Delivering content and advertisement

• US 20030163372A1
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sofcast, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sofcast, Inc.
• Inventors: Kolsy, Mohammed H.
• Application Number:
  US10/313,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163372A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering content and advertisement is described. In one embodiment, the method includes: receiving a request for a target web page; sending, in response to the request for the target web page, a frames page including a plurality of frames and a frames page program module, where the plurality of frames comprises a content frame and an advertisement frame; receiving a request to load the content frame; sending content to load the content frame, where the content includes the target web page; receiving a request to load the advertisement frame; and sending an advertisement to load the advertisement frame. In another embodiment, the method includes: receiving a request for a target web page; sending, in response to the request for the target web page, a web page that causes, directly or indirectly, establishing a frames page including a plurality of frames and a frames page program module, where the plurality of frames includes a content frame and an advertisement frame; receiving a request to load the content frame, where the request to load the content frame is prompted by the frames page program module; sending content to load the content frame, where the content includes the target web page; receiving a request to load the advertisement frame, where the request to load the advertisement frame is prompted by the frames page program module; and sending an advertisement to load the advertisement frame.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content and advertisement, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a target web page;

sending, in response to the request for the target web page, a frames page comprising a plurality of frames and a frames page program module, wherein the plurality of frames comprises a content frame and an advertisement frame;

receiving a request to load the content frame;

sending content to load the content frame, wherein the content comprises the target web page;

receiving a request to load the advertisement frame; and

sending an advertisement to load the advertisement frame.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the request for the target web page is a first request during a current session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to load the content frame and the request to load the advertisement frame are prompted by the frames page program module.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving a list of advertisements from an advertisement table; and

selecting the advertisement from the list.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said selecting the advertisement comprises randomly selecting the advertisement from the list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frames further comprises a daemon frame.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the daemon frame is initially loaded with a blank page.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the daemon frame is loaded with server-side scripted content.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving a request to insert advertising event information into a tracking database.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying the content by adding a content page program module to the content, wherein the content page program module comprises software for performing the following function;

handling mouse click events.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the content page program module further comprises software for performing the following functions:

handling window OnLoad events; and

handling window OnBeforeUnload events.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying the advertisement by adding an advertisement page program module to the advertisement, wherein the advertisement page program module comprises software for performing the following functions;

displaying HOLD and HOME buttons; and

handling button click events for the HOLD and HOME buttons.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for performing the following functions:

loading content; and

loading advertisement.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the frames page program module further comprises software for performing the following functions:

handling hyperlink mouse click actions; and

allocating screen area.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing display of the advertisement frame concurrently with the content frame.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing display of the advertisement frame between, in terms of time, display of two successive content pages.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing the advertisement frame, loaded with the advertisement, to be stored in a browser cache while the content is displayed.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing the advertisement frame, loaded with the advertisement, to be displayed when a user requests to view another content page.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, in an interstitial mode, prior to a hyperlink click action by a user, the advertisement loaded in the advertisement frame is not viewable by the user, further wherein upon the hyperlink click action by the user, the frame is displayed instantly to the user.

20. A method of delivering content and advertisement, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a target web page;

sending, in response to the request for the target web page, a web page that causes, directly or indirectly, establishing a frames page comprising a plurality of frames and a frames page program module, wherein the plurality of frames comprises a content frame and an advertisement frame;

receiving a request to load the content frame, wherein the request to load the content frame is prompted by the frames page program module;

sending content to load the content frame, wherein the content comprises the target web page;

receiving a request to load the advertisement frame, wherein the request to load the advertisement frame is prompted by the frames page program module; and

sending an advertisement to load the advertisement frame.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the web page includes code that invokes a program, wherein execution of the program by a browser causes establishing the frames page.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the web page comprises a program, wherein execution of the program by a browser causes establishing the frames page and the plurality of empty frames.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the plurality of frames further comprises a daemon frame.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing display of the advertisement frame along with the content frame.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing display of the advertisement frame between display of successive content pages.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing the advertisement frame, loaded with the advertisement, to be stored in a browser cache while the content is displayed.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the frames page program module comprises software for causing the advertisement frame, loaded with the advertisement, to be displayed when a user requests to view another content page.

28. A method of delivering content and advertisement, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a target web page; and

sending, in response to the request, a modified target web page, wherein a hyperlink in the modified target web page has a corresponding hyperlink in the target web page, wherein the corresponding hyperlink references a first server, further wherein a request using the hyperlink in the modified target web page is directed to a server other than the first server, further wherein the modified target web page includes code that, upon a hyperlink click on the modified target web page, invokes functionality of a frames page program module to resize a content frame and an advertisement frame.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the target web page is modified by rewriting the corresponding hyperlink to a rewritten hyperlink, wherein the rewritten hyperlink references software modules at the server.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the target web page is modified by adding thereto code that intercepts the hyperlink click on the modified target web page, further wherein the code directs requests based on the hyperlink click to the server.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the code invokes a program, wherein execution of the program by the browser causes establishing a frames page comprising a plurality of frames and the frames page program module, wherein the plurality of frames comprises the content frame and the advertisement frame.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the plurality of frames further comprises a daemon frame.