Automatic video display on a computer

• US 20050080878A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cunningham, Ryan, Hartman, Brian, Buch, Robert, Anusauskas, Laimonas, Jones, Michael R. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,516,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

There is disclosed a method of providing a user computer with access to video advertisement files of a network. The method may comprise launching a browser application for a user computer to connect to a network, detecting if the user computer is not actively sending or receiving data from the network, and if so, commencing downloading a video advertisement file from the network to the user computer, detecting if the user computer is downloading a web page during downloading of the video advertisement file, and if so, waiting to continue downloading of the video advertisement file, automatically displaying the video advertisement file, determining that an ad file should not be viewed after the ad file has been viewed a predetermined number of times per predetermined time period, and providing a link that permits a user to select a web site that corresponds to the video advertisement file.

Claims

1-60. -60. (canceled)

61. A process of providing a user computer with access to web page content analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery, the process comprising:

the user computer requesting a first web page via a network connection,

displaying the first web page in a browser window,

detecting if the user computer is not actively sending and not actively receiving data via the network connection, and if so, commencing downloading at least one full-motion video file via the network connection to the user computer,

during downloading the at least one full-motion video file, detecting if the user computer is commencing downloading a second web page, and if so, waiting to continue downloading the at least one full-motion video file,

after completing downloading the at least one full-motion video file, independent of the user computer receiving user input, preempting viewing of the first web page, preempting viewing of the second web page, and automatically commencing displaying the at least one full-motion video file on the user computer without removing the display of the browser window,

during displaying the at least one full-motion video file on the user computer, providing control of the browser window, providing selective display sizing no smaller than a predetermined minimum size, and providing display run time between 30 seconds and 2½

minutes,

providing a hyperlink for requesting a third web page,

determining that the at least one full-motion video file should not display after the at least one full-motion video file displayed a predetermined number of times per predetermined time period.

62. The process of providing a user computer with access to web page content analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery of claim 61, further comprising sending a questionnaire to the user computer prior to commencing downloading the second web page.

63. The process of providing a user computer with access to web page content analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery of claim 61, wherein displaying the at least one full-motion video file is via a window distinct from a window displaying the first web page.

64. A user computer that receives web page content from a content server connected to a network, analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery, comprising:

a central processing unit that can establish communication with the content server,

program memory that stores programming instructions that are executed such that the user computer

requests a first web page from the content server via a network connection,

displays the first web page in a browser window,

detects if the user computer is not actively sending and not actively receiving data via the network connection, and if so, commences downloading at least one full-motion video file via the network connection to the user computer,

during downloading the at least one full-motion video file, detects if the user computer commences downloading a second web page, and if so, waits to continue downloading the at least one full-motion video file,

after completing downloading the at least one full-motion video file, independent of the user computer receiving user input, preempts viewing of the first web page, preempts viewing of the second web page, and automatically commences displaying the at least one full-motion video file on the user computer without removing the display of the browser window,

during displaying the at least one full-motion video file on the user computer, provides control of the browser window, provides selective display sizing no smaller than a predetermined minimum size, and provides display run time between 30 seconds and 2½

minutes,

provides a hyperlink for requesting a third web page,

determines that the at least one full-motion video file should not display after the at least one full-motion video file displayed a predetermined number of times per predetermined time period.

65. The user computer that receives files web page content from a content server connected to a network, analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery of claim 64, wherein the program memory further stores programming instructions that are executed such that the user computer receives a questionnaire from the content server prior to commencing downloading the second web page.

66. The user computer that receives files web page content from a content server connected to a network, analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery of claim 64, wherein the program memory further stores programming instructions that are executed such that the user computer displays the at least one full-motion video file via a window distinct from a window displaying the first web page.

67. A program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a process for providing a user computer with access to web page content analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery, the program product comprising:

a recordable media, and

a program of computer-readable instructions executable by the computer system to perform process steps comprising;

the user computer requesting a first web page via a network connection,

displaying the first web page in a browser window,

detecting if the user computer is not actively sending and not actively receiving data via the network connection, and if so, commencing downloading at least one full-motion video file via the network connection to the user computer,

during downloading the at least one full-motion video file, detecting if the user computer is commencing downloading a second web page, and if so, waiting to continue downloading the at least one full-motion video file,

after completing downloading the at least one full-motion video file, independent of the user computer receiving user input, preempting viewing of the first web page, preempting viewing of the second web page, and automatically commencing displaying the at least one full-motion video file on the user computer without removing the display of the browser window,

during displaying the at least one full-motion video file on the user computer, providing control of the browser window, providing selective display sizing no smaller than a predetermined minimum size, and providing display run time between 30 seconds and 2½

minutes,

providing a hyperlink for requesting a third web page,

determining that the at least one full-motion video file should not display after the at least one full-motion video file displayed a predetermined number of times per predetermined time period.

68. The program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a process for providing a user computer with access to web page content analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery of claim 67, wherein the program of computer-readable instructions executable by the computer system to perform process steps further comprising sending a questionnaire to the user computer prior to commencing downloading the second web page.

69. The program product for use in a computer system that executes program steps recorded in a computer-readable media to perform a process for providing a user computer with access to web page content analogous to the broadcast television model of content delivery of claim 67, wherein the program of computer-readable instructions executable by the computer system to perform process steps further comprising displaying the at least one full-motion video file is via a window distinct from a window displaying the first web page.