Controlled transfer of information in computer networks
The present invention relates to techniques for controlling transfers of information in computer networks. One technique involves transmitting from a server computer to a client computer a document containing a channel object corresponding to a communication service, and storing an access ticket that indicates that a user of the client computer permits the information source computer to communicate with the user over a specified channel. Another technique involves transmitting smart digital offers based on information such as coupons and purchasing histories stored at the computer receiving the offer. Another technique involves transmitting from a server computer to a client computer a request for a user's personal profile information, and activating a client avatar that compares the request for personal profile information with a security profile of the user limiting access to personal profile information. Another technique involves transmitting from a server computer to a client computer a document containing an embedded link, activating the embedded link at the client computer and recording activation of the embedded link in a metering log.
1. A network-based system for smart digital offer pricing, comprising:
an offer-providing server computer, communicatively coupled to a client computer via a computer network, wherein the offer-providing server computer transmits a document to the client computer comprising a smart digital offer object;
the client computer being programmed to store user-specific information at the client computer, to receive the document comprising the smart digital offer object, to activate the smart digital offer object at the client computer, which, upon activation, provides an offer to the client computer, wherein the terms and conditions of the offer are calculated by the smart digital offer object based at least in part on the stored user-specific information, and to transmit an acceptance of the offer to the offer-providing server together with an authenticator;
the offer-providing server being programmed to verify the authenticator and to cause the offer to be fulfilled based on verification of the authenticator.
2. The network-based system of claim 1 wherein the smart digital offer object is activated in a smart card on the client computer.
3. The network-based system of claim 1 wherein the smart digital offer comprises a digital signature or code to protect the smart digital offer against unauthorized tampering, and the client computer is programmed to receive the smart digital offer, to activate the smart digital offer on the client computer, and to transmit the smart digital offer back to the offer-providing server upon acceptance of the offer.
4. The network-based system of claim 1 wherein the client user-specific information comprises user profile information.
5. The network-based system of claim 4 wherein the client computer is programmed to ask the user whether the user wishes to reveal the user profile information and the client computer releases the user profile information for use by the smart digital offer only if the user authorizes release of the user profile information.
6. A method of smart digital offer pricing in a computer network comprising a client computer and an offer-providing server computer, comprising the steps of:
storing user-specific information at the client computer;
receiving a document transmitted from the offer-providing server computer to the client computer comprising a smart digital offer object;
receiving, at the client computer, the document comprising the smart digital offer object;
activating the smart digital offer object at the client computer, which, upon activation, provides an offer to the client computer, wherein the terms and conditions of the offer are calculated by the smart digital offer object based at least in part on the stored user-specific information;
transmitting an acceptance of the offer from the client computer to the offer-providing server together with an authenticator;
verifying the authenticator at the offer-providing server; and fulfilling the offer based on verification of the authenticator.