Granted Patent B2

US 7,844,492 · App. 11/477,205 · Granted Nov 30, 2010

Assignee: IPF, Inc.

Abstract

Claims (33)

1. An Internet-based e-commerce network configured to allow members of a brand management team and authorized parties to compose and deliver consumer product marketing communications to consumers browsing HTML-encoded documents along on the fabric of World Wide Web (WWW), and engaging in e-commerce transactions for the purchase of consumer products, said Internet-based e-commerce network comprising:

one or more Web servers, operably connected to the WWW, for serving HTML-encoded documents to consumers on the WWW using a Web browser, wherein each HTML-encoded document contains one or more images and text;

a first Web-based subsystem configured to allow members of a brand management team as well as authorized parties associated with one or more consumer products, to create and manage a brand information network (BIN) link structure for each said consumer product to be marketed using said Internet-based e-commerce network,

wherein said BIN link structure comprises the following items:

(i) a unique product identifier assigned to the consumer product; and

(ii) a set of URLs for a plurality of brand information resources stored on Web-based information servers operably connected to the WWW;

a second Web-based subsystem configured to allow brand management team members and authorized parties, associated with a consumer product, to create and deploy one or more Multi-Mode Virtual Kiosks (MMVKs) for each said consumer product for which said BIN link structure has been created;

wherein each said MMVK comprises (i) a computer-executable server-side component stored on a first Internet-enabled information server operably connected to the WWW and including code specifying the unique product identifier assigned to said consumer product, and (ii) a MMVK tag embodying a unique URL that references said computer-executable server-side component and is embedded within at least one of said HTML-encoded document on the WWW;

wherein said first Internet-enabled information server is configured to generate and serve each said MMVK to the Web browser of a consumer, and wherein said Web browser is configured to display a graphical user interface (GUI) that is characterized by a plurality of programmable display modes selected from the group consisting of (i) an advertising display mode for displaying one or more advertising spots, (ii) a promotional display mode for displaying one or more promotional spots, and (iii) a brand information display mode for displaying a set of brand information resources for the consumer product specified by said unique product identifier;

a plurality of Web-based information servers operably connected to the WWW, storing and configured to serve said one or more advertising spots, said one or more promotional spots and said set of brand information resources to said Web browser, for display to the consumer through said plurality of programmable display modes of each said MMVK;

wherein said set of URLs included with said BIN link structure for one said consumer product, specify the location of corresponding brand information resources stored on said Web-based information servers; and

wherein said first Web-based subsystem is further configured to allow the brand management team members and authorized parties to select a plurality of said brand information resources and program one or more of said advertising, promotional and brand information display modes of the MMVK created and deployed for the consumer product associated with said BIN link structure;

a third Web-based subsystem is configured to allow the brand management team members and authorized parties to independently program the advertising display mode of each MMVK with one or more advertising spots, and the promotional display mode of the MMVK with one or more promotional spots;

an e-commerce store server operably connected to the WWW, and configured to serve an e-commerce store, offering one or more of said consumer products for sale to consumers;

a second Internet-enabled information server configured to (i) track an e-commerce transaction initiated on each said MMVK and supported by said e-commerce store, and (ii) track sales commissions earned by an affiliate hosting said MMVK;

wherein said first Web-based subsystem is configured to allow said brand management team members and authorized parties to independently program said brand information display mode of each said MMVK; and

wherein the Web-browser of the consumer is configured to process said MMVK tag embedded within said HTML-encoded document, and said first Internet-enabled information server is configured to automatically execute the computer-executable server-side component corresponding to the installed MMVK tag and generate and serve the corresponding MMVK to the Web browser, for display by the Web browser and review by the consumer at the HTML-encoded document.

2. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein said unique product identifier is a unique product number.

3. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable server-side component associated with each said MMVK comprises a consumer product information requesting servlet loaded onto said first Internet-enabled information server.

4. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein said BIN link structure further comprises, for each consumer product,

(iii) a Trade Mark (TM) assigned to the consumer product;

(iv) a Product Descriptor (PD) associated with the consumer product; and

(v) a set of display attributes associated with each brand information resource in said BIN link structure.

5. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein said set of brand information resources are selected from the group consisting of service videos, audio files, service images, service specifications, service advertisements, and service promotions.

6. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 4 , wherein said set of display attributes are selected from the group consisting of text for said URLs, graphical icons displayed next to said URLs, and sound files associated with said URLs.

7. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein the Web browser of the consumer is supported on a client computing machine selected from the group consisting of a desktop computer, a portable computer, a portable digital assistant (PDA), and a mobile computer.

8. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein said Web browser of the consumer is configured to respond to the consumer clicking on a graphical component at which said MMVK tag is embedded in said HTML-encoded document.

9. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein said other authorized parties include agents of said brand management team.

10. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , which further comprises a third Internet-enabled information server configured to allow brand management team members and said authorized parties, to monitor consumer transactions conducted through or initiated by said MMVKs, as well as set commissions to be paid to affiliates hosting said MMVKs.

11. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 10 , which further comprises a fourth Internet-enabled information server configured to allow said affiliate to track and monitor sales commissions earned on each MMVK hosted on its HTML-encoded document, to ensure commission payments due are timely made to said affiliate.

12. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , wherein said e-commerce store is configured to be operated by an online-retailer, or authorized party thereof.

13. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 12 , wherein said e-commerce store is operated by a manufacturer of one or more of said consumer products, or an authorized party thereof, who pays said sales commission to said affiliate hosting said MMVK on said HTML-encoded document.

14. The Internet-based e-commerce network of claim 1 , where said HTML-encoded document comprises an HTML-encoded Webpage.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (13)