Network communications marketing system
First Claim
1. A marketing system for displaying an announcement at a network terminating device connected to a communications network by way of a network service provider (NSP), the system comprising:
- browser client program including a display window executing on the network terminating device for allowing the network terminating device to communicate with other devices on the communications network, the NSP providing the network terminating device access to the communications network;
a network server program operating on the NSP for handling communications with the network terminating device and other devices on the communications network;
a connection path for connecting the network terminating device with the NSP and allowing communications therebetween;
a traffic monitor for monitoring the connection path to determine when the connection path is idle, the connection path being idle when the network terminating device is not sending or receiving any information over the connection path; and
an announcement server connected to the NSP for transmitting at least one announcement to the network terminating device by way of the NSP, wherein the network server program transmits the at least one announcement from the announcement server to the network terminating device when the connection path is idle as determined by the traffic monitor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications marketing system allows a client station accessing a computer network through a Network Service Provider (NSP) to receive advertisements whenever the connection path between the client station and the NSP is idle. The NSP monitors traffic to/from the client station to determine when the connection path is idle. An announcement server connected to the NSP transmits advertising messages and other information to the client station when the connection path is idle. The advertisements are displayed in a predetermined location of a browser client window of the client station. The advertisements can be played/displayed for a predetermined time period.
398 Citations
71 Claims
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1. A marketing system for displaying an announcement at a network terminating device connected to a communications network by way of a network service provider (NSP), the system comprising:
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browser client program including a display window executing on the network terminating device for allowing the network terminating device to communicate with other devices on the communications network, the NSP providing the network terminating device access to the communications network; a network server program operating on the NSP for handling communications with the network terminating device and other devices on the communications network; a connection path for connecting the network terminating device with the NSP and allowing communications therebetween; a traffic monitor for monitoring the connection path to determine when the connection path is idle, the connection path being idle when the network terminating device is not sending or receiving any information over the connection path; and an announcement server connected to the NSP for transmitting at least one announcement to the network terminating device by way of the NSP, wherein the network server program transmits the at least one announcement from the announcement server to the network terminating device when the connection path is idle as determined by the traffic monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27)
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24. The system of claim I further comprising means for buffering data destined for the network terminating device from a remote device such that the connection path remains idle, thereby allowing continuation of the transmission of the at least one announcement to the network terminating device.
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28. A marketing system for displaying an announcement at a network terminating device connected to a communications network by way of a network service provider (NSP), the network terminating device connected to the NSP by a connection path and executing a browser client program including a display window, the system comprising:
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an announcement server connected to the NSP, the announcement server including a storage device for storing at least one announcement; a network server program operating on the NSP for handling communications between the network terminating device and the NSP and between the NSP and the communications network; and a traffic monitor for monitoring the connection path to determine when the connection path is idle, the connection path being idle when the network terminating device is not sending or receiving any information over the connection path, wherein the network server program notifies the announcement server to begin executing an announcement sequence, whereby the announcement server transmits the announcement over the connection path to the network terminating device when the connection path is idle as determined by the traffic monitor. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method for displaying an announcement at a network terminating device connected to a communications network by way of a network service provider (NSP), the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a network server program operating on the NSP, the network server program handling communications between the network terminating device and the NSP and the NSP and the communications network; providing an announcement server connected to the NSP and in communication with the network server program, the announcement server storing at least one announcement in a storage device thereof; monitoring a connection path between the NSP and the network terminating device over which the network terminating device and the network server program communicate; transmitting the announcement to the network terminating device when the connection path is idle as determined by the monitoring step, the connection path being idle when the network terminating device is not sending or receiving any information over the connection path; and displaying the announcement in a fixed announcement window on the network terminating device. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification