SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING TIMELY ADVERTISING TO PORTABLE DEVICES

• US 20130304580A1
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iqzone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Iqzone Incorporated
• Inventors: Feadler, Matthew Aaron, Wolfinger, James Alex, Wagner, Sean Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.64
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3492 employing speed data or traffic data, e.g. real-time or historical traffic control systems for road vehicles involving transmission of navigation instructions to the vehicle G08G1/0968
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3667 Display of a road map G01C21/3614 takes precedence; guidance using 3D or perspective road maps G01C21/3635
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0266 based on the position of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/049 giving information to passengers inside the vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Systems and methods for displaying advertisements on a portable device that utilizes an Activity-based operating system are described. The method includes receiving an indication that an Activity is being transitioned away from, and determining whether or not the Activity is finishing. Upon determining that the Activity is finishing, the method includes causing an advertisement display routine to be executed immediately, otherwise submitting the advertisement display routine into a processing queue to be executed subsequently. The advertisement display routine displays the advertisement only upon determining that the state of the Activity and the state of the portable device are characterized by one or more predetermined conditions.

Claims

1. A method of displaying an advertisement on a display screen of a communication device, the communication device including a processor and a memory including program code, the method comprising:

monitoring execution of an operating system of the communication device;

receiving, pursuant to the monitoring, an indication of occurrence of an operating system event wherein the operating system event is indicative of a state transition of a first activity of the operating system, the first activity being associated with an application program being executed on the processor; and

executing, by the processor and in response to the indication, the program code in order to;

determine whether the first activity is finishing; and

display, upon determining the first activity is finishing, the advertisement upon determining that at least one of the following conditions exists;

a second activity of the operating system is not being invoked,

the communication device is not involved in a call,

the display screen is not locked, and

the first activity is a root activity or is in a background state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the program code includes code for, upon determining the first activity is not finishing, submitting an advertisement display routine into a processing queue for subsequent execution by the processor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the advertisement comprises:

invoking a third activity, wherein execution of the third activity is delayed by an operating system subsequent to activation of a Home button; and

painting a view on the display screen, wherein painting the view is not delayed by the operating system subsequent to activation of the Home button.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the view comprises content of the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the third activity is invoked behind the view on a z-axis normal to the display screen.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

subsequent to invoking the third activity and painting the view, detecting at least one of an activation of the Home button and a transition to another activity; and

upon detecting the activation of the Home button or the transition to the another activity, removing the view and terminating the third activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein, the indication is an initiation of a termination routine when the first activity is being transitioned away from.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the termination routine is an overridden termination routine.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor displays the advertisement upon determining that at least two of the following conditions exist:

the second activity is not being invoked,

the communication device is not involved in the call,

the display screen is not locked, and

the first activity is the root activity or is in the background state.

10. A communication device comprising:

a processor;

a display screen; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing program code which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

monitor execution of an operating system of the communication device in order to detect one or more operating system events;

receive an indication of occurrence of an operating system event included among the one or more operating system events wherein the operating system event is indicative of a state transition of a first activity of the operating system, the first activity being associated with an application program being executed on the processor;

execute, in response to the indication, the program code in order to;

determine whether the first activity is finishing; and

display, upon determining the first activity is finishing, the advertisement upon determining that at least one of the following conditions exists;

a second activity of the operating system is not being invoked,

the communication device is not involved in a call,

the display screen is not locked, and

the first activity is a root activity or is in a background state.

11. The communication device of claim 10 wherein the program code includes code for causing the processor to, upon determining the first activity is not finishing, submit an advertisement display routine into a processing queue for subsequent execution by the processor.

12. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the program code causes the processor to display the advertisement by:

invoking a third activity, wherein execution of the third activity is delayed by an operating system subsequent to activation of a Home button; and

painting a view on the display, wherein painting the view is not delayed by the operating system subsequent to activation of the Home button.

13. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the view comprises content of the advertisement.

14. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the third activity is invoked behind the view on a z-axis normal to the display screen.

15. The communication device of claim 12, wherein the program code further causes the processor to:

subsequent to invoking the third activity and painting the view, detect at least one of an activation of the Home button and a transition to another activity; and

upon detecting the activation of the Home button or the transition to the another activity, remove the view and terminate the third activity.

16. The communication device of claim 10, wherein, the indication is an initiation of a termination routine when an activity is being transitioned away from.

17. The communication device of claim 16, wherein the termination routine is overridden termination routine.

18. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the processor displays the advertisement upon determining that at least two of the following conditions exists:

the second activity is not being invoked,

the communication device is not involved in the call,

the display screen is not locked, and

the first activity is the root activity or is in the background state.

19. A non-transient computer readable medium storing program code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

monitor execution of an operating system of the communication device in order to detect one or more operating system events;

receive an indication of occurrence of an operating system event included among the one or more operating system events wherein the operating system event is indicative of a state transition of a first activity of the operating system, the first activity being associated with an application program being executed on the processor; and

execute, in response to the indication, the program code in order to;

determine whether the first activity is finishing; and

display, upon determining the first activity is finishing, the advertisement upon determining that at least one of the following conditions exists;

a second Activity of the operating system is not being invoked,

the communication device is not involved in a call,

the display screen is not locked, and

the first activity is a root activity or is in a background state.

20. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein the program code includes code for causing the processor to, upon determining the first activity is not finishing, submit an advertisement display routine into a processing queue for subsequent execution by the processor.

21. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the program code further causes the processor to display the advertisement by:

invoking a third activity, wherein execution of the third activity is delayed by an operating system subsequent to activation of a Home button; and

causing a view to be painted on the display, wherein the painting of the view is not delayed by the operating system subsequent to activation of the Home button.

22. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the view comprises content of the advertisement.

23. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the third activity is invoked behind the view on a z-axis normal to the display screen.

24. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the program code further causes the processor to:

subsequent to invoking the third activity and causing the view to be painted, detect at least one of an activation of the Home button and a transition to another activity; and

upon detecting the activation of the Home button or the transition to the another activity, cause the view to be removed from the display and terminate the third activity.

25. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein, the indication is an initiation of a termination routine when the first activity is being transitioned away from.

26. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 25, wherein the termination routine is an overridden termination routine.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program code for implementing a method of displaying an advertisement on a communication device, the communication device including a processor and a user interface, the computer program code comprising:

program code for monitoring execution of an operating system of the communication device;

program code for receiving, based upon the monitoring, an indication of occurrence of an operating system event included among the one or more operating system events wherein the operating system event is indicative of a state transition of a first activity of the operating system, the first activity being associated with an application program being executed on the processor;

program code for determining whether the activity is finishing; and

program code for initiating, based upon the determining, display of the advertisement upon the user interface provided that a state of the activity and a state of the communication device are characterized by one or more predetermined conditions.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27 wherein the program code further includes program code for submitting an advertisement display routine to a processing queue for subsequent execution upon determining the activity is not finishing.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the predetermined conditions comprise at least one of:

another activity of the application program is not being invoked,

the communication device is not involved in a call,

a display screen is not locked, and

the first activity is a root activity or is in a background state.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the computer program code further includes program code for:

invoking another activity, wherein execution of the another activity is delayed by an operating system subsequent to activation of a Home button; and

initiating display of a view upon the user interface, wherein the display of the view is not delayed by the operating system subsequent to activation of the Home button.