Advertising screen saver

• US 6,084,583 A
• Filed: 12/31/1997
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerszberg, Irwin, Martin, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saras, Steven J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ENGLISH, ALECIA DIANE
• Application Number:
  US09/001,574
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 345/327, 345/329, 345/330, 345/334, 345/342, 705/14, 709/232
• US Class Current: 715/867
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for providing for an advertising screen saver is disclosed. At least one video advertisement is stored at a location in a telephone network. If there is no activity at a video telephone with an associated display, a video advertisement is sent to the video telephone. The video advertisement is then displayed on a dark background on the display, wherein the video advertisement is smaller than a display area of the display. The video advertisement is then periodically moved to different locations in the display area.

Claims

1. A method for providing for an advertising screen saver, comprising the steps of:

storing at least one video advertisement at a location in a telephone network;

determining if there is no activity at a device with an associated display, said device being attached to said telephone network;

sending said a video advertisement to said device when it is determined that there is no activity at the device;

displaying said video advertisement on a dark background on said display, wherein said video advertisement is smaller than a display area of the display;

first displaying said video advertisement at a low light level;

gradually brighten the video advertisement until the video advertisement reaches a predetermined maximum brightness; and

moving said video advertisement to a new location in said display area when said video advertisement reaches the predetermined maximum brightness, wherein said video advertisement is returned to the low light level.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said device is a video telephone.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said device is a settop device attached to a television.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said video advertisement is first displayed at the center of the display area.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said video advertisement moves at an angle from each location the video advertisement is displayed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said video advertisement is moved in a reverse direction when the video advertisement hits the edge of the display area.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

detecting when said video advertisement hits the edge of the display area;

moving said video advertisement back to the center of the display area; and

periodically moving said video advertisement in a random direction.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

detecting when said video advertisement hits the edge of the display area;

removing said video advertisement from said display;

sending a new video advertisement to said device; and

displaying said new video advertisement on said display.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein a different advertisement is sent to said device for display when the displayed advertisement hits the edge of the display area.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a different video advertisement is sent to said device for display after a predetermined period of time.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein a different video advertisement is sent to the device for display after a predetermined period of time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein a different video advertisement is sent to the device for display when a current video advertisement reaches the maximum brightness.