Apparatus and accompanying methods for implementing a network distribution server for use in providing interstitial web advertisements to a client computer
First Claim
1. Apparatus for a network server, for use in distributing an information object to a client computer, comprising:
- a processor; and
a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions; and
wherein the processor, in response to the instructions;
receives a request from the client computer to download to the client computer an agent for rendering an information object, the request being issued by the client computer in response to execution, through a browser situated and executing in the client computer, of advertising code embedded in a web page to be displayed by the browser; and
downloads, in response to the request, the agent to the client computer such that the agent is executed, under the browser, in the client computer for subsequently rendering the information object, wherein the request, when executed, by the browser causes the browser to dynamically write a plurality of predefined applet tags that collectively implement a script into the web page such that the script, when subsequently executed by the browser, causes the client computer to download the agent and instantiate and execute the agent.
19 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technique for implementing in a networked client-server environment, e.g., the Internet, network-distributed advertising in which advertisements are downloaded, from an advertising server to a browser executing at a client computer, in a manner transparent to a user situated at the browser, and subsequently displayed, by that browser on an interstitial basis, in response to a click-stream generated by the user to move from one web page to the next. Specifically, an HTML advertising tag is embedded into a referring web page. This tag contains two components. One component effectively downloads, from an distribution web server and to an extent necessary, and then persistently instantiates an agent at the client browser. This agent “politely” and transparently downloads advertising files (media and where necessary player files), originating from an ad management system residing on a third-party advertising web server, for a given advertisement into browser cache and subsequently plays those media files through the browser on an interstitial basis and in response to a user click-stream. The other component is a reference, in terms of a web address, of the advertising management system. This latter reference totally “decouples” advertising content from a web page such that a web page, rather than embedding actual advertising content within the page itself, merely includes an advertising tag that refers, via a URL, to a specific ad management system rather than to a particular advertisement or its content. The ad management system selects the given advertisement that is to be downloaded, rather than having that selection or its content being embedded in the web content page.
322 Citations
52 Claims
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1. Apparatus for a network server, for use in distributing an information object to a client computer, comprising:
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a processor; and
a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions; and
wherein the processor, in response to the instructions;
receives a request from the client computer to download to the client computer an agent for rendering an information object, the request being issued by the client computer in response to execution, through a browser situated and executing in the client computer, of advertising code embedded in a web page to be displayed by the browser; and
downloads, in response to the request, the agent to the client computer such that the agent is executed, under the browser, in the client computer for subsequently rendering the information object, wherein the request, when executed, by the browser causes the browser to dynamically write a plurality of predefined applet tags that collectively implement a script into the web page such that the script, when subsequently executed by the browser, causes the client computer to download the agent and instantiate and execute the agent. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. In conjunction with apparatus for a network server, the server having a processor, and a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions;
- a method, for use in distributing an information object to a client computer, comprising the steps, performed by the processor in response to the executable instructions, of;
receiving a request from the client computer to download to the client computer an agent for rendering an information object, the request being issued by the client computer in response to execution, through a browser situated and executing in the client computer, of code embedded in a web page to be displayed by the browser; and
downloading, in response to the request, the agent to the client computer such that the agent is executed, under the browser, in the client computer for subsequently rendering the information object, wherein the request, when executed, by the browser causes the browser to dynamically write a plurality of predefined applet tags that collectively implement a script into the web page such that the script, when subsequently executed by the browser, causes the client computer to download the agent and instantiate and execute the agent. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
- a method, for use in distributing an information object to a client computer, comprising the steps, performed by the processor in response to the executable instructions, of;
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29. Apparatus for a network server, for use in distributing an information object to a client computer, comprising:
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a processor; and
a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions; and
wherein the processor, in response to the instructions;
receives a request from the client computer to download to the client computer an agent for rendering an information object, the request being issued by the client computer in response to execution, through a browser situated and executing in the client computer, of advertising code embedded in a web page to be displayed by the browser, the agent having an Ad Controller applet; and
downloads, in response to the request, the agent to the client computer such that the agent is executed, under the browser, in the client computer for subsequently rendering the information object;
wherein the network server implements a proxy server, such that a request issued by the client computer, as a result of executing the Ad Controller applet, to download a file is directed to an advertising server, and the file, as provided by the advertising server, is directed through the network server to the client computer. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. In conjunction with apparatus for a network server, the server having a processor, and a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions;
- a method, for use in distributing an information object to a client computer, comprising the steps, performed by the processor and in response to the executable instructions, of;
receiving a request from the client computer to download to the client computer an agent for rendering an information object, the request being issued by the client computer in response to execution, through a browser situated and executing in the client computer, of advertising code embedded in a web page to be displayed by the browser, the agent having an Ad Controller applet; and
downloading, in response to the request, the agent to the client computer such that the agent is executed, under the browser, in the client computer for subsequently rendering the information object;
wherein the network server implements a proxy server, such that a request issued by the client computer, as a result of executing the Ad Controller applet, to download a file is directed to an advertising server, and the file, as provided by the advertising server, is directed through the network server to the client computer. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
- a method, for use in distributing an information object to a client computer, comprising the steps, performed by the processor and in response to the executable instructions, of;
Specification