초록 ▼

A system and method for targeting and distributing advertisements over a distributed information network includes a client application that displays targeted advertisements on a subscriber's computer and a server that manages an advertisement database and provides advertisements to the subscriber's

A system and method for targeting and distributing advertisements over a distributed information network includes a client application that displays targeted advertisements on a subscriber's computer and a server that manages an advertisement database and provides advertisements to the subscriber's computer. Advertisements are specifically targeted to the subscriber based on a personal profile provided by the subscriber. The client application periodically accesses the server over a distributed information network to download the targeted advertisements. The client application preferably displays the downloaded advertisements in an advertising window that is continuously displayed on the subscriber's computer and that is sensitive to mouse and/or keyboard activity, even if other applications are running concurrently on the subscriber's computer. Thus, the probability that a subscriber will view an advertisement that is specifically for the subscriber is relatively high.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An advertisement display apparatus for displaying, to a user of the advertisement display apparatus, selectively distributed advertisements transmitted over a distributed network, the advertisement display apparatus comprising:a memory that stores at least one of the sele

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An advertisement display apparatus for displaying, to a user of the advertisement display apparatus, selectively distributed advertisements transmitted over a distributed network, the advertisement display apparatus comprising:a memory that stores at least one of the selectively distributed advertisements;a processor that visibly displays one of the at least one stored selectively distributed advertisement on a display, the display driven by the processor;a low level determination circuit that determines if a number of selectively distributed advertisements to be displayed remaining in the memory has reached a predetermined low level; anda communication device connectable to an advertisement distribution system over the distributed network if the low level determination circuit has determined that the number of selectively distributed advertisements to be displayed remaining in the memory has reached the predetermined low level, wherein the selectively distributed advertisements are identified by the advertisement distribution system based on a profile of the user supplied to the advertisement distribution system.