Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 1 of 40 PageID #: 21
`
`Exhibit A
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`
`
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 2 of 40 PageID #: 22
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`US007072849B1
`
`(12)
`
`United States Patent
`Filepp et al.
`
`(10) Patent No.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 7,072,849 B1
`Jul. 4, 2006
`
`(54) METHOD FOR PRESENTING ADVERTISING
`IN AN INTERACTIVE SERVICE
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(75) Inventors: Robert Filepp, White Plains, NY (US);
`
`Alexander W. Bidwell, New York, NY
`(US); Francis C. Young, Pearl River,
`NY (US); Allan M. Wolf, Ridgefield,
`CT (US); Duane Tiemann, Ossining,
`NY (US); Mel Bellar, New York, NY
`(US); Robert D. Cohen, Pouyhquag,
`NY (US); James A. Galambos,
`deceased, late of Westport, CT (US);
`Kenneth H. Appleman, Brewster, NY
`(US); Sam Meo, Carmel, NY (US)
`(73) Assignee: International Business Machines
`Corporation, Armonk, NY (US)
`s
`s
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`21) Appl. No.: 08/158,025
`(21) App
`9
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Nov. 26, 1993
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(60) Division of application No. 07/388,156, filed on Jul.
`28, 1989, now Pat. No. 5,347,632, which is a con-
`s
`s
`s
`s
`s
`tinuation-in-part of application No. 07/328,790, filed
`on Mar. 23, 1989, now abandoned, which is a con-
`tinuation-in-part of application No. 07/219,931, filed
`on Jul. 15, 1988, now abandoned
`•
`u a-s
`s
`(51) Int. Cl
`we
`(2006.01)
`G06O 30/00
`(52) U.S. Cl. ........................................................ 70.5/14
`(58) Field of Classification Search ................ 364/401;
`395/600, 144, 153, 200, 250, 201, 207,210,
`395/214,611, 613, 614, 615, 762, 779, 782,
`395/133, 135,507, 327, 339, 340, 343, 346,
`395/200.09, 445, 460
`See application file for complete search history.
`
`
`
`3,653,001 A * 3/1972 Ninks - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 395,132
`
`JP
`JP
`
`(Continued)
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`573167
`* 1 1982
`3204259
`* 9, 1991
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`“Trintex Sets Prodigy Pricing; Telaction Reports New Cable
`System Affiliate’: IDP Report; v 9 Issue:n4 p. 2(2); Apr. 1,
`1988: Dialog(file 648, 06639981).*
`(Continued)
`Primary Examiner Donald L. Champagne
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Connolly Bove Lodge &
`Hutz LLP: Douglas Lefeve
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`A method for presenting advertising in an interactive service
`provided on a computer network, the service featuring
`applications which include pre-created, interactive text/
`raphic sessions is described. The method features steps for
`grap
`p
`presenting advertising concurrently with service applica
`tions at the user terminal configured as a reception system.
`In accordance with the method, the advertising is structured
`in a manner comparable to the service applications enabling
`the applications to be presented at a first portion of a display
`associated with the reception system and the advertising
`resented at a second portion. Further, steps are provided for
`p
`p
`p
`p
`storing and managing advertising at the user reception
`system so that advertising can be pre-fetched from the
`network and staged in anticipation of being called for
`presentation. This minimizes the potential for communica
`tion line interference between application and advertising
`traffic and makes the advertising available at the reception
`system so as not to delay presentation of the service appli
`cations. Yet further the method features steps for individu
`alizing the advertising Supplied to enhance potential user
`interest by providing advertising based on a characterization
`of the user as defined by the users interaction with the
`service, user demographics and geographical location. Yet
`additionally, advertising is provided with transactional
`facilities so that users can interact with it.
`25 Claims, 16 Drawing Sheets
`
`

`

`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 3 of 40 PageID #: 23
`
`US 7,072,849 B1
`Page 2
`
`
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`4.552,349 A * 1 1/1985 Loos et al. ................... 27O/54
`4.575,579 A * 3/1986 Simon et al. .................. 178/4
`4,688,167 A * 8, 1987 Agarwal ..................... 395,343
`4,714.996 A * 12/1987 Gladney et al. ............ 395/600
`4,805,134. A
`2, 1989 Calo et al. .................. 395/610
`4,823,122 A * 4, 1989 Mann et al. ........... 340,825.28
`4,873,662 A
`8/1989 Sargent
`4,887.204 A 12, 1989 Johnson et al. ............. 395/600
`4,897,781 A *
`1/1990 Chang et al. ............... 395/600
`4,897,782 A *
`1/1990 Bennett et al. ............. 395/600
`4,989,850 A * 2/1991 Weller ........................ 270/11
`5,036,314 A * 7/1991 Barillari et al. ............. 340,717
`5,087,805. A * 2/1992 Silverschotz et al. .. 219/121.71
`5,105,184 A * 4, 1992 Pirani et al. ................ 340,721
`5,119,290 A
`6, 1992 Loo et al. ................... 395/400
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`“The Handbook'; Prodigy; C1990 Prodigy Services Com
`pany Glessbrenner, Alfred; Ceries, New On-line fee; S4.95
`a Month; Home Office Computing; v8 P. 36(1): Dec., 1990
`Dialog (file 647,09685321).*
`“Advertisers Need Quick Fix for Zipping, Zapping; Mar
`keting News; v20 n10; pp. 12; May 9, 1986; Dialog: File 15,
`Accii OO317906.
`“Consumers Plugging into new Electronic Mall': Advertis
`ing Age: Mar. 4, 1985; p. 741; Dialog: File 16, Acci
`O 11555.74%
`“CompuServe Will Jointly Offer Advertising and Direct
`Marketing Services via the CompuServe Information Ser
`vice, a Videotex System: News Release; Oct. 19, 1983; pp.
`1-3: Dialog: File 16, Acci 00962377.*
`“Compuserve, L.M. Berry to Test Viability of Online Adver
`tising: Online Database Report; v4 n10; p. 12; Oct. 1983;
`Dialog: File 275, Acci 00610155.*
`Miller: “Database and Videotex Services. Where is Video
`tex Going?': Data Communications Buyers' Guide 1983;
`pp. 152-157; Nov. 1982: Dialog: File 15, Acci 00188062.*
`Dictionary of Computers, Information Processing & Tele
`communications, 2nd ed.: Jerry M. Rosenberg: 1984; pp.
`
`183, 184, 268, 269,303, 395, 402,455, 530, 531, 594, 639,
`640, 690, 691.*
`Dictionary of Computers, Information Processing & Tele
`communications, 2nd ed.: Jerry M Rosenberg: 1984; p.
`700.*
`Miller: “Database and Videotex Services. Where Is Video
`tex Going?': Data Communications Buyers' Guide 1983;
`pp. 152, 157; Nov. 1982.*
`Dietrich et al.: “Toward a Graphic Standard”; PC World; v2
`n12; p. 264-269; Nov. 1984.*
`“MCTel Inc. Advertises in the Electronic Mall Shop-at
`Home Service, an Advertising Vehicle of CompuServe Inc.
`And L. M. Berry & Co.”: PR Newswire, PH303; Jan. 23,
`1985; Dialog: File 148, Acci 02341095.*
`“Consumers Plugging Into New Electronic Mall': Advertis
`ing Age: Mar. 4, 1985; p. 741.*
`“Home-Computer Shopping Arrives': Discount Store News;
`v24; p. 3(2); Mar. 18, 1985; Dialog: File 148, Acci
`O2324097.*
`“Advertisers Need Quick Fix for Zipping, Zapping; Mar
`keting News; v20 n10; pp. 12; May 9, 1986.*
`Caplinger, Michael, “An Information System Based on
`Distributed Objections”, OOPSLA '87 Proceedings.
`Schatz, Bruce, “Telesophy: A System for Manipulating the
`Knowledge of a Community”, 1987 IEEE.
`Christodoulakis, S., “The Multimedia Object Presentation
`Manager of MINOS: A Symmetric Approach”. ACM
`SIGMOD Conf. 1986.
`Christodoulakis, S., "Issues in the Architecture of a Docu
`ment Archiver Using Optical Disk Technology”, 1985 ACM.
`Christodoulakis, S., “Multimedia Document Presentation,
`Information Extraction, and Document Formation in
`MINOS: A Model and A System” 1986 ACM.
`Sigel, Efrem, “The Future of Videotext”, 1983, Knowledge
`Industry Publications, Inc., White Plains NY and London.
`Alber, Antone F., Videotex/Teletext Principles & Practices,
`McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1985.
`* cited by examiner
`
`

`

`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 4 of 40 PageID #: 24
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 1 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 5 of 40 PageID #: 25
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 2 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 3 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`Hedder Portition 250
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 7 of 40 PageID #: 27
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 4 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 8 of 40 PageID #: 28
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet S of 16
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 9 of 40 PageID #: 29
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`U.S. Patent
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 10 of 40 PageID #: 30
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 11 of 40 PageID #: 31
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 8 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 12 of 40 PageID #: 32
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 13 of 40 PageID #: 33
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 10 of 16
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 14 of 40 PageID #: 34
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 11 of 16
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 15 of 40 PageID #: 35
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 12 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 16 of 40 PageID #: 36
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 17 of 40 PageID #: 37
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`OBJECT CDATAPT
`PART,
`FD. POST
`PART 2
`INTAUZER PigSOR
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 18 of 40 PageID #: 38
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 15 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`FIG 1 O
`PAGE PROCESSING TABLE (ppt)
`PAGE LEVEL, DATA
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`ELEMENT
`
`CHAN
`
`WINDOW
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`NB:
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`
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`WINDOW LEMEL. DATA
`WINDOW LEVEL, DATA
`WINDOW LEVE DATA
`WINDOW LEVEL, DATA
`WINDOW LEVE DATA
`N ELEMENT EVEL, DATA N
`
`ELEMENT EVEL, DATA N
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`N ELEMENT LEME DATA N
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`N ELEMENT LEVEL DATA N
`7 N ELEMENT EVEL, DATA
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`rap tra on v
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`FED LEME DATA
`\? Field level data N
`N FIELD LEVEL, DATA
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 19 of 40 PageID #: 39
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`U.S. Patent
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`Jul. 4, 2006
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`Sheet 16 of 16
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`FIG 11
`
`User opproximation
`of application/interest
`
`User invokes
`"JUMP" function
`
`Staged PEO "JUMPwindow"
`opened on disploy; cursor
`in /O field; user types
`approximation of
`applicotion nome
`
`
`
`first chorocter of
`user-typed strin
`comporéd on coched
`to ble
`
`Table for PTO-religted
`nneumonics for first
`chorocter fetched from
`network
`
`Local string-seorch code
`searches retrieved toble
`for matching string
`
`
`
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`
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`
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`
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`
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`Fetch PTO
`ossociated with string
`
`triggers post-processors
`associated with nearest
`alphabetic JUMPword
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`Y
`
`Letter
`string nigge
`1.
`Window for "INDEX"
`option opened
`
`
`
`Present fetched
`to be o
`soroble
`3OS
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`

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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 20 of 40 PageID #: 40
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`1.
`METHOD FOR PRESENTING ADVERTISING
`IN AN INTERACTIVE SERVICE
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`
`This is a division of application Ser. No. 07/388,156 filed
`Jul. 28, 1989, Sep. 13, 1994, as U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,632,
`application Ser. No. 07/388,156 being a continuation in part
`of application Ser. No. 07/328,790, now abandoned filed
`Mar. 23, 1989, which itself was a continuation in part of
`application Ser. No. 07/219,931, now abandoned filed Jul.
`15, 1988.
`
`10
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`2
`would subscribe to the service and merchandisers who
`would rely on it as a channel of distribution for their good
`and services. Accordingly, if the service delivery system is
`allowed to increase in size and complexity, either unchecked
`or unsubsidized, higher use costs would have to be charged
`to recover the larger capital and operating expenses, with the
`negatively, spiralling effect that fewer users could be
`attracted and be available over which to spread the costs for
`Sustaining the service.
`In the past, other Suppliers of mass-media services such as
`radio, television, newspapers, and magazines, have sought to
`hold access and subscription prices to affordable levels by
`relying on advertising income to offset the costs of providing
`their users with the benefits of technological advance. How
`ever, in the case of interactive computer services, it has not
`been apparent how advertising could be introduced without
`adversely affecting service speed and content quality, which
`as noted, are considered essential elements for service
`SCCCSS,
`Particularly, in an interactive service, if advertising were
`provided in a conventional manner; as for example, by
`providing the advertising as additional data to be Supplied to
`and presented at the user sites, the effort would compete with
`the Supplying and presentation of service application data,
`and have the undesirable effect of diminishing service
`response time. More specifically, if advertising were Sup
`plied conventionally from a host to a user site, the applica
`tion traffic, which constitutes the substance of the service,
`would have to compete with advertising for network com
`munication resources. Yet additionally, even if traffic con
`flicts were somehow avoided, the presentation of the service
`applications would have to be interrupted and delayed; for
`example like television and radio commercials, as advertis
`ing content was presented to the user. The effect of these
`anticipated delays would be to degrade application response
`time and diminishing service attractiveness.
`Additionally, in view of the need to maintain the user's
`interest in application content so as to drive the interactive
`session, it has not been apparent how advertising matter
`could be provided without distracting the user or disrupting
`the session. Where service response time is diminished for
`the sake of advertising which is either irrelevant or distaste
`ful, insult is added to the injury, increasing the likelihood the
`user, and service, will be, simply, turned off.
`
`SUMMARY OF INVENTION
`
`Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a
`method for presenting advertising in an interactive service.
`It is another object of this invention to provide a method
`for presenting advertising in an interactive service which
`method enables the presentation of advertising to be inte
`grated with presentation of service applications.
`It is a yet another object of this invention to provide a
`method for presenting advertising in an interactive service
`which method minimizes the potential for interference
`between the Supply of interactive-service applications and
`advertising.
`It is a still another object of this invention to provide a
`method for presenting advertising which minimizes the
`potential for interference between presentation of interac
`tive-service applications and advertising. It is yet a further
`object of this invention to provide a method for presenting
`advertising in an interactive service which method enables
`the advertising presented to be individualized to the user to
`whom it is presented in order to increase the likelihood the
`advertising will be of interest to the user.
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`1. Field of Use
`This invention relates generally to a distributed process
`ing, interactive computer network intended to provide very
`large numbers of simultaneous users; e.g. millions, access to
`an interactive service having large numbers; e.g., thousands,
`of applications which include pre-created, interactive text/
`graphic sessions; and more particularly, to a method for
`presenting advertising to service users during interactive
`sessions, the method featuring steps for presenting adver
`tising concurrently with applications, the advertising being
`organized as data which is stored for presentation and
`replenished at the user sites So as to minimize interference
`with retrieval and presentation of application data; the
`method also featuring steps for individualizing the adver
`tising presented based on user characterizations defined by
`30
`service interaction and/or other data Such as user demo
`graphics and geographical location.
`2. Prior Art
`Interactive computer networks are not new. Traditionally
`they have included conventional, hierarchical architectures
`wherein a central, host computer responds to the information
`requests of multiple users. An illustration would be a time
`sharing network in which multiple users, each at a remote
`terminal, log onto a host that provides data and software
`resource for sequentially receiving user data processing
`requests, executing them and Supplying responses back to
`the users.
`While such networks have been successful in making the
`processing power of large computers available to many
`users, problems have existed with them. For example, in
`such networks, the host has been required to satisfy all the
`user data processing requests. As a result, processing bottle
`necks arise at the host that cause network slowdowns and
`compel expansion in computing resources; i.e., bigger and
`more complex computer facilities, where response times are
`sought to be held low in the face of increasing user popu
`lations.
`Host size and complexity, however, are liabilities for
`interactive networks recently introduced to offer large num
`bers of the public access to transactional services such as
`55
`home shopping, banking, and investment maintenance, as
`well as informational services concerning entertainment,
`business and personal matters. As can be appreciated, com
`mercial interactive networks will have to provide attractive
`services at low cost and with minimal response times in
`order to be successful. Unlike military and governmental
`networks where, because of the compulsory nature of the
`service performed, costs, content and efficiency are of sec
`ondary concern, in commercial services, since use is pre
`dominantly elective, and paid for by the consumer, costs will
`have to be held low, content made interesting and response
`times reduced in order to attract and hold both users who
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`3
`And, it is still a further object of this invention to provide
`a method for presenting advertising in an interactive service
`which method enables the user to transactionally interact
`with the advertising presented.
`Briefly, the method for presenting advertising in accor
`dance with this invention achieves the above-noted and
`other objects by featuring steps for presenting advertising
`concurrently with service applications at the user reception
`system; i.e., terminal. In accordance with the method, the
`advertising is structured in a manner comparable to the
`manner in which the service applications are structured. This
`enables the applications to be presented at a first portion of
`a display associated with the reception system and the
`advertising to be presented concurrently at a second portion
`of the display. Further, in accordance with the method, the
`user reception system at which the advertising is presented
`includes facility for storing and managing the advertising so
`that it can be pre-fetched from the network and staged at the
`reception system in anticipation of being called for presen
`tation. This minimizes the potential for communication line
`interference between application and advertising traffic and
`makes the advertising available at the reception system so as
`not to delay presentation of the service applications. Yet
`further the method features steps for individualizing the
`advertising Supplied to enhance potential user interest by
`providing advertising based on a characterization of the user
`as defined by the users interaction with the service, user
`demographics and geographical location. Yet additionally,
`advertising is provided with transactional facilities so that
`users can interact with it.
`In preferred form, the method includes step for organizing
`advertising and applications as objects that collectively
`include presentation data and executable program instruc
`tions for generating the advertising and applications at the
`reception system. In accordance with the preferred form of
`the method, advertising and application objects are selec
`tively distributed in the service network in accordance with
`a predetermined plan based on the likelihood the applica
`tions and advertising will be called by the respective user
`reception systems.
`Also in preferred form, the method includes step for
`maintaining an advertising object identification queue, and
`an advertising object store that are replenished based on
`predetermined criteria as advertising is called for association
`and presentation with applications. In accordance with the
`method, as applications are executed at the reception system,
`the application objects provide generalized calls for adver
`tising. The application calls for advertising are Subsequently
`forwarded to the reception system advertising queue man
`agement facility which, in turn Supplies an identification of
`advertising who's selection has been individualized to the
`user based on, as noted, the user's prior interaction history
`with the service, demographics and local. Thereafter, the
`object identification for the advertising is passed to the
`object store to determine if the object is available at the
`reception system. In preferred form, if the advertising object
`is not available at the reception system, a sequence of
`alternative advertising object identifications can be provided
`which if also are unavailable at the reception system will
`resulting in an advertising object being requested from the
`network. In this way, advertising of interest can be targeted
`to the user and secured in time-efficient manner to increase
`the likelihood of user interest and avoid service distraction.
`
`4
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`The above and further objects, features and advantages of
`the invention will become clear from the following more
`detailed description when read with reference to the accom
`panying drawings in which:
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the interactive computer
`network in which the method of the present invention may
`be practiced;
`FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the network illustrated
`in FIG. 1;
`FIGS. 3a and 3b are plan views of a display screen for a
`user reception system at which advertising can be presented
`to a user in accordance with the method of the present
`invention;
`FIGS. 4a, 4b, 4c and 4d are schematic drawings that
`illustrate the structure of objects, and object segments that
`may be used for advertising and applications in accordance
`with the method of the present invention;
`FIG. 5a is a schematic diagram that illustrates the con
`figuration of the page template object which might be used
`for presentation of an application and advertising in accor
`dance with the method of the present invention;
`FIG. 5b is a schematic diagram that illustrates page
`composition which might be used for presentation of an
`application and advertising in accordance with the method
`of the present invention;
`FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the protocol
`which might be used by a reception system for Supporting
`applications and advertising in accordance with the method
`of the present invention;
`FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram that illustrates major layers
`for a reception system which might be used for Supporting
`applications and advertising in accordance with the method
`of the present invention;
`FIG. 8 is a block diagram that illustrates native code
`modules for a reception system which might be used for
`Supporting applications and advertising in accordance with
`the method of the present invention:
`FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram that illustrates an example
`of a partitioned application to be processed by a reception
`system which might be used for Supporting applications and
`advertising in accordance with the method of the present
`invention;
`FIG. 10 illustrates generation of a page with a page
`processing table for a reception system which might be used
`for Supporting applications and advertising in accordance
`with the method of the present invention;
`FIG. 11 is a flow diagram for an aspect of the navigation
`method of a reception system which might be used for
`Supporting applications and advertising in accordance with
`the method of the present invention.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENT
`
`General System Description
`
`FIGS. 1 and 2 show a network in which the method of the
`present invention for presenting advertising might be used.
`As seen the network, designated 10, includes a plurality of
`reception units within a reception layer 401 for displaying
`information and providing transactional services. In this
`arrangement, many users each access network 10 with a
`conventional personal computer; e.g., one of the IBM or
`IBM-compatible type, which has been provided with appli
`cation software to constitute a reception system (RS) 400.
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`Case 1:20-cv-00351-UNA Document 1-1 Filed 03/11/20 Page 22 of 40 PageID #: 42
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`US 7,072,849 B1
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`5
`As seen in FIG. 1, interactive network 10 uses a layered
`structure that includes an information layer 100, a switch/file
`server layer 200, and cache/concentrator layer 300 as well as
`reception layer 401. This structure maintains active appli
`cation databases and delivers requested parts of the data
`bases on demand to the plurality of RS400's, shown in FIG.
`2. As seen in FIG. 2, cache/concentrator layer 300 includes
`a plurality of cache/concentrator units 302, each or which
`serve a plurality of RS 400 units over lines 301. Addition
`ally, switch/file server layer 200 is seen to include a server
`unit 205 connected to multiple cache/concentrator units 302
`over lines 201. Still further, server unit 205 is seen to be
`connected to information layer 100 and its various elements,
`which act as means for producing, Supplying and maintain
`ing the network databases and other information necessary
`to support network 10. Continuing, switch/filer layer 200 is
`also seen to include gateway systems 210 connected to
`server 205. Gateways 210 couple layer 200 to other sources
`of information and data; e.g., other computer systems. As
`will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, layer 200, like
`layers 401 and 300, could also include multiple servers,
`gateways and information layers in the event even larger
`numbers of users were sought to be served.
`Continuing with reference to FIG. 2, in preferred form,
`each RS 400 is seen to include