(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/0198781A1
`Cobley
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Dec. 26, 2002
`
`US 2002O198781A1
`
`(54) REWARD ALLOCATION IN
`INFORMATION-ACCESS SYSTEM
`
`(75) Inventor: Paul Michael Cobley, Alton Hants
`(GB)
`
`Correspondence Address:
`HEWLETTPACKARD COMPANY
`Intellectual Property Administration
`P.O. BOX 272400
`Fort Collins, CO 80527-2400 (US)
`
`(73) Assignee: HEWLETT PACKARD COMPANY
`(21) Appl. No.:
`10/173,148
`(22) Filed:
`Jun. 18, 2002
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`(30)
`Jun. 22, 2001 (GB)......................................... O115458.2
`Publication Classification
`(51) Int. Cl." ..................................................... G06F 17/60
`(52) U.S. Cl. ................................................................ 705/14
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`A method is provided of allocating reward in a System that
`provides user access to multiple information resources
`including reward-associated information resources Such as
`advertiser websites accessed through banner ads on a web
`site controlled by the system operator. The method involves
`detecting user access to any of the reward-associated infor
`mation resources, and thereupon making a random determi
`nation of the period of time a user must use the accessed
`resource before being entitled to a reward. The reward can,
`for example, be credit against further use of the System.
`
`
`
`
`
`NTERNET
`
`CAFE 10
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`Management
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`Interface
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`32
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`6
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`4.
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`13
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`ADWERTESER
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`SERVER
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`ADWERTISER
`2
`SERVER
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`ADVERTISER
`3.
`SERVER
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`16A
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`16B
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`16C
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`IPR2020-00677
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`

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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 26, 2002
`
`US 2002/0198781 A1
`
`
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`
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`& XXX
`
`WEB
`SERVER
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`12
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`29
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`Management
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`Interface
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`Credit
`Database
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`Credit Monitor
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`34
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`36
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`1. 6--
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`5.
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`
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`14
`
`it
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`:
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`CS
`2S
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`2
`D-11
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`CS
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`13
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`is
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`ADVERTISER
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`SERVER
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`ADVERTISER
`2
`SERVER
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`16A
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`16B
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`ADVERTISER
`3.
`SERVER
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`16C
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`Figure 1
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`IPR2020-00677
`Vudu Ex. 1012, Page 2
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`US 2002/0198781 A1
`
`Dec. 26, 2002
`
`REWARD ALLOCATION IN
`INFORMATION-ACCESS SYSTEM
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`0001. The present invention relates to a method and
`arrangement for reward allocation in an information-acceSS
`System.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`0002. It is well known for portal websites and other
`websites not tied to promoting a Single company, to Sell
`advertising Space to third parties, this space often taking the
`form of So-called banner ads. Upon a user clicking on a
`banner ad, they are generally taken to a related page of the
`website of the third party advertiser concerned (this is often
`effected either by opening a new web-browser window or by
`pulling the linked third-party page into a frame of the current
`window, Since either approach retains the presence of the
`original website). The amount of advertising revenue that
`can be collected usually depends on the magnitude of the
`traffic visiting the Site or System hosting the banner ads and
`may also depend on the number of click-throughs to the
`advertiser's own site; appropriate mechanisms for collecting
`the relevant Statistics are well known in the art.
`0003. It is clearly in the interest of the operator of the
`ad-hosting System to encourage click-throughs to the adver
`tisers websites. One way of doing this is to reward a user
`each time they click-through a banner ad to an advertiser's
`website (though usually a maximum level set on rewards
`that can be collected in this way). The reward can, for
`example, be credit for continued use of the System con
`cerned, this being particularly appropriate where the System
`is an internet cafe WorkStation for which the user has
`normally to pay to use. However, Such an arrangement is
`open to abuse as a user can collect the reward Simply by
`clicking on banner ads and then immediately returning from
`or closing the resultant page delivered from the advertisers
`Site.
`It is an object of the present invention to provide a
`0004.
`reward allocation method that is leSS Susceptible to misuse.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`0005 According to one aspect of the present invention,
`there is provided a method of allocating reward in a System
`that provides user access to multiple information resources,
`the method involving the steps of:
`0006 (a) detecting user access to any of a group of
`one or more of Said information resources that are Set
`as reward-associated information resources, and
`generating a related acceSS indication;
`0007 (b) in response to the generation of an access
`indication, making a random determination of a
`minimum usage period of the accessed resource that
`is required before the user is to be allocated a reward;
`and
`0008 (c) determining whether the user uses the
`accessed resource for the determined minimum
`usage period and, if So, effecting a reward allocation
`to the user.
`
`0009. It is to be understood that as used herein reference
`to detecting access to an information resource includes
`detecting an acceSS request.
`0010. According to another aspect of the present inven
`tion, there is provided, in a System providing user access to
`multiple information resources, a reward allocation Sub
`System comprising:
`0011
`an access detection arrangement responsive to
`a user accessing any of a group of one or more of Said
`information resources that are set as reward-associ
`ated information resources, to output an access indi
`cation; and
`0012 a reward determination arrangement compris
`ing:
`0013 a random determination arrangement,
`responsive to the output of an access indication by
`the acceSS detection arrangement, to make a ran
`dom determination of a minimum usage period of
`the accessed resource that is required before the
`user is to be allocated a reward; and
`0014 a reward-allocation arrangement for deter
`mining whether the user uses the accessed resource
`for the determined minimum usage period and, if So,
`effecting a reward allocation to the user.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`0015 Embodiments of the invention will now be
`described, by way of non-limiting example, with reference
`to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which:
`0016 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an internet cafe incorporat
`ing a reward allocation arrangement.
`
`BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE
`INVENTION
`0017 FIG. 1 depicts an internet café10 in which a
`plurality of workstations 11 are connected via a LAN 12 and
`gateway 13 (acting as a firewall/web proxy) to the public
`internet 14 in order to access information resources typically
`constituted by web pages served by HTTP servers 16. A
`person (customer) wishing to use a workstation 11 pays a
`certain amount to the operator of the internet cafe and is
`given a corresponding level of credit for use of one of the
`WorkStations. The initial credit amount is Set into a credit
`database 31 of an accounting System 30 via a management
`interface 32. The customer is also given a logon name and
`password and each time the customer logs on or off a
`WorkStation, the accounting System is informed enabling it
`to keep a record, in database 31, of the current logged on/off
`status of each user together with the identity of the work
`Station concerned. At regular and frequent intervals corre
`sponding to the time for a logged-on user to use up a unit (or
`sub-unit) of credit, credit monitor 34 scans the database 31
`and decrements the credit amount associated with each
`currently logged-on user. A logged-on user's remaining
`credit amount is continually displayed to the user at their
`workstation concerned. When the credit monitor detects that
`no credit remains, it initiates compulsory log-off of the user
`from the WorkStation. The accounting System 40 is imple
`mented by appropriate programs running on a general pur
`pOSe computer.
`
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`US 2002/0198781 A1
`
`Dec. 26, 2002
`
`0.018. After a customer logs on to a workstation 11, an
`installed web browser displays a start page 21 retrieved via
`LAN 12 from a web server 25 run by the operator of the
`internet café10. Start page 21 comprises, for example, a
`header frame 22A and a main content frame 22B. Within the
`header frame are areas 23 and 24 respectively for displaying
`banner ads 27 and the current credit level of the user, this
`typically being done through the use of applets loaded from
`server 25. The main content frame initially displays an
`instruction page with links to indeX pages of useful external
`Sites, these pages 26 being downloaded from the Web Server
`25. AS well as hosting the content pages 26 and banner ad
`applets 27, the Web Server 25 also provides a Script execu
`tion environment 29 for running various script files 27 in
`response to request messages from the WorkStation brows
`erS. In order to ensure that the contents of the header frame
`22A are alwayS Visible, it can be arranged that all new
`content pages fetched by the browser are displayed in the
`main content frame 22A regardless of any instruction
`embedded in a currently displayed page, or the new page,
`that the new page should be displayed differently (that is, in
`a different frame, in the full browser window, or in a new
`browser window). Other approaches can be used to ensure
`that at least the banner ads 23 remain visible at all times to
`the user as will be understood by persons skilled in the art.
`0.019
`Clicking on a banner ad 23 results in the loading of
`a page retrieved over internet 14 from the website 16A, B or
`C of the advertiser concerned.
`0020 Systems for implementing internet cafes of the
`above general form (or equivalent) are well known in the art
`and accordingly further details of these aspect of the FIG. 1
`System will not be given.
`0021. In the present arrangement, whenever a customer
`clicks through a banner ad to retrieve a page from the
`website of the advertiser concerned, a random determination
`is made regarding the allocation of a reward to the customer,
`this reward here being in the form of extra credit for using
`a WorkStation 11. By introducing a random factor into
`reward allocation, the potential for abuse is reduced.
`0022. One way of making the reward determination is to
`determine whether or not the user is to be immediately
`allocated a credit reward, a positive determination resulting
`in the generation of a reward instruction to the credit
`database 31 to increase the credit of the customer concerned
`by an appropriate amount. The way this is achieved is as
`follows. When the customer clicks on a banner ad 23, an
`HTTP request message is sent to the server 25 in respect of
`a related script file 28 which is then loaded into execution
`environment 29 and run. An identifier of the customer is
`included in the request message.
`0023 The script running in execution environment 29
`uses a random credit allocation functional block 36 of the
`accounting System 34 to determine whether or not the
`customer has been allocated a credit reward; if So, the Script
`Sends back a response to the customer's WorkStation in the
`form of a credit reward notification. This notification
`includes an embedded timed redirection instruction that after
`a predetermined time causes the WorkStation browser to
`fetch the advertiser's page associated with the banner ad
`clicked on by the customer. If a reward is not allocated to the
`customer by the random credit allocation block 36, the script
`
`Simply returns a response with an embedded redirection
`instruction intended for immediate execution to retrieve the
`advertiser's page.
`0024. The random credit allocation functional block 36 is
`for example, implemented as a Script function that can be
`called by the main Script running in execution environment
`29. This function is, for example, arranged to make a random
`number choice over a preset range with only one number
`corresponding to a credit reward allocation. Of course, more
`than one number can be designated as a “winning number,
`potentially with a different reward amount being associated
`with each Such designated number. Changing the preset
`range over which the random determination is made will, of
`course, alter the chances of the customer being allocated a
`reward. It is possible to arrange for this preset range to be Set
`in dependence on the banner ad (and thus advertiser) con
`cerned; this would be useful as a way of encouraging
`preferential click through on banner ads of particular adver
`tisers who had arranged with the internet café operator that
`there should be a greater chance of being rewarded by
`clicking through on their banner ads.
`0025 The random credit allocation block can also be
`arranged to randomly determine the size of any credit
`reward, this being either done for all banner-ad click
`throughs or only where the block has already determined
`that a reward is to be allocated. An upper limit is preferably
`placed on the size of the credit reward.
`0026. A drawback with the foregoing random reward
`allocation method is that a customer knows immediately
`whether clicking a banner ad has resulted in a reward
`allocation and they therefore have not incentive to dwell on
`the advertiser's page retrieved by clicking the banner ad. To
`overcome this drawback, rather than the random determi
`nation made by the random credit allocation block 36 (in
`response to being called by the main Script executing in
`environment 29) being of whether a reward is to be imme
`diately awarded, the random determination made by block
`36 is of a time period for which a customer must have the
`advertiser's page loaded in their browser before receiving a
`credit reward. The randomly determined time returned to the
`main Script is then used to Set up a timing applet that is then
`embedded in a two-frame page which the Script causes to be
`returned to the WorkStation concerned. This two-frame page
`comprises a first, minimal, frame in which the timing applet
`is embedded, and a Second, main, frame into which the
`advertiser's page is pulled. Provided this two-frame page
`remains loaded for the timing period of the applet (that is,
`the randomly determined time period) the timing applet is
`arranged to Send a message back to the Server 25 causing a
`credit allocation to the customer (for example, via the
`execution of an appropriate Script). Other ways of imple
`menting this random-load-time reward allocation are, of
`course, possible-for example, by tracking what pages the
`customer loads to determine how long they retain pages
`from the advertiser's website.
`0027. It will be appreciated that the random reward
`allocation block can be arranged to randomly determine, in
`respect of a banner ad click-through, both whether a reward
`is available and, if So, the minimum loaded period of the
`advertiser's page that is required before the customer is
`allocated a reward.
`0028. It will be appreciated that many variants are pos
`Sible to the above described arrangements. For example,
`
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`US 2002/0198781 A1
`
`Dec. 26, 2002
`
`rather than the rewards being in terms of usage credits, they
`can take the form of access to privileged resources.
`0029. Of course, the random reward allocation feature
`can be applied to Systems other than internet cafes, Such as
`to portal websites or other Sites that rely on advertising
`revenue from banner ads. It will also be appreciated that the
`advertisements need not be in the form of web browser
`banner ads and could, for example, be advertisements run
`ning in an application that is independent of the web browser
`and displaying as a dedicated area of a display Screen. The
`random reward allocation feature can be applied not only to
`information resources associated with advertisements but
`also to any other types of information resource for which it
`is wished to encourage access by associating a reward.
`1. A method of allocating reward in a System that provides
`user access to multiple information resources, the method
`involving the Steps of:
`(a) detecting user access to any of a group of one or more
`of Said information resources that are set as reward
`asSociated information resources, and generating a
`related acceSS indication;
`(b) in response to the generation of an access indication,
`making a random determination of a minimum usage
`period of the accessed resource that is required before
`the user is to be allocated a reward; and
`(c) determining whether the user uses the accessed
`resource for the determined minimum usage period
`and, if so, effecting a reward allocation to the user.
`2. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (b)
`involves, prior to making Said random determination of a
`minimum usage period, determining whether a reward is
`available in respect of the access concerned, Said random
`determination of a minimum usage period only being
`effected in cases where a reward is available.
`3. A method according to claim 2, wherein determining
`whether a reward is available is effected on a random basis
`with the probability of a reward being available, being set in
`dependence on the identity of the reward-associated infor
`mation resource being accessed.
`4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the magnitude
`of any reward that is to be allocated is also randomly
`determined.
`5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the rewards for
`allocation comprise credit for further use of the System.
`
`6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the rewards for
`allocation comprise access to privileged resources.
`7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reward
`asSociated information resources are web pages retrieved via
`banner advertisements on a web page associated with the
`operator of Said System.
`8. A method according to claim 1, wherein Said System is
`a portal website.
`9. A method according to claim 1, wherein Said System is
`an internet café.
`10. In a System providing user access to multiple infor
`mation resources, a reward allocation Subsystem compris
`Ing:
`an access detection arrangement responsive to a user
`accessing any of a group of one or more of Said
`information resources that are set as reward-associated
`information resources, to output an access indication;
`and
`a reward determination arrangement comprising:
`a random determination arrangement, responsive to the
`output of an acceSS indication by the access detection
`arrangement, to make a random determination of a
`minimum usage period of the accessed resource that
`is required before the user is to be allocated a reward;
`and
`a reward-allocation arrangement for determining
`whether the user uses the accessed resource for the
`determined minimum usage period and, if So, effect
`ing a reward allocation to the user.
`11. In a System according to claim 10, a reward allocation
`Subsystem wherein the random determination arrangement
`is operative, prior to making Said random determination of
`a minimum usage period, to determine whether a reward is
`available in respect of the access concerned, Said random
`determination of a minimum usage period only being
`effected in cases where a reward is available.
`12. In a System according to claim 11, a reward allocation
`Subsystem wherein determining whether a reward is avail
`able is effected by the random determination arrangement on
`a random basis with the probability of a reward being
`available, being Set in dependence on the identity of the
`reward-associated information resource being accessed.
`
`IPR2020-00677
`Vudu Ex. 1012, Page 5
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