JP2002183164A - System and method for providing electronic advertisement - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a system and a method for electronic advertisement which enables an information provider to easily and frequently operate advertisement information and a client user to access and retrieve information classified by groups. SOLUTION: The electronic advertisement system includes an information input device which is connected to a network (e.g. the Internet) to input the advertisement information and an information storage device which is connected to the information input device through the network to store the advertisement information. The information storage device preferably includes a control system for allowing the information provider to operate the advertisement information. Further, the system preferably includes an information display device connected to the network to display the advertisement information in the classified groups to the client user.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an electronic advertisement system and method for advertising through a network. More practically, the invention relates to an advertising system and method that can provide users with the latest advertising information presented by an information provider over a network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the recent development of communication systems such as computer networks, the Internet has become one of the most common tools used for various purposes. The Web is without a doubt one of the most dominant and convenient ways for users to seek and acquire information. Users can access information through the Internet not only with personal computers but also with home appliances such as web TVs and mobile communication devices such as mobile phones and pocket computers. It is expected that more and more people will use the Internet in the future. As the Internet continues to grow, more and more merchants and business owners have websites and display advertising on those websites. Many large companies have already advertised nationwide through the Internet, and are trying to take advantage of effective advertising through the Internet. The Internet is an effective advertising tool for local industries as well as national industries.

[0003] Local companies, shops, and restaurants have traditionally advertised products and services that they provide in their area using newspaper inserts or direct mail. However, it is desirable for those local industries to advertise through the Internet rather than in the newspaper or mail, and benefit from the advertising effectiveness and convenience. Furthermore, even nationwide companies can benefit from locally-specific advertising, for example, because they can provide more flexible advertising information to a listener at a particular geographic location.

[0004]

However, as the amount of information on the Internet increases, it becomes more burdensome for users to find specific information from among such enormous information. In order to alleviate this problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-160022 discloses a geographical advertising system that allows a user to select information of a specific geographical area on a displayed map. While this system may facilitate the selection of desired information, it does not solve another problem associated with local advertising over the Internet. In order to provide the most up-to-date information, the advertising information provided by local companies, shops and restaurants needs to be updated as frequently as possible, such as daily or weekly newspapers. For example, local supermarkets price fresh produce daily or weekly. Restaurants may want to have menus that change from day to day, and real estate may want to quickly update information about available properties. In order to provide such the most accurate advertising information, the local advertising information must be updated frequently.

In addition, many conventional Internet advertising systems require a great deal of computer knowledge to enter and edit data and maintain a network server, resulting in high costs. Many information providers may not have enough computer knowledge to manipulate advertising data freely with conventional systems. Therefore, the advertising system should be simple enough to be operated by those without significant computer knowledge.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic advertisement system and a method that enable an information provider to easily and frequently manipulate advertisement information. It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic advertisement system and method that allows a customer user to easily access and search information displayed for each classification group. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a system and method for notifying local consumers of the price of a product that may be offered elsewhere so that they can compare prices and do shopping. is there. A further object is to provide systems and methods that allow consumers to instantly find products and their prices from anywhere.

[0007]

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. . The advantages and objects of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. As implemented and described broadly herein, the present invention is directed to electronic advertising systems for use in networks that connect information providers and users to achieve the benefits of the present invention, and to date. The electronic advertisement system includes an information input device connected to a network for inputting advertisement information, an information storage device connected to the information input device for storing the advertisement information through the network, and the advertisement information for each classification group. It would be desirable to include an information display device connected to the network for display to the user. Preferably, the information storage device includes a control system for the information provider to manipulate the advertising information.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by an electronic advertising system for use in a network that links information providers and users. Preferably, the system includes means for inputting advertisement information, means for storing the advertisement information input by the input means, and means for displaying the advertisement information for each group classified by each user. Preferably, the storage means includes a control system for the information provider to manipulate the advertising information. In yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for advertising electronically over a network. The method includes inputting advertisement information, storing the advertisement information in an information storage device, operating the advertisement information in the information storage device with a control system, and converting the advertisement information into groups classified into each user. And displaying. The present invention also provides improved systems and methods for comparative shopping. According to one aspect of the invention, an Internet site is created to store various advertising materials for the retail business. These materials will be made available to customers who access the Internet site. The internet site provides maps of shopping zones, cities, or other areas that may be of interest to customers. As a result, information about each retailer can be selected for comparative pricing and shopping.

In still another aspect of the present invention,
An electronic advertisement system is a facsimile for inputting advertisement information and sending the advertisement information as facsimile data through a network, a facsimile connected to the facsimile machine through the network, receiving the facsimile data from the facsimile machine, and converting it into bitmap image data. A server, and a database server connected to receive the bitmap image data from the fax machine, the database server including a method of uploading the image data to a web server for display on a web site.

[0010] In still another aspect of the present invention,
A method for electronically advertising is provided. The method includes the steps of sending the advertising information as fax data to a fax server through a network, converting the fax data into bitmap image data at the fax server, and displaying the bitmap image data from the fax server on a website. Uploading to a web server for uploading.

In still another aspect of the present invention,
One form for inputting advertisement information to be displayed in an electronic advertisement system is provided. The form includes an image advertisement information field for providing an image together with the advertisement information, an identification code stored to provide an identification code associated with the information provider, and a format for the image advertisement information field and the identification code field. A plurality of field identifiers indicating locations are provided, the plurality of field identifiers being provided near an edge of the form. Note that the above general description and the following detailed description are merely examples, and are merely descriptions of desirable embodiments, and do not limit the present invention.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Reference will now be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. According to one aspect of the invention, an electronic advertising system and method for a network comprises an information input device connected to a network for inputting advertising information and an information storage device connected to the information input device for storing advertising information. Provided. The information storage device allows the information provider to manipulate the advertising information (eg, update, edit, add, and / or
Or remove) a control system. A networked display device for displaying the advertising information to the user in classified groups may also be provided.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the electronic advertisement system includes an information input device 20 used by an information provider to input advertisement information displayed on a website maintained by, for example, the web server 5. It is shown to include. The system of FIG. 1 also includes a customer user terminal 8 for accessing and browsing advertising information on a website through a network. Information input device 20 is 1
It may include a tuple 1 connected to a terminal 2, such as a keyboard, mouse, or personal computer. The information input device 20 may also include a fax machine connected to a network via an image scanner or telephone line to enter advertising information. Alternatively, the information input device 20 may be a programmed device specially designed for inputting advertising information. Further, a mobile phone, a pocket computer, or any wireless information input device can be used as the information input device 20.

In FIG. 1, a terminal 2 of an information input device 20 and a customer user terminal 8 are a personal computer, a workstation, a mobile phone, a scanner, a fax machine, a home appliance having a computer, a game machine, a television, or advertising information. It may be implemented through various means including any device capable of input. Furthermore, although a single information input device 20 and a single customer user terminal 8 are shown in FIG. 1 for purposes of illustration, some electronic advertising systems may include multiple geographically discrete inputs. Information devices and customer user terminals may also be provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic advertisement system includes an information input device 2
It also includes an information storage device 4 for storing advertising information provided by O.0 and sent through a network 6 (such as the Internet). The advertisement information provider who accesses the web server 5 through the terminal 2 provides advertisement information on the product or service, and the advertisement information is stored in the information storage device 4. If a fax machine or scanner is used as the information input device 20, the advertising information may be a product picture, a store catalog or brochure, or any advertising information. Such advertising information is
Character data, image data, audio data, video data,
Or any combination thereof.

[0015] The advertisement information provider typically advertises merchants, products and services. However, information providers are not limited to merchants and businessmen. For example, the information provider may be a customer who has used a product or service of a certain store and wishes to send information about the customer. In such a case, the information sent from the information input device 20 to the information storage device 4 may be a personal message or comment instead of advertising information. The electronic advertisement system of FIG. 1 also includes an information transfer device for sending information from the terminal 2 to the information storage device 4 through the network 6 and the web server 5. File transfer protocol (FTP) software for transferring an HTML file to be published on a website can be used in the information transfer device 3. For information providers who are unfamiliar with computers, information transfer devices 3
Preferably include a device that transfers files created by entering data directly from a website. Such devices make it easier for information providers to create websites. For example, the system may include a program that allows an information provider, such as a common gateway interface (CGI), to enter and manipulate advertising data.

As shown in FIG. 2, one embodiment for easily inputting advertisement data is a website display. Preferably, the website has electronic data entry forms or fields for entering various items. As shown in FIG. 2, these data entry fields are the information provider's name or company name 18a, identification number 1
8b, the mail address 18c, and the advertisement file setting 18d may be allowed to be input. The identification number can be given to each information provider and stored in the system in advance. When the information provider accesses the website and enters data along with the identification number, the data may be stored at a specific location in the information storage device 4 based on the identification number. Alternatively, the location where the data should be stored may be determined using the mail address or telephone number of the information provider. Further, the data sent from the provider may include an identification code also stored in the system. The identification code sent by the provider is then compared to that stored in the system to determine whether the provider has the right to access the system. The identification code may be an identification code such as a bar code provided to be attached to or included in the image data, or a code attached to or included in the e-mail. After entering the data through the website display as shown in FIG. 2, the information provider clicks the send icon 19 to send the information through the network 6,
Activate the program 7 and store the information in the information storage device 4
(See FIG. 1). After the information provider has been identified (eg, by identification number and / or other input data), an additional web page to prompt the information provider to enter and / or manipulate advertising information May be displayed.

By using these techniques, even a person who is not very familiar with computers can immediately input and / or operate advertising information. It is desirable that all necessary programs be distributed to an information provider as application software recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM or downloaded online. Also, each information provider should be registered, for example online, and given an identifier or password to access the database, so as to increase the security of the system and prevent people from altering the data without permission. Advertising information can be entered in a form on a website and sent via e-mail using browser software or e-mail software. This scheme is particularly suitable for entering advertising information in mobile phones and other wireless communication systems. The invention is further clarified by the following examples, which are intended purely for the purpose of the invention.

When the information input device 20 is a scanner or a fax machine, it is desirable that the process shown in the exemplary flowchart of FIG. 3 be performed. The flowchart in FIG. 3 is one example, and various changes can be made in the process. As shown in FIG. 3, once the image advertisement information or data is read by a scanner or a fax machine (S10), the data is converted into a signal representing the image data. Then, the signal is sent through the network (S11), and the program in the server of the advertisement system is started (S12). Preferably, the data from the information provider has an identification number that is also stored in the system to determine where to store it. Instead of an identification number, the information provider's email address or telephone number may be used for that purpose. Further, a code, such as a bar code, can be attached to or provided with the image data so that the server can determine if the information provider is authorized to access the advertising system.

The program started in the server then reads the identification number or code (S13) and compares it with the stored number. As a result of the comparison, the data is stored at a specific location on the information storage device. Thereafter, the stored data can be remotely operated (updated, edited, or selectively deleted with new data) only by authorized information providers. To allow manipulation of data stored on the server,
New data can be sent (eg, using information input device 20) to replace the stored data, and the information provider can edit and update the stored data through any computer-based editor. For example, if the advertisement information is stored in an HTML format, the information provider may use an HTML editor to edit and update the stored data. To facilitate editing, an advanced HTML editor that includes a graphics user interface or any user-friendly interface can be used. In addition, in order to quickly update the stored data, it is desirable that the old data be maintained in a database and that only the updated data be changed. Also, if the new data is read by a scanner or fax machine, the data may have a code indicating which portion of the scanned data should be displayed to the customer user. Further, the data may include codes for adjusting the resolution, direction, color, etc. of the scanned data.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic advertisement system also includes one or more information display devices, such as customer user terminals 8, for displaying advertisement information online. The displayed information may include character data, image data, three-dimensional image data, video data, audio data, and any combination thereof. Preferably, the data is displayed on a website that can access the advertising system through some network, such as the Internet. For example, the H
A TML file can be provided for viewing, including a link to an image file, such as a JPEG or GIF file.

As further shown in FIG. 3, the HT
When the customer user accesses the ML file or the like, the computer terminal of the customer user transmits an inquiry for accessing the file and the image file linked to the file (S15). The HTML
Upon receiving the file, the customer user can display a web page with the image file on one or more terminals (S16). This file contains many different types of advertising data and may be displayed in multiple frames divided on the screen if desired. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment that uses a fax machine and a fax server to enter and upload advertising data.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fax machine 40 is connected to the fax server 4 through a network such as an electronic network or the Internet.
It is connected to two. Generally, an information provider can send fax data including image advertisement information from a fax machine 40 to a fax server 42. Upon receiving fax data from the fax machine 40, the fax server 42 converts the fax data to create bitmap image data. Then, the fax server 42 sends the bitmap image data to the database server 44. The database server 44 receives the bitmap image data from the fax server 42 and converts the advertisement portion of the bitmap image data into a GI
F, PNG, BMP, JPEG, etc., are converted into a desirable format mountable on the web. The database server is
In addition to the data stored in the information storage device 46, a part other than the bitmap image data such as an identification number or a code is detected and evaluated. After all the bitmap image data has been converted, the database server 44 may send a confirmation signal to the information provider through the fax server 42. The converted advertising data is then uploaded from the database server 44 to a web page through the web server 5 so that the advertising information can be viewed by the customer user 8 over a network (such as the Internet) by a personal computer or mobile phone. . As shown in FIG. 5, the web server 5
May accept a plurality of homepages 1, 2,..., N containing advertisements from one or more information providers or merchants. Each of the homepages 1, 2, ..., N may be a site specifically directed to a product or service provided by one information provider, a general information site, or a web portal.

As shown in FIG. 5, the information provider may use a predetermined user form 50 to send the advertisement data using the fax machine 40 shown in FIG. The format is image advertisement information field 5
2, preferably including user data 54 and identification code 50. The image advertisement information field 52 contains advertisement information to be uploaded to the web page. The user data 54 may include the name and telephone number of the information provider and the date of the communication. User data 54
May be used when the database server cannot read the identification code 50. The identification code 56 preferably has a binary form, such as marked and unmarked cells, so that the database server 44 can read the identification code. The identification code 56 identifies the information provider and facilitates determining whether the information provider has authority to access the system. Along with the pre-printed identification code, the user form 50 can be distributed to each information provider, or the information provider can create a user form including a specific identification code using application software such as Microsoft Excel ™. May be created.

As further shown in FIG. 5, the user form 50 should also include a field identifier 58 indicating the location of each information field. Field identifier 58 may consist of a predetermined mark (such as a black rectangle or square) provided at the end of user form 50 next to the beginning and end of each field. Field identifier 5 in bitmap image data
8, the database server 44
Is the image advertisement information field 52 and the user data 5
4, and in order to identify the identification code 56, the location of the field in the converted bitmap image data can be determined.

As shown in FIG.
Also preferably includes a field identifier 58 for alignment near at least three corners of the user form.
While scanning a user form, the scanned data may be enlarged or distorted in angle. As a result, the bitmap image data converted from the distorted fax data makes it difficult for the database server to read the information accurately. The field identifier 58 shown in FIG. 6 allows the data server to detect the corner of the user form 50 and the field identifier. The database server 44 evaluates the distance between at least two field identifiers 58 and compares the estimated distance with a previously stored distance.
Determines whether the bitmap image data has been enlarged or distorted, and can correct the size and distortion of the image data accordingly. As shown in FIG.
If the bitmap image data is angularly distorted, the server 44 determines the angle between the ideal image data (indicated by the dotted line 60) and the transmitted image data (indicated by the solid line 62). . For example, the images are rotated at an average value by averaging the angles θ and δ, and the server 44 obtains corrected bitmap image data for uploading to the web server 5.

FIG. 7 is another exemplary embodiment of a fax server environment. As shown in FIG. 7, the information provider sends the scanned image data to the fax machine 4.
A user form 50 (as described above with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6) may be used to send from 0 to the fax server 42 through a network (such as a telephone network or the Internet). The fax server 42 is connected to a hard disk (HDD) and a memory 70 so that all fax data can be stored. The fax data may be organized and stored in memory 70 according to the identifier of the information provider (such as a source telephone number or a manually entered identification code). The fax server 42 also returns the upload confirmation to the information provider via the telephone network.

FIG. 8 is another exemplary embodiment of a fax server environment. As shown in FIG. 8, when the information provider sends fax data from the fax machine 40 to the fax server 42, the database server 44 transmits the fax data from the fax server based on the data stored in the information storage device 46. Of the converted bitmap image data is evaluated. This is done by detecting a given identification code in the bitmap image data and comparing that code with data stored in storage device 46. The database server 44
If the information provider determines that they are authorized to access the system (eg, the identification code is correct), the database server 44 uploads the image to the web server 5 and sends the confirmation to the information provider through the fax server 42. On the other hand, if the database server 44 determines that the information provider is not authorized to access the system (eg, the identification code is incorrect), the database server 44 informs the information provider that access has been denied. This can be done by emailing the information provider or contacting the information provider by telephone. The information provider may then contact the support center and manually upload the information to a web server if the information provider can prove that it is an authorized user.

FIG. 9 is an illustration of an exemplary embodiment of an application server environment that may be provided with the electronic advertising information system of the present invention. It may be provided separately or in combination with server 44 or 5. Application server 90 converts the bitmap data from fax server 42 to another format for uploading to an appropriate device. For example, the application server 90 converts the advertising portion of the bitmap image data into a GIF for an i-mode application.
Format, PNG format for J-phone, EZ web application 1 or J for PC application
It may be converted to PEG. The transformed data is then:
The data server 44 is uploaded by the application server 90 to be uploaded on the web server 5.
Sent to

FIG. 10 is an exemplary embodiment for providing a web page that can be viewed on a mobile phone. The embodiment of FIG. 10 may be combined with other embodiments of the present invention, including the embodiment of FIG. The advertising data is uploaded to the web server and the data is
After being created in TML format, for example, the data may be converted by the computer platform 110 or a server into another format for viewing through the mobile phone 100. For example, data is in CML format for i-mode, MML format for J Sky Web,
Or it may be converted to HDML format for EZ web. For example, CHTML can display many graphic characters. Thus, the advertising system of the present invention may be compatible with various mobile phone applications.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the information display device desirably has a search capability so that a customer user can quickly obtain desired information. Moreover, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the displayed advertising information is preferably categorized into groups such as geographic location, store location, or type of product or service. Such a classification of information may facilitate information retrieval by a user. For example, a customer user can narrow the information search range from country to state, state, county, city, block, street, and so on. Alternatively, the search can proceed from the entire company to a particular store of the company. Preferably, the information display device displays a map to help a customer user search for information in a particular geographic area. In addition, the advertisement information stored in the information storage device includes a coupon or product / service discount information. The coupon may be printed and have a barcode. The information display device displays the advertisement information on the clipboard of the website using a common gateway interface or a graphics user interface (GUI).

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an advertising method which enables comparative pricing and comparative shopping by a consumer user. In this direction, FIG.
Is an exemplary flowchart showing such a method. As shown in FIG. 11, the method first involves registering an advertiser on an advertising Internet site (S
111), the Internet sites of which are the subject of the present invention. Creating Internet sites is well known to those skilled in the art. Although the target site may be enforced through a web server and take many forms and appearances, the subject of the new features of the present invention is the way the site is used. Although there may be many such sites, in this case, advertisement information uploaded from a user who is an advertiser is received, and an advertisement data file on an Internet site is prepared for the advertiser (S113). . In this case, there may be multiple advertisers as the site is intended as a means for consumers to make comparison shopping electronic. The advertisement information may include product information such as the product type, special sale, and the size of the packaging unit, in addition to the price of the product, the inventory at the retail store and the location of the product. Such information is the type of information that consumers need to make a decision about whether to make a purchase.

As further shown in FIG. 11, further included in the method is a geographical map of an urban area, rural settlement, village, etc., which sells the product indicated in the advertising information. (S11).
5). The geographic map is made available on a site on the Internet so that consumers can access it and be presented with the advertising information described above. To access this information, consumers can connect a desktop computer from home, a portable computer from a car, or any other computer-based connection available to access the Internet. Upon accessing the targeted Internet site, the consumer may choose to view a geographic map, which may be organized by retail product category (eg, food, utensils, hardware, white cars, etc.) Alternatively, various interested retailers can be displayed for each region (S117). The winner will indicate which retail store they are interested in, and the consumer may be given the previously discussed product information visually, for example on a monitor screen.

[0033] The method of the present invention further comprises the step of enabling advertising information from the advertiser to be uploaded to an Internet site using a fax-based telecommunications connection. This is well within the abilities of those skilled in the art, where the recipient's computer or server automatically places various advertising information in a relational database, for example, and provides such information to consumers without human intervention. It may include a pre-defined format so that it can be made available.
The information is then downloaded to the consumer from an Internet site, for example, via a wireless or mobile phone connection. The display of information for the consumer may be accomplished using a liquid crystal screen (LCD) area of a mobile (cell) phone displaying map information. If the cell phone has a means to point to a particular location in the LCD area,
It is fully possible to make selections using only the telephone. Thus, the steps of the retailer's instructions can be completed using a cellular (cell) telephone connection. Through the embodiment of FIG. 11, consumers can select different shopping areas, chains of retail stores, or specific stores, and thus can compare pricing and shopping information.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, the electronic advertising system of the present invention is implemented to include a database of advertising fees and a processing system for calculating the advertising fees. The advertising fee may be calculated by the processing system based on, for example, the number of data operations, the duration or length of the advertisement, or the frequency of visits of the customer user. Preferably, all advertising fee information (such as advertising fee rates or tables) is stored in a database, and the corresponding advertising fee is automatically and periodically calculated for each information provider. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, for example, the storage device 4
The processing system may be implemented through the server 5 and / or the software 7. In addition, the electronic advertisement system of the present invention desirably includes a monitor device for monitoring and recording the number of visits to the advertisement site and the number of downloaded coupons. The monitoring device monitors and records what options the customer user is following, and may be implemented, for example, through the server in the embodiment of FIG. 1 to facilitate, for example, marketing analysis and advertising fee calculations. . In another embodiment of the present invention, the device may allow a customer user to enter age, gender, etc., collect data, and learn demand for certain products and services based on the data. Or, the device may be provided with questions about the product or service to ascertain popularity among customer users.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, an electronic advertising system is provided that provides preferences for customer users, such as a favorite site section, to selectively sell frequently visited grocery stores. Information may be immediately accessible. Preferably, the advertising system includes a notification device for notifying registered customer users whether the information has been updated. Advertising information entered by the advertising information provider may be stored in an information storage device and automatically sent to one or more customers over a network. For example, according to one aspect of the present invention, advertising information may be stored on an information storage device and subsequently forwarded to an unspecified number of customer users or only one specific customer. The above embodiment of the advertisement system includes a server system as an information storage device for storing advertisement information and an information display device for displaying advertisement information. The server may have powerful computing capabilities, or may be a small server or a personal computer capable of performing the desired work.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and diversifications can be made to the electronic advertising system and method of the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. In addition, features of the various embodiments disclosed herein may be combined, interchanged, or integrated in accordance with the principles herein.
Accordingly, the specification and examples are only exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the invention is intended to be indicated by the appended claims.

[0037]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, even a person who does not have specialized knowledge of a computer or the like can easily perform information operations such as advertisements by performing simple operations online. An object of the present invention is to provide a system capable of registering and updating a file. Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a system in which the information such as the advertisement is displayed according to a classification such as a region, so that a user can easily obtain necessary information. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to display information useful for a user such as a coupon and to provide a system with a high effect of posting information such as advertisements. Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to utilize the collected information for market research and the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic advertising system in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary embodiment of a website display screen used to enter identifiers and advertising data in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary flow chart for entering and browsing advertising data in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary flow chart of an embodiment of a fax server environment used for inputting and uploading advertising data consistent with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary embodiment of a user form used to enter advertising data at a fax machine consistent with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is another exemplary embodiment of a user form used to enter and adjust advertising data.

FIG. 7 is another exemplary flowchart of an embodiment of a fax server environment used to enter advertising data in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is another exemplary embodiment of a fax server environment used to enter advertising data.

FIG. 9 is one exemplary embodiment of an application server consistent with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is one exemplary embodiment for developing a web page for a mobile phone in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is an exemplary flow chart of an embodiment of another advertising method for making comparative shopping over the Internet.

[Explanation of symbols]

Claims (50)

[Claims] 1. An electronic advertisement system provided on a network connected from a user terminal such as a computer or a portable information terminal and used in the network, wherein the information input device is connected to the network for inputting advertisement information. An information storage device connected to an information input device through a network for storing the advertisement information, the information storage device including at least a control system so that an information provider can manipulate the advertisement information, and the advertisement information is classified. And an information display device connected to a network for displaying to each customer user for each group. 2. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the information input device is a facsimile machine. 3. The electronic advertising system of claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a user form having advertising information for use with a fax machine. Advertising system. 4. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 3, wherein said user form includes an identification code. 5. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 3, wherein the user form includes a field identifier. 6. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the information input device is a scanner. 7. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the information input device is a portable wireless system. 8. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein said information display device classifies advertisement information based on a graphic map. Electronic advertising system. 9. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement information includes a coupon. 10. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the information display device displays advertisement information on a clipboard of a website.
The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1. 11. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the information display device includes a search system for searching for advertisement information stored in an information storage device. 2. The electronic advertisement system according to 1. 12. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, further comprising an advertisement fee database and a processing system for calculating an advertisement fee. 13. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 12, wherein the processing system calculates an advertisement fee based on the number of times the advertisement information has been operated by the information provider. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 12, which performs the operation. 14. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 12, wherein said processing system calculates an advertisement fee based on a period in which advertisement information is stored. Item 13. An electronic advertisement system according to Item 12. 15. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor system for monitoring and recording the number of times each customer user has visited the advertisement information. An electronic advertisement system according to item 1. 16. The electronic advertising system of claim 1, further comprising a customized device that allows a customer user to store a list of favorite sites. Electronic advertising system. 17. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, further comprising a notification device for notifying a customer user whether or not the advertisement information has been updated. Electronic advertising system. 18. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement information input by the information provider includes:
2. An identification number for determining where the information is stored in the information storage device is included.
An electronic advertisement system according to item 1. 19. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, wherein the advertisement information input by the information provider includes:
The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1, further comprising a code for determining whether an information provider has a right to access the system. 20. The electronic advertising system of claim 1, wherein the information stored in the information storage device is automatically sent to one or more client users. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 1. 21. An electronic advertisement system provided on a network connected from a user terminal such as a computer or a portable information terminal and used in the network, wherein the information input means is connected to the network for inputting advertisement information. And a means for storing the advertisement information input by the information input means. The storage means includes a means including a control system for all of the information providers to operate the advertisement information through the network, and a means for grouping the advertisement information into groups. And means for displaying to the requesting user of the electronic advertisement system. 22. A method for providing an advertisement electronically using an electronic advertisement system provided on a network connected from a user terminal such as a computer or a portable information terminal and used in the network, comprising: Inputting, storing the advertising information in an information storage device that includes a control system for the information provider to manipulate the advertising information through the network, and displaying the advertising information to each customer user for each classified group. And an electronic advertisement method. 23. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 22, wherein the advertisement information is input by a facsimile machine. 24. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 22, wherein the advertisement information is input by a scanner. 25. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 22, wherein the advertisement information is input by a portable wireless system. 26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the advertisement information is classified for display based on a map of graphics. . 27. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 22, wherein the advertisement information includes a coupon. 28. The electronic advertising method according to claim 22, wherein the advertisement information is displayed on a clipboard of a website. 29. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of retrieving advertising information stored in the information storage device.
3. The electronic advertisement method according to 2. 30. The method of claim 22, further comprising calculating an advertising fee. . 31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the advertisement fee is calculated based on the number of times the advertisement information is operated by the information provider. Electronic advertising methods. 32. The method according to claim 30, wherein an advertisement fee is calculated based on a period in which the advertisement information has been stored.
Electronic advertising method described in 1. 33. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of monitoring and recording the number of times the advertising information has been visited by the customer user. Method. . 34. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of storing a list of favorite sites for each customer user.
Electronic advertising method described in 1. 35. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of notifying each customer user whether the advertising information has been updated. . 36. The method according to claim 22, wherein the advertising information has an identification number for determining where the information is stored on the information storage device. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 22, wherein 37. The method according to claim 22, wherein the advertisement information has a code for determining whether an information provider has a right to access the system. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 22, wherein 38. The method according to claim 22, wherein the information stored in the information storage device is automatically sent to one or more customer users. Item 23. The electronic advertisement method according to Item 22. . 39. A method for electronically advertising by using an electronic advertisement system provided on a network connected to a user terminal such as a computer or a portable information terminal and used in the network, comprising: an advertisement Internet site Registering the advertiser above, and uploading ad information from the advertiser, comprising product information, product price, retail inventory and location information so that the ad data can be prepared on the Internet site; Preparing a geographical map indicating the location of the retailer selling the product etc. when uploading the advertising information; and providing the geographical map on an Internet site so that consumers can access said geographical map. Presenting the map and when the consumer indicates one of the retail outlets on the geographic map, Presenting advertisement information to consumers on the Internet site. 40. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of enabling uploading of advertising information from an advertiser to an Internet site using a fax-based communication connection. An electronic advertisement method according to claim 39. 41. The method of claim 39, further comprising the step of enabling a consumer to download advertising information from an Internet site using a cellular connection. Item 40. An electronic advertisement method according to Item 39. 42. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 41, wherein the designation of the retail store is completed using a connection by a mobile phone. . 43. A facsimile machine provided on a network connected from a user terminal such as a computer or a portable information terminal for inputting advertisement information and transmitting the advertisement information as facsimile data through the network; A fax server for receiving and converting the fax data from the fax machine into bitmap image data, and a data pace server for receiving the bitmap image data from the fax server. A database server that includes upload means for uploading the bitmap image data to a web server for display on a website. An electronic advertisement method for electronically advertising using an electronic advertisement system used in a network. 44. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 43, wherein said uploading means is means for detecting an advertisement part of the bitmap image data, and said advertisement part is in a predetermined web mountable format. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 43, further comprising: means for converting. 45. The electronic advertisement system according to claim 43, wherein the database server detects the identification code provided in the bitmap image data, and stores the identification code of the information provider. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 43, further comprising: means for confirming. 46. A method for electronically advertising using an electronic advertisement system provided on a network connected from a user terminal such as a computer or a portable information terminal and used in the network. Sending the fax data over a network to a fax server; converting the fax data to bitmap image data at the fax server; Uploading to the electronic advertisement method. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising the step of detecting an advertising portion of the bitmap image data and converting the advertising portion to a predetermined web mountable format. Claim 46.
Electronic advertising method described in 1. 48. The method according to claim 46, further comprising the step of detecting an identification code provided in the bitmap image data to confirm the identification code of the information provider. The electronic advertisement method according to claim 46. 49. Inputting advertisement information that is provided on a network connected from a user terminal such as a computer or a portable information terminal, is provided in advance in an electronic advertisement system used in the network, and is to be displayed in the electronic advertisement system. An electronic file including a format for performing, the image advertisement information to provide an image with the advertisement information, at least including a plurality of field identifiers indicating the location of the image advertisement information field and the identification code field on the format, An electronic file comprising a format wherein the plurality of field identifiers are provided near an edge of the format. 50. An electronic file including the format according to claim 49, wherein the identification code is provided in an identification code field including a marked cell and an unmarked cell area. 50. An electronic file comprising the form of claim 49.