Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing – Computer network monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-28
2003-03-25
Geckil, Mehmet B. (Department: 2142)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
Computer network monitoring
C709S225000, C709S203000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06539429
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to advertisement computer display systems and more particularly to a method and system for displaying advertisements and other information on a computer based on general user selected criteria and transmitting such information from a remote network to the local computer.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
There are two major forms of advertising which are currently being employed on the Internet and commercial on-line services. One form is the use of a small advertisement on WEB pages which are commonly accessed. For example, a portion of the screen display for WEB pages used to access Internet searches may include a corporate logo or other advertisement material. Typical of this style of advertising is the Netscape™ Internet Browser software available from Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View Calif., which presents a box containing logos for various corporations on the computer display when the user performs a search. This form of advertising, however, is not very sophisticated and does not encourage user interaction.
Another form of advertising on the Internet is the creation of WEB “pages” or sites by advertisers. One variant of the use of a WEB page displays advertisements in a portion of the viewing area. A second variant, often used by corporate or other advertisers, is the use of WEB sites which employ attractive graphics in the hope of having the user interact with various advertising schemes. In addition, product ordering is usually available from these WEB sites. In most cases, users access these WEB sites by one of the following methods: knowing the Internet address; keyword searching; linking from a different WEB site; through an electronic shopping mall type site; through other advertisements on the Internet; or through the use of programs known as search browsers.
Current advertisers have attempted to improve the attractiveness of these WEB pages by including the use of sound, animated or rotating logos or pictures, and scrolling information. One system, Hot Java, available from Starwave Corp of Bellevue, Wash., supports the execution of small applications programs written in a specific programming language executing within the browser on the local computer. This allows the WEB pages to provide richer content, such as animation or scrolling sports scores across a user's computer display, and better interaction with users. These effects, however, are only available while the user is viewing the specific WEB page incorporating the Hot Java technology.
Despite the fast and furious growth in this advertising sector, WEB sites are still regarded as “passive” advertising used predominantly for a corporate image rather than for selling products. Specifically the following drawbacks describe the current state of advertising on the Internet: transmitting the advertising information consumes a large amount of the bandwidth of the communications link between the user's computer and the network; access is initiated by the user rather than the advertiser; the user rather than the advertiser pays for access; accessing a site is a time consuming “hit or miss” process; and the process may improve the corporate image but creates little product demand.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,184 to Pirani et al. (“Pirani”) discloses a system integrating commercial advertisements with computer software. The system discloses integrating commercial advertisements with different types of screens. Pirani, however, does not provide for any user input at the local computer as to the types of advertisements which are to be displayed. Thus, users would be forced to view numerous advertisements of which they are likely to have no interest. This will attenuate the users attention to the advertisements and decrease their effectiveness.
As noted above, a significant problem with current methods for advertising on computer networks is the consumption of significant portions of the bandwidth of the communications link between the user's computer and the computer network. Prior systems have attempted to utilize essentially unused time in telephone networks to deliver advertising or other information. U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,740 to Gregorek, et al. (“Gregorek”) discloses a marketing system over an existing telephone network which modifies a portion of the call processing system to play an informational announcement in place of the usual ringback or busy signals. Gregorek differs from the present invention in a number of ways, including the fact that it does not provide any means for interacting with computers over a computer network. Also, Gregorek delivers the informational announcement only during a short splice of time when the user is waiting for callback information.
Current file transfer protocols, such as the File Transfer Protocol (“FTP”) and the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (“TFTP”), for transferring files from a remote network, such as the Internet, via a communications link to a local computer are designed to transfer files as quickly as possible. Each computer process executing such a protocol attempts to make maximum use of the available communication resources. This leads to interference and an inevitable slowing down of other computer processes attempting to communicate over the communications link. There exists a need, therefore, for a file transfer process which is designed to behave as a background task and have a minimal impact on foreground communications.
There also exists a need to utilize the computer to display locally stored advertisements. Several software products provide “yellow pages” on CD-ROMs or other media such as floppy disks. The user may use these yellow pages to search for products or advertisers by name or description. This system of advertising is limited, however, in that it requires the user to actively search for advertisers or products and therefore do not spontaneously display products to the user.
Microsoft Windows interface provides a rudimentary form of spontaneous advertising by incorporating a Microsoft Windows logo as an option in its screen saver utility. This system, however, offers only a single advertisement in response to a user's response and therefore does not offer a variety of periodically changed advertisement content based on a user's interests.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a process for transmitting an information file between a local computer and a remote computer network over a communications link with minimal interference to other processes executing on the computer which are also transmitting over the communications link.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system of presenting individualized advertisements and other informational messages on a computer by allowing a user to select from a variety of advertisement or informational categories.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system of downloading and presenting individualized advertisements and other informational messages from a network to a local computer from a remote network to a local computer based on a user's selection of advertisement or informational categories.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a method and system of downloading and presenting individualized advertisements and other informational messages from a network to a local computer with minimal interference with other data being transmitted between the network and the local computer.
In one variant of the present invention, all advertisements or other informational messages originate on a network server which is accessed via the Internet or alternate on-line method. Select advertisements are transparently downloaded from the network server and stored locally on the user's local computer using a novel type of software referred to herein as a “Polite Agent.” In a second variation, the entire advertisement database is locally stored on the local computer or a removable media such as CD
Barkat Eli
Rakavy Yuval
Backweb Technologies Ltd.
Geckil Mehmet B.
Skadden, Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP
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