AD INTEGRATION AND EXTENSIBLE THEMES FOR OPERATING SYSTEMS

• US 20080154718A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hemmen, Jeffrey R., Cheng, Lili, Jain, Kamal, Flake, Gary W., Smith, Leonard, Horvitz, Eric J., Gounares, Alexander G., Connolly, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture or extension to an operating system (or component thereof) that can facilitate extensible themes for or advertising integration with a desktop that is managed by the operating system. In particular, the architecture can acquire advertisement content such as ads or advertiser skins, select suitable content for display, and configure the operating system to display the selected content. The architecture also provides mechanisms for identifying suitable locations as well as appropriate time for displaying the content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system that facilitates extensible themes and/or advertising integration in connection with an operating system user-interface, comprising:

an acquisition component that obtains advertisement content from an advertiser, the advertisement content is tailored for display by an operating system;

a selection component that selects the advertisement content for display; and

a configuration component that supplies the advertisement content to the operating system.

2. The system of claim 1, the acquisition component stores the advertisement content to a data store.

3. The system of claim 1, the advertisement content is at least one of an ad for a product or service or a link to the ad.

4. The system of claim 1, the advertisement content is an extensible skin for a desktop associated with the operating system.

5. The system of claim 4, the skin is tailored to a theme, brand, or trademark associated with the advertiser.

6. The system of claim 1, the acquisition component periodically obtains an update for the advertisement content.

7. The system of claim 6, the selection component selects the advertisement content based upon the update.

8. The system of claim 1, the selection component selects the advertisement content based upon a set of preferences associated with the operating system or a desktop.

9. The system of claim 1, the selection component selects the advertisement content based upon a bid from the advertiser.

10. The system of claim 1, the selection component selects the advertisement content based upon a contractual agreement with at least one of the advertiser or a user of the operating system.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an examination component that determines a suitable location and an appropriate time for display of the advertisement content.

12. The system of claim 11, the examination component monitors a desktop associated with the operating system to identify unused, non-occluded, or nonessential display space in order to determine the suitable location.

13. The system of claim 11, the examination component monitors at least one of a desktop or activity of the operating system to identify a waiting period or a lapse in task-oriented activity in order to determine the appropriate time.

14. The system of claim 1, the operating system applies the advertisement content to a user-interface of an application launched by the operating system.

15. The system of claim 1, the operating system applies the advertisement content to a user-interface for a portal accessed by the operating system.

16. A computer-implemented method for facilitating extensible themes for and/or advertising integration with an operating system user-interface, comprising:

acquiring from an advertiser advertisement content that is tailored for display by an operating system to a desktop;

storing the advertisement content to a data store;

accessing the data store for selecting the advertisement content; and

configuring the operating system to display the advertisement content by way of the desktop.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

selecting the advertisement content based upon preferences associated with the operating system or the desktop;

selecting the advertisement content based upon a bid from the advertiser;

selecting the advertisement content based upon a contractual agreement with at least one of the advertiser or a user of the operating system;

receiving from the advertiser an update for the advertisement content;

or

selecting the advertisement content based upon the act of receiving.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

acquiring the advertisement content as an ad for a product or service, or as a reference to the ad;

monitoring the desktop to identify a suitable location for displaying the ad or the reference;

or

examining at least one of the desktop or the operating system for determining an appropriate time for displaying the ad or the reference.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

acquiring the advertisement content as an extensible skin for the desktop, the skin tailored to a theme, brand, or trademark associated with the advertiser;

applying the skin to a user-interface associated with an application launched by the operating system;

or

applying the skin to a user-interface associated with a portal accessed by the operating system.

20. A computer-implemented system for facilitating extensible themes for and/or advertising integration with an operating system user-interface, comprising:

computer-implemented means for obtaining advertisement content that is designed for display by an operating system that manages an operating system desktop;

computer-implemented means for saving the advertisement content to a data store;

computer-implemented means for selecting the advertisement content from the data store; and

computer-implemented means for adapting the operating system to display the advertisement content.