Methods and apparatuses for targeting the delivery of advertisements over a network such as the Internet are disclosed. Statistics are compiled on individual users and networks and the use of the advertisements is tracked to permit targeting of the advertisements of individual users. In response to requests from affiliated sites, an advertising server transmits to people accessing the page of a site an appropriate one of the advertisement based upon profiling of users and networks.

Method of delivery, targeting, and measuring advertising over networks

A method and system for placing an order to purchase an item via the Internet. The order is placed by a purchaser at a client system and received by a server system. The server system receives purchaser information including identification of the purchaser, payment information, and shipment information from the client system. The server system then assigns a client identifier to the client system and associates the assigned client identifier with the received purchaser information. The server system sends to the client system the assigned client identifier and an HTML document identifying the item and including an order button. The client system receives and stores the assigned client identifier and receives and displays the HTML document. In response to the selection of the order button, the client system sends to the server system a request to purchase the identified item. The server system receives the request and combines the purchaser information associated with the client identifier of the client system to generate an order to purchase the item in accordance with the billing and shipment information whereby the purchaser effects the ordering of the product by selection of the order button.

Method and system for placing a purchase order via a communications network

A method for monitoring client (12) interaction with a resource downloaded from a server (10) in a computer network includes the steps of using a client (12) to specify an address of a resource located on a first server (10), downloading a file corresponding to the resource from the first server (10) in response to specification of the address, using the client (12) to specify an address of a first executable program located on a second server (10), the address of the first executable program being embedded in the file downloaded from the first server (10), the first executable program including a software timer for monitoring the amount of time the client (12) spends interacting with and displaying the file downloaded from the first server (10), downloading the first executable program from the second server to run on the client (12) so as to determine the amount of time the client (12) interacts with the file downloaded from the first server (10). A server (10) for use in analysis and automatically serving out files assembled according to user interests and preferences.

Method and apparatus for tracking client interaction with a network resource and creating client profiles and resource database

An adaptive interface for a programmable system, for predicting a desired user function, based on user history, as well as machine internal status and context. The apparatus receives an input from the user and other data. A predicted input is presented for confirmation by the user, and the predictive mechanism is updated based on this feedback. Also provided is a pattern recognition system for a multimedia device, wherein a user input is matched to a video stream on a conceptual basis, allowing inexact programming of a multimedia device. The system analyzes a data stream for correspondence with a data pattern for processing and storage. The data stream is subjected to adaptive pattern recognition to extract features of interest to provide a highly compressed representation that may be efficiently processed to determine correspondence. Applications of the interface and system include a video cassette recorder (VCR), medical device, vehicle control system, audio device, environmental control system, securities trading terminal, and smart house. The system optionally includes an actuator for effecting the environment of operation, allowing closed-loop feedback operation and automated learning.

Adaptive pattern recognition based control system and method

An electronic program schedule system with access to both stored television program schedule information and data feeds containing status information for live programs such as sporting events. The system includes a data processor for receiving program schedule information for a plurality of programs and data feeds containing status information for certain of the programs, and a video display generator for generating a display signal simultaneously comprising information from both the stored schedule information and the received data feed. The system is further provided with user control means such as a remote controller for generating user control commands and transmitting signals to the data processor in response thereto so as to control the content of the display signal. The display signal may be displayed on a display apparatus such as a television receiver. In addition, the program schedule system of the present invention utilizes category-specific user interfaces providing access to multiple services including television programs, received data feeds, home shopping services, and video games as well as the stored program schedule information.

Electronic television program guide schedule system and method with data feed access

This invention relates to methods for controlling and monitoring access to network servers. In particular, the process described in the invention includes client-server sessions over the Internet. In this environment, when the user attempts to access an access-controlled file, the server subjects the request to a secondary server which determines whether the client has an authorization or valid account. Upon such verification, the user is provided with a session identification which allows the user to access to the requested file as well as any other files within the present protection domain.

Internet server access control and monitoring systems

Link traversals leading from an advertisement on the Web to a product page are determined. The determined link traversals are used as a basis for charging for advertising, for example, by counting the number of link traversals from the advertising page to a product page, or by counting the number of sales resulting from such traversals. The effectiveness of advertising on the Web is evaluated by measuring the number of sales or transactions resulting from link traversals from the advertisement to the page.

Web advertising method

Service requests from a client to a server system through a network are processed. A session identifier is appended to requests for information. The server responds to the requests from the client by returning the requested information to the client. Requests to particular information are counted, exclusive of repeated requests from a common client.

George Winfield Treese

Papers

Internet server access control and monitoring systems

Web advertising method

Method and system for counting web access requests