Internet advertising with controlled and timed display of ad content from centralized system controller

• US 6,128,651 A
• Filed: 04/14/1999
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KlausTech LLC (KlausTech, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Americom USA
• Inventors: Cezar, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US09/291,785
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/79, 707/500, 709/200, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/224, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A non-scrolling ad display is lodged in a website to cause browsers hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display for guaranteed minimum timed intervals. The system enables precise controlled advertising to each web page viewing browser and accurate advertising budgeting and programming which can be monitored and upgraded to meet marketing needs. The components participating in the system include a website at a webserver for transmitting a page with code for installing a non-scrolling ad frame. Ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame each have individual timers for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser. A central controller with a firewall protected data base directs non-scrolling frame set up in the browser; generates, dispenses and interrogates for unique browser identifiers; maintains records associated with the unique browser identifiers indicating ads displayed and ads available for display; and, finally dispatches to inquiring browsers ad content addresses. The data base provides an audit trail from which websites can be compensated for ad display and advertisers billed for the ad display. Finally, an inquiring browser has the non-scrolling frame set up on the browser, ad content displayed within the browser for a sufficient time interval to timeout the timer, report to the central controller of the display, and retrieval of the address of the next ad content for display.

Claims

1. A non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display for guaranteed minimum timed intervals comprising the steps of:

providing a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page with a non-scrolling ad frame to a browser;

providing ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame, each ad content having ad identity and an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser;

providing a central controller interrogating for browser identity and maintaining records associated with the browser identity indicating ad identity displayed, and timer timeout;

placing the ad content in the non-scrolling ad frame of the browser to display the ad content and start the individual timer;

timing out the individual timer of the ad content at the non-scrolling frame at the browser;

reporting from the browser to the central controller the timer timeout of the ad content; and

,

retaining in the central controller a record of the browser identity, the ad identity, and the timer timeout of the ad content at the browser.

2. The non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display according to claim 1 and wherein:

the step of providing a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page with a non-scrolling ad frame to a browser further includes;

having the website transmit code to the browser to interrogate the browser for the presence of the non-scrolling ad frame; and

,

upon not finding a non-scrolling ad frame at the browser, diverting the browser to central controller; and

,

having the central controller directly provide to the browser the non-scrolling ad frame.

3. The non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display according to claim 1 and wherein:

the step of providing ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame includes providing the browser with an internet address of the ad content; and

,

having the browser retrieve the ad content from the provided internet address.

4. The non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display according to claim 3 and wherein:

the step of providing the browser with an internet address of the ad content includes having the central system controller provide the internet address of the ad content.

5. The non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display according to claim 4 and wherein:

providing from the system controller the internet address of ad content to be displayed after reporting from the browser to the central controller the timer timeout of the ad content.

6. A non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display for guaranteed minimum timed intervals comprising the steps of:

providing a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page to a browser;

providing code at the website for transmission to the browser for interrogating the browser to determine presence of a non-scrolling ad frame in the browser for the display of ad content;

interrogating the browser for the presence of the non-scrolling frame;

upon not finding the non-scrolling ad frame, diverting the browser to an internet address for loading the non-scrolling ad frame;

upon finding the non-scrolling ad frame providing ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame, each ad content having ad identity and an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser;

providing a central controller interrogating for browser identity and maintaining records associated with the browser identity indicating ad identity displayed, and timer timeout;

placing the ad content in the non-scrolling ad frame of the browser to display the ad content and start the individual timer;

timing out the individual timer of the ad content at the non-scrolling frame at the browser;

reporting from the browser to the central controller the timer timeout of the ad content; and

,

retaining in the central controller a record of the browser identity, the ad identity, and the timer timeout of the ad content at the browser.

7. The non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display according to claim 6 and wherein:

the step of providing a central controller interrogating for browser identity includes;

providing a generator for generating unique browser identifiers at the system controller;

transmitting the unique browser identifier to the browser; and

,

interrogating for unique browser identifiers to the browser from the system controller to uniquely identify the browser.

8. The non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display according to claim 6 and wherein:

the step of providing the ad content in the non-scrolling ad frame of the browser includes having the central controller send the browser the internet address of the ad content; and

,

having the browser retrieve the ad content from the internet using the Internet address.

9. A non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display for guaranteed minimum timed intervals comprising the steps of:

providing a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page with code for installing a non-scrolling ad frame to a browser;

providing a plurality of classed ad contents for the non-scrolling ad frame, each ad content being from a plurality of similarly classified ad contents with each ad content having ad identity, an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser;

providing a central controller interrogating for browser identity and maintaining records associated with the browser identity indicating ad identity displayed, and timer timeout;

placing the ad content in the non-scrolling ad frame of the browser to display the ad content and start the individual timer;

timing out the individual timer of the ad content at the non-scrolling frame at the browser;

reporting from the browser to the central controller the timer timeout of the ad content;

retaining in the central controller a record of the browser identity, the ad identity, and the timer timeout of the ad content at the browser;

retrieving the record of browser identity, the ad identity, and timer timeout;

changing the plurality of similarly classified ad contents with the ad identity of the timer timeout ad; and

,

transmitting to the reporting browser an address of similarly classified ad contents less the ad identity of the timer timeout ad;

repeating the placing, timing out reporting, retaining, retrieving, changing, and transmitting steps until all similarly classified ad contents have been displayed.

10. A non-scrolling ad display from a website for causing a browser hitting the website to undertake centrally controlled and recorded ad display for guaranteed minimum timed intervals according to claim 9 and wherein:

the step of providing a plurality of classed ad contents for the non-scrolling ad frame includes a plurality of ad content being from a first similarly classified ad contents and a plurality of ad contents being from a second similarly classified ad contents; and

,

repeating the placing, timing out reporting, retaining, retrieving, changing, and transmitting steps until first similarly classified ad contents is displayed; and

then,

repeating the placing, timing out reporting, retaining, retrieving, changing, and transmitting steps until the second similarly classified ad contents for the non-scrolling ad frame is displayed.

11. The process of using a browser in a scheme of precise timed ad display control wherein the internet includes:

a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page with a non-scrolling ad frame to a browser;

ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame, each ad content having ad identity and an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser; and

,

a central controller interrogating for browser identity and maintaining records associated with the browser identity indicating ad identity displayed, and timer timeout;

the process of using the browser comprising the steps of;

having the browser call the website;

having the browser retrieve the at least one page of the website and a non-scrolling ad frame at the browser;

having the browser then display ad content in the non-scrolling ad frame to start the timer;

having the browser display the ad content a sufficient interval to timeout the timer in the ad content;

having the browser report to the central controller a record of the browser identity, the ad identity, and the timer timeout of the ad content at the browser.

12. The process of using a browser in a scheme of precise timed ad display control according to claim 11 and wherein:

the step of having the browser retrieve the at least one page of the website with the non-scrolling ad frame includes;

interrogating the browser for the presence of the non-scrolling ad frame;

upon not finding the non-scrolling ad frame diverting the browser to load the non-scrolling ad frame from an address on the Internet different from the website;

upon finding the non-scrolling ad frame having the browser display the ad content.

13. The process of using a browser in a scheme of precise timed ad display control according to claim 11 and wherein:

the step of having the browser then display ad content in the non-scrolling ad frame to start the timer includes;

having the browser retrieve the internet address of the ad content;

using the Internet address of the ad content, having the browser retrieve the ad content;

displaying the retrieved ad content to start the timer.

14. A process of using a website and webserver in a scheme of precise timed ad display control wherein the Internet includes:

a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page with code for installing a non-scrolling ad frame to a browser;

ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame, each ad content having ad identity and an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser; and

,

a central controller interrogating for browser identity and maintaining records associated with the browser identity indicating ad identity displayed, and timer timeout; and

,

an interrogating browser for calling on the webserver of the website for retrieving the at least one page with the non-scrolling ad frame and displaying the at least one page with non-scrolling frame;

the process of using the website and webserver to place a overlaid non-scrolling ad frame at the browser only and not at the website and webserver comprising the steps of;

upon receiving a request for the at least one web page from a browser transmitting to the browser code for determining whether the inquiring browser has a non-scrolling ad frame;

upon determining that the inquiring non-scrolling ad frame is not present at the browser, transmitting from the transmitted code to the inquiring browser an address other than the website for the loading of the non-scrolling ad frame to the browser;

upon determining that the inquiring non-scrolling ad frame is present in the webpage at the browser, proceeding to load the web page to the browser, whereby the browser only contains the non-scrolling ad frame and the website and webserver do not contain the non-scrolling ad frame giving to a viewer of the browser the overlaid appearance of the non-scrolling ad frame on the website and webserver.

15. A process of using a website and webserver in a scheme of precise timed ad display control according to claim 14 wherein the Internet includes:

placing lead-in ad content to the non-scrolling ad frame on the browser, the lead-in ad content having ad identity and an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser.

16. A process of using a central system controller in a scheme of precise timed ad display control wherein the internet includes:

a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page with code for installing a non-scrolling ad frame to a browser;

ad content for the non-scrolling ad frame, each ad content having ad identity and an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser; and

,

a central controller interrogating for browser identity and maintaining records associated with the browser identity indicating ad identity displayed, and timer timeout; and

,

an interrogating browser for calling on the webserver of the website for retrieving the at least one page with the non-scrolling ad frame and displaying the at least one page with non-scrolling frame;

the process of using the central system controller comprising the steps of;

receiving requests for ad content address from a browser;

upon receiving the requests for ad content address, inquiring of the browser for a unique browser identifier;

upon failing to find a unique browser identifier, generating and transmitting to the browser the unique browser identifier;

upon finding a unique browser identifier, transmitting to the browser the address of ad content for display at the browser.

17. The process of using a central system controller in a scheme of precise timed ad display control according to claim 16 and wherein:

the step of upon finding a unique browser identifier, transmitting to the browser the address of ad content for display at the browser includes;

transmitting to the browser the internet address of the ad content; and

,

permitting the browser to retrieve the ad content independent of the system controller.

18. A process of using a central system controller in a scheme of precise timed ad display control wherein the internet includes:

a website at a webserver for transmitting at least one page with code for installing a non-scrolling ad frame to a browser;

a plurality of classed ad contents for the non-scrolling ad frame, each ad content being from a plurality of similarly classified ad contents with each ad content having ad identity, an individual timer for timing out commencing with display at the browser and an Internet address for fetching by the browser; and

,

a central controller interrogating for browser identity and maintaining records associated with the browser identity indicating ad identity displayed, and timer timeout; and

,

an interrogating browser for calling on the webserver of the website for retrieving the at least one page with the non-scrolling ad frame and displaying the at least one page with non-scrolling frame;

the process of using the central system controller comprising the steps of;

maintaining in the central controller a record of the browser identity, the ad identity, and the timer timeout of the ad content at the browser;

receiving the record of browser identity, the ad indentity, and timer timeout;

changing the plurality of similarly classified ad contents with the ad identity of the timer timeout ad; and

,

transmitting to the reporting browser an address of similarly classified ad contents less the ad identity of the timer timeout ad.

19. The process of using a central system controller in a scheme of precise timed ad display control according to claim 18 and having the additional step of:

repeating the maintaining, receiving, changing, and transmitting steps until all similarly classified ad contents have been displayed.