing the data at the server to facilitate surveying a plurality of merchant websites over the network based on the data automatically gathered from the client without user intervention, the surveying including matching the data obtained from the client and relating to the peripheral device with information displayed on each of the plurality of merchant websites over the network to select offerings relating to the peripheral device; obtaining the offerings relating to the peripheral device from the merchant websites based on the matching; and processing the offerings to be presented on a display device at the client via a web browser, wherein the offerings include advertisement information relating to at least one of the peripheral device, accessories of the peripheral device, products relating to the peripheral device, or services relating to the peripheral device, and search results including non-advertisement information obtained using at least a portion of the data as query information.