Patent · US Expired

Method and system to connect consumers to information

US8468050B2 · kind B2 · utility

14Cited by
214References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 1, 2004
Grant dateJun 18, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 28, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06Q30/0277
  • WIPO fieldIT methods for management
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recruiting, communicating with, and paying participants of interactive advertising are described. The present invention is a system through which advertisers can recruit, communicate with, and pay their potential customers for their time. The system achieves these functions without the advertiser or the customer having to be in the same location—all logistics are handled through the system's web site, database, and communications interfaces. The system enables advertisers to promote interactive seminars in which they try to sell products to potential customers. Most importantly, the advertisers are able to offer their potential customers financial rewards for their time, such as 25 cents per minute to reward a customer for listening to a sales pitch. The system then provides a real-time communications link between the advertiser and customer. The system automatically bills the advertiser and rewards the customer for the time that they interact.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.