Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing – Network resources access controlling
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-21
2003-05-20
Najjar, Saleh (Department: 2157)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
Network resources access controlling
C709S204000, C709S225000, C709S226000, C705S014270
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567854
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to communication and advertising, and more particularly, to service delivery via a server pushed personalized advertising dashboard.
2. Description of Related Art
There are many Internet services available to consumers for a fee. Examples include Internet subscriptions to magazines, Internet Call Manager™ (ICM), which manages incoming calls, and Internet access itself.
Various businesses associated with such services have attempted to defray the fee they charge to customers by generating revenues from advertisements placed on Web pages. Typically, advertisements on the Internet today are generally “browser-based” and “pulled.” This latter term “pulled” refers to advertisements that appear on a screen as a consequence of an action taken by the subscriber. For example, upon visiting a particular browser, Yahoo™ for example, the subscriber may be greeted by an advertisement banner whose contents are selected or approved In such case, the banner is pulled by the subscriber because it appears as a consequence of a user's action such as visiting the Yahoo site.
The particular message that is currently delivered to the subscriber when visiting a Web site may depend on one of three methods for such delivery. First, a particular advertisement may arise as a consequence of a search that the subscriber performed. For example, if the subscriber uses Yahoo to search for automobiles, a banner displaying a specific automobile model may be displayed. A second method is known as channel advertisement. Here, the advertisement displayed depends on the particular page of a Web site a subscriber is on. For example, going to a travel page of Yahoo may result in a specific airline to be displayed in a banner. Finally, there may just be some rotation of advertising banners irrespective of what searches are made or what page is visited. Nonetheless, this type of advertising method is still pulled because it arises as a consequence of a subscriber visiting a certain Web site.
In addition, the advertising is context-dependent. I.e., the user utilizes a browser and a particular Internet portal with that browser.
Messages may alternatively be “pushed” to a computer screen. Pushed messages are displayed as a consequence of a server directive that is unbidden by the subscriber. Internet Call Manager (ICM) is an example of a service that pushes messages. Because one specific embodiment of the present invention elaborated upon below may appear in conjunction with the ICM, this Manager is discussed here by way of background.
A subscriber establishes computer dialogue with a data communications service (DCS) via a dial-up connection using a telephone link connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Two methods for connecting to a DCS include a temporary dial up modem connection over the PSTN, or a dedicated connection either through the PSTN or through a private telephone connection. For a temporary dial up modem connection over the PSTN, the telephone link is held in an off hook state. The use of a telephone line for a data call requires the exclusive use of the line. Fortunately, there exist several enhanced IP services, such as Internet Call Manager (ICM) or Unified Messaging (UM), that alert a subscriber to an event such as an incoming call or message by pushing a pop-up screen on the user's PC. The pop-up screen may have disposition options (e.g., incoming call from xxx, do you wish to: ignore, reply, answer) or a simple alert (e.g., “you have voice mail”).
As notification pop-ups, these screens may attract the attention of the subscriber. Accordingly, the appearance of the pop-up screen affords the service provider with an opportunity to provide an additional customized service to the subscriber, and creates an advertisement-based revenue-generating opportunity for the service provider based on the sale of banner advertisements. If the advertisement revenue is sufficient, the service can be offered for free or at a reduced price.
Another pushed method of conveying messages involves a “ticker tape.” Such a tape or strip is a message which, instead of “popping-up” at various times, runs continuously across the screen at a certain Web site. The information in the ticker tape may be personalized. For example, the subscriber may choose to display the value of the Dow Jones in the ticker tape. Typically, the tape contains no advertisement.
The types of notification messages with banner advertisements described above are lacking in so far as none is simultaneously browser-independent, pushed to the subscriber via an asynchronous interrupt (unlike a continuous message, which begins near the start of a session and ends near the end, a message delivered by an asynchronous interrupt has varying start and end times), and highly targeted by using personal information of the subscriber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A communication service delivering messages to subscribers logged onto, for example, the Internet is presented. Such messages contain banner advertisements, and are pushed to the subscriber as an interrupt or pop-up. Moreover, the messages may be highly targeted to the subscriber by making use of such information as the subscriber's identity, location, phone number, personal interests, and habits.
The subscriber need not be utilizing a browser to receive a dashboard message. During any Internet activity, such as processing email, and playing games, the message may be delivered to the subscriber. These messages represent unbidden interrupts, but are rendered more palatable to the subscriber in at least two ways. First, the messages can contain personalized messages, and hotlinks to subscriber-selected sites; the personalized messages might include information that the subscriber deems to be useful, such as a stock quote, or a sports score. Second, the cost to the subscriber of some Internet service is defrayed by the advertising present in the messages.
A communication service with a computer application, for example, is presented that utilizes a pop-up notification box. The notification box alerts a subscriber to a messaging event such as an incoming call or message. In addition, the pop-up screen contains a dashboard with personalized information and/or hotlinks to customized web pages for items such as stocks, weather, sports, news, local interests, travel, shopping, and games. The linked web pages provide the subscriber with a customer designed service (e.g., latest quotes on selected stocks and regional weather reports), but also contain banner advertisements, personalized messages, and hotlinks to other web sites. The advertising dashboard thus provides a customized service to the subscriber, and a revenue generating opportunity to the service provider through sales of banner advertisements and hotlinks. The pop-up notification box itself can display banner advertisements which are downloaded to the client prior to the call event.
More specifically, a method of defraying a cost of an Internet service provided to a subscriber is presented comprising providing a dashboard server that is connected to a computer of the subscriber; pushing an advertising dashboard from the dashboard server to a display of the computer by interrupting an Internet session on the computer, and by using data provided by the dashboard server; on the advertising dashboard, providing information to the subscriber; and to defray the cost of the Internet service, providing an advertisement on the advertising dashboard.
Providing information includes providing a hotlink to a web page, where the web page may include one of a stocks site, weather site, sports site, news site, travel site, local information site, shopping site, and games site. The web page may also include at least one of an advertisement banner and a link to another web page. The information may involve weather, stocks, sports, news, and personalized information that is preselected by the subscriber.
The method may further include obtaining personal data from the su
Olshansky Robert
Winnett Steven Richard
Genuity Inc.
Najjar Saleh
Suchyta Leonard Charles
Weixel James K.
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