System and method of displaying information on desktop

• US 6,892,223 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 05/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bandai Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Bandai Company Limited
• Inventors: Furumoto, Tomohiko, Kawabata, Kazuo, Mogi, Kenichi, Tsutsumi, Junya, Ogihara, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone, Jason D.
• Application Number:
  US09/463,308
• Time in Patent Office: 2,181 Days
• Field of Search: 709/213, 709/245, 709/228, 715/501.1, 345/706, 345/747
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A terminal and first, second and third servers are connected through a communication circuit. The first server stores a list of data of obtainable characters and a server address of character display data. The second server stores character display data and a schedule file. The third server stores advertisement data. The terminal down-loads the list from the first server and displays the list of obtainable characters. By selecting an arbitrary character from the list, the terminal down-loads an address of stored character display data from the second server. Based on the address, character display data and a corresponding schedule file are down-loaded from the second server. Advertisement data is down-loaded from the third server as described in the schedule file. The terminal displays the character on a desktop based on the character display data, and provides an advertisement from the advertisement data according to a schedule described in the schedule file.

Claims

1. An information providing system having a first server, a second server, a third server, a terminal, and a communication circuit connecting each of said servers with the terminal,

characterized in that said first server has

storage means for storing a list of data of characters which a user can obtain, and a server address at which a character display data for displaying said characters is stored, and means for conducting communication with each other through said terminal and said communication circuit,

said second server has storage means for storing said character display data and a schedule file for managing information in relation to the characters, and means for conducting communication with each other through said terminal and said communication circuit,

said third server has storage means for storing a data of information in relation to said characters, and means for conducting communication with each other through said terminal and said communication circuit, and

said terminal has

means for communicating with said first server, second server and third server, means for down-loading said list of data from said first server and displaying a list of the characters that can be obtained, means for down-loading an address of the second server in which the character display data of a character selected from said first server is stored by selecting an arbitrary character from said list of the characters, means for down-loading said character display data and the schedule file corresponding to these characters from said second server, based on the address of said second server, means for down-loading an information data described in said schedule file from said third server, means for displaying characters on a desktop based on the down-loaded character display data, and means for providing information by means of the down-loaded information data based on a schedule described in said schedule file.

2. An information providing system recited in claim 1, characterized in that said information data is an advertisement data for providing an advertisement.

3. An information providing system recited in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that said terminal has means for down-loading a new schedule file from said second server when communication can be conducted, and updating the schedule file.

4. An information providing system recited in claim 1, characterized in that said terminal has means for down-loading a new information data from said third server when communication can be conducted, and updating the information data.

5. An information providing system recited in claim 1, characterized in that said terminal has means for setting an effective term for said schedule file, and disabling a display of said characters in case that said effective term is passed over.

6. An information providing system recited in claim 1, wherein displaying said characters and providing said information on said desktop occur without interrupting normal operation of said terminal.

7. An information providing system recited in claim 1, wherein said terminal is capable of being use normally when said characters are displayed and said information is provided on said desktop.

8. An information providing system recited in claim 1, wherein said schedule defines specific points in time when said information is desired to be provided.

9. An information providing system recited in claim 1, wherein said information is provided on said desktop for a predetermined period of time.

10. An information providing system recited in claim 1, wherein said arbitrary character is selected by a user based on user preferences.

11. An information providing system recited in claim 1, wherein selecting a character displayed on said desktop with an input device enables access to a homepage of an advertiser.

12. An information providing system having a first server, a second server, a third server, a terminal, and a communication circuit connecting each of said servers with the terminal,

characterized in that said first server has

storage means for storing a list of data of characters which a user can obtain, and a server address at which a character display data for displaying said characters is stored, and means for conducting communication with each other through said terminal and said communication circuit,

said second server has

storage means for storing said character display data, a schedule file for managing information in relation to the characters, and a data of information in relation to said characters, and means for conducting communication with each other through said terminal and said communication circuit,

said terminal has

means for communicating with said first server, second server and third server, means for down-loading said list of data from said first server and displaying a list of the characters that can be obtained, means for, by selecting an arbitrary character from said list of the characters, down-loading an address of the second server from said first server, in which the character display data of the selected character is stored, means for down-loading said character display data, the schedule file corresponding to these characters and the data of the information in relation to said characters from said second server, based on the address of said second server, means for displaying characters on a desktop based on the down-loaded character display data, means for providing information of the down-loaded information data based on a schedule described in said schedule file, means for recording information provided in said information, and means for transmitting said provided information record to said third server, and

said third server has

means for conducting communication with each other through said terminal and said communication circuit, storage means for storing the provided information record, and means for storing the provided information record in said storage means, which has been transmitted, in association with the terminal that transmitted it.

13. An information providing system recited in claim 12, characterized in that said information data is an advertisement data for providing an advertisement.

14. An information providing system recited in claim 12 or claim 13, characterized in that said terminal has means for down-loading a new schedule file and information in relation to said characters from said second server when communication can be conducted, and updating the schedule file and the information in relation to said characters.

15. An information providing system recited in claim 12, characterized in that said terminal has means for setting an effective term for said schedule file, and disabling a display of said characters in case that said effective term is passed over.

16. An information providing system recited in claim 12, characterized in that a fourth server is provided, which has means for communicating with each other through said terminal and said communication circuit, and storage means for storing a plurality of applications, and said terminal further has means for having access to said fourth server and down-loading the stored applications.

17. An information providing system recited in claim 16, wherein displaying said characters and providing said information on said desktop occur without interrupting normal operation of said terminal.

18. An information providing system recited in claim 12, wherein said terminal is capable of being use normally when said characters are displayed and said information is provided on said desktop.

19. An information providing system recited in claim 12, wherein said schedule defines specific points in time when said information is desired to be provided.

20. An information providing system recited in claim 12, wherein said information is provided on said desktop for a predetermined period of time.

21. An information providing system recited in claim 12, wherein said arbitrary character is selected by a user based on user preferences.

22. An information providing system recited in claim 12, wherein selecting a character displayed on said desktop with an input device enables access to a homepage of an advertiser.

23. An information providing method in a network comprising at least a first server, a second server, a third server, a terminal, and a communication circuit connecting each of said servers with the terminal,

characterized in that the method has steps of:

storing in said first server a list of data of characters which a user can obtain, and a server address at which a character display data for displaying said characters is stored;

storing in said second server said character display data and a schedule file for managing information in relation to the characters;

storing in said third server a data of information in relation to said characters;

having access to said first server from said terminal, and down-loading said list of data and displaying a list of characters on the terminal;

selecting an arbitrary character from the displayed list, and transmitting a data indicating the selected character to said first server;

receiving said data at said first server, and transmitting an address of the second server in which a character display data of the selected character to said terminal;

down-loading said character display data and the schedule file corresponding to this character from said second server, based on said address at said terminal;

down-loading an information data described in said schedule file from said third server at said terminal;

displaying characters on a desktop based on the down-loaded character display data at said terminal; and

providing information of the down-loaded information data based on a schedule described in said schedule file at said terminal.

24. An information providing method recited in claim 23, characterized in that said information data is an advertisement data for providing an advertisement.

25. An information providing method recited in claim 23 or claim 24, characterized in that the method has a step of, at said terminal, down-loading a new schedule file from said second server when communication can be conducted, and updating the schedule file.

26. An information providing method recited in claim 23, characterized in that the method has a step of, at said terminal, down-loading a new information data from said third server when communication can be conducted, and updating the information data.

27. An information providing method recited in claim 23, characterized in that an effective term is set for said schedule file, and the method has a step of, at said terminal, disabling a display of said characters in case that the effective term for the schedule file is passed over.

28. An information providing method recited in claim 23, wherein displaying said characters and providing said information on said desktop occur without interrupting normal operation of said terminal.

29. An information providing method recited in claim 23, wherein said terminal is capable of being use normally when said characters are displayed and said information is provided on said desktop.

30. An information providing method recited in claim 23, wherein said schedule defines specific points in time when said information is desired to be provided.

31. An information providing method recited in claim 23, wherein said information is provided on said desktop for a predetermined period of time.

32. An information providing method recited in claim 28, wherein said arbitrary character is selected by a user based on user preferences.

33. An information providing method recited in claim 23, wherein selecting a character displayed on said desktop with an input device enables access to a homepage of an advertiser.