System and method for using continuous messaging units in a network architecture

• US 20030005067A1
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Claria Corporation
• Inventors: Martin, Anthony G., Veteska, Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 7,219,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention provides techniques for selectively distributing messages to viewers. Specific embodiments provide systems, methods, apparatus and computer program products for distributing messages to viewers based upon information about potential viewers. In specific embodiments, targeted messages are made available to the client machines in response to client message requests by a server that takes the machine and/or user ID provided as part of the client request and queries the database to see if there are any messages pending for that user or that match that user'"'"'s profile. Specific embodiments can provide a plurality of messages coupled together to form a campaign. The client can receive the campaign using available bandwidth unused by foreground applications, such as web browsers and the like.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information to a user, comprising:

detecting occurrence of an event indicating a message is to be displayed by a first application on a client;

retrieving content for a first message from a repository at a content server;

initiating selection of one or more messages to be displayed based upon behavioral information collected and analyzed at the client; and

monitoring activity at the client for an opportunity to present a selected message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

detecting occurrence of an event indicating a message is to be presented by a first application on a client comprises;

utilizing the first application to monitor a second application on the client in communication with a network for information that satisfies one or more rules of a set of rules, wherein

the second application is utilized by a user to access sites coupled to the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

retrieving content for a first message from a repository at a content server comprises;

collecting information that satisfies one or more rules of the set of rules from the second application utilizing the first application;

storing at least a portion of the collected information on the client utilizing the first application; and

receiving content via the network for presentment by the first application based on the portion of the collected information stored on the client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

monitoring for an opportunity to present a selected message comprises;

presenting a message when the client displays an HTML image that is compatible with the message.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the presenting a message presents a message in a pop-up window.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the presenting a message presents the message at a user-specified position.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the presenting a message presents the message at a default position.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the presenting a message presents the message over an HTML banner.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising saving the presented message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring for an opportunity to present a selected message comprises presenting a message when:

the client displays an HTML image that is compatible with the message;

a domain name of a server from which an original message was requested is absent from an exclude list; and

a domain of a currently displayed web page is included in at least one of a global domain inclusion list and a private domain inclusion list.

11. A method, comprising:

entering content for a campaign;

entering a first set of trigger rules for activating the campaign, the first set of trigger rules including at least one rule;

entering a second set of trigger rules for displaying messages from a campaign after campaign activation, the second set of trigger rules including at least one trigger rule; and

publishing the campaign to a server.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a request from a client computer;

activating the campaign when at least one trigger from the first set of trigger rules is met based on the request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the activating comprises transmitting content and the second set of trigger rules to the client.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising entering an expiration date for the campaign and transmitting the expiration date to the client upon activation of the campaign.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the second set of trigger rules includes domain addresses.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second set of trigger rules further includes text strings associated with the domain addresses.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein:

the code that detects occurrence of an event indicating a message is to be presented by a first application on a client comprises;

code that utilizes the first application to monitor a second application on the client in communication with a network for information that satisfies one or more rules of a set of rules, wherein the second application is utilized by a user to access sites coupled to the network.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

the code that retrieves content for a first message from a repository at a content server comprises;

code that collects information that satisfies one or more rules of the set of rules from the second application utilizing the first application;

code that stores at least a portion of the collected information on the client utilizing the first application; and

code that receives content via the network for presentment by the first application based on the portion of the collected information stored on the client.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein monitoring for an opportunity to present a selected message comprises:

code that presents a message when the client displays an HTML image that is compatible with the message.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the code that presents a message includes code that presents a message in a pop-up window.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the code that presents a message includes code that presents the message at a user-specified position.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the code that presents a message includes code that presents the message at a default position.

24. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the code that presents a message includes code that presents the message over an HTML banner.

25. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising code that saves the presented message.

26. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the code that monitors for an opportunity to present a selected message comprises code that presents a message when:

the client displays an HTML image that is compatible with the message;

a domain name of a server from which an original message was requested is absent from an exclude list; and

a domain of a currently displayed web page is included in at least one of a global domain inclusion list and a private domain inclusion list.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

code that receives a request from a client computer;

code that activates the campaign when at least one trigger from the first set of trigger rules is met based on the request.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the code that activates comprises code that transmits content and the second set of trigger rules to the client.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising code that enters an expiration date for the campaign and code that transmits the expiration date to the client upon activation of the campaign.

31. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the second set of trigger rules includes domain addresses.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the second set of trigger rules further includes text strings associated with the domain addresses.

17. A computer program product, comprising:

code that detects an occurrence of an event indicating a message is to be displayed by a first application on a client;

code that retrieves content for a first message from a repository at a content server;

code that initiates selection of one or more messages to be displayed based upon behavioral information collected and analyzed at the client; and

code that monitors activity at the client for an opportunity to present a selected message.

27. A computer program product, comprising:

code that enters content for a campaign;

code that enters a first set of trigger rules for activating the campaign, the first set of trigger rules including at least one rule;

code that enters a second set of trigger rules for displaying messages from a campaign after campaign activation, the second set of trigger rules including at least one trigger rule; and

code that publishes the campaign to a server.

33. A system for displaying information to a user, comprising:

means for detecting occurrence of an event indicating a message is to be displayed by a first application on a client;

means for retrieving content for a first message from a repository at a content server;

means for initiating selection of one or more messages to be displayed based upon behavioral information collected and analyzed at the client; and

means for monitoring activity at the client for an opportunity to present a selected message.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising entering an expiration date for the campaign and transmitting the expiration date to a client upon activation of the campaign.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the set of trigger rules includes domain addresses.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the set of trigger rules further includes text strings associated with the domain addresses.

40. The computer program of claim 39, further comprising code that enters an expiration date for the campaign and transmitting the expiration date to a client upon activation of the campaign.

41. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the set of trigger rules includes domain addresses.

42. The computer program product of claim 39, wherein the set of trigger rules further includes text strings associated with the domain addresses.

34. A system, comprising:

means for entering content for a campaign;

means for entering a first set of trigger rules for activating the campaign, the first set of trigger rules including at least one rule;

means for entering a second set of trigger rules for displaying messages from a campaign after campaign activation, the second set of trigger rules including at least one trigger rule; and

means for publishing the campaign to a server.

35. A method, comprising:

entering content for a campaign;

entering a set of trigger rules for displaying messages from the campaign after campaign activation, the set of trigger rules including at least one trigger rule; and

publishing the campaign to a server.

39. A computer program product, comprising:

code that enters content for a campaign;

code that enters a set of trigger rules for displaying messages from the campaign after campaign activation, the set of trigger rules including at least one trigger rule; and

publishing the campaign to a server.

43. A system, comprising:

means for entering content for a campaign;

means for entering a set of trigger rules for displaying messages from the campaign after campaign activation, the set of trigger rules including at least one trigger rule; and

means for publishing the campaign to a server.