System, apparatus and method for presenting and displaying content on a wide area network

• US 6,763,379 B1
• Filed: 10/14/1999
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: IdeaFlood, Inc.
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Marc D.
• Application Number:
  US09/419,701
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/202, 709/217, 709/227, 345/760, 345/714, 345/733, 345/730, 345/738, 345/744, 345/745, 345/772, 345/774, 345/808, 707/10, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to a system, apparatus and method for monitoring a user'"'"'s activities and displaying and presenting unsolicited content to users over a wide area network. Embodiments of the instant invention include a monitoring system comprising an activity monitor and a content transfer and display means, wherein the activity monitor comprises an event identifier and a timer. The monitoring system monitors user activities, identifies trigger events, measures the elapsed time of inactivity of the user and initiates the presentation of unsolicited data, or content, to the user computer. In general, the monitoring system identifies trigger events and measures the elapsed time between trigger events. If the elapsed time between the trigger events exceeds a predefined time period the monitoring system causes unsolicited data to be presented on the user computer.

Claims

1. A system for presenting unsolicited data over a wide area network to a user, wherein the user operates a browser in a user computer connected to the wide area network, the system comprising:

a server computer adapted for connecting to the wide area network;

content data for presentation in a web-browser window on the user computer, wherein the web-browser window is a stand-alone application operating on the user computer and is adapted to be displayed on a desktop of the user computer when activated, and the content data is stored in a memory of the server computer;

a monitoring application in a memory of the server computer, the monitoring application configured to be sent to the user with content data requested by the user, to be linked to at least the web-browser window such that the monitoring application is closed when the web-browser window is closed, and to automatically execute on the user computer after being received by the user, the monitoring application comprising instructions for monitoring browser activity of the user;

a server application in a memory of the server computer, the server application comprising instructions for receiving a request for the content data from the user, sending the content data to the user computer, and sending the monitoring application with the content data to the user computer; and

unsolicited data for presentation to the user operating the user computer, the unsolicited data stored in a memory of the server computer;

wherein the server application further comprises instructions for receiving a request for the unsolicited data over the wide area network and for sending the unsolicited data to the computer of the user of the wide area network;

wherein the request for unsolicited data is generated by the monitoring application on the user computer and the unsolicited data is presented to the user operating the user computer only after a discontinuation of use by the user of the web-browser window presenting the content data for a predetermined period of time;

wherein the unsolicited data is presented to the user by the web-browser window presenting the content data; and

wherein the unsolicited data remains on the web-browser window after a continuation of use by the user of the web-browser window.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the unsolicited data can be presented to the user operating the user computer without first being cached in the user computer and wherein the web-browser window presents the unsolicited data to the user by replacing the content data with the unsolicited data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application further comprises:

instructions for detecting occurrence of a first trigger event performed by the user;

instructions for detecting occurrence of a second trigger event performed by the user;

instructions for measuring an amount of time from the occurrence of the first trigger event; and

instructions for comparing the amount of time measured with a predetermined amount of time.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring application further comprises instructions for presenting the unsolicited data to the user operating the user computer if the amount of time measured is greater than the predetermined amount of time.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring application further comprises instructions for resetting the amount of time measured if the amount of time measured at the occurrence of the second trigger event is not greater than the predetermined amount of time.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the second trigger event is not an unload event.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the monitoring application further comprises:

instructions for presenting the unsolicited data to the user operating the user computer if the amount of time measured is greater than the predetermined amount of time; and

instructions for resetting the amount of time measured if the amount of time measured at the occurrence of the second trigger event is not greater than the predetermined amount of time.

8. A system for presenting unsolicited data over a wide area network to a user, wherein the user operates a browser in a user computer connected to the wide area network, the system comprising:

a server computer adapted for connecting to the wide area network;

first content data for presentation in a first web-browser window on the user computer, the first content data stored in a memory of the server computer;

second content data for presentation in a second web-browser window on the user computer, wherein the first and second web-browser windows are applications operating on the user computer and are adapted to be displayed on a desktop of the user computer when activated;

a monitoring application in a memory of the server computer, the monitoring application configured to be sent to the user with the first content data requested by the user, to be linked to at least one of the first and second web-browser windows such that the monitoring application is closed when the at least one of the first and second web-browser windows is closed, and to automatically execute on the user computer after being received by the user, the monitoring application comprising instructions for monitoring browser activity of the user;

a server application in a memory of the server computer, the server application comprising instructions for receiving a request for the first content data from the user, sending the first content data to the user computer, and sending the monitoring application with the first content data to the user computer for presentation in the first web-browser window; and

unsolicited data for presentation to the user operating the user computer, the unsolicited data stored in a memory of the server computer;

wherein the server application further comprises instructions for receiving a request for the unsolicited data over the wide area network and for sending the unsolicited data to the computer of the user of the wide area network;

wherein the monitoring application further comprises (1) instructions for detecting occurrence of a first trigger event performed by the user, (2) instructions for detecting occurrence of a second trigger event performed by the user, (3) a timer for measuring an amount of time from the occurrence of the first trigger event and (4) instructions for comparing the amount of time measured with a predetermined amount of time; and

wherein the request for unsolicited data is generated by the monitoring application on the user computer only if the amount of time measured is greater than the predetermined amount of time.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring application further comprises instructions for presenting the unsolicited data to the user operating the user computer if the amount of time measured by the timer is greater than the predetermined amount of time.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring application further comprises instructions for resetting the timer if the amount of time measured by the timer at the occurrence of the second trigger event is not greater than the predetermined amount of time.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the monitoring application further comprises instructions for presenting the unsolicited data to the user operating the user computer if the amount of time measured by the timer is greater than the predetermined amount of time and instructions for resetting the timer if the amount of time measured by the timer at the occurrence of the second trigger event is not greater than the predetermined amount of time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first trigger event is a discontinuation of use by the user of the second web-browser widow presenting the second content data and wherein the unsolicited data is presented to the user on the second web-browser window.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the unsolicited data can be presented to the user operating the user computer without first being cached in the user computer and wherein the second web-browser window presents the unsolicited data to the user by replacing the second content data with the unsolicited data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second trigger event is not an unload event.

15. A method for presenting unsolicited data over a wide area network to a user, wherein the user is operating a browser in a computer connected to the wide area network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first request for first user-requested data from the user over the wide area network, wherein the first user-requested data is for presentation in a first web-browser window;

receiving a second request for second user-requested data from the user over the wide area network, wherein the second user-requested data is for presentation in a second web-browser window, wherein the first and second web-browser windows are applications operating on the user computer and are adapted to be displayed on a desktop of the user computer when activated;

sending the first and second user-requested data to the user over the wide area network;

sending program instructions for monitoring browser activity of the user to the user with the first user-requested data;

receiving a request for the unsolicited data over the wide area network, wherein the request for unsolicited data is generated by the program instructions; and

sending the unsolicited data to the computer of the user of the wide area network;

wherein the program instructions are configured to automatically execute after being received by the user and linked to at least one of the first and second web-browser windows such that execution of the program instructions is terminated if the at least one of the first and second web-browser windows is closed;

wherein the program instructions perform the steps of (1) detecting occurrence of a first trigger event performed by the user, (2) detecting occurrence of a second trigger event performed by the user, (3) measuring an amount of time from the occurrence of the first trigger event, (4) comparing the amount of time measured with a predetermined amount of time, (5) requesting the unsolicited data and presenting the unsolicited data to the user operating the browser only if the amount of time measured is greater than the predetermined amount of time, and (6) resetting the amount of time measured if the amount of time measured at the occurrence of the second trigger event is not greater than the predetermined amount of time; and

wherein the first trigger event comprises one of a discontinuation of use by the user of the first web-browser window presenting the first user-requested data and a discontinuation of use by the user of the second web-browser window presenting the second user-requested data; and

wherein the unsolicited data remains presented to the user after a continuation of use by the user of the first web-browser window and the second web-browser window.

16. The method of claim 15, and wherein the first web-browser window is used to present the unsolicited data to the user, wherein the first web-browser presents the unsolicited data to the user by replacing the first user-requested data with the unsolicited and wherein the step of sending the unsolicited data further comprises including with the unsolicited data a presentation object for providing an option to the user to return the user-requested data back to the first web-browser window.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first trigger event is deemed to occur when the first web-browser window presenting the first user-requested data changes from a state of being foremost in the computer of the user to a state of being not foremost.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the unsolicited data can be presented to the user without first being cached in the computer of the user.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for monitoring browser activity of the user further perform the step of determining whether the first web-browser window presenting the first user-requested data is a foremost window in the computer of the user, and if the first web-browser window presenting the first user-requested data is not the foremost window when the unsolicited data is about to be presented, presenting the unsolicited data in the first web-browser window.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the program instructions for monitoring browser activity of the user further perform the step of determining whether the first web-browser window presenting the user-requested data is a foremost window in the computer of the user and, if the first web-browser window presenting the first user-requested data is the foremost window when the unsolicited data is about to be presented, presenting the unsolicited data in said second web-browser window that is not the foremost window.