APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A PROVIDER-SELECTED MESSAGE IN RESPONSE TO A USER REQUEST FOR USER-SELECTED INFORMATION

• US 20060247974A1
• Filed: 07/13/2006
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.), EdgeCast Software, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VUCAST, LLC
• Inventors: Amon, Thomas C., Baer, Dan M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method of delivering information across a computer network includes receiving a request from a client program for user-selected information, and transmitting provider-selected information in response to the request if no provider-selected message has been previously transmitted to the client program.

Claims

1. A method of delivering information across a computer network, comprising:

receiving a first request from a client program for user-selected information; and

transmitting provider-selected information to the client program for display, in response to the first request, if the provider-selected information has not been previously transmitted to the client program within a time period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time period is determined by a server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the provider-selected information is displayed for a limited time, after which the client program automatically transmits a second request for the user-selected information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the provider-selected information is displayed for a limited time, after which the client program automatically transmits a second request for the user-selected information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the provider-selected information is transmitted without the user-selected information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the provider-selected information causes the client program to transmit a second request for the user-selected information.

7. An apparatus for delivering information across a computer network, comprising:

a computer network; and

a server for receiving a first request for user-selected information from a client program;

wherein the server is configured to transmit provider-selected information to the client program for display, in response to the first request, if the provider-selected information has not been previously transmitted to the client program within a time period.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the time period is determined by the server.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the provider-selected information is displayed for a limited time, after which the server receives a second request for the user-selected information, the second request having been automatically transmitted from the client program.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the provider-selected information is displayed for a limited time, after which the server receives a second request for the user-selected information, the second request having been automatically transmitted from the client program.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the provider-selected information is transmitted without the user-selected information.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the provider-selected information causes the client program to transmit a second request for the user-selected information.

13. A method of delivering information across a computer network, comprising:

sending a first request to a server for user-selected information; and

receiving provider-selected information from the server for display, in response to the first request, if the provider-selected information has not been previously received within a time period.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the time period is determined by the server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the provider-selected information is displayed for a limited time, after which a second request for the user-selected information is automatically sent.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the provider-selected information is displayed for a limited time, after which a second request for the user-selected information is automatically sent.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the provider-selected information is received without the user-selected information.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the provider-selected information causes a second request for the user-selected information to be automatically sent.