United States Patent [19]
`Dedrick
`
`11800572452 1A
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`‘
`5,724,521
`Mar. 3, 1998
`
`[54] METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`
`5,359,508 10/1994 Rossides ........................... .. 364/401 R
`
`PRQVIDING ELECTRONIC
`ADVERTISEMENTS To END USERS [N A
`CONSU'MER BESTJHT PRICING MANNER
`
`Inventor: Rick Dednck. Hillsboro. Oreg.
`Assigns‘: Intel corporatiom Santa C1 MEL Calif.
`
`Appl. No.: 333,950
`Filed:
`Nov. 3, 1994
`
`6
`HIIIJ 13/00
`Int. Cl. ..............................................
`UIS. Cl. ............ ..
`395/226, 348/7, 395/210
`Field of Search ......................... .. 364/401 R. 401 M.
`364/408? 348/8~ 10~ 385- 9? 455/623 351/246;
`395/200-09~ 226~ 210
`
`,
`References cued
`U.S_ PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4,532,554 7/1985 Skala ..................................... .. 358/257
`Enema“
`4’850 007 7/1989 Mling‘é'gl'"
`4’9q2’940
`2/1991 Dworkin
`5:144:663
`9/1992 Kuddski at al_
`5,155,591 10/1992 wachob ,,,,, _,
`5,162,989 11/1992 Matsuda ..... ..
`5,220,501
`6/1993 Lawlor et a1.
`5,231,494
`7/1993 W??hob ----- -
`5,237,157
`3/1993 Kaplal} ------- -
`l
`ct
`‘ "
`4/1994 Mug]; 6
`5 3o5’l95
`5,339,239 3/1994 Manabe et all
`5,347,632
`9/1994 Filepp .............................. .. 395000.09
`
`379/67
`3154/40] R
`380/16
`_ 343/10
`364140111
`364/408
`343/335
`235/375
`
`" 364/401 R
`
`. . . . . . . .. 364/479
`4/1995 Wilder . . . . . . . .
`5,403,417
`.... .. 455/62
`8/1995 Wilkins ..
`5,446,919
`5/ 1996 Carles ....................................... .. 348/3
`5,515,098
`Primary Examiner—]effery Hofsass
`Assistant Examiner__Alben K’ Wong
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Blakely. Sokoloff. Taylor &
`Zafman
`
`ABSTRACT
`{57]
`A method and apparatus for providing electronic advertise
`ments to end users in a consumer best-?t pricing manner
`includes an index database. a user pro?le dambaSc_ and a
`Consumer scale matching proccssh Tm3 index database pro_
`vides Storage space for the titles of demonic advcrtise_
`ments. The user pro?le database provides storage for a set of
`characteristics which correspond to individual end users of
`the apparatus. The consumer scale matching process is
`coupled to the content database and the user pro?le database
`and compares the characteristics of the individual end users
`with a consumer scale associated with the electronic adver
`tisemcnn Th6 apparatus then chm-g6S a f‘:c to th? advcnise1-_
`based on the comparison by the matching process. In one
`embodiment. a consumer scale is generated for each of
`multiple electronic advertisements. These advertisements
`are then transferred to multiple yellow page sewers. and the
`titles associated with the advertisements are subsequently
`transferred to multiple metering servers. At the metering
`servers. a determination is made as to where the character
`istics of the end users served by each of the metering servers
`fall on the consumer scale. The higher the characteristics of
`the end users served by a particular metering server fall. the
`higher the fee charged to the advertiser.
`
`18 Claims, 8 Drawing Sheets
`
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`GOOGLE 1008
`Page 1
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`

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`US. Patent
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`Mar. 3, 1998
`
`Sheet 1 of 8
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`5,724,521
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`10
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`cLEARINGHousE
`sERvER
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`REGIONAL
`CONTENT sERvER
`-21-
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`YELLOWPAGE
`sERvER
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`PUBLISHER
`-1a-
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`ADVERTISER
`-1a
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`-22-
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`Page 2
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`

`
`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 3, 1998
`
`Sheet 2 of 8
`
`5,724,521
`
`CLIENT
`INTERFACE
`.23.
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`GOOGLE 1008
`Page 4
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Mar. 3, 1998
`
`Sheet 4 of 8
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`
`GOOGLE 1008
`Page 5
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`

`
`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 3, 1998
`
`Sheet 5 of 8
`
`5,724,521
`
`100
`PUBLISHER/ADVERTISER ESTABLISHES AN /
`ACCOUNT IN THE CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER.
`END USER ESTABLISHES
`ACCOUNT IN METERING SERVER.
`
`102
`I
`PUBLISHER TRANSMITS UNIT OF INFORMATION /
`TO CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER ALONG WITH
`REQUEST AND INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING
`USER PROFILE DATA.
`
`104
`l
`CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER DOWNLOADS /
`INFORMATION TO METERING SERVERS
`AND REGIONAL SERVERS.
`
`I
`METERING SERVERS TRANSFER CONTENT
`TITLES TO CLIENT COMPUTERS.
`
`l
`METERING SERVERS TRANSFER
`INFORMATION TO CLIENT SYSTEMS OF
`SUBSCRIBING END USERS. CLIENT SYSTEMS
`CUSTOMIZE INFORMATION FOR
`CONSUMPTION BY END USERS.
`I
`NON-SUBSCRIBING END USER REQUESTS
`CONSUMPTION OF INFORMATION.
`
`106
`
`108
`/
`
`,110
`
`FIGURE 6a
`
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`

`
`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 3, 1998
`
`Sheet 6 of s
`
`5,724,521
`
`METERING SERVER DETERMINES WHETHER
`CONSUMPTION OF INFORMATION WILL
`EXCEED END USER'S CREDIT ACCOUNT.
`
`I
`
`METERING SERVER DEBITS
`END USER'S ACCOUNT.
`
`I
`
`METERING SERVER TRANSFERS INFORMATION
`TO NON-SUBSCRIBING END USER'S CLIENT
`SYSTEM. CLIENT SYSTEM CUSTOMIZES
`INFORMATION FOR END USER'S CONSUMPTION.
`
`l
`
`PROFILE AND BILLING DATA IS
`TRANSMI'I'I'ED FROM THE METERING SERVER
`TO THE CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER.
`
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`
`CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER CREDITS
`PUBLISHERS ACCOUNT AND TRANSMITS
`USER PROFILE DATA TO PUBLISHER.
`
`I
`
`CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER
`GENERATES A BILL THAT IS
`SENT TO THE END USER.
`
`112
`
`114
`
`116
`/
`
`118
`
`120
`
`122
`
`FIGURE 6b
`
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`

`
`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 3, 1993
`
`Sheet 7 0f 8
`
`5,724,521
`
`ADVERTISER GENERATES ELECTRONIC
`ADVERTISEMENT AND ASSOCIATES
`TARGET PROFILE DATA WITH
`ADVERTISEMENT.
`
`I
`
`ADVERTISER GENERATES CONSUMER
`SCALE FOR ADVERTISEMENT BASED ON
`TARGET PROFILE DATA.
`
`I
`
`ADVERTISER TRANSMITS A UNIT
`OF INFORMATION TO THE
`YELLOW PAGE SERVER.
`
`ADVERTISING TITLE, PROFILE
`TARGET DATA, AND CONSUMER SCALE ARE
`DOWN LOADED FROM THE YELLOW PAGE
`SERVER TO THE METERING SERVERS.
`I
`EACH METERING SERVER DETERMINES
`WHERE IT FALLS ON THE CONSUMER
`PROFILE
`SCALE BASED ON TH
`CHARACTERISTICS OF ONSUMERS
`COUPLED TO THE METERING SERVER.
`I
`EACH METERING SERVER CHARGES A FEE
`TO THE ADVERTISER BASED ON WHERE
`IT FALLS ON THE CONSUMER SCALE.
`
`I
`
`ADVERTISING TITLE IS TRANSFERRED
`FROM THE METERING SERVERS TO
`THE END USERS.
`
`I
`
`END USER REQUESTS ADVERTISEMENT.
`
`200
`/
`
`202
`
`204
`
`206
`
`208
`
`. 210
`
`212
`
`214
`/
`
`FIGURE 7a
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`

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`US. Patent
`
`Mar. 3, 1998
`
`Sheet 8 of 8
`
`5,724,521
`
`ADVERTISEMENT IS DOWNLOADED TO
`THE METERING SERVER FROM THE
`YELLOW PAGE SERVER.
`
`l
`
`ADVERTISEMENTTRANSMI'ITED TO END USER.
`METERING SERVER CREDITS END USER'S
`ACCOUNT AND RECORDS PROFILE
`DATA OF CONSUMING END USER.
`
`CLIENT SYSTEM CUSTOMIZES
`ADVERTISEMENT.
`
`l
`
`PROFILE DATA AND BILLING
`INFORMATION IS TRANSFERRED TO THE
`CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER FROM THE
`METERING SERVER.
`
`l
`
`ADVERTISER ACCOUNT IS DEBITED AND
`THE PROFILE DATA IS COMPILED IN
`THE CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER.
`
`1
`
`CLEARINGHOUSE SERVER
`TRANSMITS A BILL AND USER PROFILE DATA
`TO THE ADVERTISER.
`
`216
`
`220
`
`222
`
`224
`
`226
`
`FIGURE 7b
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`

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`5,724,521
`
`1
`METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR
`PROVIDING ELECTRONIC
`ADVERTISEMENTS TO END USERS IN A
`CONSUMER BEST-FIT PRICING MANNER
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`2
`space for the titles of electronic advertisements. The user
`pro?le database provides storage for a set of characteristics
`which correspond to individual end users of the apparatus.
`The consumer scale matching process is coupled to the
`content database and the user pro?le database and compares
`the characteristics of the individual end users with a con
`sumer scale associated with the electronic advertisement.
`The apparatus then charges a fee to the advertiser. based on
`the comparison by the matching process.
`In one embodiment. a consumer scale is generated for
`each of multiple electronic advertisements. These advertise
`ments are then transferred to multiple yellow page servers.
`and the titles associated with the advertisements are subse
`quently transferred to multiple metering servers. At the
`metering servers. a determination is made as to where the
`characteristics of the end users served by each of the
`metuing servers fall on the consumer scale. The higher the
`characteristics of the end users served by a particular meter
`ing server fall. the higher the fee charged to the advertiser.
`
`1O
`
`15
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`The present invention is illustrated by way of example
`and not limitation in the ?gures of the accompanying
`drawings. in which like references indicate similar elements
`and in which:
`FIG. I is a schematic of a network of one embodiment of
`the present invention;
`FIG. 2 is a schematic of a client system in one embodi
`ment of the present invention;
`FIG. 3 is a schematic of a metering server in one embodi
`ment of the present invention;
`FIG. 4 is a schematic of a clearinghouse server in one
`embodiment of the present invention;
`FIG. 5 is a schematic of a yellow page server in one
`embodiment of the present invention;
`FIGS. 6a and 6b are ?ow diagrams that show a unit of
`information consumed by an end user according to one
`embodiment of the present invention; and
`FIGS. 7a and 7b are ?ow diagrams that show an elec
`tronic advertisement consumed by an end user according to
`one embodiment of the present invention.
`
`35
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`The present invention pertains to electronic information
`distribution networks. More particularly. this invention
`relates to providing electronic advertisements to individual
`end users.
`2. Background
`Computer technology is continuously advancing. provid
`ing newer computer systems with continuously improved
`performance. One result of this improved performance is an
`increased use of computer systems by individuals in a wide
`variety of business. academic and personal applications. In
`some instances. these computer systems are linked together
`by a network or modems so that the systems can commu
`nicate with each other via electronic mail.
`The current wide-ranging use of computer systems pro
`vides a relatively large potential market to providers of
`electronic content or information. These providers may
`25
`include. for example. advertisers and other informan'on
`publishers such as newspaper and magazine publishers. A
`cost. however is involved with providing electronic infor
`mation to individual consumers. For example. hardware and
`maintenance costs are involved in establishing and main
`taining information servers and networks.
`One source which can be accessed to provide the mon
`etary resources necessary to establish and maintain such an
`electronic information distribution network is the electronic
`advertisers. These advertisers provide electronic information
`to end users of the system by way of advertisements in an
`attempt to sell products and services to the end users. The
`value of a group of end users. however. may be diiferent for
`each of the advertisers. based on the product or services each
`advertiser is trying to sell. Thus. it would be bene?cial to
`provide a system which allows individual advertisers to pay
`part of the cost of such a network. based on the value each
`advertiser places on the end users the advertiser is given
`access to.
`In addition. advertisers often desire to target particular
`audiences for their advertisements. These targeted audiences
`are the audiences which an advertiser believes is most likely
`to be in?uenced by the advertisement. By targeting only
`those audiences which are most likely to be in?uenced by
`the advertisement. the advertiser is able to expend his or her
`advertising resources in an eflicient manner. Thus. it would
`be bene?cial to provide a system which allows electronic
`advertisers to target speci?c audiences which they believe
`would be most receptive to their advertisements. and thus
`not require advertisers to provide an advertisement to the
`entire population. the majority of which may have no
`interest whatsoever in the product or service being adver—
`tised.
`The present invention provides for these and other advan
`tageous results.
`
`45
`
`55
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`In the following detailed description numerous speci?c
`details are set forth in order to provide a thorough under
`standing of the present invention. However. it will be
`understood by those slu'lled in the art that the present
`invention may be practiced without these speci?c details. In
`other instances well known methods. procedures.
`components. and circuits have not been described in detail
`so as not to obscure the present invention.
`FIG. 1 shows a network system 10 of one embodiment of
`the present invention. The network 10 includes a plurality of
`client systems 12 coupled to a metering server 14 within a
`local area network (LAN) 16. Alternatively. a single client
`system 12 may be coupled to a metering server 14. Each
`client system 12 may be a personal computer that is operated
`by an end user. Alternatively. each client system 12 may be
`any other type of consumer consumption device. such as a
`television set. a game machine. etc. The server 14 is typi
`cally a dedicated computer that provides an interconnect
`contact node which allows the client systems 12 to commu
`nicate with the server 14 and other client systems 12. The
`server 14 may contain resident modern sharing software that
`allows the server 14 and client systems 12 to communicate
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`A method and apparatus for providing electronic adver
`tisements to end users in a consumer best-?t pricing manner
`is described herein. The apparatus includes an index
`database. a user pro?le database. and a consumer scale
`matching process. The index database provides storage
`
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`3
`with a device external to the local network 16. The server 14
`is also capable of maintaining resident databases. Both the
`server 14 and the client systems 12 contain the necessary
`interface hardware and software required to transfer infor
`mation between the components of the system 10.
`The metering server 14 is coupled to a publisher unit 18
`through a plurality of clearinghouse servers 20. By way of
`example. the publisher 18 may be connected to the server 14
`as part of an overall wide area network (WAN) that allows
`the server 14 and publisher unit 18 to transfer information.
`The system 10 may also have a yellow page server 22
`coupled to the publisher unit 18 and the metering servers 14.
`The publisher unit and servers of the WAN system contain
`the interface hardware and software necessary to transfer
`electronic information between the components of the sys
`tem. As shown in FIG. 1. the system 10 may have multiple
`client systems 12 coupled to a single metering server 14 and
`multiple servers 14 coupled to a single clearinghouse server
`20. a regional content database server 21 and a single yellow
`page server 22. There may be multiple clearinghouse and
`yellow page servers located at regional centers throughout
`the country/world. In addition. depending on the size of a
`community. there may also be multiple yellow page servers
`for each local community. Although the computer 18 is
`referred to as a publishing unit. it is to be understood that the
`computer can also be a node for an advertiser 18 and that the
`use of the terms publisher and advertiser may be synony
`mous.
`Each client system 12 is provided with an interface. such
`as a graphic user interface (GUI). that allows the end user to
`participate in the system 10. The GUI contains ?elds that
`receive or correspond to inputs entered by the end user. The
`?elds may include the user’s name and possibly a password.
`The GUI may also have hidden ?elds relating to “consumer
`variables.” Consumer variables refer to demographic. psy
`chographic and other pro?le information. Demographic
`information refers to the vital statistics of individuals. such
`as age. sex. income and marital status. Psychographic infor
`mation refers to the lifestyle and behavioral characteristics
`of individuals. such as likes and dislikes. color preferences
`and personality traits that show consumer behavioral char
`acteristics. Thus. the consumer variables refer to information
`such as marital status. color preferences. favorite sizes and
`shapes. preferred learning modes. employer. job title. mail
`ing address. phone number. personal and business areas of
`interest. the willingness to participate in a survey. along with
`various lifestyle information. This information will be
`referred to as user pro?le data. The end user initially enters
`the requested data and the non-identifying information is
`transferred to the metering server 14. That is. the informa
`tion associated with the end user is compiled and transferred
`to the metering server 14 without any indication of the
`identity of the user (for example. the name and phone
`number are not included in the computation). The GUI also
`allows the user to receive inquiries. request information and
`consume information by viewing. storing. printing. etc. The
`client system may also be provided with tools to create
`content. advertisements. etc. in the same manner as a
`publisher/advertiser.
`All of the ?elds in the GUI relating to consumer variables
`are hidden from the consumer. The display of the GUI is
`based upon these ?elds. but the GUI does not display them
`to the user except when the user brings up a “pro?le editor”.
`as discussed in more detail below. Thus. the monitoring of
`consumer actions and inactions based on these consumer
`variables and the updating of user pro?le data is transparent
`to the consumer. In addition. modi?cations made to the
`
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`4
`electronic information to customize it to a particular con
`sumer are also transparent to the consumer.
`The publisher/advertiser 18 is provided with software
`tools to create electronic information which includes content
`and advertisements that can be transmitted over the system.
`The electronic information may allow an end user to access
`a content database. or the information may be all or a portion
`of a content database. By way of example. the content
`database may be the text and video of an elecn'onic news
`paper. The content database may reside within the publisher
`unit or be located at a remote location such as the metering
`server or a regional server that services a plurality of
`metering servers. The software tools may include a hyper
`text oriented mark up language that routes distributed end
`users to the content databases.
`In one embodiment. the software tools provided to the
`publisher/advertiser 18 include software tools for embed
`ding variables within electronic information. The embedded
`consumer variables enable a client activity monitor and a
`consumption device to monitor consumer interaction with
`the electronic information based on the consumer’s interac
`tion with the unit of information currently being consumed
`This interaction includes both inputs by the consumer and
`actions which the consumer could have taken but chose not
`to. In one implementation. the publisher/advertiser 18 is
`provided with a GUI which allows the publisher/advertiser
`18 to select certain consumer variables from a set of con
`sumer variables and associate the selected variables with
`speci?c objects or ?elds within the electronic information.
`For example. the electronic information may include several
`option ?elds from which end users may select. The
`publisher/advertiser 18 may associate a color preference
`variable with these option ?elds. thereby indicating to the
`client systems 12 to track the color of the option ?eld
`selected by the end user.
`The publisher/advertiser 18 is also provided with software
`tools to create electronic information in a wide variety of
`consumption formats that can be transmitted over the sys
`tem. These consumption formats include formats such as
`audio. video. graphics. animation. text. etc. For example. an
`advertiser 18 may create an advertisement for a camera
`which describes the camera in both audio and video format.
`Both of these consumption formats are transferred to the
`metering servers 14. and subsequently to the client systems
`12. The end user is then able to consume the advertisement
`in whichever format he or she prefers. or alternatively in
`both formats.
`In one embodiment. each piece of electronic information
`received by client system 12 includes a header block which
`includes the consumer variables and their related objects or
`?elds for that piece of electronic information. For example.
`the header block of a given piece of electronic information
`may include an indicator that a color preference variable is
`associated with certain option ?elds. In addition. default
`colors for particular ?elds or objects. or a default consump
`tion format. such as audio or video. for the electronic
`information may also be included in the header block.
`The advertiser 18 is also provided with software tools to
`generate a “consumer scale" for each individual advertise
`ment. The consumer scale represents the value of the adver
`tisement to the advertiser in terms of the consumer charac
`teristics of the end users which will consume the
`advertisement. In one embodiment. the consumer scale
`provides a range of particular numbers of consumer vari
`ables which must be satis?ed by particular numbers of end
`users served by a metering server 14 in order for the
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`advertiser 18 to pay a particular price. The advertiser 18 then
`transfers this consumer scale along with the advertisement to
`the yellow page sewers 22. where it is subsequently made
`available to the end users of the metering servers 14.
`The yellow page servers 22 serve as the repositories for
`the electronic advertisements. Each metering server 14 con~
`tains a list of titles of available electronic advertisements. as
`well as providing transitory storage of advertisements that
`have been requested by consumers who are being served by
`the metering server 14. In one embodiment. an advertise
`ment may also be temporarily stored in a metering server 14
`if the consumers served by the metering server 14 highly
`match the consumer scale stored within the advertisement.
`Thus. the consumer scale provides a mechanism by which
`a metering server 14 can determine how valuable the end
`users coupled to that server 14 are to the advertiser 18. The
`advertiser 18 indicates how much it is willing to pay for
`access to those end users. based on the consumer charac
`teristics of those end users.
`The consumer scale for a particular advertisement is
`dependent on the consumer variables the advertiser 18
`selects to associate with the advertisement. In one
`embodiment. the advertiser 18 is provided with a GUI which
`presents a set of consumer variables from which the adver
`tiser 18 can select. The advertiser 18 is also able to select
`certain consumer characteristics which must be met in order
`for the advertiser 18 to agee to pay a speci?ed fee for
`delivery of the advertisement to the consumers.
`In one embodiment. the advertiser 18 selects how well the
`user pro?le characteristics of end users served by a metering
`server 14 must match the consumer scale in order for the
`advertiser 18 to pay the highest fee. Note that this highest fee
`may be a maximum established for the entire system 10. or
`may be a different maximum for each metering server 14 as
`established by each metering server 14. For example. the
`advertiser 18 may select ?ve di?erent consumer variables to
`associate with a particular advertisement. Then. as part of
`the consumer threshold scale. the advertiser 18 may select
`that it will pay the highest fee when at least 60% of the
`variables are satis?ed by at least 75% of the end users
`coupled to the metering server 14. Thus. in this example.
`three of the ?ve consumer variables must be associated with
`75% of the end users coupled to the metering server 14 in
`order for the advertiser 18 to pay the highest fee.
`Alternatively. a minimum number. such as ten end users.
`may be utilized rather than a percentage for determining
`how many end users of the metering server 14 must satisfy
`the 60% of consumer variables requirement in order for the
`advertiser 18 to pay the highest fee. The advertiser 18 also
`sets the lowest price it is willing to pay (such as zero dollars)
`to allow end users with a very poor match (such as 0% of the
`variables are satis?ed) to the consumer scale.
`Additional prices between the highest and lowest avail
`able prices are also included in the scale. These additional
`prices may be speci?ed discretely. such as in $0.50 intervals.
`or may cover the entire range (note that this range can be
`calculated to a fraction of a cent. and then rounded to the
`nearest cent or added together with the other charges for this
`advertiser). Given this scale of prices. the advertiser 18
`selects how many end users of a metering server 14 must
`satisfy how many of the consumer variables for the adver
`tisement in order for the advertiser 18 to pay each of the
`speci?ed amounts along the scale of prices.
`Alternatively. the software tools provided to the advertiser
`18 may allow the advertiser 18 to select an interpolation
`method. such as linear interpolation. The interpolation
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`method calculates what the advertiser 18 is willing to pay for
`each amount in the scale of prices based on the match
`required in order for the advertiser 18 to pay the highest fee.
`For example. the linear interpolation method would deter
`mine that. if 60% of the variables must be satis?ed by 75%
`of the end users in order for the advertiser 18 to pay the
`highest fee. then the advertiser 18 will pay one-half the
`highest fee if 30% of the variables are satis?ed by 37.5% of
`the end users. and that the advertiser 18 will pay three
`quarters of the highest fee if 30% of the variables are
`satis?ed by 75% of the end users.
`In one embodiment. the software tools also allow the
`advertiser 18 to place different “weights" on diiferent con
`sumer variables. For example. the advertiser 18 may select
`?ve di?erent consumer variables to associate with a particu
`lar advertisement. The advertiser 18 may assign a 35%
`weight to each of the ?rst two variables and a 10% weight
`to each of the three remaining variables. Then. the advertiser
`18 may select a consumer threshold scale that at least 60%
`of the variables must be met by at least 75% of the end users
`coupled to the metering server 14 in order for the advertiser
`18 to pay the highest fee. Thus. rather than requiring that any
`three out of ?ve variables be satis?ed. only two variables
`would suf?ce provided their combined weight exceeds 60%.
`That is. in the example with two variables having a weight
`of 35% each and three variables having a weight of 10%
`each. if a metering server 14 were coupled to end users
`satisfying only the latter three variables (totaling 30%). then
`the advertiser 18 would not pay the highest fee. However. if
`a metering server 14 were coupled to end users satisfying
`only the ?rst two variables. then the advertiser 18 would pay
`the highest fee.
`As shown in FIG. 2. each client system 12 includes a
`session manager 29. a client interface 23. a client activity
`monitor 24. a content adapter 25. a statistic compilation
`process 26. and a personal pro?le database 27. The client
`interface 23 provides individual users with access to the
`system 10. Interface 23 may be any of a wide variety of user
`interaction devices. For example. the client interface 23 may
`be the display device and input device of a personal com
`puter based on an Intel® microprocessor architecture.
`Alternatively. the client interface 23 may be a display and
`input device coupled to. or part of. any of a wide variety of
`consumer consumption devices. such as a television set or a
`game machine. In one embodiment. the client interface 23 is
`a physical device which is separate from the remainder of
`client system 12. For example. client interface 23 may be a
`personal computer system. while the remaining components
`of client system 12 are contained in a separate box or similar
`physical device coupled to the personal computer system.
`Interface 23 supports any one or more of a wide variety of
`conventional input methods. including alphanumeric key
`board inputs. voice inputs. cursor control inputs (such as a
`mouse or trackball). touchscreen inputs. etc.
`Session manager 29 transfers data and control information
`to and from the components of client system 12. and acts as
`an interface between client system 12 and metering server
`14. Electronic information which is transferred to client
`system 12 is received by session manager 29 and forwarded
`to client interface 23. In one embodiment. the electronic
`information is forwarded to client interface 23 via content
`adapter 25. Content adapter 25 may then modify the elec
`tronic information. based on the end user’s data stored in
`personal pro?le database 27. Session manager 29 also
`instructs statistic compilation process 26 to compile the
`aggregate data stored in personal pro?le database 27 when
`the information is requested by metering server 14.
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`The client activity monitor 24 tracks the consumer vari
`ables corresponding to the preferences of the end user(s) of
`client system 12. When an end user consumes electronic
`information. and also possibly interacts with that electronic
`information. client activity monitor 24 associates the elec
`tronic information with the appropriate consumer variables
`and stores this data in the personal pro?le database 27. For
`example. the client activity monitor 24 tracks the color of
`?elds or objects that are selected most frequently and least
`frequently by the end user. Similarly. the consumption
`format chosen most frequently and least frequently by the
`end user. such as audio or video. is also tracked and stored
`in personal pro?le database 27. In one embodiment. the
`consumer variables and corresponding ?elds or objects are
`indicated in a header block received with the electronic
`information.
`The personal pro?le database 27 maintains the user pro?le
`data for the end user(s) of client system 12. For example.
`age. gender. income. marital status. color preferences. etc.
`are stored in personal pro?le database 27 for each individual
`end user of client system 12. In addition. personal pro?le
`database 27 may also include additional information such as
`credit card numbers. social security numbers. mailing
`addresses. preferred shipping methods. etc. for each indi
`vidual end user to facilitate ordering items displayed in
`advertisements.
`Personal pro?le database 27 is updated with consumer
`variable information based on the activity monitored by
`client activity monitor 24. In one embodiment. this infor
`mation can also be directly modi?ed by the end user. For
`example. client interface 23 may include the ability to access
`the usa pro?le data for a particular end user which is st