System and method of consistent internet web site banners that provide portal-like functionality

• US 7,469,222 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NZCH Corp.
• Original Assignee: NZCH Corp.
• Inventors: Glazer, Avram
• Primary Examiner(s): GORT, ELAINE L
• Application Number:
  US09/545,875
• Time in Patent Office: 3,182 Days
• Field of Search: 705/27, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/27.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a continual and integrated approach to Internet banner display rights, a party acquires long-term banner display rights on published web sites of other entities, in a manner so as to ensure full and continual control over the content, look and functionality of the acquired banner space. A variety of different forms of compensation can be provided to the entities which publish the web sites, in exchange for the acquisition of the banner space. The Internet banner is multifunctional, utilizing menus, links and similar user interface items, to operate as a portal to a variety of informational content and services, such as e-commerce, search engines, and the like. These services might be provided by the party which owns the banner space, or by third parties. The banners which appear in the spaces acquired from multiple publishing sites are organized into a networked system, to provide users with integrated and consistent access to the available services. The entity which provides the content and services through the banners can enter into arrangements with end users, to provide incentives for users to access the banners as well as enhance the users'"'"' experience.

Claims

1. A method for providing multiple types of content for users of the Internet, comprising the steps of:

storing at least one file on at least one file server that provides Internet users with access to a plurality of different types of information and services;

establishing a connection between said file and at least one web page that is displayed at an Internet web site stored on a second server; and

causing at least some of the contents of said file to appear within a banner displayed within the web page at a communications device whenever the communications device, interfaced with the file server and the second server, downloads said page for display.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said banner provides access to a plurality of different categories of informational content.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said categories are displayed to a user by means of a menu within said banner, and are individually selectable by the user from said menu.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said banner displays individual headlines associated with a selected category of informational content.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said individual headlines are displayed in a scrolling manner.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said headlines are stored in a file that is downloaded to a user'"'"'s site when the user selects the category associated with the headlines.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein each displayed headline comprises a link to a file which contains the content associated with the headline, and which is displayed to the user when the user clicks upon the headline while it is displayed.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said banner further includes a link to cause all of the headlines associated with a selected category to be displayed for viewing by the user.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said banner further includes a search function which enables a user to conduct a search from the banner for information of interest in the Internet.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein said banner further includes a community services category which presents a dialog box in which a user can enter text for viewing by other users and view text entered by other users.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein said banner further includes a link that provides access to a web site that contains a listing of product lines, and individual manufacturer information about products in each product line.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said manufacturer information comprises graphical files of product brochures.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein said banner further includes a link that provides access to a web site that provides e-commerce services.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said banner is configurable by users to display only selected items from the plurality of different information and services.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the contents are supplied by the file server directly to the communications device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the banner is configured by the user using the communications device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the banner provided by the second server includes a tag which points to a designated location of the file server to retrieve the contents of the file to the communications device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein an additional file is stored on the file server, and a connection is established between the additional file and an additional web page that is displayed on a second Internet website.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the contents of the at least one file and of the additional file are customized for each website.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the contents are modified on the file server by at least one of the communications device and the second server to display only categories that are of interest to a user.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein a portion of the contents which appear within the banner are provided by a third party which leases banner space from an owner of the banner space.