Method and system for providing advertising messages to users of handheld computing devices

• US 20030212759A1
• Filed: 02/07/2001
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Wu, Handong
• Granted Patent: US 6,874,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method for providing advertising to a handheld computer operable to connect to a network. The handheld computer includes a screen for displaying visual content received from the network and configured for playing an audio message associated with the visual content. The method includes receiving a request for content from the handheld computer and associating an advertisement with the request for content. The requested content is sent to the handheld computer for display on the screen of the computer and the associated advertisement is sent to the computer for playing over an audio output device of the handheld computer.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing advertising to a handheld computer operable to connect to a network, the handheld computer having a screen for displaying visual content received from the network and configured for playing an audio message associated with the visual content, the method comprising:

receiving a request for content from the handheld computer;

associating an advertisement with the request for content;

sending the requested content to the handheld computer for display on the screen of the computer; and

sending the associated advertisement to the handheld computer for playing over an audio output device of the handheld computer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising converting a text advertisement to an audio advertisement.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the network is the Internet and receiving a request for content comprises receiving an HTTP request.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein associating an advertisement with a request for content comprises sending a link to an advertisement server along with the requested content.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the requested content is sent from a server hosting a Web site.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for content identifies the source as a handheld computer

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a wireless connection between the handheld computer and the network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein sending the associated advertisement comprises sending the advertisement in-band with the requested Web content.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein sending the requested content and associated advertisement comprises utilizing a wireless access protocol.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving information about the handheld computer requesting content.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein associating an advertisement with the request for content comprises associating an advertsiement based on the information received about the hanhdeld computer.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein associating an advertsiement with the request for content comprises associating an advertisement based on the content requested.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the associated advertisement comprises sending a visual warning when an audio channel of the handheld computer is turned off.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the associated advertisement comprises sending the advertisement in an audio format.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the associated advertisement comprises sending the advertisement in a text format that can be converted to speech.

16. A computer implemented method for providing advertising to a handheld computer operable to establish a wireless connection with a network and having a screen for displaying visual content received from the network, the handheld computer being configured for playing an audio advertisement associated with the visual content, the method comprising:

sending a request for visual content from the handheld computer to the network;

receiving the requested content and displaying the content on the screen of the handheld computer; and

receiving an advertisement associated with the visual content and playing the advertisement on the handheld computer.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the network is the Internet and sending a request for visual content comprises sending an HTTP request from a browser installed on the handheld computer.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving the requested content comprises receiving the requested content from a server hosting a Web site.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving the advertisement comprises receiving an audio advertisement.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving the advertisement comprises receiving a text advertisement and further comprising converting the text advertisement to an audio advertisement at the handheld computer.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein sending a request for visual content comprises sending a request in a wireless application protocol and wherein characteristics of the handheld computer are contained within a wireless application protocol header.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the advertisement associated with the visual content is based on the characteristics of the handheld computer.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the advertisement associated with the visual content is based on the content requested.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving a visual warning when an audio channel of the handheld computer is turned off.

25. A computer program product for providing advertising to a handheld computer having a screen for displaying visual content received from a network and configured for playing an audio advertisement associated with the visual content, comprising:

computer code that receives a request for content from the handheld computer;

computer code that associates an advertisement with the request for content;

computer code that sends the requested content to the handheld computer;

computer code that sends the associated advertisement to the handheld computer for playing over an audio output device of the handheld computer; and

a computer readable medium that stores said computer codes.

26. A system for providing advertising to a handheld computer operable to establish a wireless connection with a network and having a screen for displaying visual content received from the network, the handheld computer being configured for playing an audio message associated with the visual content, the system comprising:

a processor operable to receive a request for content from the handheld computer, associate advertisement configured for audio output with the requested content, send the requested content in a visual format to the handheld computer, and send the associated advertisement to the handheld computer for audio output therefrom while the requested content is displayed on the handheld computer; and

memory for storing the requested content and advertisements.

27. The system of claim 26 further comprising a text-to-speech system operable to convert text advertising messages to audio advertising messages.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the processor is located within a host for a Web site and the network is the Internet.