JP2002512413A - Telephone call management software and internet marketing method - Google Patents

Abstract

  (57) [Summary] A computer program for providing marketing and advertising services to a sponsor company that wants to advertise to a customer is disclosed. The program is initially stored on the host computer 12 and then downloaded to the user computer 22, upon request, along with an advertising banner selected by the sponsor company. The program displays banners and other advertisements directly on the user computer while the customer uses the program.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to an Internet marketing method. More specifically, it relates to advertising services to sponsor companies that want to promote their products and services to program users.

[0002] epidemic and the use of continue to the prior art constantly developing the Internet, their products and services to advertise on the World Wide Web (WWW), for the desire to sell the company, creating the possibility of a huge marketing I have. That is, hundreds of thousands of websites have already been created in an effort to reach customers, and more than tens of thousands of websites are created weekly. However, the enormous growth and use of the Internet has disrupted the Internet environment, making it difficult for users to reach the websites they want and for companies to attract customers to their sites. I have to.

Object and Summary of the Invention The present invention solves the above problems by providing a computer program that provides improved advertising services to sponsor companies that want to advertise their products and services. That is, the program of the present invention provides a very effective way to advertise its products to sponsor companies by presenting messages and advertisements prior to use when the customer uses the program. provide. Advertising program modules are typically (but not limited to) call management telephony programs
It is included in other programs such as general purpose computer applications. The present invention described below is a preferred carrier program.
Although a call management program is used as ram), in practice the carrier program can be any software program that can accommodate the advertising module.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides a host computer 12, at least one billing computer 14 operated by a long distance carrier, and advertising and selling its products and services to customers. A number of Internet web servers 16, 18 and / or telephones 20 managed by a sponsoring company that wants to access the host computer, the computer of the long distance carrier, the computer of the sponsoring company and the user computer 22 used to access the telephone It is preferably implemented in a computer network 10 including (not shown). All of these computers are linked by a communication network 26 that handles Internet traffic.

[0005] The host computer 12, the billing computer 14 and the website server computers 16, 18 may be conventional microcomputers, small computers or main computers, such as those manufactured by IBM, Sun, and DEC. It may be a frame computer. Each of these computers includes memory, input and output ports, network connections, is programmed with the software described below for performing the steps of the present invention, and
It is programmed with OS software of a conventional WWW server for receiving, storing, collecting, and transmitting data on the Internet. The user computers 22, preferably IBM compatible personal computers having an Intel Pentium processor or equivalent microprocessor, each include a modem, memory, input and output ports, network connections, and It is programmed with conventional WWW server OS software for receiving, storing, retrieving, and transmitting. The individual user computers are preferably Microsoft Windows
95 or equivalent OS program, configured to access an Internet search engine such as Yahoo,
Includes a browser program such as Netscape Navigator from etscape or Internet Explorer from Microsoft and software for performing the steps of the present invention described below. As shown, the telephone ports of the modems of the individual user computers 22 include:
At least one telephone 24 is connected, and the modem is connected to the Internet. Devices having additional phones and microprocessors may be used in the invention described below.

The communication network 26 is a conventional telephone communication network that carries Internet traffic and includes a number of switches 28 and a local telephone carrier 30. The network includes a local telephone line network, a wide area communication line network,
It may be a wireless communication network, a voice communication network or any other conventional communication network capable of providing communication between the various computers shown in FIG. The call management program is designed to be stored on a host computer and then downloaded to a user computer, as described in more detail below. The program may be written in any conventional programming language compatible with Windows OS, but is preferably provided by Clearwave (F)
t. Collins, Colorado) is a modified version of a commercial call management program such as Intellect.

According to the present invention, the call management program also includes a PIC code (program).
instruction code (program instruction code). The program may also include a calendar function, which allows the user to enter personal events and holiday dates and times, such as birthdays, annual anniversaries, national holidays, appointments, and the like. The program monitors the clock and calendar of the user computer 22 and displays a reminder of the date and time entered before the date and time of the actual event.

As will be described in more detail below, in accordance with the present invention, a company wishing to advertise to users of a call management program pays for banners and other advertisements downloaded to user computer 22 by the call management program. You may be a sponsor of the program. As a result, the administrator of the host computer 12 can provide the customer with a free call management program. The sponsor company selects w from Windows 95 according to the opening and closing of its banner.
An audio file such as an av file may be selected.

[0009] The sponsor company determines the date, keyword, U
The RL address and other triggering events and inputs may be selected. When downloaded and installed on the user computer 22, the call management program displays banners and other advertisements only after certain customer activities.
For example, a sponsor company that sells balloons or flowers may choose to pop up their banner directly on the user computer according to reminders such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. provided by the calendar function described above. This ensures that the banner pops up and considers the purchase of the item at the very moment the customer remembers the personal event.

[0010] The program also monitors the keyword entered in the search engine of the user computer and the URL address entered in the browser, and displays the entered keyword and URL address and the keyword and UR selected by the sponsor company.
It may be compared with the L address. If there is a match, the program displays the corresponding banner. This display of the banner occurs directly on the user computer and may occur before the user connects to the Internet or completes the telephone call.

[0011] The program preferably provides a dial connection button beside the banner to cause the user to automatically call the company associated with the banner, and a click-to-connect to allow the user to automatically access the company's website. Provide a button near the banner. When the user selects one of these buttons, the other way to connect to the sponsor company, at the very moment the user is considering a purchase, via the connection option selected to allow immediate contact with the sponsor company Connect users automatically. Alternatively, the host computer 12 first establishes a line through the host computer when the user attempts to access the sponsor company website or call the sponsor company, and then connects to the sponsor company. As such, the host computer may function as a proxy server. Thus, the tracking information can be automatically transmitted from the user computer 22 to the host computer every time the customer accesses the website of the sponsor company or calls the sponsor company from one of the user computers.

Each time the user contacts one of the sponsor companies via the dial connection button or the click connection button, the call management program causes the manager of the host computer 12 to charge for the commission of the sponsor company. It may maintain a customer database to track and record, or send information to a host computer each time a user contacts one of the sponsoring companies. This allows
The online connection to the sponsor and the order by telephone can be verified so that the administrator of the host computer can charge the sponsor company based on the number of times the customer contacts the sponsor company via the call management program. The program also tracks and records the exact identity of the user.

The information in the customer database can also provide managers with valuable marketing information. To this end, the program may monitor the type of site accessed, the number of telephone calls and the number of Internet connections to create a profile for individual users. Customer database information is
More specifically, as described below, it is periodically uploaded from the user computer 22 to the host computer 12 and distributed to the sponsor company. Or
The user computer 22 may automatically transmit such information directly to the host computer each time a customer accesses the sponsor company's website from one of the user computers or calls the sponsor company.

The call management program is provided with a time limit so that the sponsor can periodically update the banner, and the user needs to re-register with the program every predetermined period. The maintenance of the banner is performed on the host computer and can be downloaded to the user's computer by a keyword and a URL trigger as needed, but the program preferably expires in about one month.

The practice of the method of the present invention can be better understood with reference to the flow diagrams shown in FIGS. As shown in steps 200 and 202 of FIG. 2, the administrator of the host computer 12 contracts with a plurality of sponsoring companies who want to display banners and other advertisements on the user's computer. Then, as shown in step 204, the call manager and the banner are loaded on the host computer. The customer can then, as shown at 300 in FIG.
You are prompted to access host computer 12 and download the call management program. The program offers a number of free call options that customers have used for a fee (plus additional, better features), so many customers have access to the host computer, It is expected to receive a call management program.

Once the customer connects to the host computer 12, the computer displays an introductory message and guidance, as shown in steps 302 and 304, and prompts for registration information. The contract information that is required to be entered includes information used to approve the user's credit, a profile useful for the sponsor company, such as gender of the customer, marital status and income level, and other demographics.
) Information is also included. Upon contract, the customer is also required to agree to the sending of advertising from the sponsor company when using the call management program. Once the customer has contracted, step 3
As shown at 12 and 314, the call management software and sponsor banner are downloaded to the customer.

When the customer connects to the host site to re-register or re-download the computer program, the customer database described above is uploaded from the user's computer to the host computer, as shown in step 316. The host computer 12 then functions as a proxy server as described above, and each time the customer accesses the sponsor company's website or calls the sponsor company from one of the user's computers, the user's computer 22 Can automatically send the customer database directly to the host computer 12.
Finally, the customer sets up the call management program as shown in step 318, and a respective speed dial list, phone book, calendar, etc. is created.

FIG. 4 illustrates the first steps performed by the call management program when a customer utilizes their respective Internet browser and / or search engine. The program monitors the keywords and URL addresses entered by the customer at steps 500 and 502 and compares them to the keywords and URL addresses selected by the sponsor company. If a match is found, the program selects and displays the connection options and banner from either the local user's disk or a host server that matches the entered keyword and / or URL address. If the customer clicks on one of the connection options, the program connects the customer to the sponsor company, as shown in step 508. After the call and / or Internet connection is completed, steps 510 and 51
At 2, the connection information is captured and stored in the customer database, ie, such information is automatically transmitted to the host computer 12 as described above,
The customer is prompted to re-register for the software. Re-registration is performed automatically by the software of the method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows the first stage executed by the calendar function of the call management program. As shown in steps 600 and 602, the program automatically compares the date of the event recorded on the calendar with the time and date on the computer and displays a reminder of the event. The program also selects the banner associated with the event and displays the banner and connection options alongside the reminder. When the customer clicks on one of the connection options, the program connects the customer to the sponsor company, as shown in step 606. After the call and / or Internet connection is completed, steps 608 and 61
At 0, connection information is captured and stored in the customer database, ie, such information is automatically transmitted to the host computer 12 as described above,
The customer is prompted to re-register for the software. Re-registration is performed automatically by the software of the method of the present invention.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the present invention provides new marketing and advertising services to program sponsors. The display of the sponsor company banner during use of the telephone management program allows the sponsor company to more effectively sell its products and services to telephone and Internet users. Banners are triggered by specific customer actions and pop up at the very moment you accept a clue, making it easier to elicit a positive response. In addition, the banner can be displayed directly on the user computer 22 before the customer connects to the Internet or makes a call,
Separated from thousands of other banners and advertisements on the Internet.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
Care should be taken in view of not exceeding the scope of the invention as claimed.
Equivalents can be employed and substitutions can be made. For example, in the preferred embodiment, the banners and other advertisements provided by the sponsor company are downloaded to the user computer 22 along with the telephone management program, while the banners and advertisements are provided by graphic programs, news report services, etc. May be accompanied by other types of software programs and files to be downloaded. An important feature of banners and advertisements is that they "ride along" with some sort of program, data, or other information that a customer might want to download from host computer 12.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a typical computer and a telecommunications network which can be used in carrying out the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing the main steps for an administrator of a host computer to initially set up the method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing main steps for registering and setting up a call management program of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 5 of WO 99/55066, and is a flow chart showing main steps performed when a user accesses the Internet using the call management program of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 6 of WO 99/55066, and is a flowchart showing main steps of a calendar function of a call management program of the present invention.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (81) Designated country EP (AT, BE, CH, CY, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LU, MC, NL, PT, SE ), OA (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GW, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG), AP (GH, GM, KE, LS, MW, SD, SL, SZ, UG, ZW), EA (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, MD, RU, TJ, TM), AE, AL, AM, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BR , BY, CA, CH, CN, CU, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IS , JP, KE, KG, KP, KR, KZ, LC, LK, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, MD, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RU, SD, SE, SG, SI, SK, SL, TJ, TM, TR, TT, UA, UG, UZ, VN, YU, ZA, ZW

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A computer-readable recording medium containing a computer program for instructing a computer to perform an operation, said computer program comprising: means for receiving a large number of advertisements from a sponsor company (encoded part: co
de segment, order segment), an order segment to prompt the customer to enter a due date for the event, an order segment to select ads related to individual events, and prior to the date of the actual event, A computer-readable recording medium comprising: an instruction segment for displaying a reminder of an event due date on a computer; and an instruction segment for displaying, by a reminder of the event, an advertisement related to the event. 2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising: an instruction segment for periodically receiving the latest advertisement for a next display from a location remote from the computer. Computer readable recording media including. 3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the instruction segment for periodically receiving an up-to-date advertisement is provided to a customer for re-recording a computer program. A computer-readable storage medium comprising: an instruction segment for prompting access to a Web site; and an instruction segment for downloading the latest advertisement from an Internet website during re-recording. 4. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for instructing an operation on a computer which stores an Internet browser program and which can access an Internet search engine program, wherein the computer program comprises: A command segment for receiving a number of advertisements from the company; a command segment for selecting a keyword that the customer can enter into the search engine or a URL address that the customer can enter in the browser; and a customer that can enter the search engine. An instruction segment for selecting an advertisement associated with a keyword or URL address that a customer may enter into the browser; and a browser or monitor to monitor the entry of the selected keyword or URL address. A command segment to monitor the search engine and, if the customer enters any selected keyword or URL address, the advertisement associated with the entered keyword or URL address on the computer before the computer is connected to the Internet. A computer readable recording medium comprising: an instruction segment for displaying. 5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, further comprising an instruction segment for periodically receiving an updated advertisement for a next display from a location remote from the computer. Computer readable recording medium. 6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the instruction segment for periodically receiving an up-to-date advertisement is provided to a customer for re-recording a computer program. A computer-readable storage medium comprising: an instruction segment for prompting access to a Web site; and an instruction segment for downloading the latest advertisement from an Internet website during re-recording.