Monitoring application for automatically requesting content

• US 8,015,285 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2010
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Hoshiko LLC (Raoul Management LLC)
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Mesfin; Yemane
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ibrahim; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/859,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/224, 709227-228, 715/773, 715/765, 715/778, 715/797, 715/863
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to a system, apparatus and method for monitoring a user'"'"'s activities and displaying and presenting unsolicited content to users over a wide area network. Embodiments of the instant invention include a monitoring system comprising an activity monitor and a content transfer and display means, wherein the activity monitor comprises an event identifier and a timer. The monitoring system monitors user activities, identifies trigger events, measures the elapsed time of inactivity of the user and initiates the presentation of unsolicited data, or content, to the user computer. In general, the monitoring system identifies trigger events and measures the elapsed time between trigger events. If the elapsed time between the trigger events exceeds a predefined time period the monitoring system causes unsolicited data to be presented on the user computer.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a request for first data;

receiving the first data, together with a monitoring application, in response to transmitting the request;

displaying the first data in a first user interface;

wherein the monitoring application is configured to generate a request for second data in response to determining that a defined trigger event has not occurred within the first user interface for at least a predetermined time period; and

receiving the second data in response to transmitting the request for the second data;

wherein the second data is configured for display in a second user interface at least partially on top of the first user interface.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application is further configured to automatically execute in response to display of the first data in the first user interface.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein receiving the first data together with the monitoring application comprises receiving the first data and the monitoring application together as components of a web page.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the monitoring application is further configured to present the second data in second user interface.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the monitoring application is further configured to display the second user interface as hidden behind a third user interface until receiving input on the computing device to move the first user interface on top of the third user interface.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the monitoring application is further configured to display the first user interface in response to defined user input to the second user interface.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising receiving the second data including an interactive object for receiving the defined user input to the second user interface.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, further comprising receiving the second data comprising an advertisement.

9. A computing system for receiving data over a computer network, comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute software code in order to;

transmit a request for first data to a first network connected computer;

in response to transmitting the request, receiving;

the first data; and

executable code configured to detect occurrence of a defined trigger event associated with at least a first user interface depicting at least some of the first data on the computing system, to measure an amount of time from the occurrence of the defined trigger event, and to initiate a request for second data to a second network connected computer from the computing system in response to the measured amount of time exceeding a defined threshold; and

receive the second data in response to transmitting the request for the second data, wherein the second data is configured for display in a second user interface at least partially on to of the first user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the executable code is further configured to automatically execute in response to display of the first data within the first user interface.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further configured to receive the first data and the executable code together as components of a web page.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the executable code received by the computing system is further configured to at least initially display the second user interface depicting at least some of the second data as an active window on the computing system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the executable code received by the computing system is further configured to continue displaying the second user interface as the active window until receiving local input to return to the first user interface.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the executable code received by the computing system is further configured to hide the second user interface behind a third user interface until receiving local input to make the first user interface active.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the executable code received by the computing system is further configured to make active a prior viewed user interface in response to a defined user input via the second user interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the executable code received by the computing system is further configured for transmitting the second data including an interactive object for facilitating entry of the defined user input via the second user interface.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing system is further configured for receiving the second data comprising an advertisement.

18. A system for transmitting data over a computer network, comprising:

a computing device configured to;

receive, at the computing device, a request for first data from a client;

in response to receiving the request, transmit to the client;

the first data; and

executable code configured to detect occurrence of a defined trigger event associated with a first user interface depicted in a browser executing on the client, to measure an amount of time from the occurrence of the defined trigger event, and to initiate a request for second data from the client in response to the measured amount of time exceeding a defined threshold;

receive the request for the second data from the client; and

initiate transmission of the second data to the client in response to receiving the request for the second data, wherein the second data is configured for display in a second user interface at least partially on top of the first user interface.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device is further configured to transmit the first data and the executable code together as components of a web page.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the executable code transmitted by the computing device is further configured to at least initially display the second user interface including the second data as an active window on the client.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the executable code transmitted by the computing device is further configured to keep displaying the second user interface as the active window until receiving local input to return to the first user interface.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the executable code transmitted by the computing device is further configured to hide the second user interface behind a third user interface until receiving local input to make the first user interface active.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the executable code transmitted by the computing device is further configured to make active a prior viewed user interface in response to a defined user input via the second user interface.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the executable code transmitted by the computing device is further configured for transmitting the second data including an interactive object for facilitating entry of the defined user input via the second user interface.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device is further configured for transmitting the second data comprising an advertisement.