Promotion infrastructure having user selection based targeted promotions

Abstract

An online sales/automatic rebate and coupon redemption system provides online customers automatic retrieval and redemption of all applicable rebates and coupons during purchase. Purchase orders from customers are selectively fulfilled and products are shipped to the customers either by the system for online sales with automatic rebate and coupon redemption or by other merchant or manufacturer environments. The system purchases from merchants using applicable coupons and rebates and then sells the products to the customers, passing the savings to them. The system makes it possible to automatically retrieve coupons and rebates for items in a shopping cart during the activity of an online purchase at an electronic mall or an online merchant site. The system provides coupons to potential customers via email, based on customer profile, geographical information, etc. Manufacturers and merchants can update coupon value and content based on ongoing sales and volume of customer activity.

1 . An infrastructure that supports electronic searching by a plurality of users for information via a communication network, the infrastructure comprising:
 a server system that receives, via a user interface and the communication network, input from a given user of the plurality of users, the input comprising a selection of an item being displayed on a computing device of the given user;   said server system identifies an advertisement related to the selected item; and   said server system delivers via the communication network, for display on the computing device of the given user, the advertisement.   
     
     
         2 . The infrastructure of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         3 . The infrastructure of  claim 2 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         4 . The infrastructure of  claim 1 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         5 . The infrastructure of  claim 1 , wherein the input from the user is used to update a user profile for the given user. 
     
     
         6 . The infrastructure of  claim 1 , wherein the input from the user is used to create a history of interaction by the given user with or via the server system. 
     
     
         7 . The infrastructure of  claim 6 , wherein the history of interaction comprises a transaction history. 
     
     
         8 . The infrastructure of  claim 6 , wherein the history of interaction comprises buying habits of the given user. 
     
     
         9 . The infrastructure of  claim 1 , wherein the selected item comprises a good and/or service. 
     
     
         10 . The infrastructure of  claim 9 , wherein the advertisement is related to the good and/or service. 
     
     
         11 . A method for use in an infrastructure that supports electronic searching by a plurality of users for information via a communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a user interface and the communication network, input from a given user of the plurality of users, the input comprising a selection of an item being displayed on a computing device of the given user;   identifying an advertisement related to the selected item; and   delivering via the communication network, for display on the computing device of the given user, the advertisement.   
     
     
         12 . The method  claim 11 , wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising utilizing the input to update a user profile of the given user. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising utilizing the input to create a history of interaction by the given user with or via the system. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the history of interaction comprises a transaction history. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the history of interaction comprises buying habits of the given user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the selected item comprises a good and/or a service. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the advertisement is related to the good and/or service. 
     
     
         21 . An infrastructure that supports electronic searching by a plurality of users for information via a communication network, the infrastructure comprising:
 a web server system comprising:   a search engine that enables electronic searching; and   a user interface comprising one or more web pages;   said system receives, via the user interface and the communication network, input from a given user of the plurality of users, the input comprising a selection of an item being displayed on a computing device of the given user;   said system identifies an advertisement related to the selected item; and   said system delivers via the communication network, for display on the given user's computing device, the advertisement.   
     
     
         22 . The infrastructure of  claim 21 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         23 . The infrastructure of  claim 21 , wherein the input from the user is used to update a user profile for the given user. 
     
     
         24 . The infrastructure of  claim 21 , wherein the input from the user is used to create a history of interaction by the given user with or via the web server system. 
     
     
         25 . The infrastructure of  claim 24 , wherein the history of interaction comprises a transaction history. 
     
     
         26 . The infrastructure of  claim 24 , wherein the history of interaction comprises buying habits of the given user. 
     
     
         27 . The infrastructure of  claim 21 , wherein selected item comprises a good and/or service. 
     
     
         28 . The infrastructure of  claim 27 , wherein the advertisement is related to the good and/or service. 
     
     
         29 . An infrastructure that supports electronic searching by a plurality of users for information via a communication network, the infrastructure comprising:
 a server system that receives, via the user interface and the communication network, input from a given user of the plurality of users, the input comprising a search request;   said server system identifies search results responsive to the search request;   said server system identifies an advertisement related to at least a portion of the search results;   said server system delivers via the communication network, for display on a computing device of the given user, the search results responsive to the search request; and   said server system delivers via the communication network, for display on the computing device of the given user, the advertisement.   
     
     
         30 . The infrastructure of  claim 29 , wherein the search results are obtained from a first database, and the advertisement is obtained from a second database. 
     
     
         31 . The infrastructure of  claim 30 , wherein the advertisement is associated with the at least a portion of the search results in the second database. 
     
     
         32 . The infrastructure of  claim 29 , wherein the advertisement is associated with the at least a portion of the search results in a database. 
     
     
         33 . The infrastructure of  claim 29 , wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         34 . The infrastructure of  claim 33 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         35 . The infrastructure of  claim 29 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         36 . The infrastructure of  claim 29 , wherein the at least a portion of the search results comprises an identification of one or more goods and/or services. 
     
     
         37 . The infrastructure of  claim 36 , wherein the advertisement is related to a given good and/or service. 
     
     
         38 . A method for use in an infrastructure that supports electronic searching by a plurality of users for information via a communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a user interface and the communication network, input from a given user of the plurality of users, the input comprising a search request;   identifying search results responsive to the search request;   identifying an advertisement related to at least a portion of the search results;   delivering via the communication network, for display on the given user's computing device, the search results responsive to the search request; and   delivering via the communication network, for display on the given user's computing device, the advertisement.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , comprising obtaining the search results from a first database, and obtaining the advertisement from a second database. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the advertisement is associated with the at least a portion of the search results in the second database. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the advertisement is associated with the at least a portion of the search results in a database. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the user interface comprises an electronic communication. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more web pages. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the at least a portion of the search results comprises an identification of one or more goods and/or services. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the advertisement is related to a given good and/or service. 
     
     
         47 . An infrastructure that supports electronic searching by a plurality of users for information via a communication network, the infrastructure comprising:
 a web server system comprising:   a search engine that enables electronic searching; and   a user interface comprising one or more web pages;   said system receives, via the user interface and the communication network, input from a given user of the plurality of users, the input comprising a search request;   said system identifies search results responsive to the search request;   said system identifies an advertisement related to at least a portion of the search results;   said system delivers via the communication network, for display on a computing device the given user, the search results responsive to the search request; and   said system delivers via the communication network, for display on the given user's computing device, the advertisement.   
     
     
         48 . The infrastructure of  claim 47 , wherein the search results are obtained from a first database, and the advertisement is obtained from a second database. 
     
     
         49 . The infrastructure of  claim 48 , wherein the advertisement is associated with the at least a portion of the search results in the second database. 
     
     
         50 . The infrastructure of  claim 47 , wherein the advertisement is associated with the at least a portion of the search results in a database. 
     
     
         51 . The infrastructure of  claim 47 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         52 . The infrastructure of  claim 47 , wherein the at least a portion of the search results comprises an identification of one or more goods and/or services. 
     
     
         53 . The infrastructure of  claim 52 , wherein the advertisement is related to a given good and/or service. 
     
     
         54 . A server infrastructure that supports a plurality of client devices via a communication network, the server infrastructure comprising:
 a search system that supports electronic searching of a first database to identify search results data, the searching being based at least in part on a first search term received from a first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network;   the search system also performing an electronic search of a second database to identify advertising data, the search being based at least in part on an input received from the first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network, the input comprising a selection of an item being displayed on the first device of the plurality of client devices; and   a user interfacing system, coupled via the communication network to the plurality of client devices, that delivers both the search results data and the advertising data to the first device of the plurality of client devices.   
     
     
         55 . The infrastructure of  claim 54 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         56 . A server infrastructure that supports a plurality of client devices via a communication network, the server infrastructure comprising:
 a search system that that supports electronic searching of a first database to identify search results data, the searching being based at least in part on a first search term received from a first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network,   the search system also performing an electronic search of a second database to identify advertising data, the second electronic search being related at least in part to the search results data; and   a user interfacing system, coupled via the communication network to the plurality of client devices, that delivers both the search results data and the advertising data to the first device of the plurality of client devices.   
     
     
         57 . The infrastructure of  claim 56 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         58 . A server infrastructure that supports a plurality of client devices via a communication network, the server infrastructure comprising:
 a search system that performs a first electronic search to identify search results data, the first electronic search being based at least in part on a first search term received from a first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network,   the search system also performing a second electronic search to identify advertising data, the second electronic search being based at least in part on an input received from the first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network, the input comprising a selection of an item being displayed on the first device of the plurality of client devices; and   a user interfacing system, coupled via the communication network to the plurality of client devices, that delivers both the search results data and the advertising data to the first device of the plurality of client devices.   
     
     
         59 . The infrastructure of  claim 58 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         60 . A server infrastructure that supports a plurality of client devices via a communication network, the server infrastructure comprising:
 a search system that supports electronic searching of a first database to identify search results data, the searching being based at least in part on a first search term received from a first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network;   the search system also performing an electronic search of a second database to identify advertising data, the second electronic search being related at least in part to the search results data; and   a user interfacing system, coupled via the communication network to the plurality of client devices, that delivers both the search results data and the advertising data to the first device of the plurality of client devices.   
     
     
         61 . The infrastructure of  claim 60 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         62 . A server infrastructure that supports a plurality of client devices and a plurality of promoter systems both via a communication network, the server infrastructure comprising:
 a search system that performs a first electronic search to identify search results data, the first electronic search being based at least in part on a first search term received from a first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network;   a promoter interfacing system that collects advertising information from the plurality of promoter systems via the communication network;   the search system also performs a second electronic search of the collected advertising information to identify advertising data, the second electronic search being based at least in part on an input received from the first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network, the input comprising a selection of an item being displayed on the first device of the plurality of client devices; and   a user interfacing system, coupled via the communication network to the plurality of client devices, that delivers both the search results data and the advertising data to the first device of the plurality of client devices.   
     
     
         63 . The infrastructure of  claim 62 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         64 . A server infrastructure that supports a plurality of client devices and a plurality of promoter systems both via a communication network, the server infrastructure comprising:
 a search system that performs a first electronic search to identify search results data, the first electronic search being based at least in part on a first search term received from a first device of the plurality of client devices via the communication network;   a promoter interfacing system that collects advertising information from the plurality of promoter systems via the communication network;   the search system also performs a second electronic search of the collected advertising information to identify advertising data, the second electronic search being based at least in part on the search results data; and   a user interfacing system, coupled via the communication network to the plurality of client devices, that delivers both the search results data and the advertising data to the first device of the plurality of client devices.   
     
     
         65 . The infrastructure of  claim 64 , wherein the communication network comprises the Internet. 
     
     
         66 . A server infrastructure that supports a plurality of client devices and a plurality of promoters via a plurality of promoter systems, the server infrastructure comprising:
 a search system that performs a first electronic search of information to identify search results data, the first electronic search being based at least in part on a first search term received from a first device of the plurality of client devices;   a promoter interfacing system that collects advertising information from the plurality of promoters via the plurality of promoter systems, a first portion of the advertising information being collected from a first of the plurality of promoters, the first portion of the advertising information including first advertising data and first link data;   the search system performs a second electronic search of the collected advertising information using at least a portion of the search results to identify the first portion of the advertising information; and   a user interfacing system that delivers the search results data, the first advertising data and the first link data to the first device of the plurality of client devices, the first advertising data being used in constructing a visual advertisement on the first device and the first link data being used to support a vector link to a first web page.   
     
     
         67 . The infrastructure of  claim 66 , wherein at least a portion of the first electronic search and/or of the second electronic search is performed via the Internet. 
     
     
         68 . The infrastructure of  claim 66 , wherein the visual advertisement comprises a banner ad.