Inactivity timer for an internet client

• US 7,020,690 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2000
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haitsuka, Stacy, Burr, Ronald, MacKenzie, Harold, Zebian, Marwan, Warren, Terry, Blaser, Shane
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US09/629,553
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• 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 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a client application for enabling access to an online service and displaying advertisements while the user is accessing the online service. The client application receives play lists from the online service provider. The play lists include information about advertisements to be played and the order of play. The client application monitors the user'"'"'s interaction with respect to the online service, and preferably with respect to the client application. The client application notifies the user if the user has not interacted with the online service for a predetermined time span. The client application also displays an exit window prior to termination of an online session. The exit window includes advertisements that are targeted toward the user.

Claims

1. A method of displaying advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device, the local device including an input device and an output device, the user using the local device for accessing an online server associated with the online service and providing interaction with the online service, the method comprising the steps of:

the client application activating;

the client application establishing a communication channel from the local device to the online server;

a browser application activating;

the client application causing at least one advertisement to be displayed on the output device of the local device;

the client application monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the local device with respect to the client application and thereby detecting whether the user is interacting with the online service, wherein interaction is manipulating the input device;

if the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for a predetermined amount of time, the client application causing a dialog to be displayed on the output device of the local device, wherein the dialog notifies the user that the user has been inactive with respect to the online service, and wherein a display associated with a resource locator is displayed in the dialog;

wherein the display of at least one advertisement operates in accordance with a first play list, the first play list comprising at least one ad object, each ad object comprising a resource locator for a given advertisement, a resource locator for a click-through associated with the given advertisement, and at least one display attribute for the given advertisement, the first play list further specifying an order in which the advertisements identified in the play list are to be displayed;

the client application pausing the play list if the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for the predetermined amount of time.

2. A method of displaying advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device, the local device including an input device and an output device, the local device having a continuous communications link to an online server associated with the online service, the user using the local device for accessing the online service and providing interaction with the online service, the method comprising the steps of:

the client application activating;

a browser application activating;

the browser application displaying a browser window on the output device of the local device;

the client application causing at least one advertisement to be displayed in a client window on the output device of the local device;

the client application monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the client window and thereby detecting whether the user is interacting with the online service, wherein interaction is manipulating the input device;

the client application removing the client window from the output device of the local device if the user has not interacted with the client window for a predetermined amount of time;

wherein the display of at least one advertisement operates in accordance with a first play list, the first play list comprising at least one ad object, each ad object comprising a resource locator for a given advertisement, a resource locator for a click-through associated with the given advertisement, and at least one display attribute for the given advertisement, the first play list further specifying an order in which the advertisements identified in the play list are to be displayed;

the client application pausing the play list if the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the window within the predetermined amount of time.

3. A method of displaying advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device, the local device including an input device and an output device, the user using the local device for accessing an online server associated with the online service and providing interaction with the online service, the method comprising the steps of:

the client application activating;

the client application establishing a communication channel from the local device to the online server;

a browser application activating;

the client application causing advertisements to be displayed in a window on the output device of the local device, wherein the display of advertisements operates in accordance with a first play list, the first play list comprising at least one ad object, each ad object comprising a resource locator for a given advertisement, a resource locator for a click-through associated with the given advertisement, and at least one display attribute for the given advertisement, the first play list further specifying an order in which the advertisements identified in the play list are to be displayed

the client application monitoring the user'"'"'s activity with the local device with respect to the client application and thereby detecting whether the user is interacting with the online service, wherein activity is manipulating the input device;

the client application pausing the play list if the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for a predetermined amount of time.

4. The method of displaying advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device of claim 3, the method further comprising the client application displaying a dialog if the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for a predetermined amount of time, wherein the dialog provides the user with notification that the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for the predetermined amount of time and wherein an advertisement is displayed in the dialog.

5. The method of displaying advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device of claim 3, wherein the window is a client window displayed by the client application.

6. The method of displaying advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device of claim 3, the method further comprising the client application closing the communication channel if the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for a predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of displaying advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device of claim 6, wherein the client application establishes a communication channel from the local device to the online server via telephone connection.

8. A system for displaying advertisements to a user of an online service, the user utilizing a client application on a local device, wherein the local device displays advertisements from an online server associated with the online service, the system comprising a computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having software for causing the local device to:

establish a communication channel from the local device to the online server;

activate a browser application;

display at least one advertisement in a window of an output device of the local device;

monitor the user'"'"'s interaction with the local device with respect to the client application and thereby detect whether the user is interacting with the online service, wherein interaction is manipulating an input device of the local device;

if it is determined that user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for a predetermined amount of time, display a dialog on the output device of the local device, wherein the dialog notifies the user that the user has been inactive with respect to the online service, and wherein a display associated with a resource locator is displayed in the dialog;

wherein the display of at least one advertisement operates in accordance with a first play list, the first play list comprising at least one ad object, each ad object comprising a resource locator for a given advertisement, a resource locator for a click-through associated with the given advertisement, and at least one display attribute for the given advertisement, the first play list further specifying an order in which the advertisements identified in the play list are to be displayed;

pause the play list if the user has not interacted with the local device with respect to the client application for the predetermined amount of time.