US 6,771,290 B1 · Computer interface method and apparatus with portable network organization system and targeted advertising

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing an automatically upgradeable software application includes targeted advertising based upon demographics and user interaction with the computer. The software application includes a display region used for banner advertising that is downloaded over a network such as the Internet. The software application is accessible from a server via the network and demographic information on the user is acquired by the server and used for determining what advertising will be sent to the user. The software application further targets the advertisements in response to normal user interaction with the computer. Data associated with each advertisement is used by the software application in determining when a particular advertisement is to be displayed. This includes the specification of certain programs that the user may have so that, when the user runs the program (e.g., a spreadsheet program), a relevant advertisement will be displayed (e.g., an advertisement for a stock brokerage). This provides two-tiered, real-time targeting of advertising—both demographically and reactively. The software application includes programming that accesses the server to determine if one or more components of the application need upgrading. If so, the components can be downloaded and installed without further action by the user. A distribution tool is provided for software distribution and upgrading over the network. Also provided is a user profile that is accessible to any computer on the network. Furthermore, multiple users of the same computer can possess Internet web resources and files that are personalized, maintained and organized.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A computer-readable memory for use by a client computer to provide a user of the computer with an integrated, customized, graphical user interface to a plurality of computer resources, the computer-readable memory comprising:

a non-volatile data storage device;
a program stored on said non-volatile data storage device in a computer-readable format;
said program being operable upon execution to display a graphical user interface comprising an application window separated into a number of regions,
a first one of said regions including a number of graphical objects, at least some of which are each representative of a different software application and are selectable by the user via an input device, wherein said program is operable upon selection of one of said graphical objects to initiate execution of the software application associated therewith;
a second one of said regions including a number of user-selectable items, at least some of which are each associated with a different data set, said data sets each comprising a number of links to different information resources, wherein said program is operable in response to selection of at least one of said items to provide the user with access to its associated data set;
said program including a login module that is operable upon execution to identify the user of the computer;
and
said program being operable following execution of said login module to provide an identification of the user to the server and to receive from the server a user profile containing one or more user data sets and user links to information resources, with said program further being operable to display in one of said regions a user-selectable item for each of said user data sets and each of said user links.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Computer interface method and apparatus with portable network organization system and targeted advertising

Life of this patent

Computer interface method and apparatus with portable network organization system and targeted advertising

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims3