US 5,974,451 A · System and method for distributing bulletins to external computers accessing wide area computer networks

Abstract

A network access system is provided for distributing bulletins, such as advertisements, to external computers accessing a wide area computer network. The network access system of the present invention connects the external computers to the wide area computer network, and sends bulletins with information being transmitted from remote information servers within the wide area computer network to the external computers. A bulletin server within the network access system stores a plurality of bulletins to be transmitted to the external computers, determines whether to send a bulletin with the information being transmitted, determines what bulletins to transmit to the external computers, and sends the bulletins with the information being transmitted from the remote information servers to the external computers. Upon receipt of a bulletin, the external computers may display the bulletins as part of the received information, may display the bulletins before allowing the user to view the received information, or may display the bulletins as part of a separate window.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A network access system for relaying information between a wide area computer network and an external computer, and for distributing at least one bulletin to said external computer, said network access system comprising:

a first interface that couples said network access system to said wide area computer network and that receives said information from said wide area computer network;
a second interface that couples said network access system to said external computer and that transmits said information and said at least one bulletin to said external computer;
a local storage device that stores said at least one bulletin;
and
a bulletin server that, in response to said first interface receiving said information from said wide area computer network, retrieves said at least one bulletin from said local storage device and transmits said at least one bulletin with said information being received by said first interface and transmitted by said second interface.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for distributing bulletins to external computers accessing wide area computer networks

Life of this patent

System and method for distributing bulletins to external computers accessing wide area computer networks

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9