US 20050288953 A1
Embodiments of a system, method and computer program product for purchasing items are described. In one embodiment, information is obtained about one or more items of interest to a plurality of users. For each item, the number of users that identify the item as an item of interest is determined. Negotiations are conducted with a seller of the item for a discounted price for a number of items at least equal to the number of users determined to identify the item. A coupon is then sent to the users that identify the item as an item of interest. The coupon permits the purchase of the item at the negotiated discounted price.
1. A method, comprising:
obtaining information about one or more items of interest to a plurality of users;
for each item, determining the number of users that identify the item as an item of interest;
negotiating with a seller of the item for a discounted price based on the number of users determined to identify the item; and
sending a coupon to the users that identify the item as an item of interest, the coupon permitting the purchase of the item at the negotiated discounted price.
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11. A system, comprising:
logic for obtaining information about one or more items of interest to a plurality of users;
for each item, logic for determining the number of users that identify the item as an item of interest;
logic for negotiating with a seller of the item for a discounted price based on the number of users determined to identify the item; and
logic for sending a coupon to the users that identify the item as an item of interest, the coupon permitting the purchase of the item at the negotiated discounted price.
12. The system of
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20. A computer program product, comprising:
computer code for obtaining information about one or more items of interest to a plurality of users;
for each item, computer code for determining the number of users that identify the item as an item of interest;
computer code for negotiating with a seller of the item for a discounted price based on the number of users determined to identify the item; and
computer code for sending a coupon to the users that identify the item as an item of interest, the coupon permitting the purchase of the item at the negotiated discounted price.
This application claims the benefit U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/576,049, filed Jun. 1, 2004, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/623,980, filed Nov. 1, 2004, both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Embodiments described herein relate generally to electronic shopping and, more particularly, to the targeting of information.
Advertising using traditional media, such as television, radio, newspapers and magazines, is known. Advertisers have used these types of media to reach a large audience with their advertisements. To reach a more responsive audience, advertisers have used demographic studies. For example, advertisers may use broadcast events such as football games to advertise beer and action movies to a younger male audience. However, even with demographic studies and entirely reasonable assumptions about the typical audience of various media outlets, advertisers recognize that much of their ad budget is simply wasted because the target audience is not interested in the ad they are receiving.
Interactive media, such as the Internet, has the potential for better targeting of advertisements. For example, some websites provide an information search functionality that is based on query keywords entered by the user seeking information. This user query can be used as an indicator of the type of information of interest to the user. By comparing the user query to a list of keywords specified by an advertiser, it is possible to provide some form of targeted advertisements to these search service users. The effectiveness may be limited to sites where the user enters a search query to indicate their topic of interest.
Other known system identifying targeting information for an advertisement, analyzing the content of a target document to identify a list one or more topics for the target document, comparing the targeting information to the list of topics to determine if a match exists, and determining the advertisement is relevant to the target document if the match exists. The effectiveness may be limited to sites where user trying to view the site.
Embodiments of a system, method and computer program product for purchasing items are described. In one embodiment, information is obtained about one or more items of interest to a plurality of users. For each item, the number of users that identify the item as an item of interest is determined. Negotiations are conducted with a seller of the item for a discounted price for a number of items at least equal to the number of users determined to identify the item. A coupon is then sent to the users that identify the item as an item of interest. The coupon permits the purchase of the item at the negotiated discounted price.
In one embodiment, the determining of the number of items may be performed for a set of the items of interest that are assigned by the users into a category of items needed immediately by the users. In another embodiment, the items of interest for each user may be organized into a plurality of lists according to assigned categories of need so that the lists can be presented to the given user. The user can then review items assigned to the same category of need in the list associated with the given category of need. In such an embodiment, the sent coupon may be presented in the lists of the users having the item of interest. In a further embodiment, the coupon may be sent to a wireless device of the users that identify the item as an item of interest. In another embodiment, the coupon may be sent via a network.
In one embodiment, at least one user may forward the coupon to a third party. If and when the third party redeems the coupon, each referring user may be assigned a credit for the redeeming of the coupon by the third party with the value of the credit being assigned based on the degree of relatedness of the third party to the given user. In another embodiment, reviews that are made by the users may be collected about at least one item. In such an embodiment, at least a portion of the reviews may have been made by users that are separated from each other by a predetermined degree of relatedness or less. A first rating may then be presented for the item based on the portion of reviews that are made by the users separated from each other by the predetermined degree of relatedness. A second rating may also be presented for the item based on all of the reviews. The second rating may be presented adjacent the first rating.
In general, embodiments of a universal market network system that can provide expert criteria for assisting a shopper and provide a means for permitting users track and organize shopping items. Embodiments of the universal market network system may also be capable of providing users with timing-critical targeted advertising. U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/576,049, filed Jun. 1, 2004, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/623,980, filed Nov. 1, 2004 are both incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
The functions/servers, the universal network market system may be provided utilizing the buyer/advertising management component 260, data processing unit 240, and seller/advertiser management component 220 and the advertisement selection component 270.
The universal network market system may be utilized to build a company that has connection with, for example, commercial/merchant companies and financial companies. The company can use the universal market system to provide services to individual person or company. Such services may include, for example, providing shopping experts, providing shopping lists, providing customer-oriented advertisements, and permitting direct selling with minimum inventory for any product.
Client devices may comprise computers, handheld devices, phone cameras, or any other computing devices that can obtain access to the server via the network. By using a client device, a client can look at/read shopping items (e.g., products/services) and then put selected products/services that they are interested in into a shopping list. Client devices may also include a bar code scanning component to permit the scanning and reading of bar codes. In a mobile phone implementation of a client, the bard code scanning component may be implemented in part using a digital cameral component included in the mobile phone. In such an implementation, the bar code component may be used to read a bar codes presented with the shopping items in order to obtain information about the product/service that the client is interested in and that can be displayed to the client on a visual display component of the client device (e.g., information may pop-up automatically over a display of a mobile phone). Items that are displayed on the client device may then be selected by the client moved into the client's shopping list. In an implementation where radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is used, a client device may include a component capable of reading RFIDs attached to a product/service. The information read from the RFID may then be used to obtain information corresponding to the chosen product/service and display that information to the client so that the client can select products/services for inclusion in the client's shopping list.
The universal network market system may use a variety of communication channel such as, for example, the Internet, telephone networks, e-mail 314, television 318, Interactive television, interactive voice response (IVR), voice-over IP, call centers, store fronts, ATMs, kiosks, hand held devices and any other platform to conduct its business.
In one embodiment, the universal network market system may be implemented distributively on the clients and server over the network. In another embodiment, the universal network market system may be implemented locally on the clients over the network.
If the seller path 404 is followed, then in block 408, the seller provides information to the universal network marketing system about goods and/or services the seller wishes to sell and/or advertise, coupons for the goods/service, promotion-related information, and product release related information. This information may then be stored in a seller database of the universal network market system (see block 410). If the buyer path 406 is followed, then in block 412, the buyer may access a shopping organizer/shopping list to provide information to and obtain information from the universal network market system. Information provided by the buyer may be stored in a buyer database of the universal network market system (see block 414). With either path 404, 406, information provided to the universal network market system (including, e.g., buyer requests 416) may be subject to one or more processes/functions (e.g., shopping expert functions, customer-orientated advertising functions, etc.) of the universal network market system in block 418 so that information about a buyer can be provided to a seller (see block 420) and information (e.g., solutions: how to buy, finding advertisements, etc.) from the universal network market system can be provided to a buyer (see block 422). By using this process 400, a seller can, for example, login to the system, get access to the shopping list/shopping organizer, and then use the shopping expert, customer-oriented advertisements and other services/functions of the universal network market system.
Through a communication channel, a client can build a specific account with the universal network market system. An account may has a user-ID associated with it. If the client is a buyer/advertising target, then the buyer can login to the universal network market system using the associated user-ID to access the account and functionality/services of the universal network market system such as the shopping expert, the shopping list/shopping organizer, and customer-oriented-advertisements. The buyer can also obtain help from the universal network market system on how to choose a product/service. For example, a buyer may provide the universal network market system with a list of products/services that the buyer is interested in and the universal network market system can then find the right product, brand, company for the buyer.
A product may be defined for purposes herein to include real products and/or any commercial or non-commercial services that a company or individual can provide. A product may also be referred to herein as an item.
Depending on the implementation, buyers can provide the universal network market system with their personal information such as mailing address, billing information, and email addresses in order to help enhance the buyer's experience with the universal network market system. However, the universal network market system can be implemented so that buyers can choose not to provide some or all of their personal information to the universal network market system and still obtain access to their accounts and functions/services of the universal network market system. For further privacy control, an account may be identified only by an ID.
Advertisements distributed by the universal network market system may be first routed to the universal network market system and then sent to a buyer's e-mail address or other address in such a manner that such distribution can be quickly disabled upon the buyer's request. This way, a buyer can choose to block or receive any sellers' advertisements.
A seller can also build an account in the universal network market system and provide the universal network market system with information about a variety of things including goods and services that the buyer wishes to sell/provide and advertise, the types of advertisements, coupons, product releases. Using this information, the universal network market system may then be able to identify prospective customers (i.e., buyers/advertising targets) for the buyer.
The universal network market system may also include functionality/components for checking other data sources (including the Internet/World Wide Web) for information related to the information about the buyers and/or sellers. Some exemplary information that may be collected includes, for example, information about other coupons offered by a seller as well as information about network browsing and shopping behaviors of a buyer. The information collected from these other data sources may be provided to buyers and/or sellers depending on the service.
In one embodiment, a small command/link: “Into shopping list” may be displayed adjacent goods and services presented to a customer so that the customer can review and select items by selection of the command. Thus, a buyer can simply click on “Into shopping list” adjacent a product/service to put the product/service into the buyer's shopping list. Inside the shopping list, buyer can choose whether or not to receive advertisements related to an item in the list. Via the shopping list, a buyer can also change the status of a “Wanna Ads” feature (which stands for Want to receive Advertisement or not) in the shopping list.
The universal network market system may initially present a template shopping list to a buyer. In one embodiment, buyers and/or sellers can provide suggested templates that may be used as the template shopping list. The universal network market system may permit a buyer to customize the template shopping list to suit the buyer's own individual needs and desires. Buyers may also be permitted to maintain multiple shopping lists based on their needs and desires. Some exemplary shopping lists are shown in
In one embodiment, default product expert criteria (e.g., a shopping expert) may be prepared for each item in the “My Immediate” shopping list 502 and the “My Regular” shopping list 504. With such a shopping list scheme, a buyer can go shopping using, for example, the buyer's “My Immediate” shopping list 502. Via the buyer's client device (e.g., a hand held computing device), the buyer may obtain access to the shopping expert and shopping list features of the universal network market system anywhere the buyer's device is in communication with the universal network market system.
In one embodiment a general list may be prepared for a client buyer. A general list may comprise a category of all possible products and service that are known to the universal network market system. A purpose of the general list is to help a buyer build up the buyer's own “My Immediate” shopping list 502, “My Regular” shopping list 504 and/or “My Reminding” shopping list 508. The buyer can review items presented (i.e., listed) in the general list, and then move whatever item to the buyer's “My Immediate” shopping list 502 and/or “My Regular” shopping list 504. The “My Interested” and “My Prediction” shopping lists 506, 510 may be used by the universal network market system to attempt to predict what the buyer may need based on a shopping profile of the buyer maintained by the universal network market system. Additional shopping list can be built according to a given buyer's needs or desires.
Any particular item can belong to one or more category of shopping list. For example, a staple product such as rice or milk can belong to the “My Immediate” and “My Regular” shopping lists 502, 504 at the same time while a digital camera, on the other hand, may just be included in the “My Interested” shopping list 506 since it may be considered more of a specialty item.
The exemplary categorized shopping list (i.e., the shopping organizer) 500 shown in
The universal network market system may initially provide a buyer/user with a template for any given shopping list so that the buyer can immediately begin using the list and input items into the list. The universal network market system may also permit a user to customize and alter these templates to suit the needs of a given buyer/user. As shown in
The Type I and Type II columns 602, 604 allow categorization of items in the lists. Some exemplary Type I categories include Life and Home Office. Type II categories may comprise subcategories to an associated Type I category. Some exemplary Type II categories include clothing, food, electronics and office supplies.
The columns for size, price, carrier and shopping expert (columns 608, 610, 612, 614) include parameters that buyers can use to decide products listed in the item column 606.
The Status column 616 identifies to which shopping lists does the associated item belong in (e.g., whether the item should be included in My Immediate, My Regular, My Interest, My Reminding, My Predicting lists (see
The Wanna Advertise column 620 is a column into which a buyer/user can specify whether to allow the universal network market system to find and send the buyer advertisements somehow relating to the associated item. As shown in
The entries for the Advertisement column 618 are where coupons that have been found for the associated item can be stored and identified (if the user selects “Yes” in the Wanna Advertise column 620 for the item). We will update buyer for timing critical Ads.
Further columns can be added to this exemplary template to extend the services provided by the universal network market system.
The universal network system can also organize and present the “My Immediate” shopping list in a different format. For example, all of the items in the “My Immediate” shopping list can be organized according to shop/store (i.e., items that are available at Macy's can all be grouped together in one group while items that are available at Costco are grouped together in another group). This way, a buyer may be able to optimize their “shopping path,” in that that can focus their lists and simply shop store by store as necessary.
The “My Regular” shopping list may be used to keep track a user's (e.g., a buyer) regular shopping behavior. For example, a person may need to regularly buy food, water, clothing, toiletries (e.g., toothpaste, toothbrush, toilette paper) as well as pay bills for utilities and other services. Such times can be grouped together in the user's “My Regular” shopping list.
The user's shopping behavior can then be set up to track a user's shopping habit related to any item that is listed in the user's “My Regular” shopping list. For example, if a user needs to buy one bag of rice, three tubes of toothpaste, five packs of napkins every three months (at, for instance, a given store such a Costco warehouse store for example), these items may be stored and organized in the My Regular shopping list for the user.
Once a general shopping list for a user is established along with a “My Immediate” and “My Regular” shopping lists for the user, the universal network market system can use this information to help identify/ascertain a user's shopping behavior and shopping habits by knowing what product/service a user needs to buy regularly (from these lists). In use, the universal network market system may check the user's “My Regular” shopping list frequently (i.e., periodically). Once the universal network market system identifies through its analysis that some items in the “My Regular” shopping list need to be purchased again by the user, the universal network market system can place those items in the a “My Reminding” or “My Reminder” shopping list. The universal network market system can also send a notification to the user to remind the user that some items (i.e., the items in the “My Reminding” list) in their list may need to be replenished in the near future. Once the user receives the notification, the user can then check the My Reminding shopping list to identify which items need replenishment. The user can then move those necessary items to the user's “My Immediate” shopping list for immediate shopping.
Continuing with the earlier example, if the universal network market system knows that a user needs to buy one bag of rice, three tubes of toothpaste and five packs of napkins every three months at given store (e.g., Costco), then the universal network market system can place entries for the rice, toothpaste and napkins in the user's “My Reminding” shopping list every three months and remind the user when it is time to buy rice, toothpaste and napkins at Costco.
In one embodiment, the “My Reminder” shopping list may be used by users to intentionally keep things that they want to be reminded about. For example, a user may want to be reminded annually about a birthday (or birthday gift), anniversary, holiday, or even the filing of a patent before a statutory or other deadline.
A user may selectively designate items for inclusion in the user's “My Interested” shopping list. In general, a user may place whatever items that the user is interested in “My Interested” shopping list. When placing an item in the “My Interested” shopping list, user may also select whether to receive advertisements for the item (e.g., the Wanna Advertise field)
The “My Prediction” or “Predicting” shopping list is where the universal network market system can put items that the universal network market system predicts the user may need based on the user's shopping profile (i.e., the shopping behaviors captured from, for example, the user's various shopping lists). Cross-selling and up-selling of items can be achieved via the “My Prediction” list by having the universal network market system try to predict and present products/services and related product/service information that the user may be interested to the user.
In an implementation where buyer/users may be worried about privacy, the universal network market system may permit a user to set up an account with the universal network market system without the buyer having to include his or her personal information. In such a fashion, shopping lists in such an implementation can help improve a buyer's shopping experience without sacrificing the buyer's private information. Similar privacy can be afforded to sellers (e.g., commercial companies trying to sell a product or service) as well. For example, sellers can provide the universal network market system with items and services that they want to sell via the universal network market system. The universal network market system can then place the seller's information (e.g., information about a product, the product's release date and the product's applications as well as coupons for the product and other product/service information in the universal network market system).
With a buyer's service request list 700, a buyer can specify different services for different items. The service request list 700 can be extended to add or extend services as necessary.
In one implementation, the universal network market system may, for some timing critical advertisements, send alerts to buyers even when that chose not to receive alerts (i.e., selected the “No” option in the Alerts column 714). For example, if the universal network market system finds an online coupon for a laptop for the discounted price of US$100 that is valid for only three hours, the universal network market system may still update a buyer on this advertisement because its timing is critical.
The information presented by the universal network market system in a shopping expert 900 is intended to provide the buyer with criteria for evaluating a product or service. The universal network market system may also use the shopping expert 900 to list products and/or services that meet various criteria established by the buyer (via, e.g., information provided in the buyer's request list), and to identify locations (e.g., shops/websites) where the products and/or services are available. Some additional exemplary criteria can include, budget, performance parameters, closest store and/or service provider.
Basically, by using a shopping expert, buyers can tell the universal network market system what they are interested in buying or what services they are interested receiving. The shopping expert can then be used by the universal network market system as a vehicle to present detailed information/criteria on how to choose a product or service to the buyer. The shopping expert component of the universal network market system may be interactive. For example, the shopping expert can be used to teach the buyer how to evaluate and choose a product or service. Once the buyer becomes familiar with the presented criteria, the shopping expert may be used to conduct an online-interview with the buyer and ask the buyer questions related to the product or service. The shopping expert can then be used to suggest a list of available products or services based on the buyers answers to the questions.
A shopping expert component of the universal network market system may categorize all the commercial products/services stored in the universal network market system, such as electronics, hardware, kitchen and books, or services. The shopping expert component of the universal network market system can then builds a product expert criteria form or page for each product/service. At the same time, the product and service database used by the shopping expert component can be continuously updated with, for example, the latest information on the best coupons for given products/services, the most attractive advertisements, the newest product releases and any other product/service related information. This way, the shopping expert component can response to buyers' requests quickly and precisely.
To provide customer-oriented-advertisements, the universal network market system utilizes two tables: a seller table 1002 and buyer table 1004. The seller table 1002 includes entries for a plurality of sellers with the name of each seller identified in a commercial company column 1006. The seller table 1002 also includes product, coupon number and match client columns 1008, 1010, 1012 in which products of a given seller can be identified along with specific coupons that are associated with the given product and the identities of buyers (i.e., clients) that have been determined to be “matches” to the product (i.e., buyers that are most likely to be interested in receiving promotional information about the given product). The buyer table 1004 includes entries for a plurality of buyers (i.e., clients) with the name of each buyer identified in a client or buyer column 1014. The buyer table 1004 may also include columns 1016, 1018, 1020 for desired products (i.e., shopping wishes), coupons that match desired products and sellers associated with the matched coupons. number and match client columns 1008, 1010, 1012 in which products of a given seller can be identified along with specific coupons that are associated with the given product and the identities of buyers (i.e., clients) that have been determined to be “matches” to the product (i.e., buyers that are most likely to be interested in receiving promotional information about the given product).
Some or all of the columns of the buyer table 1004 can be populated with information obtained form the shopping expert and the buyer shopping lists. Based on this information, the universal network market system can find the right prospect for every product of each company. The universal network market system also can search for advertisement for every product that included in the buyer table 1004. Using these tables, a seller (e.g., a commercial company) can send a targeted advertisement to a potential customer. For example, using the tables 1002, 1004 shown in
The advertisement may also include or be linked a coupon having the code A—0001 so that it can be more easily identified and tracked. Using the tables shown in
Using these tables 1002, 1004, universal network market system may allow a buyer to specify which item they are interested in and then send the advertisement information (such as coupon, new product release) associated with those items. The advertisement information may be sent by email, phone, text-message, hard-copy print or any methods that is convenient to the client. For those items that the client don't want the advertisement information, the universal network market system does not have to send any advertisements information to the client for that item.
Using the shopping list, we know exactly what product/service a buyer wants. A buyer can specify which item that they are willing to allow the universal network market system to send them advertisement and other information on (such as, for example, new products, product updates, events, promotions, special offers). The universal network market system can provide the advertisement information corresponding to the item as specified by the client. For those items that the buyer does not want to receive advertisement information, the universal network market system will not send such advertisements to the buyer.
With the tables 1002, 1004 shown in
Since the universal network market system has customer contact information, the universal network market system can help merchants (sellers) identify prospective buyers/customers. The universal network market system can be used to identify which customer are the most profitable to a given company. The universal network market system can also create a buyer's shopping profile and likely behavior of each buyer that can be used in a company's marketing effort.
Using the Customer-Oriented Advertisement approach facilitated by the universal network market system, sellers can achieve better advertising effects with less costs and effort. Cross-selling and up-selling can also be enhanced. Buyer's privacy does not have to be sacrificed since the universal network market system can be implemented to provide only user-IDs to buyers. In addition, contact between buyers and sellers may need to go through an communication channel of the universal network market system so that no advertisement will be able to reach the client without permission from the client. In one implementation, direct contact may between the seller and the buyer may be permitted if requested by a given buyer.
By using the Customer-Oriented Advertisement features of the universal network market system, commercial companies can identify the potential prospect/customer and send the advertisements to the right person. The universal network market system can create a client's shopping profile and likely behavior. All these can be valuable to a company's marketing effort.
Embodiments of the universal network market system can be implemented to minimize the interference with a user's shopping experience. In addition, the universal network market system can be used to achieve effective management of company (merchant)/customer information. By know what a buyer wants to buy, and what a seller can sell, the universal network market system can predict what type of product/service that a buyer may be interested.
In one embodiment, the universal network market system may reserve a portion of its user interface to present products/service that a buyer may be interested in (i.e., a cross selling opportunity). While a buyer is interacting with the universal network market system, the universal network market system may present information/advertisements about products/service intended to catch their intention. For example, if a buyer is looking for a coupon for a Dell laptop, the universal network market system can predict that the buyer may also be interested in a DELL printer. As a result, the universal network market system can present the latest advertisements, coupons, bonus points, product release information on various DELL printers to the buyer. The presentation of this information can be done in the reserved area of the interface so that the information won't interfere with the buyer's present shopping experience.
As an other feature, the universal network market system can prepare present a list of categorized items and their related information (using shopping expert, shopping list, customer-oriented advertisement components of the universal network market system) to the buyer. For example, when a buyer is using the universal network market system to obtain information about a ballet performance (e.g., the location of the performance and/or any specials for the ballet performance), the universal network market system can deduce that the buyer is interested in the performance. The universal network market system can then present the buyer with categorized information on this performance such as, for example, Type of Performance, Actors, Location, and Parking information.
The universal network market system may also be implemented to respect a user's privacy by requiring all communications between a buyer and a sell to go through the universal network market system unless the buyer requests direct communication with a seller and obtains the permission of the universal network market system to do so. Additional privacy is afforded because the buyer can choose what type of advertisements, products, companies, and brands that the buyer is interested in and block all other advertisements (e.g., via a buyer's request). Ads can be served or sent to a buyer through the universal network market system. In one embodiment, with the buyer's permission, the ads can be served/sent to buyer through any third-party, including the seller.
In sum, the Shopping Expert, shopping list, Customer-Oriented Advertisement may include information both from commercial companies and from all kinds of potential customers. By this way, a Virtual Link can be built through the universal network market system between commercial companies and their potential customers. This link allows a company (even small company) to build its own virtual sales force for any product, for even low-priced or low margin goods and services.
The Ads selection can be done at the background since the universal network market system may use buyer's stored information. The system may select Ads, promotions, production information for buyer while the buyer is using the network device or not using the network device. Then the system may send/present/serve the selected information to buyer, or keep the selected the information in the buyer's account. In one embodiment, such a process may be used to differentiate one of more aspects of the universal network market system from traditional search engines in that usually do their searching (or selecting) while a user is actively online.
The search for timing critical advertisements by the universal network market system may be conducted by searching sites of companies identified in the shopping lists of the buyer-users of the universal network market system as well as the sites of seller-users of the universal network market system. When an advertisement is found, the universal network market system can match the advertisement to buyers and sellers based on the buyer and seller profiles. In one implementation, the timing critical advertising component of the universal network market system may include a search engine for advertisements. The universal network market system may search for items (product, product release, product information, promotions) available from sources other than from sellers having a seller's account with the universal network system. In one aspect, portions or all of this kind of search may be performed by a computer or by a human being.
Once the universal network market system has found a timing-critical advertising, the universal network market system will alert buyers it has matched to the advertisement to inform these buyers of the special offer.
In one embodiment, the universal network market system may provide the likely sales information to a seller/manufacturer/provider so that they can better control their inventory and production line.
Based on buyers' shopping lists and buyer and seller tables, the universal network market can search for advertisements of sellers that may be of interest to a given buyer. These advertisements may then be used to generate the customer-specific advertisement magazine for the buyer that includes advertisements 1304 that the buyer may be interested in based on the information obtained from the buyer's shopping list. The customer-specific advertisement magazine may also include advertisements 1306 (e.g., recommendations or recommended advertisements) for products that may be related to the buyer's needed items (i.e., cross-selling advertisements). The generated magazine can then be sent to the buyer over the Internet by email for example or in a hard copy via regular postal service mail. The advertisements can include an coupon identification number 1308 so that a buyer can then make a purchase of the item that takes advantage of the coupon. In an online version, the advertisements may comprise links to the particular page of a seller's website at which the identified product/service is being offered for sale.
As shown in the table 1302, the advertisement column 1314 identifies coupons that are associated with a given item (see the item column 1310) while the status column 1312 may be used to identify the urgency of the need of the buyer for the product. The coupon identifier may be stored in the Advertisement column 1314 with its associated coupon.
As shown in
The details column 1510 may set forth various algorithms used to define the associated sub-type. For example, the reward credit sub-type may be defined as the product of the P_Timing sub-type and the credit_all sub-type. As shown in
Distance may be further defined as how many “degrees of separation” a given user is from another user. Values may include, for example: one degree away—i.e., directly connected to the given user which means that the user is referred directly by the given user; and two, three or four degrees away: i.e., a friend of a friend is two degrees of distance, one of their friends is three degrees, and one of theirs is four degrees. In one implementation, a user can get credits through all these referred-back distance. If there is more than four degrees of separation, less credit may be awarded for a user referral.
As for hardware, a buyer or seller user may use computers, handheld device, phone camera, TV, interactive voice response, call centers, store fronts, ATM, kiosks, digital camera or any other device that can get access to the service provided by the universal network market system. The universal network market system may use digital cameras or other readers to read a bar codes and then automatically connect a user to the universal network market system. Embodiments may also include RFID readers to read RFIDs to connect to the universal network market system.
Currently, advertisements on television is generally broadcast to its entire viewing audience. However, with the development of interactive television and radio, customer-specified-advertisements may be sent to a user using the universal network market system via these interactive channels. For example, a buyer may tell a television that he or she is interested in a BMW car. Then, the television can will select Ads (e.g., promotions, product information, coupon) related to BMW cars and present the selected Ads and other proper Ads to the buyer. A buyer may also choose to view general Ads programs at the same time. In this case, the television may always present Ads to the television viewer. The television viewer may have to view some Ads whether the television viewer chooses Advertising alerts or not. In one embodiment, television viewers may be able to only choose Ads that he/she may like a little more.
Embodiments of the service provided by the universal network market system may be implemented so that they are buyer focused. In such implementations, a buyer can tell the system what they want to buy, and the universal network market system will do the rest for the buyer. Although, the universal network market system may include the step of matching buyer and seller needs once the universal network market system have both side's information.
A buyer or seller may organize/store their information locally at their own computer or other device such as television. The universal network system and its related database can be implemented/stored/executed centrally, distributively, locally, or in any above combination. The client (buyer or seller) may need to update our central universal network system database.
A network (such as, e.g., the Internet) may be utilized to obtain the information from the user and present the lists to the user. The information may be obtained from the user by presenting, to the user, an interface capable of receiving input about the items from the user. The interface may present graphical images of a plurality of items from which the user can select the items of interest. The interface may also be capable of receiving textual input from the user so that the user can input the specific names of items and their characteristics.
The plurality of lists may include a general list that includes all of the items obtained from the user. The characteristics for which information about the items of interest are obtained may be defined by the user (i.e., user-defined). The categories of need may include a category of items needed immediately (e.g., “My Immediate” list), a category of items needed regularly (e.g., “My Regular” list), a category of items of general interest (e.g., wish list or “My Interested” list) but that not needed regularly or immediately.
The information about the characteristics of the item may also include frequency information about a frequency that the item is purchased by the user. The frequency information may be used to generate a reminder notice that is sent to the user via the network to remind the user that it may be time to purchase the item and replenish the user's supply of that item (i.e., an upcoming “deadline” at which time the supply of the item will need to be replenished). The frequency information may also be used to generate the reminder information is obtained from items associated with a category of regularly needed items (e.g., “My Regular” list). The generating of the reminder notice may include adding an entry for the item into a reminder list (e.g., “My Reminder” list).
Information may be collected about the items obtained from the user from one or more third party sites. User-selectable links to the collected information about the items may then be included in at least one of the generated lists that are presented to the user. After selection of one of these links, at least a portion of the collected information may be presented to the user via the network.
Evaluation or criteria information relating to the items (or features of items) obtained from user may also be collected (e.g., from third party sources) and stored in a database. The collected evaluation information (that is associated with a given item obtained from the user) may then be presented to the user (e.g., after selection of an appropriate link presented in the list in which the item is included) to provide advice to the user regarding the item and product related information that can be used by the user in evaluating whether or not to purchase the given item. The user may be queried (e.g., via the network) for information relating to the user's interest in the given item. This information relating to the user's interest can then be used to generate a recommendation or suggestion to the user about the item (e.g., a list of recommended products that will meet the needs of the user relating to the given item).
The user may be permitted to specify criteria for selecting promotions in which case, the determination may also include a determination as to whether the available promotion satisfies at least a portion of the criteria specified by the user. The advertising alert may then be presented, for example, for only those promotions that satisfy the at least a portion of the criteria. The advertising alert may be transmitted to a wireless device of the user (e.g., a cell phone, a wireless PDA). The advertising alert may also be presented to the user via a network.
The determination in operation 2006 may also include registering one or more sellers with the universal network market system to permit the seller to submit promotions for goods and services associated with the seller. In such an embodiment, it may be determined whether any of the submitted promotions of the seller matches one of the items selected by the user as an item that the user is interested in receiving advertising alerts for. In such as case, the advertising alert that are actually presented to the user may be associated with at least one submitted promotion that was determined to match the item(s) submitted selected by the user. In one implementation, the user may further be provided with the option to contact the seller of the matching promotion directly via a network rather than having to go through the universal network market system.
In one implementation, one or more third party sites may be searched (e.g., via a network) for promotions that will expire within a predetermined amount of time in the future (i.e., timing-critical promotions that will expire in a short amount of time (i.e., in the near future)). Next, a determination may be made as to whether the promotion is directed to one or more of the items obtained from the user and, if so, an advertising alert may be generated and presented the user that indicates that the timing-critical promotion that will expire in the predetermined amount of time. As an option, timing-critical promotions may be generated for items that the user has chosen not to receive advertising alerts.
Third party sites may be further searched (e.g., via a network) for new update information associated with the item(s) obtained from the user. An alert may then be generated and presented the user that indicates the availability of the new update information.
In one implementation, a magazine/brochure may be generated that contains the promotions determined to be available, and wherein the magazine is presented to the user. The magazine that is generated may be an online magazine that is accessible for viewing via a network such as the Internet. As another option, the magazine may also be distributed as a hard-copy (i.e., paper) document. In any event, the magazine may also contains identifiers associated with the promotions that have been included in the magazine. These identifiers can be used when redeeming the promotion and for bookkeeping purposes in the universal network market system. The magazine may also includes promotions for additional recommended items (e.g., recommended ads) that are selected based on an association to the items for which promotions are determined to be available.
For each item of interest to the user, the obtained information may also include information about one or more characteristics of the item (such as, e.g., size and/or quantity of the item, a price for the item (e.g., a retail price and/or a price at which the buyer would be interested in purchasing the item), a seller, manufacture, designer and/or provider of the item (e.g., Safeway or Armani)). In such an embodiment, the determining whether a promotion is available or not may include a search for promotions that relate to the information about the one or more characteristics of the item.
The user may also be permitted to assign each item of interest to one or more relative categories of need (based on the relative need by the user for the item). The assigned items may then be organized into a plurality of item lists according to the item's assigned categories of need. These lists may be presented to the user in a user-selectable format so that the user can select and review items assigned to the same category of need in the list associated with the given category of need. As an option, the advertising alert may be presented in those lists in which the item is assigned.
In one embodiment, the promotion that is determined to be available may require that an identifier associated with the user to be disclosed when redeeming the promotion (i.e., the promotion is a private coupon). In another embodiment, the user may be permitted to forwards the advertising alert to a third party who can then access the promotion utilizing the advertising alert. The user may then be assigned a credit for the access by the third party with the value of the credit being assigned based on at least a degree of relatedness of the third party to the user.
As an option, the universal network market system may purchasing the number of items in bulk from the seller on behalf of the users and then sell the items directly to the users. The determination conducted in operation 2104 may be performed for a set of the items of interest that are assigned by the users into a category of items needed immediately by the users. In another embodiment, the items of interest for each user may be organized into a plurality of item lists according to assigned categories of need. These lists may then be presented to the respective user in a user-selectable format so that the user can select and review items assigned to the same category of need in the list associated with the given category of need. The coupon sent to users may be presented in the lists of the users having the item of interest (i.e., those lists that contain the item of interest).
In one implementation, users may be permitted to forward the coupon to a third party. If the third party redeems the coupon when purchasing the item associated with the coupon, the user may be assigned a credit for the redeeming of the coupon by the third party. The value of the credit may be assigned based on a degree of relatedness (i.e., the degree of separation) of the third party to the user.
In one implementation, reviews and critiques made by the users about at least one item may be collected. At least a portion of the reviews may have been made by users that are separated from each other by a predetermined degree of relatedness (i.e., degree of separation) or less (i.e., users that are linked to one another by a predetermined degree of relatedness or less (e.g., if the predetermined degree of relatedness is three degrees of separation, then users that are separated by three, two or one degree of separation would be included)). A user in the group of users that are separated from each other by the predetermined degree of relatedness may then be presented with a “linked” rating for the item based on the portion of reviews that were made by the users separated from each other by the predetermined degree of relatedness. A “general” rating for the item based on all of the reviews for the item may be presented adjacent the “linked” rating so that the user can compare the two ratings to one another.
In one implementation of a universal network market system, a process may be implemented for finding customer orientated Ads. In such an implementation, buyer's information may be obtained about one or more items of interest to a buyer. For each item, the buyer's information may comprise information identifying the item and information about one or more characteristics of the item. Seller's information may then be selected to present to the buyer according to the buyer' information. The buyer's information may comprise information identifying the item, Ads, promotions, coupons, product release, information about one or more characteristics of the item.
In one embodiment, the selected seller's information may be presented to the buyer. In such an embodiment, the presenting can be in the form of text, print, audio, and video, data stream, icons or graphics images with links to host web servers. In another implementation, the presenting and receiving can be through Internet, telephone, e-mail, TV, Interactive TV, interactive voice response (IVR), voice-over IP, call center, store fronts, ATM, kiosks, any hand held device and other platform that can conduct the business. In a further implementation, the presenting can be in the form of serving the buyer the selected seller's information. In yet another implementation, the presenting can be in the form of sending the buyer the selected seller's information.
In one embodiment, selected seller's information, or the buyer's information, or seller's information may be stored in a database. In one implementation, the database may be stored centrally on a network device. In another implementation, the database may be stored locally on a network device. In a further implementation, the database may be stored distributively on network devices, or stored in a network stream.
In one embodiment, a seller's desire—which is the information about items a seller wish to sell or serve—may be received. In such an embodiment, the seller's desire may be treated as seller's information. In another embodiment, the selecting of the seller's information may be based on the buyer's information available on the database, while the buyer is using the network device or not using the network device. In a further embodiment, seller's information may be selected locally. In yet another embodiment, seller's information may be selected distributively over the network. In yet another embodiment, seller's information may be selected centrally.
In one embodiment, a computer or computing machine may select the seller's information. In another embodiment, a human being may select the seller's information manually. In a further embodiment, an easy shopping organizer (e.g., a shopping list) may be provided.
A representative hardware environment associated with the various components of
Embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented using computer program languages such as, for example, ActiveX, Java, C, and the C++ language and utilize object oriented programming methodology. Any such resulting program, having computer-readable code, may be embodied or provided within one or more computer-readable media, thereby making a computer program product (i.e., an article of manufacture). The computer readable media may be, for instance, a fixed (hard) drive, diskette, optical disk, magnetic tape, semiconductor memory such as read-only memory (ROM), etc., or any transmitting/receiving medium such as the Internet or other communication network or link. The article of manufacture containing the computer code may be made and/or used by executing the code directly from one medium, by copying the code from one medium to another medium, or by transmitting the code over a network.
Object oriented programming (OOP) has become increasingly used to develop complex applications. As OOP moves toward the mainstream of software design and development, various software solutions require adaptation to make use of the benefits of OOP. A need exists for these principles of OOP to be applied to a messaging interface of an electronic messaging system such that a set of OOP classes and objects for the messaging interface can be provided.
OOP is a process of developing computer software using objects, including the steps of analyzing the problem, designing the system, and constructing the program. An object is a software package that contains both data and a collection of related structures and procedures. Since it contains both data and a collection of structures and procedures, it can be visualized as a self-sufficient component that does not require other additional structures, procedures or data to perform its specific task. OOP, therefore, views a computer program as a collection of largely autonomous components, called objects, each of which is responsible for a specific task. This concept of packaging data, structures, and procedures together in one component or module is called encapsulation.
In general, OOP components are reusable software modules which present an interface that conforms to an object model and which are accessed at run-time through a component integration architecture. A component integration architecture is a set of architecture mechanisms which allow software modules in different process spaces to utilize each others capabilities or functions. This is generally done by assuming a common component object model on which to build the architecture. It is worthwhile to differentiate between an object and a class of objects at this point. An object is a single instance of the class of objects, which is often just called a class. A class of objects can be viewed as a blueprint, from which many objects can be formed.
OOP allows the programmer to create an object that is a part of another object. For example, the object representing a piston engine is said to have a composition-relationship with the object representing a piston. In reality, a piston engine comprises a piston, valves and many other components; the fact that a piston is an element of a piston engine can be logically and semantically represented in OOP by two objects.
OOP also allows creation of an object that “depends from” another object. If there are two objects, one representing a piston engine and the other representing a piston engine wherein the piston is made of ceramic, then the relationship between the two objects is not that of composition. A ceramic piston engine does not make up a piston engine. Rather it is merely one kind of piston engine that has one more limitation than the piston engine; its piston is made of ceramic. In this case, the object representing the ceramic piston engine is called a derived object, and it inherits all of the aspects of the object representing the piston engine and adds further limitation or detail to it. The object representing the ceramic piston engine “depends from” the object representing the piston engine. The relationship between these objects is called inheritance.
When the object or class representing the ceramic piston engine inherits all of the aspects of the objects representing the piston engine, it inherits the thermal characteristics of a standard piston defined in the piston engine class. However, the ceramic piston engine object overrides these ceramic specific thermal characteristics, which are typically different from those associated with a metal piston. It skips over the original and uses new functions related to ceramic pistons. Different kinds of piston engines have different characteristics, but may have the same underlying functions associated with it (e.g., how many pistons in the engine, ignition sequences, lubrication, etc.). To access each of these functions in any piston engine object, a programmer would call the same functions with the same names, but each type of piston engine may have different/overriding implementations of functions behind the same name. This ability to hide different implementations of a function behind the same name is called polymorphism and it greatly simplifies communication among objects.
With the concepts of composition-relationship, encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism, an object can represent just about anything in the real world. In fact, one's logical perception of the reality is the only limit on determining the kinds of things that can become objects in object-oriented software. Some typical categories are as follows:
With this enormous capability of an object to represent just about any logically separable matters, OOP allows the software developer to design and implement a computer program that is a model of some aspects of reality, whether that reality is a physical entity, a process, a system, or a composition of matter. Since the object can represent anything, the software developer can create an object which can be used as a component in a larger software project in the future.
Some benefits of object classes can be summarized, as follows:
Class libraries are very flexible. As programs grow more complex, more programmers are forced to reinvent basic solutions to basic problems over and over again. A relatively new extension of the class library concept is to have a framework of class libraries. This framework is more complex and consists of significant collections of collaborating classes that capture both the small scale patterns and major mechanisms that implement the common requirements and design in a specific application domain. They were first developed to free application programmers from the chores involved in displaying menus, windows, dialog boxes, and other standard user interface elements for personal computers.
Frameworks also represent a change in the way programmers think about the interaction between the code they write and code written by others. In the early days of procedural programming, the programmer called libraries provided by the operating system to perform certain tasks, but basically the program executed down the page from start to finish, and the programmer was solely responsible for the flow of control. This was appropriate for printing out paychecks, calculating a mathematical table, or solving other problems with a program that executed in just one way.
The development of graphical user interfaces began to turn this procedural programming arrangement inside out. These interfaces allow the user, rather than program logic, to drive the program and decide when certain actions should be performed. Today, most personal computer software accomplishes this by means of an event loop which monitors the mouse, keyboard, and other sources of external events and calls the appropriate parts of the programmer's code according to actions that the user performs. The programmer no longer determines the order in which events occur. Instead, a program is divided into separate pieces that are called at unpredictable times and in an unpredictable order. By relinquishing control in this way to users, the developer creates a program that is much easier to use. Nevertheless, individual pieces of the program written by the developer still call libraries provided by the operating system to accomplish certain tasks, and the programmer must still determine the flow of control within each piece after it's called by the event loop. Application code still “sits on top of” the system.
Even event loop programs require programmers to write a lot of code that should not need to be written separately for every application. The concept of an application framework carries the event loop concept further. Instead of dealing with all the nuts and bolts of constructing basic menus, windows, and dialog boxes and then making these things all work together, programmers using application frameworks start with working application code and basic user interface elements in place. Subsequently, they build from there by replacing some of the generic capabilities of the framework with the specific capabilities of the intended application.
Application frameworks reduce the total amount of code that a programmer has to write from scratch. However, because the framework is really a generic application that displays windows, supports copy and paste, and so on, the programmer can also relinquish control to a greater degree than event loop programs permit. The framework code takes care of almost all event handling and flow of control, and the programmer's code is called only when the framework needs it (e.g., to create or manipulate a proprietary data structure).
A programmer writing a framework program not only relinquishes control to the user (as is also true for event loop programs), but also relinquishes the detailed flow of control within the program to the framework. This approach allows the creation of more complex systems that work together in interesting ways, as opposed to isolated programs, having custom code, being created over and over again for similar problems.
Thus, as is explained above, a framework basically is a collection of cooperating classes that make up a reusable design solution for a given problem domain. It typically includes objects that provide default behavior (e.g., for menus and windows), and programmers use it by inheriting some of that default behavior and overriding other behavior so that the framework calls application code at the appropriate times.
There are three main differences between frameworks and class libraries:
Sun Microsystems defines Java as: “a simple, object-oriented, distributed, interpreted, robust, secure, architecture-neutral, portable, high-performance, multithreaded, dynamic, buzzword-compliant, general-purpose programming language. Java supports programming for the Internet in the form of platform-independent Java applets.” Java applets are small, specialized applications that comply with Sun's Java Application Programming Interface (API) allowing developers to add “interactive content” to Web documents (e.g., simple animations, page adornments, basic games, etc.). Applets execute within a Java-compatible browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator) by copying code from the server to client. From a language standpoint, Java's core feature set is based on C++. Sun's Java literature states that Java is basically, “C++ with extensions from Objective C for more dynamic method resolution.”
Another technology that provides similar function to Java is provided by Microsoft and ActiveX Technologies, to give developers and Web designers wherewithal to build dynamic content for the Internet and personal computers. ActiveX includes tools for developing animation, 3-D virtual reality, video and other multimedia content. The tools use Internet standards, work on multiple platforms, and are being supported by over 100 companies. The group's building blocks are called ActiveX Controls, small, fast components that enable developers to embed parts of software in hypertext markup language (HTML) pages. ActiveX Controls work with a variety of programming languages including Microsoft Visual C++, Borland Delphi, Microsoft Visual Basic programming system and, in the future, Microsoft's development tool for Java, code named “Jakarta.” ActiveX Technologies also includes ActiveX Server Framework, allowing developers to create server applications. One of ordinary skill in the art readily recognizes that ActiveX could be substituted for Java without undue experimentation to practice the invention.
A technology of Active X is the component object model (COM). Used in a network with a directory and additional support, COM becomes the distributed component object model (DCOM). The main thing that you create when writing a program to run in the ActiveX environment is a component, a self-sufficient program that can be run anywhere in your ActiveX network. This component is known as an ActiveX control. ActiveX is Microsoft's answer to the Java technology from Sun Microsystems. An ActiveX control is roughly equivalent to a Java applet. OCX stands for “Object Linking and Embedding control.” Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) was Microsoft's program technology for supporting compound documents such as the Windows desktop. The Component Object Model now takes in OLE as part of a larger concept. Microsoft now uses the term “ActiveX control” instead of “OCX” for the component object. An advantage of a component is that it can be re-used by many applications (referred to as component containers). A COM component object (ActiveX control) can be created using one of several languages or development tools, including C++ and Visual Basic, or PowerBuilder, or with scripting tools such as VBScript.
Serialization involves saving the current state of an object to a stream, and restoring an equivalent object from that stream. The stream functions as a container for the object. Its contents include a partial representation of the object's internal structure, including variable types, names, and values. The container may be transient (RAM-based) or persistent (disk-based). A transient container may be used to prepare an object for transmission from one computer to another. A persistent container, such as a file on disk, allows storage of the object after the current session is finished. In both cases the information stored in the container can later be used to construct an equivalent object containing the same data as the original. The example code in this article will focus on persistence.
Inheritance may be defined as a relationship that defines one entity in terms of another. Class inheritance defines a new class in terms of one or more parent classes. The new class may inherit its interface and implementation from its parent class(es). The new class is called a subclass or a derived class. Class inheritance may combine interface inheritance and implementation inheritance. Interface inheritance defines a new interface in terms of one or more existing interfaces while implementation inheritance defines a new implementation in terms of one or more existing implementations. In object-oriented programming, inheritance may further be defined as an ability to create new classes (or interfaces) that contain all the methods and properties of another class (or interface), plus additional methods and properties. For example, if class (or interface) “B” inherits from class (or interface) “A”, then class B is said to be derived from class A. Class B may be referred to as a base (or super) class (or interface) for class D. When a class of objects is defined, any subclass that is defined may inherit the definition of one or more general classes. In the case where some modification to the definition is needed in the subclass, new methods and/or properties may be included in the definition.
A bit stream may be defined as a continuous transfer of bits over some medium. For example, a bit stream may comprise a series of transmitted bits through a transmission link.
A superclass (as referred to as a base or parent class) is one from which other classes are derived using inheritance. In class inheritance, the subclass is said to inherit its interface and implementation from its superclass(es). In object orientated programming, a superclass may be a class that is above another class in the class hierarchy. For example, class “A” may be a superclass of class “B” if classes A and B are on the same branch of a class hierarchy tree and class A is higher on that branch than class B.
In general, introspection may comprise the ability of an object to reveal information about itself as an object such as for example, the object's class, superclass), the messages the object is capable of responding to, and the protocols to which the object conforms. In Java, introspection may further comprise a process by which a class is read in order to create a representation of the object's application program interface (API). Introspection may be carried out by the Java Introspector class, which is part of the Java Core Reflection API. Introspection may be used to provide additional information about an object, supplementing information learned by reflection.
Run-time may be defined as a time during which a program is active and being executed or executing (i.e., the time the program is being run).
Design time may be defined as a time during which an application is being built in a development environment/process. Code may be created and edited during design time.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is a basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. It can also be used as a communications protocol in the private networks called intranet and in extranet. TCP/IP is a two-layering program. The higher layer, Transmission Control Protocol or TCP, manages the assembling of a message or file into smaller packet that are transmitted over the Internet and received by a TCP layer that reassembles the packets into the original message. The lower layer, Internet Protocol or IP, handles the address part of each packet so that it gets to the right destination. Each gateway computer on the network checks this address to see where to forward the message. Even though some packets from the same message are routed differently than others, they'll be reassembled at the destination.
TCP/IP uses a client/server model of communication in which a computer user (a client) requests and is provided a service (such as sending a Web page) by another computer (a server) in the network. TCP/IP communication is primarily point-to-point, meaning each communication is from one point (or host computer) in the network to another point or host computer. TCP/IP and the higher-level applications that use it are collectively said to be “stateless” because each client request is considered a new request unrelated to any previous one (unlike ordinary phone conversations that require a dedicated connection for the call duration). Being stateless frees network paths so that everyone can use them continuously. (Note that the TCP layer itself is not stateless as far as any one message is concerned. Its connection remains in place until all packets in a message have been received.). Several higher layer application protocols use TCP/IP to get to the Internet. These include the World Wide Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Telnet, and the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). These and other protocols are often packaged together with TCP/IP as a “suite.” Personal computer users usually get to the Internet through the Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) or the Point-to-Point Protocol. These protocols encapsulate the IP packets so that they can be sent over a dial-up phone connection to an access provider's modem.
Protocols related to TCP/IP include the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which is used instead of TCP for special purposes. Other protocols are used by network host computers for exchanging router information. These include the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), the Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), the Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP), and the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) is a networking protocol from Novell that interconnects networks that use Novell's NetWare clients and servers. IPX is a datagram or packet protocol. IPX works at the network layer of communication protocols and is connectionless (that is, it doesn't require that a connection be maintained during an exchange of packets as, for example, a regular voice phone call does). Packet acknowledgment is managed by another Novell protocol, the Sequenced Packet Exchange (SPX). Other related Novell NetWare protocols are: the Routing Information Protocol (RIP), the Service Advertising Protocol (SAP), and the NetWare Link Services Protocol (NLSP).
Wireless refers to a communications, monitoring, or control system in which electromagnetic radiation spectrum or acoustic waves carry a signal through atmospheric space rather than along a wire. In most wireless systems, radio frequency (RF) or infrared transmission (IR) waves are used. Some monitoring devices, such as intrusion alarms, employ acoustic waves at frequencies above the range of human hearing.
Encryption is the conversion of data into a form, called a ciphertext, that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people. Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original form, so it can be understood. Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA) is an Internet encryption and authentication system that uses an algorithm developed in 1977 by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman. The RSA algorithm is a commonly used encryption and authentication algorithm and is often included as part of a web browser. The RSA algorithm involves multiplying two large prime numbers (a prime number is a number divisible only by that number and 1) and through additional operations deriving a set of two numbers that constitutes the public key and another set that is the private key. Once the keys have been developed, the original prime numbers are no longer important and can be discarded. Both the public and the private keys are needed for encryption/decryption but only the owner of a private key ever needs to know it. Using the RSA system, the private key never needs to be sent across the Internet. The private key is used to decrypt text that has been encrypted with the public key. Thus, if a first party sends a message to a second party, the recipient second party may be able to find out the first party's public key (but not the first party's private key) from a central administrator and encrypt a reply message back to the first party using the first party's own public key. When the first party receives the reply message, the reply message may be decrypted by the first party with the first party's private key. In addition to encrypting messages (which ensures privacy), a first party may be able authenticate themselves to second party so that the second party can confirm the identity of the first party (and thus know that it is really the first party who sent the message) by using a private key to encrypt a digital certificate. When the second party receives the encrypted digital certificate, the second party may use the first party's public key to decrypt it.
A browser is an application program that provides a way to look at and interact with all the information on the World Wide Web. The word “browser” seems to have originated prior to the Web as a generic term for user interfaces that let you browse (navigate through and read) text files online. A Web browser may be considered a client program that uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to make requests of Web servers throughout the Internet on behalf of the browser user. While some browsers also support e-mail (indirectly through e-mail Web sites) and the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), a Web browser may not be required for those Internet protocols and more specialized client programs are more popular.
Plug-in applications are programs that can easily be installed and used as part of your Web browser. A plug-in application is recognized automatically by the browser and its function is integrated into the main HTML file that is being presented.
Based on the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention may be implemented using computer programming or engineering techniques including computer software, firmware, hardware or any combination or subset thereof. Any such resulting program—having computer-readable code—may be embodied or provided in one or more computer-readable media, thereby making a computer program product (i.e., an article of manufacture) implementation of one or more embodiments described herein. The computer readable media may be, for instance, a fixed drive (e.g., a hard drive), diskette, optical disk, magnetic tape, semiconductor memory such as for example, read-only memory (ROM), flash-type memory, etc., and/or any transmitting/receiving medium such as the Internet and/or other communication network or link. An article of manufacture containing the computer code may be made and/or used by executing the code directly from one medium, by copying the code from one medium to another medium, and/or by transmitting the code over a network. In addition, one of ordinary skill in the art of computer science may be able to combine the software created as described with appropriate general purpose or special purpose computer hardware to create a computer system or computer sub-system embodying embodiments or portions thereof described herein.
While various embodiments have been described, they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of any embodiment should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.