U.S. patent application number 12/057683 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-24 for methods and systems for providing media content for display in a designated area.
This patent application is currently assigned to eBay Inc.. Invention is credited to Brooke Allysoun Armstrong, John Robert Behrens, Abie Hadjitarkhani, Alexander Blair Ireland, Stephen John Muller, Nancy Kiyoko Narimatsu.
Application Number | 20080177713 12/057683 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24786433 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080177713 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Armstrong; Brooke Allysoun ;
et al. |
July 24, 2008 |
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING MEDIA CONTENT FOR DISPLAY IN A
DESIGNATED AREA
Abstract
The present disclosure provides for methods and systems for
providing media content for display in a designated area. An
ability of a client to playback media content locally is determined
by querying the client over a network. The client includes the
designated display area and a content display area. The determining
is automatic and initiated by the server. The method includes
providing over the network a version of the media content to the
client for display in the designated display area. The version of
the media content is appropriate for the ability of the client to
playback media content locally. The providing is automatic and
initiated by the server.
Inventors: |
Armstrong; Brooke Allysoun;
(Berkeley, CA) ; Behrens; John Robert;
(Emeryville, CA) ; Hadjitarkhani; Abie; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Ireland; Alexander Blair; (East
Norriton, PA) ; Muller; Stephen John; (San Francisco,
CA) ; Narimatsu; Nancy Kiyoko; (Brisbane,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHWEGMAN, LUNDBERG & WOESSNER, P.A.
P.O. BOX 2938
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402
US
|
Assignee: |
eBay Inc.
|
Family ID: |
24786433 |
Appl. No.: |
12/057683 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11184774 |
Jul 20, 2005 |
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12057683 |
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09693867 |
Oct 23, 2000 |
6985934 |
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11184774 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ; 705/14.73;
707/999.003; 707/E17.014; 709/203 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/156 20190101;
G06Q 30/0256 20130101; G06Q 30/0277 20130101; H04W 76/10 20180201;
G06Q 30/02 20130101; H04L 65/601 20130101; H04L 65/1069 20130101;
H04L 67/42 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/3 ; 705/14;
709/203; 707/E17.014 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16; G06Q 30/00 20060101 G06Q030/00; G06F 7/06 20060101
G06F007/06; G06F 17/30 20060101 G06F017/30 |
Claims
1. A method for providing media content for display in a designated
area, the method comprising: determining an ability of a client to
playback media content locally by querying the client over a
network, the client including the designated display area and a
content display area, the determining being automatic and being
initiated by the server; and providing over the network a version
of the media content to the client for display in the designated
display area, the version of the media content appropriate for the
ability of the client to playback media content locally, the
providing for display in the designated display area being
automatic and being initiated by the server.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the version of
the media content includes providing the media content for
automatic display, wherein a type of automatic display is selected
from a group including an immediate automatic display, an automatic
display according to a predefined schedule, and an automatic
display responsive to a display cue.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying of the client is
without sending executable code that persists on the client.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated display area is
controlled independent of the content display area, wherein the
designated displayed area is associated with a control to replay
the version of the media content provided for display in the
designated display area.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the version of the media content
comprises rich media content, and wherein the rich media content
comprises an advertisement.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the ability of
the client to playback media content locally includes receiving a
response from the client.
7. The method of claim 6, further including comparing, at the
server, the response against a predefined schedule including a
plurality of media file formats available for the media content,
and wherein the predefined schedule comprises a preference ranking
of the plurality of media file formats available for the media
content.
8. The method of claim 1, further including selecting, at the
server, the version of the media content appropriate for the
ability of the client to playback the media content locally,
wherein the version of the media content comprises a media file in
a media file format that is selected from a plurality of media file
formats available for the media content.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the media file format is selected
from a group of media file formats including a video quality media
file format, an audio quality media file format, and a speed of
download media file format.
10. A system for providing media content for display in a
designated area, the system comprising: a processor; control logic
in communication with the processor, the control logic to query the
client over the network to determine the ability of the client to
playback media content, the client including the designated display
area and a content display area, the control logic to determine
automatically and to initiate the determination; and a
communications interface in communication with the control logic,
the control logic to provide the version of the media content, over
the network and via the communications interface, to the client for
display in the designated display area, the version of the media
content appropriate for the ability of the client to playback media
content locally, the control logic to initiate and automatically
provide the version of the media content for display in the
designated display.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the control logic is to provide
the media content for automatic display at the client, wherein a
type of automatic display is selected from a group including an
immediate automatic display, an automatic display according to a
predefined schedule, and an automatic display responsive to a
display cue.
12. The system of claim 10, wherein the control logic is to query
the client without executable code that persists on the client.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein the designated display area is
controlled independent of the content display area, and wherein the
designated displayed area is associated with a control to replay
the version of the media content provided for display in the
designated display area.
14. The system of claim 10, wherein the version of the media
content comprises an rich media file, and wherein the rich media
file comprises an advertisement.
15. The system of claim 10, wherein the control logic is to receive
a response from the client.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the control logic is to compare
the response against a predefined schedule that includes a
plurality of media file formats available for the media content,
and wherein the predefined schedule comprises a preference ranking
of the plurality of media file formats available for the media
content.
17. The system of claim 10, wherein the control logic is to compare
the version of the media content appropriate for the ability of the
client to playback the media content locally, and wherein the
version of the media content comprises a media file in a media file
format that is selected from a plurality of media file formats
available for the media content.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein the media file format is
selected from a group of media file formats including a video
quality media file format, an audio quality media file format, and
a speed of download media file format.
19. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium
storing control logic that, when executed by a computer system,
causes a first computer system to: determine an ability of a second
computer system to playback media content locally by querying over
a network the second computer system, the second computer system
including a designated display area and a content display area, the
first computer system to automatically determine and to initiate
the determination; and provide a version of the media content over
the network to the second computer system for display in the
designated display area, the version of the media content
appropriate for the ability of the second computer system to
playback media content, the provision of the version of the media
content to the second computer system for display in the designated
display area is automatic and is initiated by the first computer
system.
20. A system for providing media content over a network for display
in a designated area, the system comprising a processor; a first
means in communication with the processor, the first means for
determining an ability of a client to playback media content
locally, the first means for querying the client over the network
to determine the ability of the client to playback media content,
the client including the designated display area and a content
display area, the control logic for determining automatically and
for initiating the determination; and a communications interface in
communication with the first means, the first means for providing
the version of the media content, over the network and via the
communications interface, to the client for display in the
designated display area, the version of the media content being
appropriate for the ability of the client to playback media content
locally, the first means for initiating and for automatically
providing the version of the media content for display in the
designated display.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present patent application is a continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/184,774 filed Jul. 20, 2005 and
entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING RICH MEDIA CONTENT OVER A
COMPUTER NETWORK, which is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/693,867 filed Oct. 23, 2000 and entitled
"METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING RICH MEDIA CONTENT OVER A COMPUTER
NETWORK," which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,985,934, and which
applications are incorporated herein by reference in their
entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention is directed to a method and system for
providing rich media content over a computer network and more
particularly to a highly reliable, transparent process for
displaying high-quality online advertising imagery.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] Computer networks, including the Internet, are a new and
rapidly growing means of communication. There are currently over
300 million network users worldwide, and that number is expected to
double in less than five years according to the Computer Industry
Almanac (www.c-i-a.com). Because of their numbers, and because they
are believed to be high-end consumers, users of the Internet and
other computer networks are an attractive audience for advertising
messages. According to figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau
("IAB"; www.iab.net), expenditures for Internet advertising are
growing even faster than the number of network users--at almost 25
percent per quarter--and currently total over $7 billion per
year.
[0006] The current standard for Internet advertising is the banner
ad, a cartoon-like color image that occupies a fixed part of a web
page. Banner ads usually come in one of a small number of standard
sizes, and they sometimes include crude animation created by
rapidly and repeatedly superposing a small number of images in the
same space. Banner ads comprise the majority of Internet
advertising--historically over half of total expenditures and
around three-quarters of that on discrete ads (as opposed to
sponsorships) according to the IAB.
[0007] The content of a banner ad image is contained in a computer
file that is interpreted and displayed by a network user's
web-browser program (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet
Explorer). Almost all banner ad files use the GIF89a format, which
can be interpreted and displayed by all major web-browser programs
currently on the market.
[0008] Each banner ad's file, plus the file containing the content
of the host web page itself, must be transmitted to, and stored on,
a network user's computer before the complete web page (ads and
content) can be displayed. There may be many--sometimes dozens--of
banner ads on a page, and advertisers often demand that the page be
configured to display the ads first. To keep network users from
waiting too long to see the content of their pages, web page owners
frequently impose limits on the size of the banner ad files they
will accept. These limits, in turn, sharply constrain the
appearance of banner ads, e.g., by reducing the number of images
per ad or the number of items per image, or by restricting the
variety of colors or level of detail in an item or image.
[0009] Such limitations have combined to reduce the effectiveness
of banner ads in two ways. First, they are--and because of file
size limitations must remain--crude. Because banner ads are
typically simple cartoons in an environment of increasingly rich
and complex media, the viewing audience is becoming less responsive
to the ads. The average "click-through" rate, the rate at which
viewers respond to a banner ad by "clicking" on it and being
transferred to the web site advertised by the banner, is falling
rapidly--by almost an order of magnitude during the past five
years, according to contemporary estimates in Advertising Age
magazine. Secondly, despite limitations on their file sizes, banner
ads often delay viewing of web page content to the point that users
routinely redirect their browsers away in frustration; the very
presence of the ads lowers their own viewership. Dwell-time, a
measure of the time an average network user spends looking at a
single page, is also declining.
[0010] In brief, banner ads, though they dominate advertising on
the Internet and are so much the standard that they are directly
interpretable by every major web-browser program, are an obsolete
and increasingly self-defeating technology.
[0011] Advertisers, aware of the limitations of banner ads, have
tried two approaches to improve upon them. The first approach is to
replace the cartoon-like banner ad images with video ads, i.e.,
online ads that use moving, photographic-quality images rather than
simple single images or series of a few simple single images. The
second approach, referred to generally as interstitial ads,
sometimes called pop-up ads, avoids some of the technical problems
of banner ads and video ads by effectively separating the
interstitial ads from their host web pages. Both approaches,
though, like the banner ad approach, have run into technical and
consumer-response barriers.
[0012] Video ads, unlike GIF89a-format images, cannot be displayed
directly by web-browser programs. Instead, they are encoded in one
of several specialized formats (e.g., MPEG, QTF, AVI) and are
displayed by separate--and similarly specialized--video replay
programs. Such video replay programs are separate from the
web-browser programs, but they are compatible with the browsers and
sometimes are referred to as plug-ins to the browsers. Some replay
programs are distributed with computer operating systems, while
others are available separately, either for free or at a cost. Some
replay programs can interpret more than one format, although none
can interpret even a large minority of the existing variety of
formats, and file formats are different enough that any
multi-format program is essentially a package of single-format
programs. Because of the multiplicity of formats and distribution
methods, and because many formats are in fairly wide use, it is
unlikely that any single standard will emerge in the near future.
In other words, unlike GIF image technology, the technology of
computer video replay is non-standardized and is functionally
complicated, and it is likely to remain so.
[0013] To view a video, a user's computer must receive at least
part of the file and then activate and run a compatible replay
program. This process frequently includes one or more "dialogues"
between the computer and the user. For example, if the file is to
be stored and then replayed, the user must specify a storage name
(or approve the computer's choice) and then activate the replay. If
the computer cannot determine which replay program to use, the user
must specify it. And if there is no compatible replay program on
the computer, the user must either cancel the replay or spend time
(and possibly money) identifying, locating, and obtaining one. The
complexity and time requirements of this process can be daunting
even if the user actively seeks to view the video; for advertising,
which needs to be entirely passive and nearly instantaneous, these
are major barriers.
[0014] Another barrier to the use of video ads is imposed by the
sheer size of most video files. Video images, like any other
computer data, are stored and transmitted as computer files.
Because of the complexity of the images (color, resolution, etc.)
and the number of images in a file (usually thousands), video files
typically are very large. For example, a word-processing document
file may be on the order of a few dozen kilobytes (KB), and a
typical web page file may be around a hundred KB, but even a
thirty-second video will require a file size of thousands of KB
(i.e., several megabytes, or MB). Using a standard telephone modem
connection, whose transmission rate is limited by telephone
technology and federal regulation, not by computer modem
technology, a file of even a few megabytes can require many minutes
to receive and store. For example, with a 56K modem and an
effective transmission rate of over 50K, transmission requires at
least three minutes per megabyte. Faster connections (e.g., via DSL
or institutional intra-net) reduce this time substantially, but not
so much that the file transmission does not cause a noticeable
interruption. Further, those types of connections are available to
only a portion of the user population. As noted above, computer
users are becoming increasingly impatient with any delay,
especially for the sake of advertising, and in any case most
advertisers are unwilling to limit their messages to only a portion
of the population.
[0015] To address the problem of file size, specialized protocols
were developed that allow near-real-time playback. Sometimes called
streaming, these protocols begin playback when only a portion of
the file has been transmitted and stored on the user's computer
(i.e., buffered). Later portions of the file are transmitted as
earlier ones play back, and the parameters of the process are
calibrated so that, if transmission is not interrupted, playback is
continuous. The practical flaw in this approach is that
transmission, particularly of large files, frequently is
interrupted. Net congestion, transmission errors requiring
retransmission, competing demands on the transmitting computer, and
other causes, can interrupt the transmission flow long enough that
the buffer is completely played out, and then playback stops until
enough new data have been received. The effect on the user is that
streaming video (or audio) either is occasionally interrupted by
long pauses or has a jerky quality caused by frequent micro-pauses
(the former with a large buffer size and the latter with a small
one). These types of interruptions are unacceptable to advertisers,
whose imagery requires seamless replay. Further, streaming video is
subject to the same requirements as non-streaming video for
identifying, obtaining, and/or activating a compatible replay
program.
[0016] U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,200 to Beckerman et al. discloses a
process that uses streaming video and provides a more automated
approach to selecting a replay program. The "client" computer
(e.g., the network user's computer) is offered a list of multiple
versions of a video file, each in a different format, in a
predetermined order, until a compatible format--if any--is found.
This makes it more likely that the video eventually can be viewed
by the user, but it requires the user's computer to know how to
interpret and choose among the list of "offers," which presumably
requires specialized software. It is not clear how noticeable the
process would be to the user (e.g., delay, "dialogues"), and
because it applies only to streaming video, the process does not
address the problem of interruptions in playback. It thus can be
considered another format, albeit a somewhat generalized one, but
with questionable application to advertising.
[0017] Processes developed more recently by bluestreak.com, Inc.
(www.bluestreak.com) and AudioBase, Inc. (www.audiobase.com) also
use streaming, and they circumvent the replay compatibility issue
by transmitting their own replay programs along with the data
files. These are examples of the usage of "push" technology, as
used, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,549, issued Apr. 14, 1998 to
Reilly et al. These processes are reasonably rapid--although still
noticeable to the user-because neither handles full video;
bluestreak offers audio, GIF-like animation, and other cartoon-like
special effects, and AudioBase handles strictly audio. Both also
are subject to the problems of streaming, such as "stuttering" and
interruptions in playback. They thus are suitable for certain
narrow, specialized forms of advertising, but their transmission
delays are still non-negligible, and like other uses of streaming,
their unreliable replay renders them problematic for
advertising.
[0018] In summary, attempts to date to put video advertising onto
Internet web pages have largely failed because of two fundamental
technical characteristics of computer video--lack of
standardization and very large file size--and their implications.
Computer users are generally unwilling either to wait for large
files to be transmitted or to take active steps to ensure a smooth
replay, especially for the sake of viewing an advertisement.
Advertisers are unwilling to spend money and effort on technologies
that cannot reliably deliver uninterrupted imagery to a wide
audience. What would satisfy both users and advertisers, but is
lacking in the prior art, is a means for reliably delivering video
ads without any interruption of the user's viewing experience. As a
consequence, video advertising has been and remains a small and
static fraction of all Internet advertising; expenditures on video
have consistently been just a few percent of the total.
[0019] Interstitial advertisements--sometimes called pop-up
ads--bypass some of the technical problems of on-page banner ads
and video ads by effectively separating the online ads from their
host web pages. The content of an interstitial ad is transmitted
separately from those of its host web page. Transmission begins
immediately after the host web page has been fully transmitted and
while it is being displayed (i.e., during the "interstices" between
other web page transmissions), and it may continue once the ad
itself has begun displaying. The ad is displayed in a new "window"
or other dedicated display area, either immediately after the host
page is fully displayed (thus "popping up" in front of the host
page) or when the user signals that he/she has finished reading the
host page by closing it or activating a link to a new page.
Interstitial ads can include GIF images, video, audio, or any other
web page elements; they are essentially specialized web pages
comprised entirely of advertising. Because they are transmitted
separately, they do not delay the display of the host web page, and
because the user presumably is occupied for some time reading the
host web page, the ads can take much longer to transmit than
on-page ads without seriously annoying the user.
[0020] Interstitial transmission of advertising is taught in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,305,195, issued Apr. 19, 1994 to Murphy, for use on
specialized computer terminals such as bank ATMs and school
registration stations. More recent applications include U.S. Pat.
No. 5,913,040, issued Jun. 15, 1999 to Rakavy et al.; U.S. Pat. No.
5,737,619, issued Apr. 7, 1998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,643, issued
Nov. 5, 1996, to Judson; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,542, issued Feb.
18, 1997 to Dedrick.
[0021] The principal problem with interstitial ads is that, as
dwell time statistics show, users' patience still limits the time
available for transmission. While a user is reading the host page,
there typically is sufficient download time for banner ads, other
GIF images, other static images, simple animations, a streaming
video buffer, and usually audio and other animated elements and
associated programs such as those produced by the bluestreak and
AudioBase processes. However, there is not sufficient time to
transmit more than one buffer worth of a video file, and there is
no opportunity to create a "dialogue" with the user until the
interstitial ad is displayed. Consequently, both the number and the
type of elements in an interstitial ad are constrained.
Additionally, interstitial video ads are also subject to the same
problems of non-standardization and display reliability as with
on-page video ads.
[0022] A process developed by Unicast Communications Corp.,
disclosed in International Publication No. WO 99/60504, published
Nov. 25, 1999, partially addresses these problems by installing a
program on the user's computer that ensures that transmission of
ads (and accompanying playback programs if any) is as "polite" as
possible. The concept of "polite" transmission--i.e., file
transmission minimally noticeable to the user--avoids some of the
problems associated with streaming by fully storing (or caching)
ads on the user's computer before displaying them. The Unicast
program also checks that any necessary playback programs are
available on the user's computer before the ad is displayed.
However, such a process is not practically applicable to video ads,
because large files take a long time to transmit no matter how
politely, and video replay programs are even larger than video ads
and are seldom available for transmission along with them. It is
also as yet unclear whether such a powerful program will be fully
compatible with most network users' operating systems and browser
programs, or whether privacy concerns will limit its functionality
or popularity.
[0023] Overall, while interstitial ads solve some of the problems
of computer network advertising, they as yet have shown only
partial success at dealing with the non-standardization and file
size issues associated with video ads, or with file sizes in
general. Attempts to create a "smart" solution have only added new
problems. At least partially as a result, interstitials
historically have accounted for less than a tenth of Internet
advertising expenditures, and that share has shrunk by almost half
in the last year according to the IAB.
[0024] In summary, what is needed but is missing in the prior art,
is a highly reliable, entirely transparent process for displaying
high-quality rich media content over a computer network.
[0025] The client may be any of a number of known electronic
devices connected either physically or wirelessly to a server on
the computer network. Such devices may include, but are not limited
to, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a handheld device, a
telephone, a set top box, or an Internet appliance. In the
preferred embodiment, the rich media comprises a short, highly
compressed digital video file. For example, such rich media may be
a 5-15 second long video advertisement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0026] FIGS. 1A-1E show a computer network according to the present
invention at various steps during a method for providing rich media
content across a computer network according to the present
invention.
[0027] FIGS. 2A-2C are various embodiments of a client display area
according to the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a process diagram of the method for providing rich
media content across a computer network according to the present
invention.
[0029] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example computer system
useful for implementing the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0030] A preferred embodiment of the present invention is now
described with reference to the figures, where like reference
numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Also
in the figures, the left most digit of each reference number
corresponds to the figure in which the reference number is first
used. While specific configurations and arrangements are discussed,
it should be understood that this is done for illustrative purposes
only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that
other configurations and arrangements can be used without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention. It will be apparent to
a person skilled in the relevant art that this invention can also
be employed in a variety of other devices and applications.
[0031] FIG. 1A shows a computer network 101 according to the
present invention, consisting of a system of electronic devices
connected either physically or wirelessly, wherein digital
information is transmitted from one device to another. Such devices
may include, but are not limited to, a desktop computer, a laptop
computer, a handheld device, a telephone, a set top box, or an
Internet appliance. FIG. 1A shows a client 102, defined as a
computer program resident on a computer system, an item of
hardware, or an electronic appliance that sends and receives
digital information via computer network 101. Also shown is a
server 103, defined as a computer program resident on a computer
system, an item of hardware, or an electronic appliance that sends
and receives digital information via computer network 101. The role
of server 103 shown in FIG. 1A may in some cases be played by more
than one actual server, as would be apparent to those skilled in
the relevant art.
[0032] Server 103 also includes a memory 110 which stores digital
files, including but not limited to software and data files.
Specifically, memory 110 may contain one or more rich media files
105, defined as any electronic media content that includes moving
images, video with or without audio, a sequence of images captured
from frames of film, frames of video, or animated shapes. "Rich",
in general, denotes electronic media information that includes more
than only text or audio. Rich media files 105 are stored in the
form of digital computer files. In the preferred embodiment, rich
media file 105 is a 5-10 second video advertisement in the form of
a highly compressed electronic file. Rich media files 105 can be
stored, transmitted or displayed using a variety of proprietary and
nonproprietary electronic file formats, such as QuickTime, Windows
Media Player, GIF89a, Flash, AIFF, WAV, RealAudio, RealVideo, or
any of a number of file formats now emerging for wireless devices,
such as HDML, WML, BMP, or formats associated with WCA, and other
formats known to those skilled in the relevant art appropriate to
various software, hardware, and electronic appliance display
systems. The particular file format does not substantially affect
the content of rich media file 105. Rich media files 105 may be
previously created and stored in memory 110, or may be created
"on-the-fly" in response to the requirements of client 102. As
discussed below, the same rich media file 105 is stored in a number
of different file formats (106-A, 106-B . . . 106-X) in memory 110
to facilitate the transfer and display of rich media file 105
across computer network 101 according to the present invention.
[0033] Client 102 also includes a memory 104, that is entirely
contained within, or is entirely a part of client 102, which stores
digital files, including, but not limited to, software and data
files. A subset of client memory 104, local cache 107, is defined
as that portion of client memory 104 that is used for temporary
storage of data files received over computer network 101.
[0034] The process according to the present invention is initiated
at a step 301, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 3, by client 102 becoming
connected to server 103, for example a desktop computer user being
connected to a web site using a web browser.
[0035] Next, at a step 302, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 3, server 103
sends a query 108 to client 102. Query 108 is a communication
wherein server 103 requests data from client 102 regarding the
presence or absence of specific software and/or hardware that are
required to display rich media file 105, that has been prepared in
specific file formats 106-A, 106-B . . . 106-X. In one embodiment,
query 108 is performed by progressing, via one or more connections
with client 102, through a set of preferred rich media content
playback applications to assess the local playback capabilities of
client 102. In the preferred embodiment, this procedure is
transparent to the user, meaning that the user is not required to
take action to initiate this step, and the process is not
noticeable to the user.
[0036] At a step 303, as shown in FIGS. 1C and 3, client 102
responds to query 108 with response 108b, indicating, for example,
in the example shown in FIGS. 1A-1E, that software and/or hardware
required to display rich media file 105 prepared in formats 106-C
and 106-E are available. In the preferred embodiment, this
procedure is transparent to the user, such that the user is not
required to take action to initiate this step, and the process is
not noticeable to the user.
[0037] Determining the ability of client 102 to playback rich media
file 105 may, in an alternative embodiment, be implicitly
accomplished, by sending rich media file 105 via a particular
computer network 101, or in a particular file format, or toward a
particular device or electronic appliance, where the ability of
client 102 to playback rich media file 105 could be assumed. For
example, in one embodiment, information about the technical
environment of client 102 may be known by virtue of the connection
established between client 102 and server 103 over computer network
101 (e.g. it may be known that client 102 is connected to server
103 from a computer, using a browser, over the internet, or that
client 102 is connected to server 103 from a handheld device, such
as a Palm VII device, over a wireless network.) If such information
about the technical environment of client 102 is sufficient to make
a determination of the appropriate file format in which to send
rich media file 105 to client 102, steps 302 and 303 may be
skipped.
[0038] At a step 304, as shown in FIGS. 1D and 3, server 103
compares response 108b to a predefined schedule 109 of rich media
file formats 106-A, 106-B . . . 106-X. Schedule 109 contains a
predefined preference ranking of the various available rich media
file formats 106-A, 106-B . . . 106-X. The reason a preference may
exist for one file format over another is that one fife format may
offer the client 102 higher video quality, audio quality, speed of
download, or other features, than another format. In the preferred
embodiment, this procedure is transparent to the user, such that
the user is not required to take action to initiate this step, and
the process is not noticeable to the user. As an alternative to
step 304, an appropriate format of rich media file 105 can be
created "on-the-fly" by generating a script for rich media content
105 compatible with the local playback capabilities of client
102.
[0039] Based on the comparison at step 304, rich media file 105 is
sent to client 102 in the preferred file format at a step 305. As
shown in FIG. 1D, for example, rich media file 105 in file format
106-C is downloaded from server 103 to client 102. In the example
shown in FIGS. 1A-1E, while both file format 106-C and file format
106-E were determined to be suitable for playback on client 102,
because file format 106-C is ranked higher than file format 106-E
in schedule 109, server 103 transfers rich media 105 in file format
106-C from memory 110 of server 103 to memory 104 of client 102. In
the preferred embodiment, this procedure is transparent to the
user, such that the user is not required to take action to initiate
this step, and the process is not noticeable to the user.
[0040] In the preferred embodiment, in the event that response 108B
from client 102 did not match any of the file formats 106-A, 106-B
. . . 106-X available in schedule 109, or if response 108B from
client 102 did not match any of the file formats 106-A, 106-B . . .
106-X ranked above a certain preference level, server 103 will not
send rich media file 105 to client 102, as shown at a step 305a.
Since the process according to the present invention, in the
preferred embodiment, is transparent to the user, the user would
not be aware that the transfer of rich media file 105 was
unsuccessful.
[0041] At a step 307, as shown in FIGS. 1E and 3, after the
entirety of rich media file 105, in preferred file format 106-C,
has been completely loaded into local cache 107 of client 102, as
shown in a step 306, rich media file 105 may be displayed. For
example, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C, rich media file 105 may be
displayed in a designated display area 202 of a physical display
area 200 of client 102.
[0042] Designated display area 202 is defined as a region, screen,
or application window that is used for displaying rich media
content 105, and is distinct from content display area 201,
previously being viewed by a user in physical display area 200.
Physical display area 200 is the total area of an electronic device
which is dedicated to and available for displaying information,
such as a computer's monitor or a cellular phone's LCD display
screen, whereas content display area 201 is defined as the part of
physical display area 200 actually being used to display content at
a given moment. In the case of a small handheld device, display
areas 201 and 202 may occupy the same physical space (e.g. the
entirety of physical display area 200) as shown in FIG. 2A, or all
or part of a "layer" of visual content within physical display area
200, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, superimposed over a portion of a
preexisting content display area 201 (e.g. a main browser window)
of client 102.
[0043] Regardless of the physical space occupied by rich media
content 105, the designated display area 202 is separate in the
sense that it can be manipulated (replayed, dismissed, forwarded to
another user, etc.), as described below, without affecting the
remainder of the content being viewed by the user. As shown in
FIGS. 2A-2C, controls 203 may be provided for manipulating rich
media content 105 at a step 308. Controls 203 may be implemented in
a variety of manners, including but not limited to, mechanical
buttons, onscreen representations of buttons, onscreen menus,
keystrokes, pen-based input methods, voice commands, ocular
movements, a menu bar, navigation bar, or toolbar. Types of
manipulation that might be performed may include the ability to
replay; to turn any associated sound on or off; to turn any
associated video on or off; to close or dismiss rich media content
105; to respond to rich media content 105 by redirecting the
software, hardware, or electronic appliance to another source for
electronic information on computer network 101; to respond to rich
media content 105 by acknowledging receipt; to respond to rich
media content 105 by answering a question; and/or to store rich
media content 105 or a reference to rich media content 105 for
future viewing by user. Additionally, rich media content 105 or a
reference to rich media content 105 may be forwarded to another
user by entering the email address, location, address, or other
contact information for such other user, either manually or through
referencing a list of predetermined recipients. Forwarding may mean
simply including the sending of a reference to rich media content
105 (such as a URL, an alias, a pointer, or other means of locating
files on a computer network), or the actual transfer of rich media
file 105 to the other user. In the context of online advertising,
forwarding to additional users increases the overall exposure to
the advertisement's message. Therefore, a user may be encouraged to
forward rich media content 105, for example, by the amusing or
entertaining nature of rich media content 105, or through
incentives, premiums or discounts offered for forwarding.
Additionally, the address or coordinates of recipients of rich
media 105 may be stored on computer network 101 (e.g. in a database
on server 103), for future use by advertisers to target specific
groups of individuals.
[0044] The present invention may be implemented using hardware,
software or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or
more computer systems or other processing systems. An example
computer system 400 useful in implementing the present invention is
shown in FIG. 4. The computer system 400 includes one or more
processors 404. Processor 404 is connected to a communication
infrastructure 406 (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or
network). Various software embodiments are described in terms of
this exemplary computer system. After reading this description, it
will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art how to
implement the invention using other computer systems and/or
computer architectures.
[0045] Computer system 400 may include a display interface 402 that
forwards graphics, text, and other data from the communication
infrastructure 406 (or from a frame buffer, not shown) for display
on a display unit 430.
[0046] Computer system 400 also includes a main memory 408,
preferably random access memory (RAM), and may also include a
secondary memory 410. The secondary memory 410 may include, for
example, a hard disk drive 412 and/or a removable storage drive
414, representing, for example, a floppy disk drive, a magnetic
tape drive, or an optical disk drive. Removable storage drive 414
reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit 418 in a
well-known manner. Removable storage unit 418, for example a floppy
disk, magnetic tape, or optical disk, is read by and written to by
removable storage drive 414. As will be appreciated, removable
storage unit 418 includes a computer usable storage medium having
stored therein computer software and/or data.
[0047] In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 410 may include
other similar means for allowing computer programs or other
instructions to be loaded into computer system 400. Such means may
include, for example, a removable storage unit 422 and an interface
420. Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge
interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable
memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, and
other removable storage units 422 and interfaces 420 which allow
software and data to be transferred from removable storage unit 422
to computer system 400.
[0048] Computer system 400 may also include a communications
interface 424. Communications interface 424 allows software and
data to be transferred between computer system 400 and external
devices. Examples of communications interface 424 may include a
modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a
communications port, and a PCMCIA slot and card. Software and data
transferred via communications interface 424 are in the form of
signals 428 which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or
other signals capable of being received by communications interface
424. These signals 428 are provided to communications interface 424
via a communications path (i.e., channel) 426. This channel 426
carries signals 428 and may be implemented using wire or cable,
fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link and
other communications channels.
[0049] In this document, the terms "computer program medium" and
"computer usable medium" are used to generally refer to media such
as removable storage drive 414, a hard disk installed in hard disk
drive 412, and signals 428. These computer program products are
means for providing software to computer system 400. The invention
is directed to such computer program products.
[0050] Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are
stored in main memory 408 and/or secondary memory 410. Computer
programs may also be received via communications interface 424.
Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system
400 to perform the features of the present invention as discussed
herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable
the processor 404 to perform the features of the present invention.
Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the
computer system 400.
[0051] In an embodiment where the invention is implemented using
software, the software may be stored in a computer program product
and loaded into computer system 400 using removable storage drive
414, hard drive 412 or communications interface 424. The control
logic (software), when executed by the processor 404, causes the
processor 404 to perform the functions of the invention as
described herein.
[0052] In another embodiment, the invention is implemented
primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components such
as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation
of the hardware state machine so as to perform the functions
described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the
relevant art.
[0053] In yet another embodiment, the invention is implemented
using a combination of both hardware and software.
[0054] The method according to the present invention allows for a
highly reliable, entirely transparent process for displaying
high-quality online advertising imagery. While a number of
embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it
should be understood that they have been presented by way of
example, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled
in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be
made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention. For example, while the above embodiments have focused on
the application of the method according to the present invention to
the display of online advertisements, the method according to the
present invention also can be used to provide other forms of rich
media content to a user over a computer network, as would be
apparent to those of skill in the relevant art. Thus the present
invention should not be limited by any of the above-described
exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance
with the following claims and their equivalents.
* * * * *
References