EP0822535A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Interactive multimedia advertising and electronic commerce on a hypertext network
Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1997-08-01
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-08-01
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for providing targeted, interactive, multimedia advertisements and electronic commerce capability on a hypertext network. Advertising software from a server is loaded on a user's client computer through a browser at the user's request. The display screen of the client computer is partitioned into a browser area, which retains the full functionality of the underlying browser, and advertising area. Controls affecting the presentation and content of the advertisements streamed from the server to the client computer are available to the user in the advertising area, as are secure purchase and electronic coupon controls.
Inventors
- 👤 Jitendra Apte
- 👤 Marina Lima Roesler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 10:12
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q30/00; G06Q30/02; G06Q30/0207; G06Q30/0239; G06Q30/0241; G06Q30/0242; G06Q30/0251; G06Q30/0253; G06Q30/0257; G06Q30/0277; G06Q30/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
95 words
A system for providing advertising on a hypertext
network, comprising: a. a network; b. a server having advertisements, said server
connected to said network; c. a client computer having a browser, said
client computer connected to said network,
said advertisement server sending-said
advertisements in sequence from said server to
said client computer at the request of said
client computer; d. advertising software on said client computer,
said advertising software functioning as an
overlay to said browser, said advertising
software displaying said advertisements in
sequence on said client computer while
maintaining the functionality of said browser.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1, wherein a media clip related
to the presently displayed advertisement is shown on
said client computer when requested by a user.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1, wherein a secure purchase
transaction is effectuated through said client computer
at the user's request.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising a sales
agent, wherein communications are established between
said sales agent and a user at the user's request.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising
advertising topics that are selectable by a user,
wherein advertisements pertaining to said advertising
topics selected by a user are displayed to the user.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising a help
page on said advertising server, said help page
displayed to the user at the user's request.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising an
advertisement service home page on said server, said
home page displayed to a user at the user's request.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said advertisement
comprises at least one link that loads and displays a
page in said browser area when selected by a user.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 1, wherein advertisements
related to pages displayed to a user at the user's
request are displayed to the user.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising an
electronic coupon that may be selected by a user,
wherein said electronic coupon is stored on said client
computer and redeemed by the user during a secure
purchase transaction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 1, wherein a previously
displayed advertisement is displayed to a user at the
user's request.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the sequence of
advertisements displayed to the user is paused at the
user's request.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
185 words
A system for providing advertising on a hypertext
network, comprising: a. a network; b. a server having advertisements, said server
connected to said network; c. a client computer having a browser, said
client computer connected to said network,
said server sending said advertisements in
sequence from said server to said client
computer at the request of said client
computer; d. advertising software on said client computer,
said advertising software functioning as an
overlay to said browser, said advertising
software operating in conjunction with said
browser to display a screen on said client
computer comprising: i. a browser area, said browser area
comprising a page display area and
software controls displayed by said
browser when said browser operates
without said advertising software; ii. an advertising area comprising: a. a control area having a pause
button, a step back button, and a
step forward button by which the
presentation of advertisements
controlled by a user; b. a display area where advertisements
are displayed in sequence to the
user; c. a transaction area having a secure
purchase button for effectuating a
secure purchase transaction at the
user's request.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The system of claim 13, further comprising a sales
agent, wherein said transaction area further comprises a
sales agent button for effectuating communications
between a user and said sales agent at the user's
request.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 13, further comprising a help
page on said server, and said advertisement area further
comprising a help button wherein said help page is
displayed in said browser area when said help button is
selected by a user.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
The system of claim 13, further comprising
multimedia information on said server, wherein said
advertising area further comprises a multimedia button,
and wherein said multimedia information is displayed in
said browser area when said multimedia button is
selected by a user.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 13, further comprising a home
page on said server, and wherein said advertising area
further comprises a home page button, and wherein said
home page is displayed in said browser area when said
home page button is selected by a user.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 13, wherein said advertising
area further comprises an advertising topic list, and
wherein said advertisements pertaining to topics
selected by a user are displayed in said advertising
display area.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system of claim 13, wherein said advertisement
comprises at least one link that loads and displays a
page in said browser area when selected by a user.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 13, wherein said server targets
said advertisements to a user, said server transmitting
advertisements related to pages displayed through said
browser on said client computer at the user's request.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 13, wherein an advertisement is
stored on said client computer as an electronic coupon
when selected by a user, said electronic coupon
redeemable during a secure purchase transaction.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for providing advertising on a hypertext
network, comprising the steps of: a. loading advertising software from a server on
a client computer with a browser at a user's
request, said software dividing the client
computer screen into a browser area and an
advertising area; b. streaming a sequence of advertisements from
said server to said client computer at the
request of said client computer; c. displaying said advertisements to the user in
said advertising area while maintaining the
original functionality of the browser in the
browser area.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of pausing the display of advertisements at the request
of the user.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the
steps of caching a predetermined number of
advertisements on the client computer, pausing the
display of the sequence of advertisements and stepping
backward and forward through and displaying said cached
advertisements to the user at the user's request.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of immediately displaying the next advertisement in said
advertisement area at the user's request.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of effectuating a secure purchase of an item shown in
the presently displayed advertisement at the user's
request.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of establishing communications between the user and a
sales agent representing the sponsor of the presently
displayed advertisement at the user's request.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of showing to the user multimedia information pertaining
to the presently displayed advertisement at the user's
request.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of showing an advertising service home page to the user
at the user's request.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of showing an advertising service help page to the user
at the user's request.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the
steps of displaying a list of advertising topics to a
user and displaying advertisements in said advertisement
area pertaining to said advertising topics selected by
the user.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the step
of displaying an advertiser page in the browser area
when the advertisement shown in the advertising area is
selected by a user.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the
steps of determining the topics of pages viewed through
said browser on said client computer at the user's
request, selecting advertisements related to said
topics, and transmitting said advertisements related to
said topics to said client computer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 22, further comprising the
steps of storing an electronic coupon when selected by a
user, and redeeming said electronic coupon during a
secure purchase transaction at the request of a user.
Claim 35
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of effectuating a secure purchase
transaction on a hypertext network, comprising the steps
of: a. loading advertising software from a server on
a client computer with a browser at a user's
request, said software dividing the client
computer screen into a browser area and an
advertisement area; b. streaming a sequence of advertisements from
said server to said client computer at the
request of said client computer; c. displaying said advertisements to the user in
said advertisement area while maintaining the
original functionality of the browser in the
browser area; d. accepting a secure purchase request from a
user for the item offered in a presently
displayed advertisement; e. accepting purchaser information from the user.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 35, wherein said secure
purchase information comprises the credit card
information, said credit card information comprising the
name of the credit card vendor, the user's name and
credit card number, and the expiration date of the
user's credit card.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
47 words
A method of preregistering user purchaser
information, comprising the steps of: a. obtaining user purchaser information; b. storing said user purchaser information on
said server; c. associating said user purchaser information
with a confidential authentication password,
said password known to the user and recognized
by said server.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 37, wherein said purchaser
information comprises credit card information, said
credit card information comprising the name of the
credit card vendor, the user's name and credit card
number, and the expiration date of the user's credit
card.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 37, wherein said purchaser
information comprises the user's shipping address.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 37, further comprising the
steps of storing an electronic coupon when said
advertisement is selected.by a user, and redeeming said
electronic coupon during a secure purchase transaction
at the request of a user.
Claim 41
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of effectuating a secure purchase
transaction on a hypertext network, comprising the steps
of: a. loading advertising software from a server on
a client computer with a browser at a user's
request, said software dividing the screen of
said client computer into a browser area and
an advertising area; b. streaming a sequence of advertisements from
said server to said client computer; c. displaying said advertisement to the user in
said advertising area while maintaining the
original functionality of the browser in the
browser area; d. accepting a secure purchase request from a
user for the item offered in a presently
displayed advertisement; e. accepting a confidential authentication
password from the user; f. forwarding preregistered purchaser information
to the sponsor of said presently displayed
advertisement if the confidential
authentication password provided by the user
matches a confidential authentication password
stored on said server, and generating an error
message if said password provided by the user
does not match said password stored on said
server.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 41, further comprising the
steps of storing an electronic coupon when said
advertisement is selected by a user, and redeeming said
electronic coupon during a secure purchase transaction
at the request of a user.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
66 words
A system for providing advertising to a user
through a hypertext network, comprising: a. advertising means for providing advertisements
to a user; b. server means for storing said advertising
means and accepting secure purchase data from
a user; c. client means for loading said advertisement
means and displaying said advertisements to a
user; and c. network means for interconnecting said server
means with said client means;
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system of claim 43, further comprising means
for identifying the topics of pages displayed by said
client means, means for selecting said advertisements
corresponding to said topics, and means for streaming
said selected advertisements to said client means at the
request of said client means.
Claim 45
Independent Claim
78 words
A system for providing advertising to a user
through a hypertext network, comprising: a. advertising means for providing advertisements
to a user; b. server means for storing said advertising
means and accepting secure purchase data from
a user; c. client means for loading said advertising
means and displaying said advertisements to a
user; d. browser means for displaying pages to a user
on said client means; d. network means for interconnecting said server
means with said client means;
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 45, further comprising means
for identifying the topics of pages displayed by said
client means, means for selecting said advertisements
corresponding to said topics, and means for transmitting
said selected advertisements to said client means.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 45, further comprising means
for storing an electronic coupon at the request of a
user, and means for redeeming said electronic coupon
when requested by a user.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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