Methods, systems and computer program products for providing insertions during delays in interactive systems
First Claim
1. A method for communicating between networked computers having a first application resident on a first computer, the method comprising:
- wherein the first application carries out the following steps;
transmitting to a proxy application over a network, requests for information stored on a second computer;
receiving information from the proxy application over the network;
displaying information received from the proxy application to a user irrespective of whether the information is the response to the request for information from the second computer; and
wherein the proxy application carries out the following steps;
requesting the information requested by the first computer from the second computer;
determining the amount of time required to retrieve the requested information from the second computer;
transmitting to the first application over the network an insertion for display by the first application if the amount of time required to retrieve the requested information from the second computer is sufficient to transmit the insertion to the first computer, wherein the insertion is transmitted in response to the receipt of the request for information from the second computer;
receiving the requested information from the second computer; and
transmitting to the first application over the network, the received requested information after transmission of the insertion to the first application if an insertion is transmitted to the first application.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for providing information in the form of an insertion to a user during delays in retrieving program material with an interactive system. This may include making a determination of whether the delay is going to be sufficiently long to provide the user with an insertion. In addition, the insertion may be customized to either the user or to the program material requested, or to both the user and the requested program material. The insertion may include control logic that provides the user with control over the insertion and/or the interactive system.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method for communicating between networked computers having a first application resident on a first computer, the method comprising:
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wherein the first application carries out the following steps; transmitting to a proxy application over a network, requests for information stored on a second computer; receiving information from the proxy application over the network; displaying information received from the proxy application to a user irrespective of whether the information is the response to the request for information from the second computer; and wherein the proxy application carries out the following steps; requesting the information requested by the first computer from the second computer; determining the amount of time required to retrieve the requested information from the second computer; transmitting to the first application over the network an insertion for display by the first application if the amount of time required to retrieve the requested information from the second computer is sufficient to transmit the insertion to the first computer, wherein the insertion is transmitted in response to the receipt of the request for information from the second computer; receiving the requested information from the second computer; and transmitting to the first application over the network, the received requested information after transmission of the insertion to the first application if an insertion is transmitted to the first application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of providing information to an application over a network, the method comprising:
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intercepting requests for information transmitted over the network from the application; determining the amount of time required to retrieve the requested information; providing an insertion over the network to the application in response to the intercepted request for information if said step of determining the amount of time determines that the time required to retrieve the requested information is sufficient to provide the insertion to the application; retrieving the requested information; and providing the retrieved information to the application over the network after the insertion is provided to the application if an insertion is provided to the application. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for providing-information to an application over a network, comprising:
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means for intercepting requests for information transmitted over the network from the application; means for determining the amount of time required to retrieve the requested information; means for providing an insertion over the network to the application in response to the intercepted request for information if the means for determining the amount of time determines that the time required to retrieve the requested information is sufficient to provide the insertion to the application; means for retrieving the requested information; and means for providing the retrieved information to the application over the network after the insertion is provided to the application if an insertion is provided to the application. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer program product for providing information to an application over a network, the computer program product comprising:
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a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer-readable program code means comprising; computer readable program code means for intercepting requests for information transmitted over the network from the application; computer readable program code means for determining the amount of time required to retrieve the requested information; computer readable program code means for providing an insertion over the network to the application in response to the intercepted request for information if the computer readable program code means for determining the amount of time determines that the time required to retrieve the requested information is sufficient to provide the insertion to the application; computer readable program code means for retrieving the requested information; and computer readable program code means for providing the retrieved information to the application over the network after the insertion is provided to the application if an insertion is provided to the application. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification