Method and System for Distributing and Displaying Graphical Items

• US 20140068449A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wolfram Alpha LLC (Wolfram Research Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Wolfram Research Incorporated
• Inventors: Wolfram, Stephen, Davis, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 9,405,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A subset of graphical display items, in a set of graphical display items stored in the one or more electronic storage devices, that have not previously been viewed by a user is determined. A graphical display item is selected from a subset of graphical display items. The graphical display item may be selected according to an order, or selected randomly. An initial display item and the selected graphical display item are electronically transmitted to a user computing device. The initial display item and the selected graphical display item are configured such that the selected graphical display item is displayed on a display device of the user computing device in response to the user selecting the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining, with a computing system, a subset of graphical display items, in a set of graphical display items, that have not previously been viewed by a user, wherein the set of graphical display items are stored in one or more electronic storage devices of the computing system;

selecting, with the computing system, a graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items not previously viewed by the user;

electronically transmitting, with the computing system and via a communication network, an initial display item to a user computing device, the initial display item configured to be displayed on a display device of the user computing device by an application executed by a processor of the user computing device; and

electronically transmitting, with the computing system and via the communication network, the selected graphical display item to the user computing device;

wherein the initial display item and the selected graphical display item are configured such that the selected graphical display item is displayed on the display device of the user computing device by the application in response to the user selecting the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein determining the subset of graphical display items, in the set of graphical display items, that have not previously been viewed by the user, is based on tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices;

wherein the method further comprises updating, with the computing system, the tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices to indicate that the selected graphical display item has been viewed by the user in response determining that the user selected the initial display item.

3. A method according to claim 2, further comprising electronically receiving, from the user computing device and via the communication network, an indication that the user selected the initial display item.

4. A method according to claim 2, further comprising determining, with the computing system, whether a graphical display item, from the set, that was previously viewed by the user should be selected;

and

selecting, with the computing system and based on tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices, a graphical display item previously viewed by the user in response to determining that a graphical display item that was previously viewed by the user should be selected;

wherein selecting the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items not previously viewed by the user is in response to determining that a graphical display item that was previously viewed by the user should not be selected.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein selecting the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items comprises randomly selecting, with the computing system, the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein (i) the initial display item and (ii) the selected graphical display item are electronically transmitted, with the computing system and via the communication network, within a data object that is configured to be processed by the application executed by the processor of the user computing device.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein electronically transmitting the initial display item is in response to the user computing device electronically transmitting a request for a web page.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the initial display item is configured to be displayed within the web page.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the graphical display item is at least one of:

(i) configured to be displayed within the web page,

(ii) configured to be displayed such that the graphical display item overlays at least a portion of the web page, and

(iii) configured to be displayed in a first web browser window separate from a second web browser window that displays the web page.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, with the computing system, an audio item from a set of audio items related to the set of graphical display items;

electronically transmitting, with the computing system and via the communication network, the selected audio item to the user computing device;

wherein the initial display item and the selected audio item are configured such that the selected audio item is rendered with an audio output device of the user computing device in response to the user selecting the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein selecting the audio item from the set of audio items comprises selecting, with the computing system, the audio item from the set of audio items based on which graphical display item was selected from the set of graphical display items.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein selecting the audio item from the set of audio items comprises selecting, with the computing system and based on tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices, from the set of audio items an audio item not previously rendered by the user computing device;

wherein the method further comprises updating, with the computing system, the tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices to indicate that the selected audio item has been rendered by the user computing device in response determining that the user selected the initial display item.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising electronically receiving, from the user computing device and via the communication network, an indication that the user computing device selected the initial display item.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein selecting the audio item from the set of audio items comprises randomly selecting, with the computing system, the audio item from the set of audio items.

15. A method according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether the user selects the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device; and

causing the selected graphical display item to be displayed on the display device of the user computing device by the application in response to determining that the user selected the initial display item.

16. A computing system, comprising:

a network interface configured to be communicatively coupled to a communication network;

one or more processors;

one or more electronic storage devices coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a subset of graphical display items, in a set of graphical display items stored in the one or more electronic storage devices, that have not previously been viewed by a user,

select a graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items not previously viewed by the user,

cause the network interface to transmit an initial display item to a user computing device via the communication network, wherein the initial display item is configured to be displayed on a display device of the user computing device by an application executed by a processor of the user computing device, and

cause the network interface to transmit the selected graphical display item to the user computing device via the communication network;

wherein the initial display item and the selected graphical display item are configured such that the selected graphical display item is displayed on the display device of the user computing device by the application in response to the user selecting the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device.

17. A computing system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine the subset of graphical display items that have not previously been viewed by the user based on tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices, and

in response to determining that the user selected the initial display item, update the tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices to indicate that the selected graphical display item has been viewed by the user.

18. A computing system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to update the tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices in response to an indication that the user selected the initial display item, wherein the indication is received from the user computing device via the communication network.

19. A computing system according to claim 17, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether a graphical display item, from the set, that was previously viewed by the user should be selected,

select a graphical display item previously viewed by the user in response to determining that a graphical display item that was previously viewed by the user should be selected, and

select the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items not previously viewed by the user is in response to determining that a graphical display item that was previously viewed by the user should not be selected.

20. A computing system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to select the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items by randomly selecting the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items.

21. A computing system according to claim 20, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

randomly select, based on tracking information stored in one or more electronic storage devices, from the subset of graphical display items a graphical display item not previously viewed by the user, and

update the tracking information stored in the one or more electronic storage devices to indicate that the selected graphical display item has been viewed by the user in response determining that the user selected the initial display item.

22. A computing system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause the network interface to transmit, via the communication network, a data object that includes (i) the initial display item and (ii) the selected graphical display item, wherein the data object is configured to be processed by the application executed by the processor of the user computing device.

23. A computing system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause the network interface to transmit the initial display item in response to determining that the user computing device electronically transmitted a request for a web page.

24. A computing system according to claim 23, wherein the initial display item is configured to be displayed within the web page.

25. A computing system according to claim 24, wherein the graphical display item is at least one of:

(i) configured to be displayed within the web page,

(ii) configured to be displayed such that the graphical display item overlays at least a portion of the web page, and

(iii) configured to be displayed in a first web browser window separate from a second web browser window that displays the web page.

26. A computing system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

select an audio item from a set of audio items related to the set of graphical display items, wherein the set of audio items is stored in the one or more electronic storage devices;

cause the network interface to transmit, via the communication network, the selected audio item to the user computing device;

wherein the initial display item and the selected audio item are configured such that the selected audio item is rendered with an audio output device of the user computing device in response to the user selecting the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device.

27. A computing system according to claim 16, wherein the one or more electronic storage devices store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the user selects the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device; and

cause the selected graphical display item to be displayed on the display device of the user computing device by the application in response to determining that the user selected the initial display item.

28. One or more first electronic storage devices having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine a subset of graphical display items, in a set of graphical display items stored in one or more second electronic storage devices, that have not previously been viewed by a user,

select a graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items not previously viewed by the user,

cause a network interface of the computing system to electronically transmit, via a communication network, an initial display item to a user computing device, the initial display item configured to be displayed on a display device of the user computing device by an application executed by a processor of the user computing device; and

cause the network interface of the computing system to electronically transmit, via the communication network, the selected graphical display item to the user computing device;

wherein the initial display item and the selected graphical display item are configured such that the selected graphical display item is displayed on the display device of the user computing device by the application in response to the user selecting the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device.

29. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 28 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine the subset of graphical display items that have not previously been viewed by the user based on tracking information stored in the one or more second electronic storage devices, and

in response to determining that the user selected the initial display item, update the tracking information stored in the one or more second electronic storage devices to indicate that the selected graphical display item has been viewed by the user.

30. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 29 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to update the tracking information stored in the one or more second electronic storage devices in response to an indication that the user selected the initial display item, wherein the indication is received from the user computing device via the communication network.

31. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 29 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether a graphical display item, from the set, that was previously viewed by the user should be selected,

select a graphical display item previously viewed by the user in response to determining that a graphical display item that was previously viewed by the user should be selected, and

select the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items not previously viewed by the user is in response to determining that a graphical display item that was previously viewed by the user should not be selected.

32. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 28 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to select the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items by randomly selecting the graphical display item from the subset of graphical display items.

34. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 28 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause the network interface to transmit, via the communication network, a data object that includes (i) the initial display item and (ii) the selected graphical display item, wherein the data object is configured to be processed by the application executed by the processor of the user computing device.

35. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 28 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to cause the network interface to transmit the initial display item in response to determining that the user computing device electronically transmitted a request for a web page.

38. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 28 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

select an audio item from a set of audio items related to the set of graphical display items, wherein the set of audio items is stored in the one or more second electronic storage devices;

cause the network interface to transmit, via the communication network, the selected audio item to the user computing device;

wherein the initial display item and the selected audio item are configured such that the selected audio item is rendered with an audio output device of the user computing device in response to the user selecting the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device.

39. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 28 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine whether the user selects the initial display item when the initial display item is displayed on the display device; and

cause the selected graphical display item to be displayed on the display device of the user computing device by the application in response to determining that the user selected the initial display item.

33. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 33 having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

randomly select, based on tracking information stored in one or more second electronic storage devices, from the subset of graphical display items a graphical display item not previously viewed by the user, and

update the tracking information stored in the one or more second electronic storage devices to indicate that the selected graphical display item has been viewed by the user in response determining that the user selected the initial display item.

36. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 36, wherein the initial display item is configured to be displayed within the web page.

37. The one or more first electronic storage devices of claim 37, wherein the graphical display item is at least one of:

(i) configured to be displayed within the web page,

(ii) configured to be displayed such that the graphical display item overlays at least a portion of the web page, and

(iii) configured to be displayed in a first web browser window separate from a second web browser window that displays the web page.