Apparatus and accompanying methods for implementing network servers for use in providing interstitial web advertisements to a client computer

In conjunction with a information management network server used for distributing an information object to a client computer, the server having a processor, and a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions, a method comprising the steps, performed by the processor in response to the instructions, of:

• receiving a request from a process executing in the client computer to download a manifest file to the client computer, the request being issued in response to execution, by a browser in the client computer, of an associated tag embedded in a web page accessed by the browser, wherein the tag specifies a network address of the information management network server to which the process issues the request but is substantially independent of and does not specify any information object so as to substantially decouple the web page from said any object;
• selecting, in response to the request, a given one of a plurality of information objects to be displayed on the client computer and, in response thereto, accesses a manifest file stored in the memory and associated with the given one information object, wherein the manifest file comprises a manifest of names of a plurality of predefined informational files that collectively form the given one information object, a network address at which each of the predefined informational files can be accessed by the client computer and associated configuration information necessary to properly play the given one information object through the client computer;
• and
• downloading the manifest file to the client computer so that the client computer can subsequently access the informational files from their respective network addresses.

Apparatus for an advertising server, for use in distributing a web advertisement to a client computer, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions;
• and
• wherein the processor, in response to the executable instructions:
• receives a request from a process executing in the client computer to download a manifest file to the client computer, the request being issued in response to execution, by a browser in the client computer, of an associated tag embedded in a web page accessed by the browser, the tag having a component which specifies a network address of the advertising network server to which the process issues the request;
• accesses, in response to the request, a specific one of a plurality of manifest files stored in the memory, said one manifest file being associated with a given one of a plurality of web advertisements to be displayed on the client computer, wherein the manifest file comprises a manifest of names of a plurality of predefined advertising files that collectively comprise part of the given one advertisement, a network address at which each of the predefined advertising files can be accessed by the client computer and associated configuration information necessary to properly play the given one advertisement through the client computer, the advertising files comprising at least one media file which contains content for the one advertisement or at least one player file for rendering an associated media file through the client computer;
• and
• downloads the specific one manifest file to the client computer so that the client computer can subsequently access the advertising files from their respective network addresses.

Apparatus for an advertising server, for use in distributing a web advertisement to a client computer, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions;
• and
• wherein the processor, in response to the executable instructions:
• receives a request from a process executing in the client computer to download a manifest file to the client computer, the request being issued in response to execution, by a browser in the client computer, of an associated tag embedded in a web page accessed by the browser, the tag having a component which specifies a network address of the advertising network server to which the process issues the request;
• accesses, in response to the request and either prior user-specific actions or user-specific information previously collected from the client computer and associated with the user wherein the actions or said information is indicative of preferences of the user, a specific one of a plurality of manifest files stored in the memory, said one manifest file being associated with a given one of a plurality of web advertisements to be displayed on the client computer, wherein the manifest file comprises a manifest of names of a plurality of predefined advertising files that collectively comprise part of the given one advertisement, a network address at which each of the predefined advertising files can be accessed by the client computer and associated configuration information necessary to properly play the given one advertisement through the client computer, the advertising files comprising at least one media file which contains content for the one advertisement or at least one player file for rendering an associated media file through the client computer;
• and
• downloads the specific one manifest file to the client computer so that the client computer can subsequently access the advertising files from their respective network addresses.

In conjunction with an advertising server used for distributing a web advertisement to a client computer, the server having a processor, and a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions, a method comprising the steps, performed by the processor in response to the instructions, of:

• receiving a request from a process executing in the client computer to download a manifest file to the client computer, the request being issued in response to execution, by a browser in the client computer, of an associated tag embedded in a web page accessed by the browser, the tag having a component which specifies a network address of the advertising network server to which the process issues the request;
• accessing, in response to the request, a specific one of a plurality of manifest files stored in the memory, said one manifest file being associated with a given one of a plurality of web advertisements to be displayed on the client computer, wherein the manifest file comprises a manifest of names of a plurality of predefined advertising files that collectively comprise part of the given one advertisement, a network address at which each of the predefined advertising files can be accessed by the client computer and associated configuration information necessary to properly play the given one advertisement through the client computer, the advertising files comprising at least one media file which contains content for the one advertisement or at least one player file for rendering an associated media file through the client computer;
• and
• downloading the specific one manifest file to the client computer so that the client computer can subsequently access the advertising files from their respective network addresses.

In conjunction with an advertising server used for distributing a web advertisement to a client computer, the server having a processor, and a memory connected to the processor and storing computer executable instructions, a method comprising the steps, performed by the processor in response to the instructions, of:

• receiving a request from a process executing in the client computer to download a manifest file to the client computer, the request being issued in response to execution, by a browser in the client computer, of an associated tag embedded in a web page accessed by the browser, the tag having a component which specifies a network address of the advertising network server to which the process issues the request;
• accessing, in response to the request and either prior user-specific actions or user-specific information previously collected from the client computer and associated with the user wherein the actions or said information is indicative of preferences of the user, a specific one of a plurality of manifest files stored in the memory, said one manifest file being associated with a given one of a plurality of web advertisements to be displayed on the client computer, wherein the manifest file comprises a manifest of names of a plurality of predefined advertising files that collectively comprise part of the given one advertisement, a network address at which each of the predefined advertising files can be accessed by the client computer and associated configuration information necessary to properly play the given one advertisement through the client computer, the advertising files comprising at least one media file which contains content for the one advertisement or at least one player file for rendering an associated media file through the client computer;
• and
• downloading the specific one manifest file to the client computer so that the client computer can subsequently access the advertising files from their respective network addresses.