ENHANCED BANNER ADVERTISEMENTS

• US 20110211813A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: MARKS, Bradley Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing and displaying enhanced banners and other objects on a communication device. The banner file may comprise ancillary data, such as calendar appointment details, other event details, or contact details, embedded within the file itself, or comprised in an envelope wrapping the banner file. When the banner is displayed on the communication device, the user may invoke a context menu to create an event, such as a calendar event, on the device using the embedded ancillary data. In other embodiments, the communication device uses geolocation services to determine whether the user is likely to be in attendance at an event, and if not, to issue alerts or initiate a further action, such as initiating recording of a television program the user is about to miss, over the network. In other embodiments, the banner file'"'"'s ancillary data includes recommendation data, identifying a banner as being recommended by a contact of the user'"'"'s.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a communication device, data comprising an object and ancillary data associated with the object, wherein the ancillary data is embedded in the object;

displaying the object at the communication device;

in response to a command, creating and storing an event at the communication device using the ancillary data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is at least one of:

a graphic;

or a banner advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein creating the event using the ancillary data comprises extracting the ancillary data from the object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ancillary data comprises at least one of the following:

an event start date;

an event end date;

an external event reference;

a reminder time;

an event type;

a location;

a name;

a description;

an address;

a website address;

or

a telephone number;

and wherein the event stored at the communication device is selected from the group of a calendar appointment, a task item, an address book entry, and a message.

5. A method, comprising:

a communication device obtaining its current geographical location over a network;

the communication device obtaining, over the network, an estimated travel time for travel between the current geographical location and a location associated with an event stored at the communication device;

if the estimated travel time is greater than the difference between a start time of the event and a current time, the communication device transmitting an instruction over a network to a service for controlling an external device, such that the external device is configured to carry out an action at the start time of the event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the external device is a personal video recorder, the event is a broadcast program, and the action is recording the program.

7. A method, comprising:

determining whether a communication device has entered a new time zone;

the communication device determining whether any events stored at the communication device and scheduled for a predetermined time in a previous time zone comprise an external event reference, the external event reference being associated with an external service;

for an event comprising an external event reference, the communication device updating the event in response to data received from the external service;

for an event not comprising an external event reference, the communication device updating the event to reflect a time in the new time zone equivalent to the predetermined time.

8. A method for distributing user recommendations, the method comprising:

determining, at a service, that an object is to be served to a communication device associated with a first user;

if the object is associated with at least one recommendation associated with another user in whom the first user has indicated an interest, transmitting to the communication device both the object and ancillary data comprising the at least one recommendation; and

if the object is not associated with at least one recommendation associated with another user in whom the first user has indicated an interest, transmitting the object to the communication device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the object is at least one of:

a graphic;

or

a banner advertisement.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ancillary data is embedded in the object.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the service, the at least one recommendation from the other user; and

receiving, at the service an indication from the first user of an interest in at least the other user.

12. A communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to receive and store in memory data comprising an object and ancillary data associated with the object, wherein the ancillary data is embedded in the object;

a display for displaying the object;

the processor being further configured to create and store in the memory, in response to a command, an event comprising at least a portion of the ancillary data.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the object is at least one of:

a graphic;

or

a banner advertisement.

14. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to create the event by extracting the ancillary data from the object.

15. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the ancillary data comprises at least one of the following:

an event start date;

an event end date;

an external event reference;

a reminder time;

an event type;

a location;

a name;

a description;

an address;

a website address;

or

a telephone number;

and wherein the event stored at the communication device is selected from the group of a calendar appointment, a task item, an address book entry, and a message.

16. A communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to obtain, over a network, a current geographical location of the communication device and an estimated time for travel between the current geographical location and a location associated with an event stored in a memory of the communication device;

wherein the processor is configured to transmit an instruction over the network to a service for controlling an external device if the estimated time is greater than the difference between a start time of the event and a current time such that the external device is configured to carry out an action at the start time of the event.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the external device is a personal video recorder, the event is a broadcast program, and the action is recording the program.

18. A communication device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine whether the communication device has entered a new time zone;

determine whether any events stored at the communication device and scheduled for a predetermined time in a previous time zone comprise an external event reference, the external event reference being associated with an external service;

for an event comprising an external event reference, update the event in response to data received from the external service;

for an event not comprising an external event reference, update the event o reflect a time in the new time zone equivalent to the predetermined time.

19. A system for distributing user recommendations, the system comprising:

a processor configured to;

determine that an object is to be served over a network to a communication device associated with a first user;

if the object is associated with at least one recommendation associated with another user in whom the first user has indicated an interest, transmit to the communication device both the object and ancillary data comprising the at least one recommendation; and

if the object is not associated with at least one recommendation associated with another user in whom the first user has indicated an interest, transmit the object to the communication device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the object is at least one of:

a graphic;

or

a banner advertisement.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the ancillary data is embedded in the object.