Methods and systems for providing auxiliary content during user interactivity with digital data over a network

• US 7,401,151 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Chatani, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, KENNY S
• Application Number:
  US11/361,121
• Publication Number:
  US 20060143268A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/229, 709/217, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising

Abstract

A method and system for presenting auxiliary content to a client during download of primary content from a server is provided. The system includes a server network including a server that manages primary content and a client computer connectable to the server. At the client computer, local storage for storing user information and auxiliary content is provided. In one example, the auxiliary content is stored in the local storage prior to download of the primary content from the download management server. The user information is communicated from the client computer to the server, and the user information is used to direct initial access to primary content. Then, specific portions of the auxiliary content stored in the local storage device is displayed at the client computer during download of the primary content.

Claims

1. A system for presenting auxiliary content to a client during download of primary content from a server, comprising:

a server network including the server that manages the primary content;

a client computer connectable to the server; and

at the client computer, local storage for storing user information and auxiliary content, wherein the auxiliary content is stored in the local storage prior to download of the primary content from the server;

whereby the user information is communicated from the client computer to the server, the user information being used to direct initial access to specific content of the primary content, and specific portions of the auxiliary content stored in the local storage device is displayed at the client computer during download of the primary content, and the specific portions of the auxiliary content being identified based on the specific content of the primary content, and based on the user information.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary content is variable based on a user preference.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the client preference is determined by prompting the client to input information settings, and by providing the client with a selection of one or more individual content choices and one or more content category choices.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary content is variable based on a distributor preference.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the distributor preference is determined first by having the server send client preference data usable to assign content before sending requested content, and second by having the client computer execute content stored in the local storage according to the preference data.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary content is provided on portable storage that stores the auxiliary content and is suitable for distribution.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary content is selected from the group consisting of one or more of advertisements, images, movies, music, games, and customer surveys.

8. A method for presenting auxiliary content from a local storage device during download of primary content from a server, comprising:

establishing a link between a client computer and a server, the client computer having the local storage device connected thereto;

transmitting user identifier data contained on said local storage device and a request for primary content to the server, in order to retrieve said primary content from the server;

accessing the auxiliary content stored on the local storage device during download of the primary content to the client computer, the auxiliary content to be accessed by the client computer based on preferences provided by a distributor of the primary content; and

displaying the accessed auxiliary content at a display associated with the client computer during download of the primary content.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said user identifier data comprises an alphanumeric media ID identifying a media in said local storage device and said media further contains an authentication code which enables access to said server, further comprising the step of receiving said media ID and said authentication code in said server, wherein one of said authentication code or said media ID serves to limit access on the server to specified primary content from among the primary content.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of accessing said auxiliary content further comprises comparing said preferences with trigger data logically associated with one or more auxiliary content items making up the auxiliary content.

11. A method for displaying auxiliary content at a client computer, comprising:

accessing primary content managed by a content provider;

accessing the auxiliary content stored on a local storage device of the client computer upon commencing download of the primary content to the client computer, the auxiliary content to be accessed by the client computer based on preferences provided by a distributor of the primary content; and

displaying the accessed auxiliary content on a display of the client computer during a time when the primary content is being downloaded to the local storage device.

12. A method for displaying auxiliary content at a client computer as recited in claim 11, wherein the auxiliary content is one or more of advertisements, images, movies, music, games, and customer surveys.

13. A method for displaying auxiliary content at a client computer as recited in claim 11, wherein the primary content is downloadable content.

14. A method for displaying auxiliary content at a client computer as recited in claim 13, wherein the downloadable content is defined by one or more of video linear streaming data, a motion picture data, linear audio streaming data, binary program data, and game data.