Method, System, and Computer Program Product for Offline Advertisement Servicing and Cycling

• US 20080154732A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Antony John Sargent, Thomas Whittaker
• Original Assignee: Antony John Sargent, Thomas Whittaker
• Inventors: WHITTAKER, Thomas, Sargent, Antony John
• Granted Patent: US 8,145,728 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products for servicing advertisements for offline display on mobile devices are provided. In a first aspect, a channel is received at a mobile device server from one or more providers, including a first web page, an advertiser web page, and an advertisement image file. The received channel is transmitted to the mobile device. In an offline mode, when displayed, the first web page includes an image contained by the advertisement image file. A user viewing the first web page on the mobile device can select the displayed image of the advertisement image file to traverse a link to cause the advertiser page to be displayed on the mobile device. In another aspect, a plurality of advertisement image files are received and stored at a mobile device. The display of the advertisement images on a first web page is cycled each time the first web page is displayed on the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile device server for servicing advertisements for offline viewing on a mobile device, comprising:

synchronizing the mobile device with the mobile device server, including the steps of;

(a) receiving a request for a channel from the mobile device;

(b) transmitting a request for the channel to at least one provider;

(c) receiving the channel from the at least one provider, including the step of receiving a first web page, a second web page, and an advertisement image file, wherein the first web page includes a generic advertisement that includes a generic advertisement image file link and an associated generic advertisement link, wherein the second web page is a web page of an advertiser associated with the advertisement image file, wherein the second web page and advertisement image file can be received in any order; and

(d) transmitting the received channel to the mobile device;

wherein, in an offline mode, displaying the first web page on the mobile device causes an image of the received advertisement image file to be displayed in the first web page; and

wherein, in the offline mode, a user viewing the first web page on the mobile device can interact with the displayed image to cause the second web page to be displayed on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises:

receiving the first web page from a first provider;

receiving the second web page and advertisement image file from a server of an advertiser.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

transmitting user preferences of a user of the mobile device to at least one provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

transmitting a request for an advertisement image file to an advertisement server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein step (b) further comprises:

causing the advertisement server to select an advertisement.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) reformatting the first web page prior to step (d).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (e) comprises:

mapping links in the first web page from online objects to offline objects stored on the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said changing step comprises:

mapping the generic advertisement image file link and the associated generic advertisement link in the first web page to addresses on the mobile device of the advertisement image file and second web page, respectively.

9. A method in a mobile device server for servicing advertisements for offline viewing on a mobile device, comprising:

(a) receiving a request for a channel from the mobile device;

(b) transmitting a request for the channel to at least one provider;

(c) receiving the channel from the at least one provider, including the step of receiving a first web page, an advertiser web page, and an advertisement image file, wherein the first web page includes a generic advertisement image file link and an associated generic advertisement link that are related to a generic advertisement, wherein the advertiser web page and advertisement image file can be received in any order; and

(d) transmitting the received channel to the mobile device;

wherein, in an offline mode, displaying the first web page on the mobile device causes an image of the received advertisement image file to be displayed in the first web page; and

wherein, in the offline mode, a user viewing the first web page on the mobile device can interact with the displayed image to cause the advertiser web page to be displayed on the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step (c) comprises:

receiving the first web page from a first provider;

receiving the advertiser web page and advertisement image file from a server of an advertiser.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises:

transmitting user preferences of a user of the mobile device to at least one provider.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein step (b) comprises:

transmitting a request for an advertisement image file to an advertisement server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (b) further comprises:

causing the advertisement server to select an advertisement.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

(e) reformatting the first web page prior to step (d).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (e) comprises:

mapping links in the first web page from online objects to offline objects stored on the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said changing step comprises:

mapping the generic advertisement image file link and the associated generic advertisement link in the first web page to addresses on the mobile device of the advertisement image file and advertiser web page, respectively.

17. A method in a mobile device for servicing of advertisements, comprising:

(a) synchronizing the mobile device with a mobile device server, including the steps of;

(1) requesting a channel from the mobile device server, and

(2) receiving the channel from the mobile device server, including the step of receiving a first web page, a second web page, and an advertisement image file, wherein the first web page includes an advertisement image file link and an associated advertisement destination link reformatted by the mobile device server to address the advertisement image file and second web page, respectively, as stored in the mobile device;

(b) in an offline mode, displaying the first web page on the mobile device, including the step of displaying an image of the received advertisement image file in the first web page;

(c) in the offline mode, enabling a user viewing the first web page on the mobile device to select the displayed image to cause the second web page to be displayed on the mobile device.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to service advertisements for offline viewing on a mobile device, comprising:

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive a request for a channel from the mobile device;

transmitting means for enabling a processor to transmit a request for the channel to at least one provider;

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive the channel from the at least one provider, including means for enabling a processor to receive a first web page, an advertiser web page, and an advertisement image file, wherein the first web page includes a generic advertisement image file link and an associated generic advertisement link that are related to a generic advertisement, wherein the advertiser web page and advertisement image file can be received in any order; and

transmitting means for enabling a processor to transmit the received channel to the mobile device;

wherein, in an offline mode, displaying the first web page on the mobile device causes an image of the received advertisement image file to be displayed in the first web page; and

wherein, in the offline mode, a user viewing the first web page on the mobile device can interact with the displayed image to cause the advertiser web page to be displayed on the mobile device.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to service advertisements in a mobile device, comprising:

synchronizing means for enabling a processor to synchronize the mobile device with a mobile device server, including;

requesting means for enabling a processor to request a channel from the mobile device server, and

receiving means for enabling a processor to receive the channel from the mobile device server, including means for enabling a processor to receive a first web page, a second web page, and an advertisement image file, wherein the first web page includes an advertisement image file link and an associated advertisement destination link reformatted by the mobile device server to address the advertisement image file and second web page, respectively, as stored in the mobile device;

displaying means for enabling a processor to display the first web page on the mobile device in an offline mode, including means for enabling a processor to display an image of the received advertisement image file in the first web page;

enabling means for enabling a processor to enable a user to view the first web page on the mobile device in the offline mode, to select the displayed image to cause the second web page to be displayed on the mobile device.