Computer interface method and apparatus with portable network organization system and targeted advertising

• US 20050005242A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: B.E. Technology, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: B.E. Technology, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Hoyle, Martin David
• Granted Patent: US 7,366,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/00 Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units program control for peripheral devices G06F13/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30 Arrangements for executing machine instructions, e.g. instruction decode for executing microinstructions G06F9/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an automatically upgradeable software application includes targeted advertising based upon demographics and user interaction with the computer. The software application includes a display region used for banner advertising that is downloaded over a network such as the Internet. The software application is accessible from a server via the network and demographic information on the user is acquired by the server and used for determining what advertising will be sent to the user. The software application further targets the advertisements in response to normal user interaction with the computer. Data associated with each advertisement is used by the software application in determining when a particular advertisement is to be displayed. This includes the specification of certain programs that the user may have so that, when the user runs the program (e.g., a spreadsheet program), a relevant advertisement will be displayed (e.g., an advertisement for a stock brokerage). This provides two-tiered, real-time targeting of advertising—both demographically and reactively. The software application includes programming that accesses the server to determine if one or more components of the application need upgrading. If so, the components can be downloaded and installed without further action by the user. A distribution tool is provided for software distribution and upgrading over the network. Also provided is a user profile that is accessible to any computer on the network. Furthermore, multiple users of the same computer can possess Internet web resources and files that are personalized, maintained and organized.

Claims

1. A computer-readable memory for use by a client computer to enable software distribution from a server via a network, comprising:

a non-volatile data storage device;

a program stored on said non-volatile data storage device in a computer-readable format, said program comprising a plurality of program modules;

at least one version identifier associated with one or more of said program modules, said version identifier(s) being stored on said non-volatile storage device;

wherein one of said program modules is operable upon execution by the client computer to access said stored version identifier(s) and to provide said accessed version identifier(s) to the server via the network;

wherein one of said program modules is operable upon execution by the client computer to receive from a server via the network at least one updated program module together with at least one updated version identifier for said updated program module(s); and

wherein one of said program modules is operable upon execution by the client computer to replace one or more of said program modules stored on said data storage device with said updated program module(s) and to replace the version identifier(s) associated with said replaced program module(s) with said updated version identifier(s).

2. A computer-readable memory for use by a client computer in conjunction with a browser to provide a user of the computer with a customized graphical user interface to a plurality of computer resources, the computer-readable memory comprising:

a non-volatile data storage device;

a program stored on said non-volatile data storage device in a computer-readable format;

said program being operable upon execution to display a graphical user interface comprising an application window having a number of user-selectable items displayed therein, wherein each of said items has associated with it a link to an information resource accessible via a network and wherein said program is operable upon execution and in response to selection by a user of one of said items to access the associated information resource over the network using the browser;

said program further being operable upon execution to access and display one or more additional user-selectable items and associated links obtained over the network via the browser.

3. A computer-readable memory for use by a computer to provide a diagnostic evaluation of a software application comprising a number of files, each of which has an associated version identifier, the computer-readable memory comprising:

a non-volatile data storage device;

a program stored on said non-volatile data storage device in a computer-readable format, said program including a diagnostic module having access to file verification information for the software application;

said program being operable upon execution to display a window containing a number of graphical objects, at least one of which is representative of the software application and is selectable by a user via an input device, wherein said program is operable upon selection of said one of said graphical objects to initiate execution of the software application and to thereafter monitor the execution of the software application;

said program further being operable in response to determining that the software application is not executing normally to use the version identifiers and file verification information to perform a diagnostic evaluation of the software application.