Patent Application
20140259055
Conventionally, targeted advertisements have focused primarily on determining relevant content for a particular user. However, less attention has been given to controlling user interaction with the targeted advertisement itself, an aspect which is as influential, if not more, than what is actually presented. For example, if a user is targeted with an advertisement, there are no means of ensuring the user will properly view or experience the advertising content amidst other content being displayed. This is especially true for advertisements which offer time-sensitive discounts for products deemed relevant to a particular user. Even if the particular user would otherwise have an interest in pursuing the offer, the intrusive nature of the advertisement and inconvenient timing may obscure the intended impact and relevance of a targeted advertisement.
Accordingly, there is a need to enhance a user's experience by creating non-intrusive advertising schemes which enable the user to pursue targeted advertisements and/or discounts at a convenient time.
In some embodiments, after showing the advertisement normally inside a browser or a video player, the user has the option to park the advertisement to the side of the browser or the player. One by one, the parked advertisements, represented as icons, form a vertical advertisement wall to the side of the player. This non-intrusive arrangement permits the focus to remain on the original video content and not on the advertisements. Once the user selects an icon, the corresponding advertisement is displayed in the browser or the player. If the original video is being displayed when the user selects an icon, the video will pause and resume once the advertisement is displayed to completion or closed by the viewer.
In some embodiments, during or after the advertisement being displayed in the browser or the player, a discount or an offer for a discount is presented to the user. The user may select the offer to redeem the discount towards a purchase or expenditure advertised. If the user selects the offer, the original video being displayed will pause and resume once the user returns to the browser or player.
Each of the one or more computers 104, 106 and 108 may be distributed, and can include various hardware, software, applications, algorithms, programs and tools. Depicted computers may also include a hard drive, monitor, keyboard, pointing or selecting device, etc. The computers may operate using an operating system such as Windows by Microsoft, etc. Each computer may include a central processing unit (CPU), data storage device, and various amounts of memory including RAM and ROM. Depicted computers may also include various programming, applications, algorithms and software to enable searching, search results, and advertising, such as graphical or banner advertising as well as keyword searching and advertising in a sponsored search context. Many types of advertisements are contemplated, including textual advertisements, rich advertisements, video advertisements, etc.
As depicted, each of the server computers 108 includes one or more CPUs 110 and a data storage device 112. The data storage device 112 includes a database 116 and an Ad Wall Program 114.
The Program 114 is intended to broadly include all programming, applications, algorithms, software and other and tools necessary to implement or facilitate methods and systems according to embodiments of the invention. The elements of the Program 114 may exist on a single server computer or be distributed among multiple computers or devices.
At step 206, using one or more server computers, upon the user selecting at least the icon, at least the advertisement associated with at least the icon to the user is served, wherein serving the advertisement comprises pausing the online video. At step 208, using one or more server computers, the online video is resumed following the advertisement being served.
At step 304, using one or more server computers, following the serving of the advertisement, at least an icon is presented representing at least the advertisement, wherein the icon is presented visually in a vector during the presentation of the online video to the user.
At step 306, using one or more server computers, upon the user selecting at least the icon, at least the advertisement associated with the icon to the user is served, wherein serving the advertisement comprises pausing the online video and facilitating at least an offer for a discount. At step 308, using one or more server computers, the online video is resumed following the advertisement being served.
While the invention is described with reference to the above drawings, the drawings are intended to be illustrative, and the invention contemplates other embodiments within the spirit of the invention.
