System and method for providing on-line advertising and information

• US 6,857,024 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2000
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fandrianto, Jan, Chen, Michael C., Toteda, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US09/643,321
• Time in Patent Office: 1,639 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/206, 709/227, 709/231, 709/233, 379/114.13
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed in which an initiating caller using a station connected to a data network receives advertisement information while waiting for a call to complete between the station and the receiving party. The station connects with a server that can access a database storing a plurality of advertisement information. The station includes a user interface, which allows the caller to interact with the station, and a flow controller, which monitors the bandwidth available to receive information from the server system.

Claims

1. A system for providing information to a user connected to a data network, the system comprising:

a database for storing information;

a server associated with the database and having an information module, the information module responsive to a search request signal and sends information from the database corresponding to the search request signal; and

a first station for initiating voice conversation with a second station, the first station storing a plurality of programming modules, the plurality of programming modules operable to;

store information at the first station, the information comprising audio information;

initiate voice communication to the second station;

play the information stored at the first station in response to initiating the voice communication to the second station;

determine an amount of bandwidth available to receive information from the database;

responsively affect the receiving of information from the database;

determine whether a request for additional information has been received;

connect the first station to a third station associated with the information, if a request for additional information has been received; and

connect the first station to the second station, otherwise.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first station includes means for receiving personal information from a user and sending the search request signal based on said personal information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein while the first station coupled for communication with the information module, a programming module monitors the amount of bandwidth available to receive information from the database.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first station has means for determining whether the information received from the database is properly received.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the database stores the information in predetermined categories that the server uses for searching for information corresponding to the search request signal.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the search request signal from the first station contains a code associated with at least one of the predetermined categories.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first station includes means for storing information received from the database and means for playing at least a portion of said information at a designated time.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first station plays at least one portion of the information before establishing a communication channel between the first and second stations.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first station receives information from the database after establishing the communication channel between the first and second stations.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a programming module streams the information received from the database.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first station is a telephonic device and can establish a communication channel over a packet-switched network.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is advertisements.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is a plurality of music programs.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the information is a plurality of stock quotation information.

15. A first station for providing information to a user connected to a network, the first station comprising:

a user interface for allowing a user to interact with the first station; and

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming modules, the plurality of programming modules operable to;

store information at the first station, the information comprising audio information;

initiate voice communication with a second station;

play the information received at the first station in response to initiating the voice communication to the second station;

determine an amount of communication bandwidth available to receive information at the first station;

responsively affect the receiving of the information at said first station based on the amount of bandwidth available;

determine whether a request for additional information has been received,

connect the first station to a third station associated with the information, if a request for additional information has been received; and

connect the first station to the second station, otherwise.

16. The first station of claim 15, wherein a programming module monitors the amount of communication bandwidth available to receive information from a server while the first station is in communication with the server.

17. The first station of claim 15, wherein a programming module streams information received at the first station.

18. The first station of claim 15, further comprising an error controller for determining whether information received at the first station is properly received.

19. The first station of claim 18, wherein in response to determining the information was not properly received at the first station, causing said information to be resent to the first station.

20. The first station of claim 15, wherein the storage medium providing storage of information received at the first station before playback.

21. The first station of claim 20, further comprising a memory manager for managing a memory allocation of the storage medium.

22. The first station of claim 15, further comprising a code module for receiving personal information from a user and sending a code associated with the personal information to a server.

23. A method for providing information to a user connected to a data network, the method comprising the steps of:

establishing a communication channel between a first station and a server, the server associated with a database, the first station storing a plurality of programming modules;

identifying information to send to the first station from the database;

determining an amount of communication bandwidth available between the first station and the server;

receiving information at the first station responsive to the amount of communication bandwidth available between the first station and the server for providing to a user;

storing information at the first station, the information comprising audio information;

initiating voice communication to a second station; and

playing the information in response to initiating the voice communication to the second station;

determining whether a request for additional information has been received;

connecting the first station to a third station associated with the information, if a request for additional information has been received; and

connecting the first station to the second station, otherwise.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

storing the received information at the first station having a memory; and

providing the received information to the user at a designated time.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of establishing a communication channel between the first station and a second station.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of receiving information at the first station occurs after the step of establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of receiving information at the first station occurs before the step of establishing a communication channel between the first station and the second station.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

terminating the establishing of the communication channel between the first and second stations and performing a step of establishing a communication channel between the first station and a third station if said first station sends a connection request to establish the communication channel with the third station.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

prior to performing the step of establishing a communication channel between the first and second stations, determining whether the first station sends a connection request to establish a communication channel with a third station; and

terminating the establishing of the communication channel between the first and second stations and performing a step of establishing the communication channel between the first and third stations if said first station sends the connection request.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:

receiving personal information at the first station from a user; and

receiving the personal information at the server.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of identifying information to send to the first station is responsive to the personal information received at the server.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising the step of determining whether personal information was already received at the first station from the user.