JP2001351014A - Method for distributing information over a communication network, method for linking information from a server to a user over a communication network, and multimedia medium - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A method and system for distributing information to interested users according to predefined options on the Internet. A method of communication between a server and a client, the method including embedding a communication module in a multimedia medium having a stored music program;
Distributing the audiovisual medium to a user, and storing a computer-executable code for establishing a communication link with a server, wherein the module is stored in the multimedia medium by the computer. Installing the music program in the computer when playing the music program.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for distributing information over a communication network and a method for linking information from a server to a user, and more particularly, to an individual user on a communication network such as the Internet. The present invention relates to an information distribution method for facilitating provision of content, collection of user information, and setting of a target of an advertisement to be sent to a user.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the Internet based Wo
With the development and development of ldwide Web (WWW), commercial transactions performed on the Internet (“ec”)
Ommerce ") is also growing rapidly. The availability of products and services offered through the Internet looks unlimited and endless. However, many computer and web users are newbies, despite the vast amount of information available on the Internet,
Many people who come online with the intent of doing business, such as e-shopping, take a transaction because they do not have the ability to browse the hyperlink pyramid to find information about the product or service they are thinking of. Can't close (or even start).

[0003] In view of this, each company is trying to solicit Internet users to see their products,
United States Online (America Online)
Such as popular service providers and Yahoo
o. com) on popular websites. However, such advertisements were random and untargeted, and their response rates were limited.

[0004] It has long been known in the advertising industry that the response rate to an advertisement increases when the advertisement is targeted to the appropriate potential audience, rather than simply broadcasting the advertisement. It is. For example, advertisements for office supplies should not appear in fashion magazines, and vice versa.

[0005] The ability to selectively communicate with selected recipients and store information about the recipients has given a new advantage to the recently developed techniques of targeted marketing or one-on-one marketing.
Therefore, to maximize response rates, advertisers generally
You want to reach as many individuals as possible in the target group of advertisers. That is, it collects information about users and potential users from them, organizes the information for business and other purposes, and selectively distributes information based on user needs and interests.

[0006] One technique used to gather user interest information is to provide the respondent with his or her email address and to indicate whether the respondent wants to receive further communications from the advertiser. Is to use a product registration card as part of the online registration process requested to do so. This approach to identifying potential recipients is somewhat random and untargeted. Furthermore, this approach is not as effective as desired for people who only use online for a limited time, or for products that are not primarily used with personal computers.

[0007] Based on the information provided by the registrants, advertisements for similar products are sent by email to these registrants. Alternatively, the registrant may be notified by e-mail to visit the website identified by the message presenting both interests and advertisements. At times, notifications appearing on the user screen in the form of "pop-up windows" or icons are transmitted.

[0008]

All of these approaches have drawbacks. One such disadvantage is the difference in functionality and features between the email client and the web browser available on the recipient's computer. This can adversely affect the display quality and enjoyment of the experience for users with outdated or poorly functioning software. Similarly, pop-up windows
It is bothersome and inconvenient for people who are new to receiving and managing email on a daily basis.

In another business model, Worldwi
Much of the information circulated on the de Web (World Wide Web) ("Web") is provided to recipients free of charge. In this business model, the profits of the provider are typically derived from paid advertising of other companies sent with the information being transmitted. The provider provides the ad in the form of a headline that clicks or selects the headline to visitors (visitors) interested in the subject matter, thereby inviting the advertiser to hyperlink.

[0010] In some cases, the provider may offer prizes by credits or points to users accessing or interacting with the content of the website. For example, a user is invited to sign up or register with a provider by chance to earn money or points. These points can then be used as credits for purchasing merchandise or for redeeming travel presents, such as airline mileage points. The provider itself can use this transaction (business process) as a communication means for promoting the sales of its products and services.

[0011] Potential recipients of classes not successfully accessed by the techniques described above are Digital Music compact discs ("CDs") or Versati.
He is a purchaser of multimedia products such as leDisks ("DVD").

[0012] Such individuals (usually young or young adults) enjoy having access to personal information about their favorite performers as well as information such as concert schedules, announcements of new releases and the like. Despite this, but if they are not regular users of online communications, encourage them to get to know their music company or use the Internet as a medium to further enjoy the products they have purchased. There is no completely effective way to encourage them. Recommendations for such use of the Internet would benefit consumers as well as information providers.

[0013] Furthermore, after identifying people who are interested in a particular subject, attempts are often made to extend their interest to relevant areas. An important e-business model arising from the potential is the generation and organization of demographic information from online users. The owner of this information can then provide the information to various high quality sources that may be of interest to a particular user based on the user profile.

By way of example, a company that has developed a list of individuals interested in a particular Country Western artist and in general such music can sell access to this information to a recording company, and It also provides enhanced content such as upcoming announcements for new recordings, concert schedule information, performer background information, recorded interviews, news of online chats with performers, and more. When the list owner distributes, advertisements for other products can be made.

Another known technique for collecting user behavioral characteristics is by tracking the user's browsing path through various sites on the Internet in a given online session. For example, when a user operates a web browser and cookies are enabled, the user is identifiable, and information about a particular website and the frequency of access to that site by that user can be gathered. From this collection of information, behavioral profiles for this user can be collected, and such profiles can be stored and used for targeted advertising.

However, the improvement of the ability to gather lists of receptive users in different categories is not sufficient, as existing models of information (both content and advertising) dissemination are not entirely satisfactory. For example, profile information collected about a user can often be out of date. Thus, like commercials that are repeated too often and consequently become obsolete, viewers lose interest in repetitive advertisements that target them based on obsolete profile information. Also, the stored profile information lacks the ability to reflect the user's volatile interests.

[0017] Therefore, 1) providing interesting contents to a target web user, 2) attracting user interaction with interactive content, 3) collecting user behavior information about the web user in real time, and 4) creating a profile. There is a need for an apparatus and method for sending based information to a user.

[0018]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to reaching potential recipients, simplifying initial reactions by interested individuals, and facilitating the collection and organization of marketing information from these individuals. It seeks to prevent the problems inherent in previously known embodiments and techniques by providing an improved approach. The present invention further seeks to cost effectively use profile information in a plurality of remotely located personal computers. These computers and servers are connected to each other on a communication network such as the Internet.

These servers store not only profile information of users of computers including communication modules, but also multimedia entertainment information created by various content providers or other information content and advertisements. The information and advertising content stored on the server is organized according to the user profile and is selectively available according to the user profile for viewing as a web page.

One of the features of the method according to the invention is a preferred method in which the communication module is made available for installation on a client-side computer. It is possible within the scope of the invention for the communication modules to be downloaded from the server side of the system, but these modules are provided with information, advertisements and entertainment content of multimedia products such as CDs or DVDs. It is preferred to be distributed as

[0021] These may be commercially produced entertainment products sold through normal commercial channels, as well as specialty samples etc. distributed as promotional items by mass mailing with the sale of related products. There may be. The CD or DVD will feature a form of entertainment, such as music or sports videos from a particular retailer that solicits the recipient to load the program onto a personal computer. Such sample CDs or DVDs may be distributed to concert regulars or as part of a sales promotion program such as a free gift at a record store, entertainment retailer, or the like.

When the recipient plays the promotional CD or DVD, the communication module is installed on the recipient's computer as follows. During the initial booting process, the CD installs not only an audio-video player, but also a web interface to marketing and advertising, ensuring convenient access for the recipient to the information selected according to the recipient's profile. It also facilitates the use of newly developed technology using the developed technology without relying on the recipient, and the procedure for upgrading the software of the recipient.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a highly efficient way for content providers and retailers to provide them with personalized real-time information, products, services, etc. to their client tier. To provide a simple computer-based direct marketing mechanism. The present invention captures the dynamic real-time characteristics of Internet usage and enables highly targeted, interactive and direct marketing applications that are not intrusive. Utilizing the present invention, companies that sell products and services will be able to provide their customers with the types of customized services that customers require. The customized product thereby establishes a true one-to-one relationship with the user and allows the end user
It will create an environment that makes the message more accessible and makes it more comfortable to purchase goods and services through the company's website.

The method and apparatus according to the present invention facilitates the distribution of unique and highly personalized information and the sale of products and services to individuals through their personal computer desktop. The method involves embedding communication modules ("commodules"), typically in the form of icons, into the user's personal computer desktop and also providing predetermined highly targeted information to the user in real time or to the user's personal computer. Provided each time is connected to the Internet.

The system according to the present invention has one or more servers and a plurality of communication modules installed on each of the user's personal computers, and automatically opens a web interface page to connect the user to the sales company web site. Has a communication mechanism to connect to the site. Also at the same time CD
Installs the communication module as a desktop tray icon, giving the user the option to register with the vendor for additional products and services. When the registration process is completed, the sales company has now stored the complete profile of the user on the main server.

In this way, the communication module prevents problems inherent in previously known embodiments and technologies by providing a fairly efficient marketing approach to corporate customers. Through the use of this technology, client configurations can reach potential recipients, simplify responses by interested individuals, and facilitate the gathering of marketing information from these interested individuals. Can be made easier.

Further, the communication module assists in the creation of personalized recipient profiles and the cost-effective use of profile information in marketing and advertising. This marketing technology allows the recipient to conveniently access the information selected according to the recipient's profile, and facilitates the use of the newly developed technology without relying on the recipient to upgrade the recipient's software. I do.

Again, the communication module is installed on the user's computer the first time the distribution disk is used for the user's primary purpose. The communication module program is designed to be executed as part of a computer startup file, and when executed, the program displays small icons on the user's desktop. Thereafter, the first time a connection to the communication network is established, the user is automatically connected to the server side of the system and is presented with a series of profile inquiry pages where the user's profile can be created. The information contained in the distribution disk itself can also be included in the user's profile.

For example, if the original distribution disc contains a performance by a particular artist or group,
The profile could identify the artist or group and the particular type of music as a primary interest of the user. However, the profile inquiry page may also request information regarding other artists and music types and yet other subjects for which the user would like to receive information.

If the distribution disk is created by the list owner, the production costs can be compensated for by including paid advertisements as well as the information content, and even profits can be made in the first case. This facilitates free distribution of a huge number of communication modules and creation of a corresponding large number of potential users. Even with a typical response rate for unsolicited advertisements (eg, about 2%), list owners can generate profiles for a large number of users that are likely to be receptive to targeting marketing efforts. .

According to another feature of the invention, the desktop icon changes state based on a message from the server to inform the user of the availability of new information corresponding to the user's respective profile of interest. Change. The icons flash, blink, or emit an audible tone to indicate content availability status. The user can then access this information at his convenience.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the communication module is designed to display download information in the form of a web page encoded in hypertext markup language ("HTML"). Includes mini web browser. The design of this browser is
It has all the functions necessary to communicate with the server and display well-characterized web pages, while minimizing hard disk storage requirements and imposing minimal demands on system memory. I have. It is compatible with commonly used operating systems (OS) and is run-time configurable and upgradeable via server configuration messages.

According to yet another feature of the invention, when a user establishes a connection with a communication network, the communication module sends a message to a routing server at a predetermined Internet address. (Because this message should be repeated at regular intervals, we call this message a "heartbeat.") This tells the server immediately that the user is online and ready to receive the message I do. In addition, the server receives "real-time" immediate feedback and information about the user, including all links in the website provided by the server that the user clicked and did at the same time. This feature distinguishes the present invention from the teachings of the prior art on various techniques of "push technology", such as Internet mailing lists, in that the present invention allows for simultaneous real-time communication and information exchange with the user. I'm different. The real-time immediacy of this feedback facilitates the collection of the user's "instant" behavioral information.

Upon receiving a new heartbeat message, the routing server sends a response indicating to the communication module where to send the subsequent heartbeat. This allows distribution to different server users based on load, client version, and other criteria. A related feature of the present invention is that each server can deliver the same routing message, while allowing real-time adjustment of server load, heart rate frequency, and other client behavior. This allows for efficient distribution to client behavior. This also allows for efficient distribution of client software upgrades.

Another feature of the present invention is an interactive link in which a user can click on the link within a certain period of time to receive a prize. This link should be characterized by a headline advertisement that hosts a quiz program or a trivia show (Komagota Variety Show program), such as a user clicking on the link within 5 minutes or answering within a certain period of time to get a prize. Can be.

According to still another feature of the invention, the communication module and the server system are designed to send messages between the communication modules via the server. This creates the ability to chat or instantly exchange messages between users with similar interests. The communication module, in addition to other content delivery functions, notifies the user acoustically or visually when a message from the other communication module becomes available.

Still another feature of the present invention is that the communication module is programmed to access a particular database on the server side and to provide user identification information by a browser on the user side. This allows you, for example, to simply click on the relevant icon,
It provides direct access to frequent flyer mileage data, stock quotes, and private financial information (with adequate confidentiality and privacy systems in place).

In addition, a particular user may have various unique interests that can be exploited using the techniques of the present invention. However, as a result, there are a large number of icons on the desktop, which results in an undesired messy desktop. According to the present invention, this problem is addressed by placing the active icons such that clicking on the active icon opens a menu of separate channels, each with its own icon. By selectively accessing them, the user is provided with various features of the present invention.

Accordingly, a method of communication between a server and a client, wherein the step of embedding the communication module in a multimedia medium storing a music program and the step of sending the audiovisual medium to a user Installing a communication module storing code executable by the computer to establish a communication link with the server when the music program stored on the audiovisual medium is played by the computer. The method is provided.

[0040] The communication module includes a browser for facilitating communication between the server and the user.
It is preferable that the server instructs communication with the user via the browser. The communication link between the server and the user is preferably made via TCP / IP.

In the preferred embodiment, the communication module includes code for causing the computer to monitor window-related usage by the user and transfer the usage information to the server.

Yahoo, MSNBC, Digital
Impact, Click Action, Netc
Many Internet sites, such as entives, offer users personalized services ranging from email to customized home pages.

In all such cases, a fairly comprehensive personality that allows these companies to design such highly personalized direct marketing programs that has proven successful. Information is provided by users to these companies. Because this kind of information that is directed to the user is predetermined and licensed, the user feels comfortable and very fond of the marketing campaigns directed at themselves. I feel the price paid for the service is cheap. In general, the higher the degree of comfort, the more pleasantly one will at least pay attention to the marketing message, thereby increasing the overall success rate in terms of the actual purchase of the product and / or service. Because this information is electronically compiled and distributed, the cost of distributing these marketing campaigns is significantly lower than by mail, print, television, or any other non-computer based medium.

The precise nature of the invention including the foregoing and other features, alone and in combination, will be apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims and the drawings.

[0045]

1 shows a system suitable for implementing the present invention. It is built on a client-server model. The client side, generally indicated at 10, comprises a first user device 12, and one or more additional user devices, generally indicated at 14. The user device 12 includes a network interface device 16, such as a modem, by which the user's computer is connected to a communication network 18. Additional user equipment 14 also includes a network interface (not shown) for connection to communication network 18.

Generally, the server side of the system denoted by 20 is:
A master server 22 connected to the communication network 18 via the network interface 24, a secondary server 26 connected to the communication network 18 via the network interface 28, and a communication network via the network interface 32. It comprises a first content provider device 30 connected and a second content provider device 34 connected to the network via a network interface 36.

However, the server side 20 is shown in simplified form, and each server and network interface is a component of a complete server device, including equipment with various functions as shown here. It should be understood that It should be understood that, for further explanation, only one secondary server device and two content provider devices are shown. Generally, additional secondary server devices will be provided and there will be more than two content provider devices.

Returning to the architecture of user device 12, for purposes of illustration, user device 12 is a conventional or desired type of personal computer, having a central processing unit 38 and a hard disk drive 40.
A memory 42, an input device such as a keyboard 44, a CD-ROM or DVD drive 46, an audio card and associated speakers 5
It would be assumed that this included a video display adapter 52 and an associated monitor 54. The architecture of the other user equipment 14 may be the same as the architecture of the user equipment 12. The present invention relates to Microsoft (R), Windows (R)
Or Macintosh (R) operating
It is intended for use on a computer running an appropriate OS, such as a system.

Referring again to the server side 20, the master
Server 22 and secondary server 26 may have similar physical structures. Generally speaking, profile information about the entire user and information generated by the content provider is replicated to the master server 22 and the secondary server 26, but the master server 22 also has a route for traffic management. Providing designated functions, synchronization of user information and provider content on all servers, software updates on user equipment, and transmission of other information necessary to ensure proper functioning of the system preferable.

The servers 22, 26 and their respective network interfaces 24, 28 are
(R), Windows (R) NT Operating System
It may be a personal computer running a system, other desired operating system, and including the usual data storage and other peripherals typically employed in server devices.

The software functions associated with the client side 10 and the server side 20 of the present system are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively, where the arrowheads of the connection lines indicate information and control flows. It will be understood that there is.
In this regard, the actual software implementation is based on traditional object-oriented programming techniques and Hyperte
xt Markup Language (HTML),
Extensible Markup Language
(XML), Javascript, Java, C ++
Various methods using commercially available programming languages, such as and the like, can be accomplished within the scope of the present invention. The required database functionality is Microsoft
This can be achieved using a commercially available database management system such as SQL Server.

Referring now to FIG. 2 as described above, and in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, these softwares provide entertainment or information for multimedia products such as music CDs or DVDs (shown schematically at 94). Preferably, it is sent to the user as an attachment to the content.

[0053] The CD or DVD entertainment content preferably includes a music program such as a popular song of a known artist. These CDs or DVDs can be played using a conventional CD or DVD player. The content may be a video in which a song is displayed as played from a speaker. CD or DVD from computer
When accessing the entertainment content, embedded software installs a communication module on the computer. This software includes an installation update manager 96 and a communication manager 98.
, Browser 100, user profile manager 102 and associated user profile data 104
And an online presence identification or "heartbeat" generator 106
And the icon manager 110 and related icons
Database 112.

The software installation update manager 96 controls the installation of the communication module from the input medium 94 to the user's computer. The software component creates a folder on the user's hard disk drive 40 (see FIG. 1), loads the component itself and other components of the communication module into the folder, and displays as needed. Serves as a setup program that prompts the user to set choices for notifications, message notifications, and other options. Then icon manager 110
Is called, and an icon representing entertainment of the distribution medium 94 or other information content is placed on the user's desktop. This is, for example, Windows 9
5 or Windows 98 can be placed in the system tray on a computer running, or directly on the desktop if the computer is running the Macintosh operating system. The particular software code required to perform the functions described above will depend on the particular operating system, and the actual generation of code to implement the functions of the present invention will depend on the particulars of the invention. Based on the disclosure, it should be immediately apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0055] The installation manager 96 is provided with various system files (Microsoft Windows).
s95, 98 to complete the installation process by making necessary changes to the registration files used by the operating system, etc.
Gives the user the option of logging on immediately to the server side of the system via the interface 16 and the communication network 18 (see FIG. 1).

The operation related to the online session is as follows.
It is controlled by the communication manager 98. This causes the heartbeat generator 106 to initiate online communication when the user clicks the desktop icon 118 and to send a heartbeat signal to the master server 22 indicating that the user is online. Preferably, it is a command processor programmed to operate. For this purpose, a specific Internet address (URL) of the master server 22 is fixedly coded in the master server URL memory 108.

The communication manager 98 also has a browser 10
0 control is provided. According to the present invention, the function of the browser 100 is Microsoft Internet
rnet Explorer (R) or Netsc
This can be achieved through the use of existing commercially available products, such as ape Navigator®. However, to avoid potential incompatibilities, it is advisable to use a dedicated, simple browser designed to provide the specific functionality required for optimal access to the information stored on the server side of the system. preferable. The provided browser may also include a viewer for the latest multimedia effects that can maximize the user's online experience. While user profile information is created on a web page and managed and stored on the server side of the system, user profile data 104 may also be stored locally, for example, to allow automated logon for access to confidential information. It may be done. For convenience, the user profile manager 102 is
Although shown separately from 8, the profile management function may alternatively be included as part of the command processor function of the communication manager 98.

The software functions associated with the master server 22 (see FIG. 1) are shown in FIG. These functions include the heart rate manager 130 and the traffic manager 1
32, user profile database manager 134, and client software configuration manager 1
36 and a web page distribution manager 138, all of which are commands and commands that control the storage and exchange of information between the communication module and various content providers such as 30, 34 shown in FIG.
It has a processor function.

The heart rate manager 130 responds to the incoming heart rate signal to identify which user is online at a given time. When the heart rate manager 130 detects an incoming heart rate signal, it accesses the user profile database 140 via the user profile database manager 134 to determine the identity of the user and identify the online user. Update the list of online users stored in database 142. Once a user is identified and communication between the master server 22 and the user 14 is established, all activity (in real time) of the user is monitored by components of the master server 22. Traffic Manager 132
Accesses information in the online user database 142 to evaluate traffic volume.

Then the traffic manager 132
Contains the URL of a particular server in the system to determine the optimal distribution of traffic and to perform further communication. At that time, each communication module that is online has a communication network 18 and a network interface.
Send commands via software. This traffic manager 132 is the secondary server 2 of the present system.
6 and the other secondary servers are updated with the traffic distribution information and the user distribution information.

The user profile database manager 134 and the associated user profile database 140 manage and store demographic information about each user who provided the profile information. Communication module configuration information (for example, version number) is also stored. When a user fills in blanks on a series of profile inquiry web pages displayed by the user's browser, profile information is generated.

The client software configuration manager 136 and associated software database 148
Are both responsible for ensuring that the latest version of the communication module is downloaded to each user. Updated user software created by the server-side owner of the system is stored in software database 148.

When the heart rate manager 138 recognizes that the user has logged on to the master server 22, the configuration manager 136 is called to access the user profile database 140 and identify the user's version of the communication module. If a software fix has been made since the last update of the user's software, the current version of the software is downloaded to the user and the software installation update manager 96 (see FIG. 2) functions. Is called to update the user's communication module.

As an alternative, it is not necessary to store version information for each user in the user profile database 140. Instead, the software configuration manager 138 simply queries each user as each user logs on to the server to determine the user's software version and initiates the download of an updated version if necessary. You may do so.

The content database 146 is a repository for information intended for distribution to users. The stored information is cataloged according to predefined properties correlated to various elements of the user profile. For example, content data may include personal information such as a particular artist, a particular type of music, a particular category of news (eg, world news, sports news, etc.) or frequent flyer mileage for a particular system user. Classified as information.

Whenever a particular user logs on to the server for the first time, the delivery manager 138 provides the user with access to a gateway page that recommends creating a profile for that user. If the user profile manager 134 recognizes that the user has already logged on as the user who created the profile, access to a "members only" home page is provided from which the user can click on the HTML hotlink in the usual manner. For additional information. If the user has established more than one profile, each profile will be associated with a different icon and a different heart rate on the user's desktop. When the user clicks on the icon corresponding to his / her interest at that time, the identification heartbeat associated with the icon is transmitted and the gateway or member page corresponding to the user's icon selection is invoked.

The overall functions of the software as described above are as follows.
FIG. 4 is a flow chart diagram. The process begins at step 56 when a new user obtains a multimedia product that includes a communication module in addition to entertainment or other informational content. As suggested above, multimedia products can be obtained in a variety of ways, including direct retail purchases and mass free distribution of product samples. Another way in which the software is sent is that it is generated online by an individual user and then
This is due to inclusion in an entertainment product sent in the form of a CD-ROM instead of D.

In step 58, the user enters his / her CD-R
Put the multimedia product in the OM or DVD drive 46 (see FIG. 1). The software installation manager 96 then installs the communication module, including the web browser 100, with the available multimedia viewer (step 60).
The install manager 96 then proceeds to step 6
Step 2 installs the active icon on the user's desktop and step 64 displays the web browser 100
And identifies the multimedia product itself to this browser in step 66. In step 70, the user's network interface software 120 (see FIG. 2) is called and the URL memory 108 (FIG. 2) is called.
The master of the hand-coded URL in
Establish a connection with the server 22 (see FIG. 3). The communication module then sends the heartbeat signal to the server (step 72). The traffic manager 132 (see FIG. 3) determines whether to regulate the traffic on this system and, if necessary, sends a command containing the URL of the server with which to communicate (step 73).

The heartbeat signal is then analyzed and identified as a new user signal or as an already registered user signal (step 74). If this is the first use of the multimedia product on the user's computer, a new user welcome screen is displayed by the browser 100 and the user is invited to register (step 76). If the user accepts the invitation, the user is prompted to complete a form of a series of web pages that provide information forming his profile (step 78).

After the user has completed the registration process, at step 80 the user's profile is stored in the user profile database 140 (FIG. 3). Then the user online list is updated (step 8)
2) This new information is sent to other servers to update their profile database and online list (step 84). If the user is identified as already registered, a "members only" welcome screen is displayed and only the list of online users is updated (step 85). When the registration process is completed, the "member only" screen is displayed for the new user.

The content made accessible to the user is uploaded at step 86 to the master server by various content providers. The content is then organized according to various user profiles at step 88 and distributed to the secondary server 26 at step 90 (see FIG. 1).

When the user goes online, as indicated by the presence of a heartbeat signal associated with the user's communication module, the master server 22 determines whether there is any new content that the user has not yet viewed. If so, the master server 22 sends a notification to the user's communication module over the communication network (step 91). Upon receiving the notification, the communication module responds by changing the state of the user's desktop icon and, if the user selects the audible instruction as an option, by providing an audible instruction (step 92). Then, at step 94, the user can browse the stored content associated with his profile on the server.

In another example of the preferred embodiment, by way of example and not limitation, FIG. 5 shows a welcome screen including a DesktopSpeak icon 202, the screen having the icon also in the taskbar (200). Is shown. Taskbar icon 2 when clicked
00 is a normal HTML document (in this case, Atlant
ic Records site) and "Custom
Launch a graphic user interface 198 that includes a live link 204 consisting of the words "ize your Desktop View". If the user accesses this link, a registration screen such as the screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. Here, the user enters his / her first and last name and e-mail address (second
12-216), address, city, postal code, country, gender,
Fill in the required elements of optional information, such as age (lines 218-230). When the user fills in this information, a user profile is created, which is then used to customize the information that the user receives so that it matches the user's particular interests, age groups, etc. . This is advantageous in reducing extraneous and unwanted messages sent to the user, and thus by targeting specific demographics with information tailored to the user's individual interests and demographic information. , Resulting in a higher ad success rate.

The registration screen also has a check-off box 232 that allows users under the age of 18 to
Desktop Speed (Desktop Spyw)
Is to be clicked to indicate that parental or guardian permission has been granted to the download. The user can indicate his music preferences at 234 and is provided with a live link 236 to access an online security reviewing privacy notice. The user can select “Continue ... (continued)
Click the ")" link 238 to indicate completion of that information.

Following registration, the icon 200 of FIG. 5 will flash to indicate when the user has received a new message relating to his profile. This not only informs the user of relevant information relevant to personal interests, but also provides a personalized (as opposed to sending unsolicited random email) notification. In addition, the user has the option to choose whether to click on the icon to access the new information, and thus the option to access such information whenever it is convenient for the user to access it. Authority to the user.

FIG. 5 also shows an ad heading 210 linking the user to a page that is an HTML document that describes the advertisement in more detail. This headline is an eye-catching method that advertises and attracts the user's attention while the user is accessing a site, while not being overly intrusive. If the user chooses to look more closely at the advertisement, he can do so by clicking on the headline whenever he wants.

The graphic user interface 198 of FIG. 5 also links the user back to the registration screen of FIG. 6, thereby allowing the user to make the desired changes to his profile.
Has a live link 206 containing the word This live link on the graphic user interface 198 allows the user to
Facilitate user profile updates.

The headline 211 in FIG. 5 functions as a dialogue / advertisement area where a headline designed to attract and interact with the user is placed. The headline can take the form of other advertisements from other content providers or advertisers, but the headline can be a flowing video attraction, such as a video game or quiz problem involving user interaction. It is preferred that FIG.
As shown in the figure, the headline 211 is characterized by a trivia-type game "Jeopardy (crisis)". To provide an incentive for the user to interact, a prize is awarded if the user clicks on the headline within a certain amount of time, for example within five minutes, and sends the correct answer. The award may be credits or points that the user can earn for use as reward points or rewards for purchases on sites hyperlinked to the server's sponsor.

The interface 198 of FIG. 5 also shows a set of live links (208) containing a menu of channels organized according to content that the user can access at any time by selectively clicking the desired channel. ing. This menu organizes cluttered desktops by reducing the number of icons present on the desktop and instead organizing these icons into a number of individual channels according to the theme. An example of a preferred embodiment includes the following seven channels: "Instavid", "Digital Ar"
ena "," Artists & Music "," N
ews & Events "," OnTour "," S
"earch" and "Atlantic Store".

Exemplary displays from channel selections include a screen with live links connecting the user to various video clips (Instavid), and past events section, home page, artist interview section, and user sampling. Screen with live links to various albums and movies, including audio and video clips, and links listing upcoming events (Digital Aren
a) and navigation that allows the user to link to various other channels without returning to the graphic user interface box, for a particular artist or title by providing certain information -A screen (Artist & Mus) that allows the user to search for bars, billboard advertisements, icons linking the user to the homepage, headline advertisements, etc.
ic).

Other channels that are better adapted to the sponsoring provider can also be displayed to the user for easy access and hyperlinking. Each sponsor preferably displays a "store" channel for user selection and electronic shopping of the goods and services offered by the sponsor. Selecting this "Store" channel creates a screen with some of the same features as above, such as headline ads and homepage links, but also includes a "Pick of the Da"
y (excerpt of the day) ", a list of separate shopping categories, live links to online security sites, a group of album billboards sorted by context, and customer service. And a set of links oriented. The screen also includes a search engine that allows the user to perform searches based on genre, keywords and alphabet. Upon entering this information, the user clicks on the hyperlink to initiate the search.

Additional features of the system are shown in FIGS. This feature is an instant message exchange function between users who log on to the system. This functionality is provided by the inter-user chat manager 174 associated with the online user database 142 (see FIG. 3). The chat manager 174 identifies users who are currently online and periodically sends information to each user. This information is detected at each communication module by the inter-user chat manager 114 and stored in a local online user database 116.

Another feature of the present system shown in FIGS.
This is a real-time user profile creation function. This function is provided by the user profile manager 134, the user profile database 140 and the heart rate manager 130. When the heart rate manager 130 is notified that a user has gone online, the profile manager 134 performs each action performed by the user when the communication link between the main server 20 and the user 14 is maintained. (Or click) to monitor. The monitored behavior of the user includes a route that the user browses and passes. Each browsing pass is preferably time-stamped by the user profile manager 134 to track where and how long the user browsed. This process occurs when the collected information is stored in the user profile database 140 for subsequent processing and analysis.

As an example and not by way of limitation, FIG. 7 shows a case where the user inputs necessary information on the registration screen (FIG. 6),
5 is an example of a personal E-messenger user interface that appears after clicking on the p Spew icon 200.

This interface is an Atlantic
This example characterizes Records and includes a message box 705 for displaying an incoming message targeted at the user according to information gathered from the user. The scroll tool 710
Allows the user to scroll forward or backward through each message. These messages will flash on message box 705 in response to the user's scroll selection.

Message box 705 has a link that the user can click if he wants to access a more detailed version of the message. In addition, the user interface also has a live link 715 that displays news flashes and highlights. Users can click on highlights or headlines that interest them to find that particular article in more detail.

The main advantage of the present invention is that the central server 20 and user 1
4 is to use a direct linkage. This feature differs from traditional profiling and communication techniques for attracting or reaching users or potential customers.

In a traditional web-based profile creation and communication method, when a user opens his browser 100 to access the Internet, the user's browser sends an HTTP message to obtain information about the desired web page. Generate. The website in response to the HTTP message returns one or more messages containing information displayed by the user's browser.

In some cases, the advertisement server provides additional information including an object, such as a headline advertisement, displayed with the information provided from the website. Generally, a computer that supports a browser, a website, and an advertisement server are different nodes on the Internet. When clicking or selecting an advertising feature, which is an image such as a headline, icon, video clip or audio clip, the user's browser is hyperlinked to the advertiser's website for the advertising feature. Generally, the website server or advertisement server is provided by (i) the user's IP address, (ii) a cookie if the browser is cookie enabled and storing cookie information, and (iii) the server. And (iv) MIME header information indicating the type and version of the browser, the operating system of the computer on which the browser is running, and the proxy server type. Search for.

Upon receiving the request in the message, the advertisement server determines which advertisements or other objects to send to the user's browser and sends the message containing the objects, such as headline advertisements, to the user using the HTTP protocol. To your browser. Preferably, the HTTP message includes a unique identifier for the advertiser's web page suitable for the advertisement. This advertising object is then displayed on the image generated by the user's browser as a composite of the web page and the object sent back by the advertising web server.

When the user clicks on the headline or other advertising object displayed by the user's browser, the user's browser sends a message to the advertisement server again. The ad server will generate the message on the browser's computer address (as previously identified)
And send back the URL of the advertiser's web page so that the user's browser generates a message that connects to the advertiser's website. A direct linkage profile creation and communication according to the present invention because the user of the present invention is already a targeted user and the more relevant data about the user can be collected due to the real-time directly linked nature of the present invention The advantage of the method over the traditional web-based profiling and communication method described above is that for those of ordinary skill in the art,
It is immediately obvious.

Advantageously, including targeted distribution of the embedded “communications module” media, the attractiveness of the characteristic dialogue presented to the online user for the dialogue, and real-time monitoring of the user's online behavior. All of the preferred features of the invention operate to create increased interaction with the website by the targeted user;
This in turn results in increased commercial activity or transactions through the website.

Having described preferred embodiments of a system and method for disseminating information over a communication network based on a predefined consumer profile according to the present invention,
In light of the above teachings, it should be noted that modifications and variations can be made by those skilled in the art. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims,
It should be understood that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows the architecture of a communication system according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows software functions and applications on the client side of the communication system.

FIG. 3 shows a software function on the server side of the communication system.

FIG. 4 shows a flow block diagram illustrating the function of the method and system according to the invention.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a welcome screen (welcome screen) presented to the user when the user accesses the server side of the system for the first time after installation.

FIG. 6 shows a sample registration screen.

FIG. 7 illustrates a sample personal E-messenger user interface displaying a targeted message to a user.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification FI FI Theme Court ゛ (Reference) H04N 7/173 610 H04N 7/173 610Z 630 630 (72) Inventor Robert Hopwood United States NY10019 New York No. 57 Street 250W Value Flash.com Corporation (72) Inventor Shoromo Sure United States NY10019 New York 57th Street 250W Value Flash.com Corporation F-term (reference) 5B049 BB49 CC00 FF01 GG02 5B085 BG07 5C064 BA07 BC16 BC25

Claims (26)

[Claims] 1. A method of communication between a server and a client, comprising: embedding a communication module in a multimedia medium having a stored music program; and distributing the audiovisual medium to a user. A communication module storing code executable by a computer to establish a communication link with the server;
Installing the music program stored in the multimedia medium in the computer when the computer plays the music program, the method for distributing information over a communication network. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of installing includes installing a browser to facilitate communication between the server and the user.
The method described in. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the server directs communication with the user via the browser. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link between the server and a user is via TCP / IP. 5. The communication module of claim 5, wherein the communication module includes code for causing the computer to send a message to the server upon detecting transmission of TCP / IP data from the computer. Item 5. The method according to Item 4. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of installing the communication module includes installing a link icon displayed on one of a taskbar tray and a desktop of the computer. The described method. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein a pop-up window is displayed when the user selects the icon. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication module includes code for causing a computer to monitor window usage by the user. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication module causes the computer to transfer data representing usage associated with the window by the user to the server. 10. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication module includes code for flashing the icon upon receiving a message from the server. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia medium is one of a compact disk (CD) and a DVD. 12. Distributing a communication module to the user for installation on the user's computer; providing desktop icons and a browser on the user's computer when installing the communication module; Connecting the user to the server via the browser when a desktop icon is selected by the user; and accessing a database on the server side to supply information about the user to the server. Communicating information between the server and the user in real time via the browser during the user's online session, linking information from the server to the user over a communication network. Method 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of distributing includes embedding the communication module in a multimedia medium that includes stored entertainment content. 14. The communication module of claim 13, wherein the communication module is automatically installed on the user's computer when the multimedia media entertainment content is accessed by the user. the method of. 15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of distributing includes downloading the communication module from a website provided by the server. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the browser displays a pop-up window when selecting the icon. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the window includes hyperlinking content provided by the server and by a sponsor.
7. The method according to 6. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the window includes a profiling icon that, when accessed, presents a series of profile inquiry pages for generating a user profile. 19. The method of claim 12, wherein the desktop icon changes state to inform the user that the server has a message about the user. 20. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication module sends a message to a server at a predetermined Internet address when the user establishes a connection with the communication network. Method. 21. The method of claim 16, further comprising monitoring in real time all user activity associated with the window. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising storing information about the user gathered from the monitoring step in a database of locations specific to the user. 23. The method of claim 16, wherein the window includes interactive content to facilitate interaction of the user with the server. 24. The quiz of claim 23, wherein the interactive content is a quiz that is accessed and gives the user an award when a correct answer is sent within a predetermined time. the method of. 25. The system according to claim 25, wherein the user is awarded credits that can be used for purchases on sites hyperlinked to the sponsor of the server.
A method according to claim 24. 26. A multimedia medium storing computer readable code for performing method steps for installing a communication module on a computer, the multimedia medium being displayable from the computer. Installing the communication module on the computer when the computer displays the entertainment content; and displaying an icon on the desktop of the computer when installing the communication module. And communicating with a server at a URL address stored on the multimedia medium when the icon is accessed by a user of the computer. The multimedia medium characterized.