Contingent fee advertisement publishing service provider for interactive tv media system and method

Abstract

A purchase-transaction-settled online consumer referral and reward system and method using real-time specific merchant sales information is provided for the advertising publishing industry. The system provides a pay per transaction platform that allows advertising publishers to monetize interactive and/or broadcast media advertising by tracking and linking ad acceptance events to consummated consumer purchases.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 providing an advertising system for a plurality of merchants, the advertising system including an online advertising component and an offline advertising component;   determining referral portions for the merchants, each merchant being associated with a corresponding referral portion for an amount of advertising in the advertising system, and the referral portions being based at least in part on commissions from the merchants for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system;   determining, with at least one computer, merchant rank values for placing advertisements for the merchants in the offline advertising component, the merchant rank values being based at least in part on the commissions from the merchants for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system; and   placing advertisements based on the referral portions for the merchants in he offline advertising component in response to the determined merchant rank values.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the referral portions characterize frequencies at which corresponding merchants are selected from the plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 using the merchant rank values to determine a rotation of advertisements from the online advertising component to the offline advertising component, a higher merchant rank value corresponding to a larger allocation of a corresponding referral portion to the offline advertising component.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 tracking a location of a consumer;   providing to the consumer, via the online advertisement component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant and a proximity condition between a location of the first merchant and the tracked location of the consumer;   matching a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant to the at least one discrete sales offer; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   matching a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant to the at least one discrete sales offer; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   tracking an acceptance of the at least one discrete sales offer by the consumer;   tracking a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant;   matching the discrete sales transaction to the acceptance of the at least one discrete sales offer by the consumer; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the at least one discrete sales offer being associated with an offer code, and the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   tracking a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant;   matching the discrete sales transaction to the at least one discrete sales offer through an identification of the offer code; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   registering a consumer identifier for the consumer;   tracking a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant;   matching the discrete sales transaction to the at least one discrete sales offer through an identification of the consumer identifier; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         10 . A system including at least one computer configured to perform operations for computer-implemented modules including:
 an advertising-component module that provides an advertising system for a plurality of merchants, the advertising system including an online advertising component and an offline advertising component;   a referral module that determines referral portions for the merchants, each merchant being associated with a corresponding referral portion for an amount of advertising in the advertising system, and the referral portions being based at least in part on commissions from the merchants for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system;   a ranking module that determines merchant rank values for placing advertisements for the merchants in the offline advertising component, the merchant rank values being based at least in part on the commissions from the merchants for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system; and   an advertisement-placement module that places advertisements based on the referral portions for the merchants in the offline advertising component in response to the determined merchant rank values.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the referral portions characterize frequencies at which corresponding merchants are selected from the plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the advertisement-placement module performs operations including:
 using the merchant rank values to determine a rotation of advertisements from the online advertising component to the offline advertising component, a higher merchant rank value corresponding to a larger allocation of a corresponding referral portion to the offline advertising component.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the advertisement-placement module performs operations including:
 tracking a location of a consumer;   providing to the consumer, via the online advertisement component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant and a proximity condition between a location of the first merchant and the tracked location of the consumer;   matching a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant to the at least one discrete sales offer; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the advertisement-placement module performs operations including:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   matching a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant to the at least one discrete sales offer; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the advertisement-placement module performs operations including:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   tracking an acceptance of the at least one discrete sales offer by the consumer;   tracking a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant;   matching the discrete sales transaction to the acceptance of the at least one discrete sales offer by the consumer; and   charging the first merchant a commission tee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the advertisement-placement module performs operations including:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the at least one discrete sales offer being associated with an offer code, and the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   tracking a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant;   matching the discrete sales transaction to the at least one discrete sales offer through an identification of the offer code; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the advertisement-placement module performs operations including:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   registering a consumer identifier for the consumer;   tracking a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant;   matching the discrete sales transaction to the at least one discrete sales offer through an identification of the consumer identifier; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission fee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         18 . A computer-readable storage unit that stores computer code including instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:
 providing an advertising system for a plurality of merchants, the advertising system including an online advertising component and an offline advertising component;   determining referral portions for the merchants, each merchant being associated with a corresponding referral portion for an amount of advertising in the advertising system, and the referral portions being based at least in part on commissions from the merchants for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system;   determining merchant rank values for placing advertisements for the merchants in the offline advertising component, the merchant rank values being based at least in part on the commissions from the merchants for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system; and   placing advertisements based on the referral portions for the merchants in the offline advertising component in response to the determined merchant rank values.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage unit of  claim 18 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:
 using the merchant rank values to determine a rotation of advertisements from the online advertising component to the offline advertising component, a higher merchant rank value corresponding to a larger allocation of a corresponding referral portion to the offline advertising component.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage unit of  claim 18 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:
 tracking a location of a consumer;   providing to the consumer, via the online advertisement component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant and a proximity condition between a location of the first merchant and the tracked location of the consumer;   matching a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant to the at least one discrete sales offer; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission tee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.   
     
     
         21 . The computer-readable storage unit of  claim 18 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:
 providing to a consumer, via the online advertisement component or the offline advertising component, at least one discrete sales offer from a first merchant, the first merchant being selected from the merchants based on a referral portion corresponding to the first merchant;   matching a discrete sales transaction between the consumer and the first merchant to the at least one discrete sales offer; and   charging the first merchant a commission fee corresponding to the discrete sales transaction, the commission tee being based on a commission paid by the first merchant for sales transactions that are matched to the advertising system.