System and method for displaying unrequested information within a web browser

• US 8,806,327 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2005
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zeus Enterprise Ltd.
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 1, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Morris, Darren
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Manglesh M
• Application Number:
  US11/161,740
• Publication Number:
  US 20070038956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,284 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/234, 715/246, 715/711, 715/808, 715/861, 715/243, 709/219
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A system and method for generating popup content in response to user'"'"'s actions within an enabled web page is disclosed. Generation of the popup occurs in response to a user triggered event which invokes a script referencing a secondary web page to display within the bounds of the enabled web page. The user triggered event results from movement of a mouse pointer or a keyboard event which may indicate a user'"'"'s intention to exit the web page by closing the web browser window or navigating to a different web site or web page. The resulting popup is contained within the web page content itself, thereby resulting in a less intrusive popup display and avoiding the effects of popup suppression utilities.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating a display of popup content within a previously loaded web page while avoiding activation of popup suppression, said method including:

detecting, by a computer-based system for facilitating said display of said popup content, an event message from a hidden area in a first field of said previously loaded web page, wherein said hidden area has a vertical position and a horizontal dimension, wherein said horizontal dimension is substantially the same as a horizontal width of said previously loaded web page, and wherein said hidden area lacks any association with visible content on said previously loaded web page, wherein said hidden area is absent of visible content and lacks indicia and, wherein said vertical position is located between primary web page content and a browser toolbar;

determining, by said computer-based system and based upon said event message, a user action wherein said user action comprises at least one of;

an action taken toward closing said web page or an action taken toward navigating away from said web page;

causing, by said computer-based system and in response to said determining, said popup content to be displayed as visibly perceptible content in a second field overlaying at least a portion of said previously loaded web page visible content, wherein said second field is displayed within the bounds of said previously loaded web page, wherein said popup content was loaded with the loading of said previously loaded web page, and wherein said event message is selected from a group comprising;

a mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area and a keyboard interaction; and

avoiding activation of a popup suppression utility.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said causing said popup content to be displayed includes:

receiving a request for said web page at a server, wherein said request originates from a client;

retrieving said web page at said server;

retrieving a script file corresponding to said web page at said server;

transmitting said web page with said script file to said client;

executing said script file at said client to preload said popup content from said server into memory of said client; and

monitoring for said mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said script file is a JavaScript file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said event message is said mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area, and further including integrating said popup content within said web page upon said mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of causing said popup content to be displayed upon a mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area, includes interfacing with said hidden area by at least one of a mouse pointer leaving and a mouse pointer entering, said hidden area.

6. The method of claim 4, further including removing said popup content upon a mouse pointer subsequently interfacing with said hidden area.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said hidden area is independent of said primary web page content.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said hidden area facilitates said display of popup content when a user intends to at least one of:

close a browser window and navigate to a different web site.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said popup content is advertising content.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said hidden area is unknown to a user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said hidden area is located directly below an address bar of a web browser application.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said hidden area covers a viewable area of said web browser application which lacks said content and an image.

7. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a computer for facilitating a display of popup content within a previously loaded web page, cause said computer to perform a method comprising:

detecting, by said computer, an event message from a hidden area in a first field of said previously loaded web page, wherein said hidden area has a vertical position and a horizontal dimension, wherein said horizontal dimension is substantially the same as a horizontal width of said previously loaded web page, and wherein said hidden area lacks any association with visible content on said previously loaded web page, wherein said hidden area is absent of visible content and lacks indicia and, wherein said vertical position is located between primary web page content and a browser toolbar;

determining, by said computer and based upon said event message, a user action wherein said user action comprises at least one of;

an action taken toward closing said web page or an action taken toward navigating away from said web page;

causing, by said computer and in response to said determining, said popup content to be displayed as visibly perceptible content in a second field overlaying at least a portion of said previously loaded web page visible content, wherein said second field is displayed within the bounds of said previously loaded web page, wherein said popup content was loaded with the loading of said previously loaded web page, and wherein said event message is selected from a group comprising;

a mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area and a keyboard interaction; and

avoiding, by said computer, activation of a popup suppression utility.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said displaying said popup content includes:

receiving a request for said web page at a server, wherein said request originates from a client;

retrieving said web page at said server;

retrieving a script file corresponding to said web page at said server;

transmitting said web page with said script file to said client;

executing said script file at said client to preload said popup content from said server into memory of said client; and

monitoring for said mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said script file is a JavaScript file.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said event message is said mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area, and further including integrating said popup content within said web page upon said mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said step of causing said popup content to be displayed upon a mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area, includes interfacing with said hidden area by at least one of a mouse pointer leaving and a mouse pointer entering, said hidden area.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising removing said popup content upon a mouse pointer subsequently interfacing with said hidden area.

19. A system comprising:

a tangible, non-transitory memory communicating with a processor for facilitating a display of popup content within a previously loaded web page while avoiding activation of popup suppression,

the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

detecting, by said processor, an event message from a hidden area in a first field of said previously loaded web page, wherein said hidden area has a vertical position and a horizontal dimension, wherein said horizontal dimension is substantially the same as a horizontal width of said previously loaded web page, and wherein said hidden area lacks any association with visible content on said previously loaded web page, wherein said hidden area is absent of visible content and lacks indicia and, wherein said vertical position is located between primary web page content and a browser toolbar;

determining, by said processor and based upon said event message, a user action wherein said user action comprises at least one of;

an action taken toward closing said web page or an action taken toward navigating away from said web page;

causing, by said processor and in response to said determining, said popup content to be displayed as visibly perceptible content in a second field overlaying at least a portion of said previously loaded web page visible content, wherein said second field is displayed within the bounds of said previously loaded web page, wherein said popup content was loaded with the loading of said previously loaded web page, and wherein said event message is selected from a group comprising;

a mouse pointer interfacing with said hidden area and a keyboard interaction; and

avoiding, by said processor, activation of a popup suppression utility.