FI107423B - Advertising in a computer network - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering advertisements to a basic user via a telecommunications network. In particular, though not necessarily, the invention relates to the inclusion of advertisements in World Wide Web pages taken over the Internet.

Background of the Invention

Despite its short history, the Internet has already proved to be an extremely effective means of advertising products and services to potential customers. Ads are typically made available directly in the form of a World Wide Web (WWW) page, which can be retrieved on the end user's personal computer by entering a unique web address (URL) of the page into his / her web browser or by providing a link. the side of a Web page are included in the third party. In the latter case, a link to the advertiser's web page may be included, such as a real-time newspaper or magazine page. Ad 20 included in the side of the third party so-called "hot-link" (in English. "Hot link") (comprising for example text or a picture) such that the end user can do. tap the link to pick up a new page related to the ad.

«·« ♦ • · * «» * • «·. ♦ · This method is the inclusion of a third-party ad a Web page is not * · · 25 optimal for two reasons. First, especially when ads are transported in the form of images, the inclusion of even a small amount of advertising on a web page can significantly increase the (data) size of the page and can therefore significantly extend its sampling time. Second, the inclusion of ads in the pages to be extracted typically does not take into account the interests of the end user ·: **: the pages receiving them. This makes it easy for a user to miss out on \ 30 potentially interesting ads that are buried by many others; · Towers ads.

, · 2 107423

When this is the case, it is tempting for the user to sift through the pages to be extracted from the ads. This can be done automatically by client programs (browsers) based on the structure of the page to be extracted. For example, portions of a page that originate in a different location from where the main page originates can be considered as advertisements and can therefore be removed from the page.

One proposal to ensure that relevant ads are sent to a particular user involves collecting information about the web pages that the user has picked up from the Internet with their web browser. This information may include, for example, the URLs of previously extracted web pages. The information is collected in a web browser (sometimes called a "cookie") and sent to a central database web server that responds by selecting ads based on the basic user data received and sending these ads to the end user.

One problem with this approach is that end users cannot actively collaborate with a centralized web server by uploading aggregated data. In such a case, the system cannot function as intended.

Summary of the Invention 20

The object of the invention is to overcome or at least reduce the above disadvantages in the known Internet advertising distribution systems. In particular, it is an object of the invention to allow ads to be sent to a user over a computer network in conjunction with the requested web pages, with the ads being selected based on the content of the web pages and / or a predetermined profile of the user.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of delivering advertisements to a terminal, wherein the terminal is connected to a data network via a proxy server, and at least one content provider server is also connected to a data network, the method comprising: · 3 107423 transmitting an electronic file from a content provider to a proxy server through said data network, said file transmitting human-understandable information; including in the proxy server electronic data which transmits additional human-understandable information related to at least 5 of the advertisements to or in said electronic file; and transmitting the converted electronic file from the proxy to the terminal.

Typically, the proxy associated proxy server is geographically located closer to the proxy user than the content provider server. Thus, the invention allows ads to be included in extractable files at the local level. Therefore, ads that are likely to be of greater importance to the end user may be included in the files.

Preferably, the electronic file sent from the content provider vendor contains markers 15 or tags identifying the locations in the file to which the proxy may place ads. For example, where said electronic file conveys a graphic image, and said human understandable information is a still image or video sequence, the marker may determine the position and size of the insertion in said graphic image.

Where said electronic file conveys a still image, the image may be encoded in GIF or JPEG format. Other forms may be used, such as PNG. Similarly, where the added electronic data conveys a still image, this data may be in the form of an "· I (*; ·. Equivalent format. Where the electronic file and / or the added data transmit a video image, the. File / data may be MPEG, AVI, VIVO. , QT, or other format.

··· 25

While the electronic data added to the extracted file may convey visual information. , it may also transmit other information such as the sound sequence, e.g., music.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the method comprises creating a profile in the proxy server for each end user associated with that proxy server. For example, a profile can be constructed on the user's terminal using the file addresses of previously extracted files. Ads to be included or added to the file can then be selected based on the user profile.

In other embodiments of the invention, the electronic file transmitted from the content provider server 5 comprises at least one identifier used by the proxy to determine the nature of the advertisement to be included or inserted in the file. For example, a token can specify a location in a file, or it can specify an ad type, such as subject or media.

The information network used for transmitting said electronic file may be the Internet, wherein said electronic file comprises HTML code defining a web page. The ad can be appropriately included in the web page by modifying the HTML code. Alternatively, and as mentioned above, the ad can be embedded in an image (e.g., GIF, MPEG), audio (WAV), or other file contained in a web page. An advantage of the latter method is that the ad is more likely to be embedded in the web page and thus the ad is more difficult to screen.

More preferably, the aforementioned user-specific profile can be created using unique web addresses (URLs) of web pages requested by the user. In this case, said proxy 20 is preferably a proxy server, typically operated by an Internet service provider, or forming part of a local area network through which the terminal is connected to the Internet.

«·, I I ·« «·« 4 *

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a device for delivering advertisements to a terminal, c, .25, the device comprising a proxy that connects the terminal to a data network and is adapted to receive an electronic file through a content provider service; ': From a lime also connected to a data network, said file transmitting human-understandable information, the proxy including:' ': memory means for storing additional human-readable electronic data conveying at least • · · 30 information related to one advertisement; Signal processing means for including or adding said electronic data to said electronic file; 5,742,423 transmitting means adapted to transmit the modified electronic file from the proxy to the terminal.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a computer memory encoded by executable instructions representing 5 computer programs that causes a proxy to: receive an electronic file from a content server through a data network to which the proxy and the content server are connected, said file transmitting human understandable information; to include or add to said electronic file electronic data 10 that conveys human-understandable information relating to at least one advertisement; and send the modified electronic file to the terminal.

Brief Description of the Drawings

To facilitate understanding of the invention and to demonstrate how the invention may be implemented, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a system for including advertisements in web pages retrieved via the Internet; and FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for operating the system of FIG.

. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS • 1 · C · •

Figure 1 shows a terminal 1, which is typically a personal computer or similar. Terminal 1 is connected via modem (not shown) to telephone line 2 of an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN, .1), and through that line to public · 1; a Public Telephone Network 3 where the user is a subscriber. On request, e.g. by dialing a predetermined number from terminal 1, the user is able to connect to:: ·· '. Internet Service Provider (ISP) 4. The user usually has .. .. 30 accounts with his ISP.

ISP 4 has a so-called Network Access Server (NAS) 11 that routes data to the PTN 3 and the ISP: n 4 LANs. NAS 11 acts as a protocol converter, converting the PTN 3 circuit switched protocol and the LAN and the World Wide Web (WWW) 6 packet switched protocol.

5

After Terminal 1 has logged into NAS 11 via PTN 3, the user may request ISPr 4 to retrieve a specific web page from WWW 6. This includes entering a unique web address (URL) for the web at Terminal 1. and is sent to NAS 11. The URL is a special Internet Protocol 10 (IP) address that identifies a particular remote server 7 connected to the WWW and a specific page (or data file) that that server holds. Remote server 7 may be referred to herein as the Internet Content Server.

NAS 11 forwards all URL requests to the "proxy" server 5. A common function of proxy server 5 is to maintain a database, and for a predetermined period of time, of web pages previously extracted from WWW 6. Upon receipt of the retrieval request, the proxy server 5 will therefore first look into its database to determine whether it contains the requested web page or not. If contained, the page is returned to Terminal 1. If not contained, the page is extracted from Internet Content Producer 7 using TCP / IP protocol and further to Terminal 1 via Proxy Server 5 and PTN 3 2 0.

• 4 When a Web page with a specific URL is extracted from the Internet content provider 7, this ·. It is temporarily stored in the buffer memory 10 of the proxy server 5. As is well known, web pages are written in a language known as Hypertext ··· 25 Mark-up Language, and the extracted page is stored in the buffer memory 10 in this format.

• · • · • 9>

Proxy server 5 has a user profile database 8. This database associates users with one or more "" categories. Typical categories may include financial services, computer, · · · · 30 products and services, film and television, cars, etc. category based on which URLs were previously browsed by user terminal 1, and more specifically by pasting category keywords into the URLs, for example, the word "va" »7 107423 statement in the URL may cause, that the user will be included in the database under the category 8 "financial services.

The proxy server also has a second database 9 that contains a list of 5 categories contained in the profile database 8, together with a set of corresponding ad files. Each file contains advertising information, such as text, images, and video or audio sequences for the related category. Text files are typically saved in HTML format, image files in JPEG, GIF or PNG format, video files in MPEG, AVI, VIVO, or QT format, and audio files in WAV format (depending on browser compatibility). Of course, the ad can also include an image, video, or audio file (or any combination of these) embedded in an HTML file.

For the purposes of this example, it is assumed that the Internet Content Producer 7 has an agreement with ISP 4 to place ads on web pages taken from the Content Producer 7. 15 Alternatively, both content provider 7 and ISP 4 may have started to comply with a national or international standard for such placement. In either case, the web pages extracted for the proxy server 5 are accompanied by "tags" that may be attached to or contained in the HTML file. These characteristics identify the location, the number and shape of the ads to be included in the web page by the proxy server 5.

. The destination of the web page, i.e. the end user, is known to the proxy server 5, and the server 5 'is able to identify from the profile database 8 the categories associated with that particular user. From another database 9, the server is then able to identify and retrieve one or more of the * 25 advertising files belonging to the identified category. This selection «. ' · *: Also based on the characters that accompany the HTML file.

«. · «·· i · ·« ♦ ·

Ad files retrieved from database 9 (HTML, JPEG, WAV, etc.) are then included in the '' · * "· HTML web page temporarily stored in buffer 10. It is important to note that ad files may generate more" hot links "to the web page. The converted web page is then transferred from the proxy server 5 buffer memory: / · list 10 via PTN 3 to terminal 1. After being received there, user 8 107423 is able to display the web page using a executable web browser. Obviously, the ads included in the web page by the proxy server 5 appear to the user as a "seamless" part of the web page.

It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiment described above without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, ad files may be embedded in other files that are themselves embedded in the extracted web page. For example, an ad consisting of a still GIF image may be embedded in another GIF image that is already included in the web page. The identifier associated with the web page may be included in the HTML 10 code, or it may be included in the GIF image itself.

• t · i ♦,% «· € {♦ I 1 II 1 {* ft ··« »· · • • • · · · 4« i · • «♦« «♦« M «♦ «·« ♦ «· • I» · ♦ «·

Claims (13)

A method of promoting advertising to a user terminal, wherein the terminal is connected to a data network through an intermediate server and at least one content producer server is also connected to the data network, characterized in that the method comprises sending an electronic file from the content producer server to the intermediate server via said data network, the file conveying intelligible information to humans; at the intermediate server inserts into the electronic file, or adds to the same, electronic data which further communicates, to at least one advertising related information which is understandable to humans; and transmits the modified electronic file from the intermediate server to the user terminal. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic file sent from the content producer server contains markings which in the file mark places where advertisements can be inserted by means of the intermediate server. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the profile is created at the intermediate server for each end-user connected to the second server. '..I i 4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that a profile is established with the use of the data network addresses of files previously downloaded to the user terminal, [and selection of the advertisements to be inserted or inserted. to a file, at the base of the user's 2. file. • · «• ·« • · · · · • i »• · · Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic file sent from the content producer server comprises at least one feature. 1 · ·. one that the intermediate server uses to determine the nature of the advertisement. 30 to insert or attach to the file. • · 1 • «« • · · 1 · · 107423 Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the character indicates a location in the file or a type of advertisement. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the data network used to convey the electronic file is the Internet and that the electronic file comprises HTML code defining a web page. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the method comprises including the advertisements in the web page by appropriately modifying the HTML code. 10 Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the method comprises including the advertisement in a file embedded in the web page which is in image, sound or video form. Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the advertisement has the same shape as the file in which it is baked. Method according to any of claims 7-10, when appended to claim 3, characterized in that the profile is created for each user using the web address (URL, Universal Resource Locator) for web pages previously used by the user 2. . A device for conveying advertising to a user terminal (1), wherein the device comprises an intermediate server (5) connecting the terminal (1) to a data network (6). ) | and adapted to receive an electronic file when using the data network (6) from a content program. 25 server servers (7), which are also connected to the data network (6), the file conveying information * I. *. is human-intuitive, characterized in that the intermediate server (5) comprises: memory means (9) that stores electronic data that further communicates, to at least • (, · · ·, an advertising connected information that is intelligible to humans; signal processing means (5) for inserting or adding to said electronic data in the electronic file; and transmitting means (5) adapted to transmit the modified electronic file from the electronic file; the intermediate server (5) to the user terminal (1). A computer memory encoding executable instructions representing a computer program to obtain the intermediate server to: receive an electronic file from a content producer server via a computer network to which the intermediate server and the content producer server are linked, the file conveying information that is understandable to people; inserting into the electronic file, or adding to it, electronic data which further disseminates, to at least one advertising related information which is understandable to humans; and send the modified electronic file to the user terminal. 15 • e · «· · · e · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·