Custom computer wallpaper and marketing system and method

• US 20050209923A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Modya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Modya Incorporated
• Inventors: Schmelzer, Richard A., Schmelzer, Robert A., Jablonski, Tomas E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,278,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.510
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

An interactive system and method is disclosed for providing wallpaper or screen saver images for display on the background of a personal computer visual display. Wallpaper (or screen saver) images may be conveniently located by a consumer and downloaded from a wallpaper web site for use on the desktop of the consumer'"'"'s personal computer. A clickable icon is incorporated into the wallpaper image or overlaid on the wallpaper image. When the icon is clicked on using a mouse, or otherwise activated by the consumer, the consumer'"'"'s personal computer is automatically connected to a predetermined location on the Internet. Furthermore, sponsors may market their goods or services to consumers by paying a fee to have their clickable icons or advertisements incorporated into or overlaid on the wallpaper images. By clicking on the clickable icons or advertisements, the consumer is automatically connected to the sponsor'"'"'s web site. In addition, a number of web sites may be affiliated with the wallpaper site, and consumers who subscribe to the wallpaper site may be able to conveniently purchase products or services from these affiliated sites by merely clicking on one or more pop-up buttons, or the like, after necessary consumer information has been given to the wallpaper web site.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. In a wallpaper system that provides functionality for selecting wallpaper images from an image database to download to user computers for display as desktop wallpaper, a method for selecting content to display on the desktops of the user computers, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

maintaining a database of user profiles of users of the wallpaper system, said user profiles including wallpaper preference data of the users;

receiving user selection criteria that specifies a type of user to whom a clickable image is to be presented;

comparing the user selection criteria to the database of user profiles, including the wallpaper preference data, to select a target user whose user profile matches the user selection criteria; and

in response to selecting the target user, causing an application program running on a user computer of the target user to persistently display the clickable image on a desktop of the user computer such that the target user may click on the image to access a web site associated with the clickable image.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein causing an application program running on a user computer of the target user to persistently display the clickable image comprises embedding the clickable image within coding of a wallpaper image to make the clickable image generally unremovable by the user.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of maintaining the database of user profiles comprises maintaining histories of wallpaper images downloaded by specific users.

24. The method as in claim 21, wherein the step of comparing the user selection criteria to the database of user profiles comprises selecting the target user based at least in part on a history of wallpaper images downloaded by the target user.

25. The method as in claim 21, wherein the step of comparing the user selection criteria to the database of user profiles comprises selecting the target user based at least in part on wallpaper search criteria entered by the target user.

26. The method as in claim 21, further comprising the computer-implemented step of using the profile of the target user, as stored within the database of user profiles, to select a wallpaper image for the target user.

27. The method as in claim 26, wherein the wallpaper image is selected for the target user based at least in part on a history of wallpaper images selected by the target user.

28. The method as in claim 21, wherein the clickable image is associated with a sponsor, and the web site is a web site of the sponsor.

29. The method as in claim 28, further comprising, in response to user selection of the clickable image as displayed on the desktop of the user computer, charging the sponsor.

30. The method as in claim 21, wherein the application program displays the clickable image as an icon on the desktop of the user computer.

31. The method as in claim 21, wherein the application program displays the clickable image as an advertisement on the desktop of the user computer.

32. The method as in claim 21, wherein the method is performed by a server system that is connected to the user computer of the target user by a computer network.

33. A server system that performs the method of claim 21.

34. A system for displaying wallpaper and associated content on user computers, the system comprising:

a server system that provides user access to a database of wallpaper images, wherein the server system maintains a user preferences database that stores information about preferences of users of the database of wallpaper images;

an application program that is adapted to run on computers of the users and to communicate with the server system, wherein the application program manages the display of the wallpaper images on desktops of the user computers to provide functionality for varying desktop wallpaper; and

a comparison program that compares target user criteria associated with a clickable image with user preferences stored in the user preferences database to select target users to which to present the clickable image;

wherein the comparison program interoperates with the server system and the application program to cause the clickable image to be displayed on a desktop of a target user'"'"'s computer within desktop wallpaper such that selection of the clickable image causes the target user'"'"'s computer to access an associated web site.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the user preferences database includes wallpaper preference data that is used by the comparison program to select the target users to which to present clickable images.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the wallpaper preference data includes wallpaper image download histories of users.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the server system notifies the target user when new wallpaper images that match search criteria specified by the target user are added to the database of wallpaper images.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the application program displays the clickable image persistently on desktops of target user computers.