Abstract: An internet target marketing system, method, and computer program for distributing online advertising to viewers based upon the viewers' interests is provided. Specific embodiments according to the present invention can use an n-way matching of user's concepts of interest, advertiser's concepts and a currently viewed document to target advertising to the view of the current document. Some embodiments can generate a contextually sensitive advertisement for each page viewed in a browser, thereby associating an advertisement with every page in a document. Specific embodiments can associate advertising with documents that are substantially free of embedded advertisements, for example. Alternative embodiments can include embedded advertising.

Abstract: A system is disclosed that provides computer-aided processing of a rebate on a product. The system includes a rebate processing center communicating over a network with a manufacturer, a distributor, and a consumer. The rebate processing center maintains a promotion table and a transaction table in order to facilitate processing of product rebates and to offer the consumer a choice of disbursement options.

Abstract: Process steps are provided for electronically sending promotional and advertising materials based upon consumer preferences by providing a unique identifier to a consumer's electronic mail address and sending electronic mail to the consumer, wherein the electronic mail includes a plurality of embedded Internet web sites. Thereafter, the consumer accesses the plurality of embedded Internet web sites in response to the sent electronic mail, and consumer movement within the plurality of accessed embedded Internet web sites is tracked. Promotional material can then be sent to the consumer based upon the tracked consumer movement within the embedded Internet web sites. Process steps are also provided to track consumer movement without the consumer's electronic mail address, if the consumer makes a purchase with a credit card while at a seller's web site. The IP address is linked to the credit card to track consumer movement within the web site.

Abstract: A plurality of services relating to either or both of the acquisition and use of industrial equipment, which can be quite bulky and is often expensive, are marketed (and may also be contracted for) by providing a mechanism for prospective and actual purchasers of industrial equipment, who visit an on-line marketplace where such equipment can be sold and purchased, to have on-line access to information generated by the provider(s) in response to purchaser requests. Relevant and valuable information relating to the request for and delivery of information are stored in a database for various purposes.

Abstract: A computer-implemented service recommends items to a user based on items previously selected by the user, such as items previously purchased, viewed, or placed in an electronic shopping cart by the user. The items may, for example, be products represented within a database of an online merchant. In one embodiment, the service generates the recommendations using a previously generated table that maps items to respective lists of “similar” items. To generate the table, historical data indicative of users' affinities for particular items is processed periodically to identify correlations between item interests of users (e.g., items A and B are similar because a large portion of those who selected A also selected B). Personal recommendations are generated by accessing the table to identify items similar to those selected by the user. In one embodiment, items are recommended based on the current contents of a user's shopping cart.

Abstract: A system for managing at least one program including a plurality of projects for at least one organizational unit includes at least one program office database which stores informational data associated with the accounts, projects, and programs; financial data associated with the accounts, projects, and programs; schedule and progress data associated with the accounts, projects, and programs; personnel data associated with persons having responsibility associated with the accounts, projects, and programs, the personnel data including a unique person identifier for each person; security data having an assignment of at least one role to each person and an assignment of at least one update authorization to certain persons having oversight responsibility; data associated with translating progress milestones defined in the projects to tactics defined in the system; and update data associated with the progress and actual expenditures of the accounts, projects, and programs.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adaptively targeting advertisements to a specific client computer from a server within a distributed data processing system is provided. As a user of the client browses the World Wide Web, the material that is downloaded to the client constitutes a datastream. At some location during the routing of the datastream, either on the server or at the client, the datastream is scanned to generate a list of keywords that are present within the datastream. The datastream may be analyzed in real-time or cached and analyzed on a delayed basis. The generated list of keywords represents a summary of the content that appears to be the focus of interest of the user. The keywords are compared against a database of advertisements, and the server selects an advertisement that matches the user's area of interest in comparison to the analysis of the user's browsing history. The selected advertisement is then inserted into the datastream to be routed to the client.

Abstract: A system and method for maximizing airline award program participant's use of the accumulated award miles even in light of mileage shortfalls for the redemption of mileage awards is described. The system and method not only a benefit to the award program participant, but also provides financial benefits to the airline offering the award program, and these financial benefits are ones that the airline would not ordinarily obtain.

Abstract: A credit card incentive program wherein a credit card issuer issues a credit card to a credit card holder, who has an outstanding installment loan account with a lending institution; wherein the credit card holder can earn a periodic rebate through use of the credit card, which rebate is in the form of a payment to the lending institution made by the credit card issuer on behalf of the credit card holder; and wherein the payment is applied against the outstanding principal on the installment loan account.

Abstract: A method for presenting advertising in an interactive service provided on a computer network, the service featuring applications which include pre-created, interactive text/graphic sessions is described. The method features steps for presenting advertising concurrently with service applications at the user terminal configured as a reception system. In accordance with the method, the advertising is structured in a manner comparable to the service applications enabling the applications to be presented at a first portion of a display associated with the reception system and the advertising presented at a second portion. Further, steps are provided for storing and managing advertising at the user reception system so that advertising can be pre-fetched from the network and staged in anticipation of being called for presentation.

Abstract: A self-targeting coupon having fields covered with removable material. A first field has at least one multiple choice question having answers printed, marked or indicated on top of the removable material. The removable material covers information indicating an area of a second field to select. Selection of the indicated area of the second field determines the value of the coupon. In a preferred embodiment, answers to several multiple choice questions in the first field together indicate an area of the second field to select. Thus, several possible values can be contained on each coupon with the choice of the individual determining the final value. This technique can also be applied to paper tests and video tests, as well as programmed learning. In testing situations, selection of answers by a student in one field may indicate an area of a next field to select such that the score of the test is revealed simultaneously with the end of the test.

Abstract: A document is operatively coupled to a printing device, either directly or through a network such as the Internet. A print schedule is stored that keeps track of when a document should be printed on the printing device. When the print schedule indicates the document should be printed, the document is automatically transmitted to the printing device without user intervention. The printing device automatically prints the document, again without user intervention. The document can be stored on a electronic device, such as a personal computer connected to the printing device, or can be stored on a document server accessible to the printing device through the Internet. A user profile is stored that contains information about the recipient of the document, such as name, email address, household income, and interests. This user profile is updated when a document is printed on the printing device.

Abstract: A method for presenting advertising in an interactive service provided on a computer network, the service featuring applications which include pre-created, interactive text/graphic sessions is described. The method features steps for presenting advertising concurrently with service applications at the user terminal configured as a reception system. In accordance with the method, the advertising is structured in a manner comparable to the service applications enabling the applications to be presented at a first portion of a display associated with the reception system and the advertising presented at a second portion. Further, steps are provided for storing and managing advertising at the user reception system so that advertising can be pre-fetched from the network and staged anticipation of being called for presentation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for conducting multi-player games in a wireless telecommunications system including a wireless telecommunications network which communicates using radio signals with a plurality of mobile terminals. The objects of the multi-player games are accomplished in the invention by passing a virtual ball between the mobile terminals. The virtual ball can be passed between the mobile terminals using various means including infrared (IR) transmission, a call being placed, Short Message Service (SMS), or short range radio apparatus. The virtual ball could include data or information regarding the game and/or advertising or promotional information regarding products or services being offered. The data or information in the virtual ball is automatically displayed on the display of the mobile terminal upon receiving the virtual ball.

Abstract: A technique for administering a rebate program includes logic for generating rebate information based the purchase of goods and/or services using a card instrument. The technique further includes logic for applying a rebate, based on the rebate information, to fund at least part of a transaction performed by an brokerage service. In one embodiment, the brokerage service charges a fee to perform the transaction. In this case, the rebate is used to fund at least part of the transaction fee. The rebate therefore entitles the cardholder to perform a transaction free of charge. The rebate thus is converted to one or more “free transactions,” and in a more specific application, one or more “free trades.

Abstract: A distributer of the computer components, which has developed the process for configuring computer systems or networks, provides to the seller or reseller a configuration process comprising a prompting system for computer purchasers to make a sequence of interactive data entries, each of said entries relative to the data processing needs of the purchaser of one of said computer systems, allocating said computer components to said computer systems based upon said user entries, and tracking the quantities of said computer components thereby allocated to computer systems sold by said seller to said purchasers during a selected time period. There is presented to the seller a tiered structure of financial incentive levels offered by the distributer based upon said quantities of allocated computer components and enabling the distributer to dynamically modify the levels of said tiered structure of financial incentives.

Abstract: The present invention facilitates and tracks personal referrals made via electronic networks. In a preferred embodiment, using electronic mail delivered to a participant interface 110, a central controller 100 provides a Web page through which an individual may enter the electronic-mail addresses of those whom he or she wishes to refer. This spares the individual the inconvenience of generating his or her own electronic-mail referrals, and also enables the central controller to determine the format and tone of the referral. The address or contents of the Web page includes a unique identifier that is exclusively associated with that individual and a specific offer 120. In this way, the series of referrals may be tracked, duplicate referrals to the same electronic-mail address may be eliminated, offers may be withdrawn or modified, and referrals about an expired or withdrawn offer may be prevented.

Abstract: This invention relates to a system and method for defining, electronically distributing, dynamically displaying to a consumer, redeeming and clearing promotional incentives over a network. One or more parameters of the incentives may be dynamically determined by being dependent on one or more characteristics of the consumer including the location on the network where the incentive is being viewed.

Abstract: A client processor-based system may receive software from a web site server as well as information about when commercial advertisements will be distributed over video distribution systems. This information may be used by the client processor-based system to automatically record commercial broadcast from a video distribution system. The recorded commercial broadcast may then be automatically replayed in the course of using content or services received in return for playing the commercial advertisement.

Abstract: An intermediary system between advertisers and producers of articles of commerce facilitates the use of the articles or their containers or wrappers to carry advertising matter so that the producers of the articles become advertising space providers. Terminals of numerous advertisers and terminals of advertising space providers are able to connect to a host computer at a management center through a global communications network. Advertisers and advertising space providers enter and store their respective advertising conditions and advertising space information in a database in the host computer, which then provides access enabling the advertisers to search for suitable advertising space and enabling space providers to search for suitable candidates for the use of their advertising space.