U.S. patent application number 12/078115 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-31 for advertising method using internet e-mail and chatting window.
Invention is credited to Jin-Yong Joo, Yang-Ho Kim.
Application Number | 20080183587 12/078115 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19578248 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080183587 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Joo; Jin-Yong ; et
al. |
July 31, 2008 |
Advertising method using internet e-mail and chatting window
Abstract
The present invention is related to an advertising method using
internet e-mail and chatting window which involves an advertisement
in e-mail or chatting window, and compensates the person for seeing
the advertisement.
Inventors: |
Joo; Jin-Yong; (Kyonggi-do,
KR) ; Kim; Yang-Ho; (Kyongg-do, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LOWE HAUPTMAN HAM & BERNER, LLP
1700 DIAGONAL ROAD, SUITE 300
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22314
US
|
Family ID: |
19578248 |
Appl. No.: |
12/078115 |
Filed: |
March 27, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09763141 |
Jan 17, 2002 |
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PCT/KR00/00280 |
Mar 29, 2000 |
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12078115 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/14.69 ;
705/14.73 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0277 20130101;
G06Q 30/02 20130101; G06Q 30/0273 20130101; G06Q 30/0257
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/14 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/00 20060101
G06Q030/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 30, 1999 |
KR |
1999/0011056 |
Claims
1-10. (canceled)
11. An advertising method using Internet chatting service, wherein
a company advertisement and/or company banner advertisement is
inserted in the ground or a specific portion of a chatting window,
other than an input window through which conversations are carried
out and which is located in the chatting window, and a
predetermined charge is paid to a chatting service user when he/she
sees the advertisement, the chatting window being displayed as the
initial screen of each chatting participant.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an advertising method using
Internet electronic mail (e-mail) and chatting services and, in
more particular, to an advertising method using Internet e-mail and
chatting services, which pays a predetermined charge for viewing
advertisements to users when they are provided with Internet e-mail
service transmitting e-mails including the advertisements provided
by advertisers, to thereby invite and display advertisements.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] In popularization of the Internet, the amount of
advertisements using Internet home pages rapidly increases and
markets are being extended. This advertising method using the
Internet home pages is to pay a predetermined charge for viewing
advertisements to users who sign in specific Internet services
whenever advertisements are clicked when the users access the home
pages of the Internet services and view the advertisements
displayed thereon. This method provides the users with a part of
advertising rates paid by their advertisers to secure lots of users
who have signed in the services. Additionally, there are extending
Internet services which provide free home pages to the users and
allow them to use free e-mail accounts on the condition that the
users sign in the Internet services and view advertisements
displayed on the home pages. This rapidly raises the amount of
usage of e-mail.
[0005] However, the Internet services described as above provide
free services like e-mail services to the users and pay a
predetermined charge for clicking the advertisements to them in
case where the users view the advertisements displayed on the home
pages. Further, the e-mail is used as a means for directly
advertising specific products or services when it is employed for
advertisements. This causes a flood of spam mails which are
delivered to users who do not want them. This problem limits e-mail
service and does not allow the e-mail, which has a potential of
replacing facsimile service or postal service, to be effective used
as an advertising medium.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an
advertising method using Internet e-mail service, which pays a
predetermined charge to users for viewing advertisements when the
users who have signed in the service are provided with the Internet
e-mail service transmitting e-mails including advertisements
provided by advertisers, to thereby invite and display
advertisements.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
advertising method using Internet e-mail service, which transmits
advertisements included in e-mails to users who want to see them to
prevent a flood of spam mails and develop a healthy e-mail
culture.
[0008] A still another object of the present invention is to
provide an advertising method using Internet chatting service,
which pays a predetermined charge for viewing specific
advertisements or banners to users when they use the chatting
service.
[0009] To accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is
provided an advertising method using Internet e-mail service
constructed in such a manner that an advertisement of a specific
advertiser is displayed on the ground of the main screen of the
Internet e-mail service transmitted from an e-mail server or a part
thereof, and a transmitting part of the Internet e-mail having the
advertisement displayed on the main screen thereof sends the e-mail
to a receiving part. Upon confirmation of reception of the e-mail,
a predetermined charge is paid to the transmitting part and
receiving part. The advertisement displayed on the e-mail screen is
selectively activated to allow the users (transmitting part and
receiving part) to view it only when they want to see it and the
predetermined charge is paid to them only when they see the
advertisement. A variety of advertisements may be displayed on the
e-mail screen to allow the transmitting part to be able to
select.
[0010] In addition, the advertising method using Internet chatting
service is constructed in such a manner that company advertisements
and/or company banner advertisements are inserted in the ground or
a specific portion of the chatting window displayed as the initial
screen of each chatting participant, other than the input window
through which conversations are carried out, and when the
participants view the advertisements during chatting a
predetermined charge is paid to them.
[0011] To accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is
provided an advertising method using Internet e-mail system having
a transmitting part's client PC for a transmitting part to transmit
e-mails, a receiving part's client PC for a receiving part to
receive the e-mails, an e-mail server and an Internet network for
connecting the transmitting part's client PC, the receiving part's
client PC and the e-mail server with one another, the method
comprising the steps of: the transmitting part sending an e-mail
including an advertisement from the transmitting part's client PC
to the receiving part's client PC, the advertisement being
converted from an inactivated state to an activated state to be
included in the e-mail; delivering information on the transmission
of the e-mail from the transmitting part's client PC to the e-mail
server, to record it therein; the receiving part receiving the
e-mail including the advertisement using the receiving part's
client PC; the receiving part selectively activating the
advertisement included in the e-mail to see it; transmitting
information on viewing of the advertisement from the receiving
part's client PC to the e-mail server, to record it therein; and
the e-mail server compensating the transmitting and receiving parts
for viewing the advertisement on the basis of the information on
the transmission of the e-mail and the information on viewing of
the advertisement.
[0012] According to another aspect of the present invention, there
is provided an advertising method using Internet e-mail system
having a transmitting part's client PC for a transmitting part to
transmit e-mails, a receiving part's client PC for a the receiving
part to receive the e-mails, an e-mail server and an Internet
network for connecting the transmitting part's client PC, the
receiving part's client PC and the e-mail server with one another,
the method comprising the steps of: the transmitting part sending
an e-mail including an advertisement from the transmitting part's
client PC to the receiving part's client PC, the advertisement
being inserted in the ground of the e-mail main screen or a part of
it; delivering information on the transmission of the e-mail from
the transmitting part's client PC to the e-mail server, to record
it therein; the receiving part receiving the e-mail including the
advertisement using the receiving part's client PC; transmitting
information on the reception of the e-mail from the receiving
part's client PC to the e-mail server, to record it therein; and
the e-mail server compensating the transmitting and receiving parts
on the basis of the information on the transmission of the e-mail
and the information on the reception of the e-mail.
[0013] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an advertising method using Internet e-mail
system having a transmitting part's client PC for a transmitting
part to transmit e-mails, a receiving part's client PC for a
receiving part to receive the e-mails, an e-mail server and an
Internet network for connecting the transmitting part's client PC,
the receiving part's client PC and the e-mail server with one
another, the method comprising the steps of: the transmitting part
downloading an e-mail including an advertisement from the e-mail
server and adding messages he/she wants to send thereto; the
transmitting part sending the e-mail including the advertisement
from the transmitting part's client PC to the e-mail server, the
advertisement being converted from an activated state to an
inactivated state to be included in the e-mail; the e-mail server
transmitting the e-mail to the receiving part's client PC, and
storing information on the transmission of the e-mail therein; the
receiving part receiving the e-mail including the advertisement
using the receiving part's client PC; the receiving part
selectively activating the advertisement included in the e-mail to
view it; transmitting information on viewing of the advertisement
from the receiving part's client PC to the e-mail server, to record
it therein; and the e-mail server compensating the transmitting and
receiving parts for viewing the advertisement on the basis of the
information on the transmission of the e-mail and the information
on viewing of the advertisement.
[0014] According to yet another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an advertising method using Internet e-mail
system having a transmitting part's client PC for a transmitting
part to transmit e-mails, a receiving part's client PC for a
receiving part to receive the e-mails, an e-mail server and an
Internet network for connecting the transmitting part's client PC,
the receiving part's client PC and the e-mail server with one
another, the method comprising the steps of: the transmitting part
downloading an e-mail including an advertisement from the e-mail
server and adding messages he/she wants to send thereto; the
transmitting part sending the e-mail including the advertisement
from the transmitting part's client PC to the e-mail server, the
advertisement being inserted in the ground of the e-mail main
screen; the e-mail server transmitting the e-mail to the receiving
part's client PC, and storing information on the transmission of
the e-mail therein; the receiving part receiving the e-mail
including the advertisement using the receiving part's client PC;
transmitting information on the reception of the e-mail from the
receiving part's client PC to the e-mail server, to record it
therein; and the e-mail server compensating the transmitting and
receiving parts on the basis of the information on the transmission
of the e-mail and the information on the reception of the
e-mail.
[0015] The kind, contents and form of the advertisement are chosen
by the transmitting part. The advertisement includes one or more of
a lottery ticket, a gift certificate and a free gift.
[0016] Each of the advertising methods further comprises the step
of, when the e-mail is confirmed to be a spam mail, depriving the
transmitting part sending the spam mail of his/her membership or
paying no compensation money to him/her, the compensation money
being for compensating the transmitting part for viewing the
advertisement, and being saved up previously.
[0017] The advertising method may further comprises the step of the
transmitting part downloading an e-mail including an advertisement
from the e-mail server and adding message he/she wants to send
thereto, before the step of sending the e-mail including the
advertisement.
[0018] The information on the transmission of the e-mail is
automatically transmitted from the transmitting part's client PC to
the e-mail server, and the information on viewing of the
advertisement is automatically transmitted from the receiving
part's client PC to the e-mail server.
[0019] The information on the transmission of the e-mail is
automatically transmitted from the transmitting part's client PC to
the e-mail server, and the information on the reception of the
e-mail is automatically transmitted from the receiving part's
client PC to the e-mail server.
[0020] To accomplish the objects of the present invention, there is
also provided an advertising method using Internet chatting
service, wherein a company advertisement and/or company banner
advertisement is inserted in the ground or a specific portion of a
chatting window, other than an input window through which
conversations are carried out, and a predetermined charge is paid
to a chatting service user when he/she sees the advertisement, the
chatting window being displayed as the initial screen of each
chatting participant.
[0021] According to the present invention, as described above, when
advertisements supplied by their advertisers are included in the
e-mail to be transmitted while the Internet e-mail service is
provided to the users who have signed in the service or those who
want to sign in the service, a predetermined amount of charge is
paid to them, to invite advertisements. Further, the advertisements
are also displayed on the chatting window in the Internet chatting
service to attain the same effect. Moreover, advertisements
included in the e-mail are viewed to only those who want to see
them, to prevent a flood of spam mails and develop a healthy e-mail
culture. Additionally, a variety of events are performed to promote
advertisements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 roughly shows a method of transmitting/receiving
e-mails between users who have signed in Internet e-mail
service;
[0023] FIG. 2 roughly shows a method of transmitting/receiving
e-mails between users who have not signed in Internet e-mail
service yet;
[0024] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an e-mail window including an
advertisement;
[0025] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of an e-mail window including no
advertisement; and
[0026] FIG. 5 roughly shows an example of an advertising window for
displaying advertising contents.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is described
in detail in the following with reference to the drawings.
[0028] The present invention provides an advertising method using
Internet e-mail service to pay a predetermined amount of charge to
both of transmitting and receiving parts when the transmitting part
sends an e-mail including advertisements to the receiving part, to
thereby improve advertising effect and prevent an unnecessary flood
of spam mails.
[0029] In the advertising method of the present invention, in case
where a user who has signed in Internet e-mail service and given an
e-mail account sends an e-mail, for example, an advertisement of a
specific advertiser is displayed on a part of the Internet e-mail
screen transmitted from an e-mail server and, when the user sends
as the transmitting part the e-mail containing the advertisement
displayed on the screen thereof to a receiving part who also has
signed in the e-mail service, a predetermined charge is paid to the
transmitting and receiving parts.
[0030] In addition, in case of sending an e-mail message by a user
who has not signed in the e-mail service, when he/she accesses the
e-mail server to select the Internet e-mail having a specific
advertisement displayed on the screen thereof and sends the e-mail
to a receiving part through the e-mail server, a predetermined
charge is paid to the transmitting and receiving parts (only if
they are subscribers who have signed in the service). Moreover, the
advertisement included in the e-mail is selectively activated to
allow the users to view it when they want to see it and the
predetermined charge is paid them only when they view the
advertisement.
[0031] The e-mail service may be used employing a dedicated program
produced by the e-mail service company or e-mail
transmission/reception functions of an Internet browser such as
Netscape or Internet explorer, currently widely being used.
[0032] FIG. 1 shows a method of transmitting/receiving e-mails
between users who have signed in the Internet e-mail service, and
FIG. 2 shows a method of transmitting/receiving e-mails between
users who have not signed in the service. A transmitting part 10
who has signed in the service accesses the Internet using his/her
Internet service provider (ISP) to receive an e-mail page from
e-mail server 30. This e-mail page include one or more
advertisements of specific advertisers and the transmitting part 10
adds messages he/she wants to send thereto. Each e-mail page
contains one or more advertising contents and the transmitting part
10 can download an e-mail page including an advertisement he/she
wants to see and adds messages thereto.
[0033] The e-mails used in the present invention can include a
variety of advertising contents. For example, the e-mails are
classified as A, B, C, D, E, F, . . . , which are selectable,
e-mail A displaying an advertisement of a company A, e-mail B
displaying an advertisement of a company B and e-mail C displaying
an advertisement of a company C and so on, and the transmitting
part selects his/her preferred e-mail among them to thereby choose
an advertisement of a specific company. This may be stored as a
database for a company that netizens prefer, to be used for a sales
strategy.
[0034] When the user downloads one of e-mails A, B, C, D and E
including the advertisement of a specific company, the e-mail
service company records the downloaded state. Then, whenever the
user sends an e-mail as the transmitting part 10, this transmission
status is automatically recorded in the e-mail service company. The
e-mail service company confirms the transmission state of the
e-mail including a specific advertisement on the basis of the
record, and then confirms the transmission record of the e-mail
including the advertisement once in a month or week. Subsequently,
the e-mail service company pays a predetermined charge (for viewing
the advertisement) on the account of the transmitting part 10.
[0035] The receiving part 20 who has received the e-mail including
the advertisement views the contents of the advertisement while
confirming the e-mail message. Here, when the receiving part 20
sees the advertisement, this is transmitted to the e-mail service
company through the Internet to be recorded therein. This can be
accomplished using functions of the browser or functions of e-mail
service program. The e-mail service company confirms reception
state of the e-mail including the specific advertisement on the
basis of the record thereof, and then confirms the transmission
record of the e-mail including the advertisement once in a month or
week. Subsequently, the e-mail service company pays the
predetermined charge (for viewing the advertisement) on the account
of the receiving part 20. The advertising rate is paid by its
advertiser.
[0036] FIG. 2 shows the advertising method of the present invention
in case of a user who has no address of the e-mail service company.
In this case, the transmitting part 10 should sign in the e-mail
service for receiving the charge for viewing advertisements and be
in state of connecting to the e-mail server 30 for accurate
statistics. In this state, the transmitting part 10 downloads the
e-mail page including advertisements from the e-mail server and
adds necessary contents thereto to send it through the e-mail
server 30. Here, the e-mail can be transmitted with the address of
the e-mail server 30 as the transmitting part's address and the
Internet e-mail address of a receiving part (actual recipient), for
example. Otherwise, a program is constructed to automatically
record the e-mail address of the e-mail server in an advertising
e-mail form to allow the e-mail with the advertisements to be able
to be automatically transmitted to the receiving part. While both
the transmitting and receiving parts 10 and 20 receive the charge
for viewing advertisements when they have signed in the e-mail
service, only the transmitting part 10 receives it when they have
not.
[0037] The e-mail is first sent to the e-mail server where the
transmitting part's address is deleted, and then transmitted to the
Internet address of the recipient. In this case, there is no need
to pay the charge for viewing advertisements to the receiving part
20. It is required for the receiving part to sign in the e-mail
service for receiving the charge. Furthermore, by way of precaution
against a case that the transmitting part sends an e-mail to
unknown users for the purpose of acquiring the advertising charge,
a spam mail confirmation section is placed, the service company
records, when the receiving part clicks the spam mail confirmation
section, this and deprives the corresponding transmitting part of
his/her membership or does not pay the advertising charge to
him/her.
[0038] FIGS. 3 and 4 show examples of e-mails used in the
advertising method of the present invention, FIG. 3 illustrating
that an advertisement is inserted in the lower part of e-mail mail
screen, to be activated and FIG. 4 illustrating that the e-mail is
in inactivated state. Here, Netscape's navigator is used as a
browser 40 for reading e-mail messages. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4,
upon selection of a received mail a user wants to read from a
received mail list window 42 displaying multiple received mail
lists, the contents of the selected mail are displayed in an e-mail
text box 46 located under the received mail list window 42. The
displayed contents include the transmitting part's address, title,
receiving part's address, and the text of the mail. In addition, an
advertising window 50 on which a specific advertisement is
displayed is inserted in a predetermined portion of the screen. An
advertisement selected from a variety of advertisements by the
transmitting part 10 is displayed on the advertising window 50.
[0039] By way of precaution against a case where the users do not
want to see the advertisement or the transmitting part wants to
inactivate it by courtesy, an advertisement menu selection button
may be set at one side of the advertising window 50.
[0040] FIG. 4 shows the inactivated state of the advertising
window. In this case, advertising window 50 is not displayed. When
the transmitting part 10 sends an e-mail while pushing the
advertisement menu selection button 48 to inactivate the
advertising window 50, the receiving part 20 may push the
advertisement menu selection button 48 to see the advertisement or
ignore it after reception of the e-mail.
[0041] It is obvious to those related with the art that
advertisements may be textual or may be realized in various forms
using multimedia employing a program such as java. For example, the
advertisement may display only the logo of a corresponding
advertiser or be configured in such a manner that, when the logo is
clicked while being displayed, advertising text other than
questionnaires or the company logo can be seen. In FIG. 3, though
only one advertising window 50 is displayed, more than one
advertisement can be inserted in a single e-mail to be displayed.
Here, the advertisements may be provided by the same company or
different companies. This is especially effective when advertising
rates are required to decrease.
[0042] Moreover, a maxim or news may be inserted in a part of the
advertising window 50, as shown in FIG. 5, to improve applications
of advertisement and provide information useful for living,
increasing probability of viewing advertisements. Additionally, to
increase the rate of viewing advertisements of recipients, for
example, an event may be employed that a lottery ticket is provided
in the advertisements to offer a premium such as prize or
goods.
[0043] The advertising method according to the present invention
can be applied to chatting service. Specifically, in free chatting
service provided to users, which is one of the most frequently used
services, an advertisement is inserted in the ground of the
chatting window or a part thereof and users are under an obligation
to see it. Otherwise, the advertisement is activated to be
displayed when it is clicked, clicking state is recorded, and then
the record is counted once in a month or week to pay a
predetermined charge to the users. The payment of the charge is
performed free or in membership system, which is the same as the
advertising method using the e-mail.
[0044] While the invention has been described in terms of several
preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that
the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit
and scope of the appended claims.
* * * * *