Apparatus and accompanying methods for network distribution and interstitial rendering of information objects to client computers
First Claim
74. Apparatus for use in rendering an information object in response to a first web page containing an embedded code, the apparatus comprising:
- a processor;
a memory connected to the processor and storing both computer executable instructions and the first web page, the first web page having a plurality of computer readable instructions representing page content and the embedded code; and
an output device operative in conjunction with the processor;
wherein the processor, in response to the executable instructions and as a result of executing the code through a web browser, executes an agent under control of the browser, wherein the agent;
downloads, from a specified server and while the computer renders the first web page to a user through the output device, at least one file which is to be subsequently employed, by the processor, to render an information object;
monitors a click-stream produced by the user to detect a user navigation event signifying a user action to transition from the first web page to a next successive web page and which signifies a start of a next interstitial interval; and
in response to the user navigation event, suspends further downloading of files and processes the one file so as to render the information object through the output device to the user during the interval.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for implementing in a networked client-server environment, e.g., the Internet, network-distributed advertising in which advertisements are downloaded, from an advertising server to a browser executing at a client computer, in a manner transparent to a user situated at the browser, subsequently displayed, by that browser and on an interstitial basis, in response to a click-stream generated by the user to move from one web page to the next. Specifically, an HTML advertising tag is embedded into a referring web page. This tag contains two components. One component effectively downloads, from an distribution web server and to an extent necessary, and then persistently instantiates an agent at the client browser. This agent “politely” and transparently downloads advertising files (media and where necessary player files), originating from an ad management system residing on a third-party advertising web server, for a given advertisement into browser cache and subsequently plays those media files through the browser on an interstitial basis and in response to a user click-stream. The other component is a reference, in terms of a web address, of the advertising management system. This latter reference totally “decouples” advertising content from a web page such that a web page, rather than embedding actual advertising content within the page itself, merely includes an advertising tag that refers, via a URL, to a specific ad management system rather than to a particular advertisement or its content. The ad management system selects the given advertisement that is to be downloaded, rather than having that selection or its content being embedded in the web content page.
70 Citations
147 Claims
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74. Apparatus for use in rendering an information object in response to a first web page containing an embedded code, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor;
a memory connected to the processor and storing both computer executable instructions and the first web page, the first web page having a plurality of computer readable instructions representing page content and the embedded code; and
an output device operative in conjunction with the processor;
wherein the processor, in response to the executable instructions and as a result of executing the code through a web browser, executes an agent under control of the browser, wherein the agent;
downloads, from a specified server and while the computer renders the first web page to a user through the output device, at least one file which is to be subsequently employed, by the processor, to render an information object;
monitors a click-stream produced by the user to detect a user navigation event signifying a user action to transition from the first web page to a next successive web page and which signifies a start of a next interstitial interval; and
in response to the user navigation event, suspends further downloading of files and processes the one file so as to render the information object through the output device to the user during the interval. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147)
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113. A method for use in rendering, through a computer, an information object in response to a first web page containing embedded code, the computer having a processor, a memory connected to the processor and storing both computer executable instructions and the first web page, the first web page having a plurality of computer readable instructions representing page content and the embedded code, and an output device operative in conjunction with the processor, wherein the method comprises the steps, performed by the processor and in response to the executable instructions and as a result of executing the code through a web browser, of:
executing an agent under control of the browser, wherein the method further comprises the steps, performed by the agent, of;
downloading, from a specified server and while the computer renders the first web page to a user through the output device, at least one file which is to be subsequently employed, by the processor, to render an information object;
monitoring a click-stream produced by the user to detect a user navigation event signifying a user action to transition from the first web page to a next successive web page and which signifies a start of a next interstitial interval; and
in response to the user navigation event, suspending further downloading of files and processing the one file so as to render the information object through the output device to the user during the interval.
Specification