System and method for displaying user selected set of advertisements

Claim 2

A computer-implemented method for displaying informational images on a display of a client computer concurrently while said client computer executes an end user application program, the method comprising the steps of: (a) displaying images associated with said end user application program in a first portion of said client computer's display; (b) accessing, at a location remote from said client computer, a list of informational image applications to be executed, each of said informational image applications including data and an applet for controlling the display of at least one image associated with said data; (c) automatically identifying a first informational image application in said list; (d) dedicating a second portion of said client computer's display to display images associated with said informational image applications in said second portion; (e) automatically retrieving and executing said first informational image application such that said at least one image associated with said first informational image application is displayed in said second portion of said client computer display; (f) automatically identifying a next informational image application to retrieve and execute in said list of informational image applications; (g) automatically retrieving and executing said next informational image application and displaying at least one image associated with said next informational image application upon completing said executing of the informational image application prior to said next informational image application; (h) automatically repeating said steps (f) and (g) until a last informational image application in said list of informational image applications is executed; and (i) performing said steps (e), (f), (g) and (h) while displaying both said images associated with said end user application program in said first portion and said images associated with said informational image applications in said second portion simultaneously.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein each informational image application is displayed for a predetermined time, the predetermined time being either a default time or a specified time for a particular informational image application, at least one of said informational image applications being stored on a server computer; said step (e) displays said at least one image associated with said first informational image application for said predetermined time; and said step (g) displays said at least one image associated with said next informational image application for said predetermined time.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein said informational image applications include audio data for playing in conjunction with the displaying of said at least one image in said second portion of said client computer display.

Claim 5

The method of claim 2 wherein said image includes video images.

Claim 6

The method of claim 2 wherein said data includes an embedded reference to another location on said network which contains additional information related to said at least one image.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 wherein said embedded reference is a URL designating an informational site located on the World Wide Web and where said applet includes a method for initiating a URL fetch to said informational site.

Claim 8

The method of claim 2 further including the steps of: upon executing said last informational image application in said list of informational image applications, restarting from the top of said list and continuing to execute informational image applications and displaying images in said dedicated portion of said client computer display.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 wherein said executing steps (e) and (g) include loading said informational image application including said data and said applet from a remote server to said client computer for execution.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 further including the steps of; upon each subsequent execution of an informational image application, reloading said data and applet associated with said informational image application from said remote server so as to receive timely updates, if any, of said data and applet.

Claim 11

The method of claim 2 wherein said step (i) performs said steps (e), (f), (g) and (h) until a user terminates the displaying of said informational image applications.

Claim 12

A computer-implemented method for displaying informational images on a portion of a display of a client computer concurrently while said client computer executes an end user application program, the method comprising the steps of: (a) displaying images associated with said end user application program in a first portion of said client computer's display; (b) accessing, at a location remote from said client computer, a list of informational items to be presented, each of said informational items including data for controlling the display of at least one image; (c) automatically identifying a first informational item in said list; (d) dedicating a second portion of said client computer's display to display images associated with said informational items in said second portion; (e) automatically retrieving and presenting said first informational item such that said at least one image associated with said first informational item is displayed in said second portion of said client computer display; (f) automatically identifying a next informational item to present in said list of informational items; (g) automatically retrieving and presenting said next informational item and displaying at least one image associated with said next informational item upon completing said presenting of the informational item prior to said next informational item; (h) automatically repeating steps (f) and (g) until a last informational item in said list of informational items has been presented; and (i) performing said steps (e), (f), (g) and (h) while displaying both said images associated with said end user application program in said first portion and said images associated with said informational items in said second portion simultaneously.

Claim 13

A computer-implemented method for displaying informational images on a portion of a display of a client computer concurrently while said client computer executes an end user application program, the method comprising the steps of: (a) displaying images associated with said end user application program in a first portion of said client computer's display; (b) accessing, at a location remote from said client computer, a list of informational items to be presented, each of said informational items including data for controlling the display of at least one image; (c) automatically identifying a first informational item in said list; (d) dedicating a second portion of said client computer's display to display images associated with said informational items in said second portion; (e) automatically retrieving and presenting said first informational item such that said at least one image associated with said first informational item is displayed in said second portion of said client computer display; (f) automatically identifying a next informational item to present in said list of informational items; (g) automatically retrieving and presenting said next informational item and displaying at least one image associated with said next informational item upon completing said presenting of the informational item prior to said next informational item; (h) automatically repeating steps (f) and (g) until a last informational item in said list of informational items has been presented; and (i) performing said steps (e), (f), (g) and (h) while displaying both said images associated with said end user application program in said first portion and said images associated with said informational items in said second portion simultaneously.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11 wherein each informational item is displayed for a predetermined time, the predetermined time being either a default time or a specified time for a particular informational item, at least one of said informational items being stored on a server computer; said step (e) displays said at least one image associated with said first informational item for said predetermined time; and said step (g) displays said at least one image associated with said next informational item for said predetermined time.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 wherein said informational items include audio data for playing in conjunction with the displaying of said at least one image in said second portion of said client computer display.

Claim 16

The method of claim 12 wherein said image includes video images.

Claim 17

The method of claim 12 wherein said data includes an embedded reference to another location on said network which contains additional information related to said at least one image.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15 wherein said embedded reference is a URL designating an informational site located on a remotely located server computer.

Claim 19

The method of claim 12 further including the steps of: upon presenting said last informational item in said list of informational items, restarting from the top of said list and continuing to present informational items and display images in said dedicated portion of said client computer display.

Claim 20

The method of claim 17 wherein said executing steps (e) and (g) include loading said informational item including said data from a remote server to said client computer for execution.

Claim 21

The method of claim 18 further including the steps of; upon each subsequent presentation of an informational item, reloading said data associated with said informational item from said remote server so as to receive timely updates, if any, of said data.

Claim 22

The method of claim 12 wherein said step (i) performs said steps (e), (f), (g) and (h) until a user terminates the displaying of said informational items.

Claim 23

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system for displaying informational images on a display of said computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: instructions for accessing a list, located remotely from said computer system, of informational image applications to be executed, each of said informational image applications including data and an applet for controlling the display of at least one image associated with said data; an informational image presentation procedure, including instructions for: (a) automatically identifying a first informational image application in said list; (b) dedicating a portion of said computer system display to display images associated with said informational image applications; (c) automatically retrieving and executing said first informational image application such that said at least one image associated with said first informational image application is displayed in said dedicated portion of said computer system display; (d) automatically identifying a next informational image application to execute in said list of informational image applications; (e) automatically retrieving and executing said next informational image application and displaying at least one image associated with said next informational image application upon completing said executing of the informational image application prior to said next informational image application; (f) automatically repeating execution of instructions (d) and (e) until a last informational image application in said list of informational image applications is executed; and (g) executing instructions (c), (d), (e) and (f) while displaying both images associated an end user application in a first portion of the display and said images associated with said informational image applications in said dedicated portion simultaneously.

Claim 24

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system for displaying informational images on a display of said computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: instructions for accessing a list, located remotely from said computer system, of informational image applications to be executed, each of said informational image applications including data and an applet for controlling the display of at least one image associated with said data; an informational image presentation procedure, including instructions for: (a) automatically identifying a first informational image application in said list; (b) dedicating a portion of said computer system display to display images associated with said informational image applications; (c) automatically retrieving and executing said first informational image application such that said at least one image associated with said first informational image application is displayed in said dedicated portion of said computer system display; (d) automatically identifying a next informational image application to execute in said list of informational image applications; (e) automatically retrieving and executing said next informational image application and displaying at least one image associated with said next informational image application upon completing said executing of the informational image application prior to said next informational image application; (f) automatically repeating execution of instructions (d) and (e) until a last informational image application in said list of informational image applications is executed; and (g) executing instructions (c), (d), (e) and (f) while displaying both images associated an end user application in a first portion of the display and said images associated with said informational image applications in said dedicated portion simultaneously.

Claim 25

The computer program product of claim 21 wherein each informational image application is displayed for a predetermined time, the predetermined time being either a default time or a specified time for a particular informational image, at least one of said informational image applications being stored on a server computer; said instructions (c) include instructions that display said at least one image associated with said first informational image application for said predetermined time; and said instructions (e) include instructions that display said at least one image associated with said next informational image application for said predetermined time.

Claim 26

The computer program product of claim 22 wherein said instructions (g) execute said instructions (c), (d), (e) and (f) until a user terminates the displaying of said informational image applications.

Claim 27

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system for displaying informational images on a display of said computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: instructions for accessing a list, located remotely from said computer system, of informational items to be presented, each of said informational items including data for controlling the display of at least one image; and an informational item presentation procedure, including instructions for: (a) automatically identifying a first informational item in said list; (b) dedicating a portion of said computer system display to display images associated with said informational items; (c) automatically retrieving and presenting said first informational item such that said at least one image associated with said first informational item is displayed in said dedicated portion of said computer system display; (d) automatically identifying a next informational item to present in said list of informational items; (e) automatically retrieving and presenting said next informational item and displaying at least one image associated with said next informational item upon completing said presenting of the informational item prior to said next informational item; (f) automatically repeating execution of instructions (d) and (e) until a last informational item in said list of informational items has been presented; and (g) executing instructions (c), (d), (e) and (f) while displaying both said images associated with an end user application program in a first portion of the display and said images associated with said informational items in said dedicated portion simultaneously.

Claim 28

A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system for displaying informational images on a display of said computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising: instructions for accessing a list, located remotely from said computer system, of informational items to be presented, each of said informational items including data for controlling the display of at least one image; and an informational item presentation procedure, including instructions for: (a) automatically identifying a first informational item in said list; (b) dedicating a portion of said computer system display to display images associated with said informational items; (c) automatically retrieving and presenting said first informational item such that said at least one image associated with said first informational item is displayed in said dedicated portion of said computer system display; (d) automatically identifying a next informational item to present in said list of informational items; (e) automatically retrieving and presenting said next informational item and displaying at least one image associated with said next informational item upon completing said presenting of the informational item prior to said next informational item; (f) automatically repeating execution of instructions (d) and (e) until a last informational item in said list of informational items has been presented; and (g) executing instructions (c), (d), (e) and (f) while displaying both said images associated with an end user application program in a first portion of the display and said images associated with said informational items in said dedicated portion simultaneously.

Claim 29

The computer program product of claim 24 wherein each informational item is displayed for a predetermined time, the predetermined time being either a default time or a specified time for a particular informational image, at least one of said informational items being stored on a server computer; said instructions (c) include instructions that display said at least one image associated with said first informational item for said predetermined time; and said instructions (e) include instructions that display said at least one image associated with said next informational item for said predetermined time.

Claim 30

The computer program product of claim 25 wherein said instructions (g) execute said instructions (c), (d), (e) and (f) until a user terminates the displaying of said informational image applications.