Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02305048 2001-07-13
INFORMATION DELIVERY SYSTEM
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic data exchange system. In
particular, the
present invention relates to a system for transmitting electronic information
to a network
client in accordance with a user-profile associated with the client.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many commercial enterprises rely on advertising to promote the sale of their
goods and/or
services. Due to the exponential growth of the Internet and the availability
of relatively
inexpensive computer equipment for interfacing with the Internet, many
commercial
enterprises have directed their .advertising resources to Internet-based
advertising as a cost
effective means for reaching customers. Consequently, many commercial web
sites and the
web sites of several Internet search engines presently display banner
advertisements for
viewing by Internet subscribers. However, as the web site owner is generally
not provided
with any information pertaining to the viewing subscriber, conventional
Internet-based
banner advertising is not entirely effective at stimulating sales.
Attempts have been made to tailor network-based advertising in accordance with
the
characteristics of the network subscriber. For instance, Caries (US 5,515,098)
teaches a
message distribution system for selectively broadcasting commercial
advertisements to
subscribers over a cable television network. The distribution system comprises
a household
profile database which includes demographic data for subscribing households, a
routing
database which includes network routing information for each subscribing
household, and
a network server in communication with the profile database and the routing
database which
automatically transmits commf~rcial messages to the subscribing households in
accordance
with the associated demographic data.
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Dedrick (US 5,717,923) teaches client system for dynamically customizing
electronic
information to end users. The client system is typically associated with a
plurality of end
users and comprises a profile database for storing consumer information
associated with each
end user, and a content adapter for receiving electronic information, for
customizing the
received information in accord<~nce with the consumer information, and for
automatically
transmitting the customized information to the end users. The client system
also includes
a client activity monitor for updating the consumer information in accordance
with each end
user's response to the customized information.
Payne (US 5,715,314) teaches a network sales system for facilitating
electronic sales to
network subscribers. The sales system comprises a buyer computer for
initiating a purchase
request, a merchant computer for receiving and satisfying the purchase
request, and a
payment computer for obtaining; payment for the purchase. The merchant
computer includes
an advertising document database of digital advertisements, each having an
advertising
document URI,. To initiate a transaction, the buyer computer transmits a
desired advertising
document URI~ to the merchant computer, and the merchant computer responds
with the
requested digital advertisement from the document database. The user then
selects a product
to purchase from the transmitted digital advertisement, and transmits to the
payment
computer a payment URL corresponding to the selected product. After the
payment
computer verifies that the user is authorized to proceed with the transaction,
the payment
computer transmits to the merchant computer an access message identifying the
selected
product. The merchant computer then causes the selected product to be
delivered to the user.
Although each of the foregoing references address the need to tailor network-
based
advertising in accordance with the characteristics of the network subscriber,
both Caries and
Dedrick are limited in their value to advertisers since they transmit the user-
targeted
information without consideration to the dynamically-changing interests of the
end user.
Although Payne is advantageous in that it transmits the user-targeted
information only after
receipt of a request from the end user, Payne is also limited in value to
advertisers since it
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does not provide advertisers wish the opportunity to provide the end user with
information
other than that specifically requested. Accordingly, there remains a need for
an electronic
information delivery system which provides end users with information tailored
to the
recipient's present interests, while also promoting interest in future sales.
SUMMARY C>F THE 1NVENT10N
According to the present invention there is provided an electronic information
delivery
system and method which addresses deficiencies of the prior art.
The electronic information delivery system, according to a first aspect of the
present
invention, delivers electronic information to network users in accordance with
each user's
profile. The information deliivery system includes a network server for
engaging in
transactions with the network users, a client server for initiating a
transaction between one
of the network users and the network server, and a transaction server in
communication with
the network server for facilitating completion of the requested transaction.
The network
server includes a transaction request processor for receiving a transaction
request over a
network. The client server includes a transaction agent for providing the
transaction request
processor with the transaction request for requesting the transaction. The
transaction server
includes a profile database having profile data records associated with the
network users, and
an information transmitter for providing the client server with electronic
information over
the network. The information transmitter is in communication with the profile
database for
providing the electronic information in accordance with the profile data
record associated
with the one network user.
The electronic information delivery method, according to a second aspect of
the present
invention, comprises the steps of ( 1 ) maintaining an encryption database of
encryption
records, each said encryption record identifying a decryption key uniquely
associated with
a respective one of the network users, (2) receiving over a network a request
from one of the
network users for a transaction; (3) engaging in the transaction with the one
network user;
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and (4) providing the one network user with electronic information over the
network, the
electronic information being provided in accordance with the profile data
record associated
with the one network user.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a transaction
promotion system for promoting transactions with network users. The
transaction promotion
system includes a network server for engaging in a transaction requested by
one of the
network users, and a transaction server in communication with the network
server for
facilitating completion of the; requested transaction. The network server
includes a
transaction request processor for receiving a transaction request over a
network from the one
network user. The transaction server includes a profile database including
profile data
records associated with the network users, and an information transmitter for
providing the
one network user with electronic information over the network. The information
transmitter
is in communication with the profile database for providing the electronic
information in
accordance with the profile iiat:a record associated with the one network
user.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the client server
includes a
communication processor for providing a user interface for communication with
the network
server. The transaction agent is configured to provide an identification key
uniquely
associated with the one net~,vork user, and comprises an information processor
in
communication with the communication processor for providing an information
window
distinct from the user inter:fac:e for displaying the provided electronic
information. In
addition, the transaction agent includes an encryption processor in
communication with the
communication processor for ewcrypting transaction data received from the user
interface.
The client server also includes a transaction data transmitter for
transmitting the encrypted
transaction data to the network server.
The network server includes a decryption processor for decrypting the
transmitted encrypted
transaction data. The transaction server includes an encryption database of
encryption
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records, with each encryption record identifying a decryption key uniquely
associated with
a respective one of the network: users. The transaction server also includes
an encryption
server in communication with the encryption database for providing the
decryption processor
with the decryption key associated with the one network user for the
decryption of the
encrypted transaction data.
The network server also inc:Ludes transaction processor in communication with
the
decryption processor for completing the transaction in accordance with the
decrypted
transaction data. Also, the transaction server includes a transaction
completion receiver for
receiving a transaction completion signal from the transaction processor, an
electronic
information database, and a database filter in conununication with the
electronic information
database for filtering the electronic information database with the
identification key so as to
provide the client server with the electronic information in accordance with
the network
user's prof le data. fhe informa.ti.on transmitter is configured for
transmitting the electronic
information upon receipt of the completion signal.
The client server initiates a transaction with the network server by
transmitting to the
network server an identification key uniquely associated with the network
user. The network
server responds by requesting transaction information from the client server.
In response,
the client server provides at least a portion of the requested transaction
information, with the
received transaction informatiern preferably being encrypted. Preferably, the
client server
includes a data structure which includes a portion of the requested
transaction information
to alleviate the necessity of the network user entering the transaction data
for each
transaction. Further, preferably the client server is configured to allow the
network user to
specify which portions of the transaction data retained in the data structure
are provided to
the network server.
Upon transmission of the transaction data from the client server, the network
server obtains
a decryption key from the transaction server which is uniquely associated with
the
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identification key, and decrypts the received encrypted transaction
information with the
decryption key. The network server then performs the transaction with the
decrypted
transaction data.
The transaction server queries the profile database with the identification
key for the profile
data associated with the network user, and filters the electronic information
database with
the profile data. Upon receipt of the completion signal from the network
server, the
transaction server transmits the electronic information to the client server.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of
example only,
with reference to the drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the electronic information delivery system,
according to the
present invention, depicting the network server, the client server and the
transaction server;
Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the network server shown in Fig. l, depicting
the network
interface, the transaction request processor, the decryption processor and the
transaction
processor;
Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the client server shown in Fig. l, depicting
the network
interface, the communication processor, and the information processor and the
encryption
processor 138 of the transaction agent; and
Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the transaction server shown in Fig. 1,
depicting the network
interface, the profile database, the database filter and the information
database, and the
encryption server and the encryption database.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION O~F THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning to Fig. l, an electronic: information delivery system, denoted
generally as 100, is
shown comprising a network :;ewer 102, a client server 104 for initiating a
transaction
between one of the network users and the network sewer 102, and a transaction
server 106
S for facilitating completion of the requested transaction. The electronic
information delivery
system 100 also includes a communications network 108 for facilitating
communication
between the network sewer 10:?, the client sewer 104 and the transaction sewer
106.
Preferably, the communications network 108 comprises a land-based network,
such as the
Internet or enterprise network. However, the invention is not limited for use
with a land-
based network, but may instead be used with a wireless network. Other network
configurations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Further, it should be
understood that the information delivery system I 00 typically includes a
plurality of network
servers 102 and a plurality of client sewers 104. However, for clarity, the
information
delivery system 100 is shown in Fig. 1 as including only a single network
sewer 102 and a
single client sewer 104.
The network sewer 102 is configured to engage in transactions with network
users of the
communications network 108. 'Typically the network sewer 102 is implemented as
an
Internet-accessible web site which offers goods or sewices to Internet
subscribers. As shown
in Fig. 2, the network sewer 102 comprises a network interface 110 for
interfacing with the
communications network 108, a central processing unit (CPU) 112 coupled to the
network
interface 110, and a non-volatile memory (DISC) 114 and a read/write memory
(RAM) 116
both in communication with the CPtJ 112. The DISC 114 includes processor
instructions
for the CPU 112. The processor instructions establish in the RAM 116 a memory
object
defining a transaction requeso processor 118, a memory object defining a
decryption
processor 120 in communication with the decryption processor 118, and a memory
object
defining a transaction processor 122 in communication with the decryption
processor 120.
However, it will be appreciated that the transaction request processor 118,
the decryption
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processor 120, and the transaction processor 122 need not be implemented as
memory
objects, but instead may be implemented in electronic hardware, if desired.
The transaction request processor 118 is configured to receive a request from
one of the
client servers I 04 for a transaction with the network user of the client
server 104. Also, the
transaction request processor 118 is configured to provide the network user of
the client
server 104 with a prompt to extract from the client server 104 transaction
information
necessary for the transaction, Preferably, the transaction request processor
118 receives a
transaction request from the client server 104 in the form of the network
user's unique
identification code, transmitted via P3P over HTML. This aspect of the
invention will be
explained in further detail below.
Preferably, the transaction information is provided to the network server 102
over a secure
data channel, such as a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) data channel. In addition,
preferably the
1 S transaction information is provided with a digital signature or is
otherwise encrypted so as
to allow the network server 102 to verify the integrity of the transaction
information.
Accordingly, the decryption processor 118 is configured to decrypt or verify
the digital
signature of the encrypted transaction information received, and the
transaction processor
122 is configured to complete the transaction upon receipt from the decryption
processor 118
of the decrypted/verified transaction information.
The client server 104 is configured to initiate a transaction between the
network server 102
and the network user associated with the client server I 04. Typically the
client server 104
is implemented as a desktop or portable computer, or hand-held communications
device
including a personal data assistant (PDA) or wireless telephone. As shown in
Fig. 3, the
client server 104 comprises a network interface I 24 for interfacing with the
communications
network 108, a central processing unit (C'.PU} 126 coupled to the network
interface 124, a
data interface 125 in communication with the CPU I26, and a non-volatile
memory (DISC)
128 and a read/write memory (RAIVI) 130 both in communication with the CPU
126. The
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data interface 125 includes a data display device, such as a CRT or LCD
display, and a data
input device, such as a keyboard, voice recognition port or hand-recognition
membrane.
The DISC 128 includes processor instructions for the CPU 126. The processor
instructions
establish in the RAM 130 a mennory object defining a communication processor
132, and a
memory module defining a transaction agent 134. As above, the communication
processor
132 and the transaction agent 134 need not be implemented as memory objects,
but instead
may be implemented in electronic hardware, if desired.
The communication processor 132 is in communication with the data interface
125, and
provides a user interface for communication with the network server 102 and
the transaction
server 106. In the preferred implementation where the communications network
108
comprises the Internet, preferably the user interface comprises an Internet
web browser. The
transaction agent 134 is in communication with the communication processor 132
and assists
the communication processor 132 in providing a transaction request and
transaction
information to the transaction request processor I 18 of the network server
102. Preferably,
the transaction agent 134 is configured to provide the transaction request in
the form of the
network user's unique identification code, transmitted via P3P over HTML.
The transaction agent 134 comprises an information processor 136, and an
encryption
processor 138 in communication with the communication processor 132. The
information
processor 136 provides an infornnation window distinct from the user interface
for displaying
the electronic information provided by the transaction server 106. Preferably,
the
information processor includes a configuration input (not shown) for altering
a configuration
(such as the sire and location) of the information window. The encryption
processor 138
encrypts transaction data received from the user interface for transmission to
the network
server 104.
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The transaction server 106 is configured to authorize the transaction
requested by the client
server 104. As shown in Fig. 4, l:he transaction server 106 comprises a
network interface 140
for interfacing with the communications network 108, a central processing unit
(CPU) 142
coupled to the network interface 140, and a non-volatile memory (DISC) 144 and
a
read/write memory (KAM) 146 both in communication with the CPU 142. The DISC
144
includes a profile database 146 including profile data records associated with
the network
users, and an electronic information database 148 of electronic information to
be transmitted
to the network users, and an encryption database 150 of encryption records.
Each profile data record includea a user identification code (UID) uniquely
associated with
a respective one of the network users. Preferably, each UID is assigned by the
transaction
server 106 when the network user registers with the transaction server 106.
The registration
process is described in more de~ta.il below. Each profile data record also
includes a number
of demographic and psychogra.phic data fields which can be used to identify
the type of
electronic information which it would appropriate to send to the network user.
Typically the
profile data record data fields include information identifying the network
user's age, sex,
marital status, income level, personal interests, business interests and other
lifestyle-related
information.
The electronic information comprises advertising and promotional information,
and a profile
data field associated with the advertising/promotional information which
specifies the target
group for the information. As is~ well known to those skilled in the art,
preferably the profile
data field is based upon a calculation involving the same information
specified in the profile
data records.
Each encryption record includes an identification code uniquely associated
with a respective
one of the network users, and identifies an encryption key and a corresponding
decryption
key uniquely both associated with the identification code. As will be
explained in greater
detail below, t:he decryption key is transmitted to the network server 102 for
decrypting
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encrypted transaction information provided to the network server 102 from the
client serve
I 04.
The DISC 144 also includes ;processor instructions for the CPU 142. The
processor
instructions establish in the RAIVI 146 a memory object defining a memory
object defining
a database filter I 52 in communication with the information database 148, and
an encryption
server 154 in communication with the encryption database I50. As above, it
will be
appreciated that the database filter 152 and the encryption server 154 need
not be
implemented as memory objects, but instead may be implemented in electronic
hardware,
if desired.
The database filter 152 is in connnunication with the profile database 146 and
the electronic
information database 148. The database filter I 52 is configured to query the
profile database
146 with a network user's identification code to obtain the network user's
profile information.
I 5 In addition, the database filter 1 _'i2 is configured to query the
electronic information database
148 with the profile information obtained from the profile database 146 to
determine the
appropriate advertising/promotional information to transmit to the network
user.
To initiate a transaction with a network server 102, a network user first
registers with the
transaction server 106. Accordingly, the network user of the client server 104
first enters the
Universal Resource Locator (URl_,) or network address of the transaction
server 106 into the
display interface to establish a communication channel with the network server
102 via theirs
respective network interfaces 124, 140. Once the communication channel is
established, the
transaction server 106 transmits to the client server 104 via the network
interface I40 an
information page requesting that the network user establish an account with
the transaction
server 106. This information page is received by the client server 104 via the
network
interface 124, and is displayed. to the network user by the display interface
on the data
display device of the data interface 125.
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If the network 'user agrees to establish an account, the network user selects
the appropriate
link on the information page via the data input device of the data interface
125, thereby
causing the transaction server 106 to establish a secure communications
channel, such as an
SSL channel, with the client server 104. Once the secure communications
channel is
established, the transaction server 106 transmits to the client server 104,
via the network
interface 140, over the secure communications channel, a form page requesting
demographic
and psychographic profile data from the network user. In one variation, the
form page also
requests financial information, such as credit card numbers, for completion of
financial
transactions.
The form page is received by the client server 104 via the network interface
124, and is
displayed to the network user on the data display device of the data interface
125. The
network user network user enters the demographic and psychographic profile
data into the
form page with the data input device, and transmits the requested information
to the
transaction server 106 over the secure data channel via the network interface
124. A copy
of the profile data is retained by t:he communication processor 132. In the
variation, where
the form page also requests sensitive information, such as financial
information, preferably
only the demographic and psychographic profile data is transmitted to the
transaction server
106, but is retained by the communication processor 132.
Upon receipt of the profile data from the client server 104, the transaction
server 106 assigns
a unique UID to the network user, and then stores the profile data and the
associated UID in
the profile database 146. The transaction server 106 also assigns one of the
encryption/decryption key pairs in the encryption database I ~0 to the network
user by
entering the identification code into the encryption database 150 with the
appropriate
encryption record. The transacti on server 106 then transmits the UID and the
associated keys
to the client server 104 via the network interfaces 124, 140. The encryption
processor 138
of the transaction agent 1 34 then encrypts the profile data (held by the
communication
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processor 132;) with the receive;d encryption key, and then stores the
encrypted profile data
in the disc 128, together with the UID and the encryption and decryption keys.
Subsequently, if the network user wishes to initiate a transaction with a
network server I 02,
the network user enters the Universal Resource Locator (URL) or network
address of the
network server 102 into the display interface to establish a communication
channel with the
network server 102 via the network interfaces 110, 124. Once the communication
channel
is established, the transaction agent 134 retrieves the UID from the disc 128
and transmits
the UID to the transaction request processor 118 of the network server 102 via
the network
interfaces 110, 124, thereby signalling the network server 102 that the
network user is a
registered user. Preferably, the transaction agent 134 transmits the UID to
the network server
102 as P3P over HTML. I-Iowever, other means for transmitting the UID code
will be
apparent to those of ordinary skill.
Upon receipt of the LJID from tike client server 104 by the transaction
request processor 118,
preferably the network server 102 establishes a secure communications channel,
such as an
SSL channel, with the client se~w~er 104 via the network interfaces 110, 124.
The transaction
request processor 118 transnxits to the client server 104, via the network
interface 110, over
the secure communications channel, a form page identifying information
required for a
transaction with the network server 102. Typically, a portion of the requested
information
is stored in encrypted form in the disc 128 as part of the profile data. This
form page
received by the client server l04 via the network interface 124, and is
displayed to the
network user over the data display device of the data interface 125 by the
user interface.
Upon receipt of the form page from the network server 102, the information
processor I 36
of the transaction agent 134 exaracts the profile data from the disc 128, and
the encryption
processor 138 decrypts the profile data with the decryption key. The
information processor
136 then queries the network user, through the user interface, for
confirmation on the data
items which the network user agrees to enter into the form page. Typically,
the information
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processor 136 provides a graphic element, such as a graphic box, beside each
data item
requested to allow the network user to identify the data items which it agrees
to provide, and
a graphic element such as a confirmation box to signal the information
processor 136 that
the data identification step is complete. Once the network user has completed
the
identification of allowed data items, the network user signals the information
through the
confirmation box, thereby causing the information processor 134 to insert the
identified data
items into the form page. The encryption processor 138 then encrypts the
completed form
page with the network user's encryption key, and then passes the encrypted
information to
the network interface 124 for transmission to the network server 102. As
discussed above,
rather than encrypting the transaction data, the encryption processor 13 8 may
instead append
a digital certificate to the forrr~ page, with the digital certificate being
created with the
network user's encryption key.
Upon receipt of the encrypted transaction data, preferably the client server
102 establishes
a secure communications channel, such as an SSh channel, with the transaction
server 106
via the network interfaces 110, 140. 'The transaction request processor 118 of
the network
server 102 then transmits the network user's UID to the transaction server
106. The database
filter 152 of the transaction server 106 queries the encryption database 150
with the received
UID, and transmits to the transaction request processor 118, via the network
interfaces 110,
140, the decryption key corresponding to the network users' UID. The
decryption processor
120 decrypts the encrypted transaction data using the decryption key received
from the
transaction server 106, and transmits the decrypted transaction data to the
transaction
processor 122 for completion oil the transaction.
Once the transaction is complete, the transaction processor 122 transmits to
the network
interface 140 of the transactie~n server 106 a transaction completion signal
indicating
successful completion of the transaction. Preferably, the transaction
processor 122 also
transmits a transaction completion signal to the client server 104 for
providing notification
to the network user that the transaction was completed successfully. Upon
receipt of the
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transaction completion signal, t:he database filter I 52 of the transaction
server 106 queries
the profile database 146 with the UID of the network user for the profile data
record of the
network user. Alternately, in one variation, the transaction server 106
queries the profile
database 146 with the UID when the network server 102 queries the transaction
server 106
for the decryption key associated with the UID.
The database filter 152 then queries the information database 148 for
electronic data records
having profile data fields corresponding to the retrieved profile data record.
If a suitable
match is found with an existing information data record in the information
database 148, the
transaction server 106 transmits; the electronic information in the
information data record to
the information processor 136 of the client server 104 via the network
interfaces 124, 140.
The received electronic information is displayed to the network user via the
data display
device of the data interface 125, using a separate window than that generated
by the
communication processor 132.
The foregoing description is intended to be illustrative of the preferred
embodiment of the
invention. Those of ordinary skill may envisage certain additions, deletions
and/or
modifications to the preferred ennbodiment which, although not specifically
disclosed herein,
do not depart from the spirit or scope of the invention, as defined by claims
appended hereto.
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