System and method for distributing data over a communications network

• US 6,317,780 B1
• Filed: 09/08/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G., Cohn, Alan, Bruck, Timo
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit, Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US09/149,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20010044846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/227, 709/224, 709/245, 709/218, 709/219, 709/225, 709/232, 370/327, 370/468, 725/10, 725/35, 725/36, 725/41, 725/42, 707/513
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9057 Arrangements for supporting packet reassembly or resequencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9073 Early interruption upon arrival of a fraction of a packet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system and method for distributing and presenting data such as advertisements from a host server to a browsing device through a communications network. The method involves preloading data from the host server to the browsing device though the communications network, storing the data in the browsing device, detecting a second period of idle time in browsing device operation, and presenting the data through the browsing device upon detection of the second period of idle time.

Claims

1. In a computer network including a plurality of servers logically connected to one another and to a plurality of client systems, and wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television monitor and an electronic unit for controlling connection to one or more of the servers for browsing and downloading content from a host server for display at the television monitor, a method of delivering data from a connected host server to a client system, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first period of idle time of the client system during which the client system has not been used to browse the network;

establishing contact between the client system and the host server during the first period of idle time;

preloading data selected by the host server to the client system in response to information communicated by the client system which identifies data already cached at the client system;

storing the data in the client system;

detecting a second period of idle time at the client system;

presenting the data at the client system upon detecting the second period of idle time; and

reporting to the host server that the data has been presented at the client system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps for:

detecting a determined client system event during preloading; and

interrupting preloading upon detecting the determined client system event.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined client system event is a user interaction with a graphical user interface of the client systems.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determined client system event is an initiation of other network communications by the client system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps for:

detecting a determined client system event during presenting of the data; and

interrupting the presenting of the data upon detecting the determined client system event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determined client system event is a user interaction with a graphical user interface of the client system.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the determined client system event is completion of a download of a web page.

8. The method of claim 5, further including the step for resuming presentation of the data upon detecting a third period of idle time in client system operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period of idle time is a period of temporary inactivity of the client system, and wherein preloading the data occurs during the period of temporary inactivity.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the period of temporary inactivity is a period of graphical user interface inactivity.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the period of temporary inactivity is a period of network communications inactivity of the client system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the period of temporary inactivity is a stalled download period during which the client system is connected to, but not receiving information from, a remote server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second period of idle time is a connect waiting period during which the client system attempts to connect to a remote server on the network.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second period of idle time is a download waiting period during which the client system has attempted to begin, but has not completed, downloading information from a remote server on the network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is text data.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is graphical data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is audio data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is video data.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is advertising data.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps for:

displaying a transition page on the client system, the transition page including a format for the data, and

presenting the data according to the format of the transition page.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step for:

downloading the format for the transition page from the host server to the client system through the network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the downloading is achieved by transmitting a URL from the host server to the client system and downloading HTML code containing the format for the transition page from an Internet site located at the URL to the browsing device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein downloading HTML code containing the format occurs multiple times during a single use session of the client system, such that the format for the data changes during the session.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the transition page is opaque.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the transition page is partially translucent, such that a separate page is visible through part of the transition page.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

before the step for presenting the data, determining, whether a minimum period of time has elapsed since a previous presentation of data, and preventing presentation of the data if the minimum period of time has not elapsed.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the minimum period of time is communicated from the host server to the client system through the network.

28. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the steps for

establishing an impression interval;

and

reporting to the host server that the data has been presented only if presenting the data occurred for at least the impression interval.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the impression interval is communicated from the host server to the client system through the network.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein an impression is reported to the host server when the data is presented during at least two separate time intervals for a total time of at least the impression interval.

31. In a computer network including a plurality of servers logically connected to one another and to a plurality of client systems, and wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television monitor and an electronic unit for controlling connection to one or more of the servers for browsing and downloading content from a host server for display at the television monitor, a computer program product for implementing a method of delivering data from a connected host server to a client system, comprising:

a computer readable medium for carrying machine executable instructions for implementing said method; and

wherein said method is comprised of the steps of;

detecting a first period of idle time of the client system during which the client system has not been used to browse the network;

establishing contact between the client system and the host server during the first period of idle time;

preloading data selected by the host server to the client system in response to information communicated by the client system which identifies data already cached at the client system;

storing the data in the client system;

detecting a second period of idle time at the client system;

presenting the data at the client system upon detecting the second period of idle time; and

reporting to the host server that the data has been presented at the client system.

32. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the method implemented by machine executable instructions further comprises the steps for:

detecting a determined client system event during preloading; and

interrupting preloading upon detecting the determined client system event.

33. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the method implemented by machine executable instructions further comprises the steps for:

detecting a determined client system event during presenting of the data; and

interrupting the presenting of the data upon detecting the determined client system event.

34. A computer program product as recited in claim 33, wherein the method implemented by machine executable instructions further comprises the step for resuming presentation of the data upon detecting a third period of idle time in client system operation.

35. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the first period of idle time is a period of temporary inactivity of the client system, and wherein preloading the data occurs during the period of temporary inactivity.

36. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the method implemented by machine executable instructions further comprises the steps for:

displaying a transition page on the client system, the transition page including a format for the data, and

presenting the data according to the format of the transition page.

37. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the method implemented by machine executable instructions further comprises the step for:

before the step of presenting the data, determining whether a minimum period of time has elapsed since a previous presentation of data, and preventing presentation of the data if the minimum period of time has not elapsed.

38. A computer program product as recited in claim 31, wherein the method implemented by machine executable instructions further comprises the steps for:

establishing an impression interval; and

reporting to the host server that the data has been presented only if presenting the data occurred for at least the impression interval.