Netzero, Inc.

United Online, Inc.

Shane Blaser

Terry Warren

Stacy Haitsuka

Harold MacKenzie

Marwan Zebian

Ronald Burr

Namakal Kannan

Paul Ng

Sean Agnew

Colin Giffen

Gerald Popek

Randall Tamura

Thod Nguyen

Mark Randall Goldston

There is disclosed a server and local device that interface for selecting advertisements to be viewed by users of an online service based upon user activity. The local device preferably maintains a targeted activity list of activity identifiers and associated advertisements. The local device monitors the activity on the local device and compares the activity to the identifiers in the targeted activity list. If the activity matches one of the identifiers, the local device plays one or more advertisements.

Targeting of advertisements to users of an online service

There is disclosed a method for accelerating network communications. The method may be implemented on a server computer or other computing device. The method may exist as a software program and may be stored on a storage medium. The method may include receiving a request, forwarding the request to a server, receiving a response from the server, and reviewing the response to determine whether the response includes a native expiration. When the response does not include the native expiration, a calculated expiration for the response may be computed. The calculated expiration may be inserted into the response creating an amended response. The amended response may be forwarded to the client. When the response includes the native expiration, the response may be forwarded to the client. The amended response may be stored and provided to other requesters.

Accelerating network communications

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a client application for enabling access to an online service and displaying advertisements while the user is accessing the online service. The client application receives play lists from the online service provider. The play lists include information about advertisements to be played and the order of play. The client application also receives match lists from the online service provider. The match lists include information about advertisements to be played when the user performs certain actions. The client application also displays a wide variety of sponsorship information in connection with the online service. The sponsorship information is displayed in hypertext format. The client application provides the user with information related to a sponsor when the user clicks on hypertext associated with the sponsor.

Sponsorship/advertising for an internet client

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a client application for enabling access to an online service and displaying advertisements while the user is accessing the online service. The client application receives play lists from the online service provider. The play lists include information about advertisements to be played and the order of play. The client application monitors the user's interaction with respect to the online service, and preferably with respect to the client application. The client application notifies the user if the user has not interacted with the online service for a predetermined time span. The client application also displays an exit window prior to termination of an online session. The exit window includes advertisements that are targeted toward the user.

Inactivity timer for an internet client

Access to internet search capabilities

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a client application for enabling access to an online service and displaying advertisements while the user is accessing the online service. The client application receives play lists from the online service provider. The play lists include information about advertisements to be played and the order of play. The client application also receives match lists from the online service provider. The match lists include information about advertisements to be played when the user performs certain actions. The client application provides the user with the ability to cycle back through previously displayed advertisements, and to cycle forward. The client application displays advertisements continuously while the user is connected to and/or using the online service, and also displays advertisements during the delay between when the client application is activated and when the user can actually use the online service. In conjunction with the client application displaying advertisements, the client application also records which advertisements were played. The client application displays a number of icons for functions available to the user, and the client application records when the user selects these functions. The client application also records certain pre-connection events, such as dial-up errors.

Independent internet client object with ad display capabilities

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a client application for enabling access to an online service and displaying advertisements while the user is accessing the online service. The client application receives play lists from the online service provider. The play lists include information about advertisements to be played and the order of play. The client application displays advertisements continuously within a dedicated client window while the user is connected to and/or using the online service. The client application preferably records informational data related to the user. When the user clicks-on an advertisement, the client application and an online server forward the user's informational data to the advertisement's sponsor. The sponsor uses the information to provide the user with customized information related to the advertisement.

Data pass-through to sponsors

Disclosed is an ad server and local device that interface for selecting advertisements to be viewed by users of an online service based upon user activity. The local device preferably stores a targeted activity list of activity identifiers and associated advertisements in memory, preferably in cache memory. The local device monitors the activity on the local device and compares the activity to the identifiers in the targeted activity list. If the activity matches one of the identifiers, the local device causes one or more advertisements to be played.

High volume targeting of advertisements to user of online service

Methods and apparatus for monitoring the on-line activities of an on-line user are disclosed. Information regarding the user's activities are used as a basis for targeting advertisements to the user. Monitoring is performed by a client monitoring application, which performs monitoring without intruding on the user's activities. In monitoring, URLs in the address bar of the browser application are obtained by the client monitoring application, or the stream of URLs transmitted by the browser application are obtained by the client monitoring application, or information in displayed web pages is obtained by the client monitoring application.

Growing community of inventors

Camarillo, CA, United States of America

Shane Blaser