Marketing data delivery system

Abstract

In an Internet-based client/server application, a system is provided which detects demographics of a client including CPU power, hard disk space, applications installed, network connectivity and log-in history so as to provide this infrastructure related information detailing client usage of the Internet to the service provider. In one embodiment, each user is provided with software having a unique serial number. Having the serial number, infrastructure data is checked at the client side and reported to the server periodically, with the server updating a database with the infrastructure data from each PC. In one embodiment, the database is filtered by factors such as location of the client and an indication of which providers delivered software to a client. After filtering, the service provider can obtain various demographics such as the demography of hard disk space, CPU power and viewers. In one embodiment, the demographics are used at the server to automatically select the contents to be transmitted to the particular client. Thus the provider can send the most appropriate contents to the most appropriate client based on demographic information of the client's infrastructure.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . In a client/server system connected by a network in which information is transmitted by a service provider over a server, 
 means at said client including a computer for running client software;    client software provided by said service provider to said client to be run on the associated computer for ascertaining demographic information related to said client and for periodic transmission thereof back to said server;    means at said client for periodically transmitting said demographic information to said server; and,    means at said server for creating a database of information transmitted from said client, for filtering the data in said database as to demographic parameters and for displaying the resultant information.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer has a CPU and wherein said demographic information includes the power of the CPU at said client.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer has a hand disk and wherein said demographic information includes the hard disk space available at said computer.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer has applications installed therein and wherein said demographic information includes the identity of the applications installed in said computer.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer includes a modem having a predetermined bandwidth connected thereto and wherein said demographic information includes the speed of said modem.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said computer bar means for keeping track of login history and wherein said demographic information includes the log-in history of said computer.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said client software has a unique serial number associated therewith and wherein said means for periodically transmitting said demographic information includes means for transmitting said serial number.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein said means at said server for creating said database includes means for assuring the anonymity of said client regardless of the transmission of said serial number.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  and further including means at said server for automatically selecting to which client contents are to be transmitted.  
     
     
         10 . The system o f  claim 9  wherein said means for automatically selecting to which client client's are to be transmitted includes means coupled to said database for ascertaining the ability of a client to receive said contents and for transmitting said contents only to those clients having appropriate ability.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein said server has multiple versions of contents to be transmitted to clients and wherein said means for automatically selecting to which client contents are to be transmitted selects a version to be transmitted to a client based on the ability of said client to receive said version.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein that version selected is the most complex possible for receipt by said client.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9  wherein said means for automatically selecting to which client contents are to be transmitted includes means for ascertaining if a client is a member of a predetermined service provider and transmitting said contents only to said members.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  and further including means at said server for controlling when said client transmits said demographic information to said server.