Computer interface method and apparatus with targeted advertising

• US 6,628,314 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: B.E. Technology, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: B.E. Technology, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Hoyle, Martin David
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/699,705
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 345/854, 345/839, 345/764, 345/781, 345/853, 345/835, 705/14, 705/26, 715/501.1, 715/514
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/00 Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units program control for peripheral devices G06F13/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30 Arrangements for executing machine instructions, e.g. instruction decode for executing microinstructions G06F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an automatically upgradeable software application that includes targeted advertising based upon demographics and user interaction with the computer. The software application is a graphical user interface that includes a display region used for banner advertising that is downloaded from time to time over a network such as the Internet. The software application is accessible from a server via the Internet and demographic information on the user is acquired by the server and used for determining what banner advertising will be sent to the user. The software application further targets the advertisements in response to normal user interaction, or use, of the computer. Associated with each banner advertisement is a set of data that is used by the software application in determining when a particular banner is to be displayed. This includes the specification of certain programs that the user may have so that, when the user runs the program (such as a spreadsheet program), an advertisement will be displayed that is relevant to that program (such as an advertisement for a stock brokerage). This provides two-tiered, real-time targeting of advertising—both demographically and reactively. The software application includes programming that accesses the server on occasion to determine if one or more components of the application need upgrading to a newer version. If so, the components are downloaded and installed without requiring any input or action by the user.

Claims

1. A computer-readable memory for use by a computer to provide a user of the computer with an automatically-upgradeable software application, comprising:

a non-volatile data storage device;

a program stored on said non-volatile data storage device in a computer-readable format, said program comprising a plurality of program modules;

at least one version identifier associated with one or more of said program modules, said version identifier(s) being stored on said non-volatile storage device;

wherein one of said program modules is operable upon execution to access said stored version identifier(s) and at least one updated version identifier from a server via a global public network, with said updated version identifier(s) representing one or more updated program modules accessible from a server via the public network, wherein said one program module is further operable to download one or more updated program modules when said stored version identifier and said updated version identifier are different, with said updated program module(s) replacing one or more of said program modules stored on said data storage device, and, further, wherein said one program module is operable to store said updated version identifier.

2. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 1, wherein said one program module is operable when executed by a microprocessor to compare said stored version identifier with said updated version identifier and, if said stored and updated version identifiers are different, to send a download request to a server via the public network.

3. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 1, wherein at least some of said program modules each have a unique version identifier associated therewith and wherein said one program module is operable to generate a current blueprint of said program modules by accessing each of said unique version identifiers.

4. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 3, wherein said one program module is operable to receive from the server an updated blueprint containing updated version identifiers and, wherein said one program module is further operable to compare said current and updated blueprints and to download one or more updated program modules if any of the updated version identifiers from the updated blueprint do not match a unique version identifier from the current blueprint.

5. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 3, wherein said one program module is operable to send the current blueprint to a server via the public network.

6. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 1, wherein said version identifiers comprise a module identifier and a module version number.

7. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 6, wherein said one program module has a version identifier associated therewith and wherein said one program module is operable to upgrade itself when its version identifier does not match its associated updated version number.

8. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 7, wherein said one program module is written in a programming language and has a number of module commands associated therewith, each of said module commands being used by said one program module to invoke one or more instructions in said programming language, wherein said one program module is operable to perform a function in response to receiving one or more of said module commands, whereby additional module commands can be added to said one program module by automatically upgrading said one module command via the public network.

9. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 8, wherein said one program module is stored in a file and is operable to upgrade itself by passing control to an auxiliary module, terminating its execution, and thereafter being replaced by an updated version downloaded from a server.

10. A computer-readable memory as defined in claim 6, wherein each of said modules comprise a separate computer file and wherein said module identifier includes a filename.

11. A method of providing demographically-targeted advertising to a computer user, comprising the steps of:

providing a server that is accessible via a computer network,

permitting a computer user to access said server via said computer network,

acquiring demographic information about the user, said demographic information including information specifically provided by the user in response to a request for said demographic information,

providing the user with download access to computer software that, when run on a computer, displays advertising content, records computer usage information concerning the user'"'"'s utilization of the computer, and periodically requests additional advertising content,

transferring a copy of said software to the computer in response to a download request by the user,

providing a unique identifier to the computer, wherein said identifier uniquely identifies information sent over said computer network from the computer to said server,

associating said unique identifier with demographic information in a database,

selecting advertising content for transfer to the computer in accordance with the demographic information associated with said unique identifier;

transferring said advertising content from said server to the computer for display by said program,

periodically acquiring said unique identifier and said computer usage information recorded by said software from the computer via said computer network, and

associating said computer usage information with said demographic information using said unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of periodically selecting and transferring additional advertising content to the computer in response to a request therefor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said computer network is a publicly-accessible global computer network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said unique identifier identifies said copy of said software from among other copies of said software.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said providing a unique identifier step further comprises storing a cookie on the computer.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said providing steps further comprise providing said computer software which, when run on the computer, requires a user login to use said software and associates a different unique identifier with each of a number of valid users of said software.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said providing steps further comprise providing said computer software which, when run on the computer, requires a user login to use said software and uses the user login to associate one of a number of unique identifiers with the computer usage information recorded by said software.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said computer usage information includes data regarding information resources accessed by the user over the global computer network.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said computer usage information includes data regarding software applications run by the user on the computer.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said acquiring step further comprises requesting said demographic information in response to a request from the user to download said software and receiving said demographic information from the user prior to providing the user with access to said software.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of providing download access further comprises examining said demographic information to determine that said demographic information includes certain required information and, upon determining that said demographic information includes said required information, providing the user with said download access to said software.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of limiting said required information to demographic information, whereby the user is permitted anonymous download access to said software and the server is provided demographically-relatable computer usage information.