WO2001033450A1

WO2001033450A1 - Method and system for advertisement using animation-character

Info

Publication number: WO2001033450A1
Application number: PCT/KR2000/001228
Authority: WO
Inventors: Young-Cherl Son; Shin-Hyuk Kang
Original assignee: Son Young Cherl; Kang Shin Hyuk
Priority date: 1999-10-30
Filing date: 2000-10-27
Publication date: 2001-05-10
Also published as: KR20010000701A; AU1061201A

Abstract

The present invention relates to the method and system for advertisement using animation-character, which increases the effect of advertisement by the transmission of advertisement data which includes images of 2D, 3D, or photograph, using communication-idle time, or idle-transmission band of terminal (PC), or orderly-transmission of web-page data and avertisement data, and, by displaying advertisement including the transpartent or translucent background images and the animation-character that moves freely on the full-screen of the terminal or on the display of a program such as web-browser, running on the terminal.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ADVERTISEMENT USING ANIMATION

CHARACTER

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method and system for advertising using animation character, which is capable of receiving advertisement data through a terminal such as a personal computer by using a communication idle time or an idle transmission band in a communication idle time or not, or by using a sequential transmission of Web page data and advertisement data, over an Internet network or other data communication networks, making the background image of an animation character of two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D) or photographic image transparent or translucent to thereby allow the area occupied by the animation character to be minimized, and providing a motion image that moves freely on the full screen of the terminal or on the display of a program such as Web browser running on the terminal to thereby provide a dynamic image advertising.

BACKGROUND ART

Most of conventional Internet advertisings are banner advertisings, which occupy a specific position on a Web page and display a generally dull image by using a graphic interchange format (GIF) or an animation GIF. The banner advertising is provided for a user, together with the contents of the Web page on a Web browser and if clicked, functions to move to a corresponding site.

However, the banner advertising arises the following problems: (a) it fails to excite a user's interest because of its simplicity caused due to the limitation of display; (b) it cannot give audio effects because it is displayed with the Web page that the user desires to display; (c) it is difficult to attract the user's interest since it is displayed with the contents of the Web page, if the user desires to view the contents of the Web page; (d) it is difficult to transmit an accurate meaning for the contents of the advertising: in more detail, if the user clicks the banner advertising and moves to the corresponding site, he sees the detailed meaning of the advertising, but in most cases, the user does not really move his current site, such that the effect of the advertising is decreased; (e) it enormously increases a data download capacity on the Web page, since the banner advertising on the Web page is the image data, which results in the delay of the download time on the Web page and the increment of dissatisfaction of the user; and (f) hence, an effect of the advertising is greatly reduced, thereby failing to ensure a high earning rate through the advertising.

On the other hand, a motion image advertising technique where a specific window (a window for advertising) on a terminal of a user is opened is at present proposed, but arises a problem that the window opened hides the display of a program running on the terminal.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

To solve the above-discussed problems and limitations suffered in the conventional practice, there is provided a method and system for advertising using animation character according to the present invention, which is based on Korean

Patent Application No. 1999-0047812 (titled: Method and System for Advertisement using Animation Character on Internet and Personal Computer Communications) and

Korean Patent Application No. 2000-0060445 (titled: Method and System for Advertising using Animation Character).

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for advertising using animation character that monitors a communication program, while separately operating from a communication program such as a Web browser and thereby receives advertisement data and transmits log data as an advertising execution result by using a communication idle time or an idle transmission band.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for advertising using animation character that displays an advertising to user during the time a communication program of the user is running, for example, in case of downloading a Web page on an on-line, for a predetermined minimum advertising time, or during the time the user does not use the terminal (PC) over a predetermined time on an off-line.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for advertising using animation character that receives advertisement data by using a sequential transmission of Web page data and the advertisement data or an idle- transmission band and transmits log data as an advertising execution result by using the idle-transmission band.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for advertising using animation character that carries out an advertising by using a software implementation method selected among (a) Visual Basic (VB) script or Java script and activeX control using method, (b) VB script or Java script and Java applet using method, and (c) VB script or Java script using method and if required, utilizing an image reproducing function of a Web browser or that of Microsoft Agent or a Shockwave flash of macromedia. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for advertising using animation character that animates an animation character by using an animation image which is made by editing a two-dimensional (2D), three- dimensional (3D) or photographic image and effect sounds (voices) or text information synchronized to the gestures of the animation character, and performs an interactive function such that the animation character moves freely on the full background screen of the terminal (a desktop) or on the display of a program running on the terminal.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for advertising using animation character that makes an animation character opaque after a predetermined time elapses or gradually, if a terminal user places or clicks a curser on the translucent animation character, makes the translucent animation character opaque, if the user removes the curser out of the animation character, whereby the animation character functions as an anchor character that gives news or stock information on a real-time information providing site, a cyber shopping mall and the like or as an agent character that guides sites or advertises products.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication networks through which terminal(s) and one or more servers are connected to each other, the method comprising: a first step of connecting the terminal to the one of the servers; a second step of determining as to whether the terminal is on a communication idle state or a communication state; a third step of receiving, in the terminal, advertisement data containing the image data of an animation character from the server or transmitting log data as an advertising execution result to the server, if it is determined that the terminal is on the communication idle state; and a fourth step of executing an advertising on the terminal containing the animation character, if the terminal is on the communication state or resumes communication. Hereinafter, the above method is referred to as an advertisement data transmission method. According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication networks through which terminal(s) and one or more servers are connected to each other, the method comprising: a first step of connecting the terminal to the one of the servers; a second step of transmitting advertisement data containing the image data of an animation character to the terminal by the server; and a third step of displaying an advertising containing the animation character and a background image transparent or translucent on the full screen of the terminal or on the display of a program running on the terminal as its action area. Hereinafter, the above method is referred to as an advertising display method. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication networks through which terminal(s) and one or more servers are connected to each other, the method comprising: a first step of connecting the terminal to the servers; a second step of determining as to whether the terminal is on a communication idle state or a communication state; a third step of receiving, in the terminal, advertisement data containing the image data of an animation character from the server or transmitting log data as an advertising execution result to the server, if it is determined that the terminal is on the communication idle state; and a fourth step of displaying an advertising containing the animation character and a background image transparent or translucent on the full screen of the terminal or on the display of a program running on the terminal on its action area, if the terminal is on the communication state or resumes communication. Hereinafter, the above method is referred to as an advertisement data transmission and advertising display method. The first step further comprises the steps of: connecting the terminal to an

Admation application site; interconnecting the terminal, the Admation application site and the server through the Internet network or other data communication networks; detecting whether an Admation player is installed in the terminal; if not installed, receiving the Admation player from the server in the communication idle state of the terminal; installing the received Admation player; and operating the Admation player installed in the terminal as background state on the terminal.

And, the Admation player is a program that monitors an Internet communication or other communication program of the terminal to determine whether the terminal is on the communication idle state or the communication state; if the terminal is on the communication idle state, receives the advertisement data from the server or transmits the log data as the advertising execution result to the server; and if the Internet communication or other communication program is resumed, executes the advertising containing the animation character, translucent(semitransparent) or opaque(of color which is not transparent or semitransparent), with the advertisement data and records the log data as the advertising execution result.

Also, the Admation player operates in any form of add-on or plug-in of the

Internet communication or other communication program or in the form installed in a special purpose Web browser itself.

According to the present invention, the third step in the advertisement data transmission method or the advertisement data transmission and advertising display method further comprises: an advertisement data receiving step of, if the terminal is in the communication idle state, receiving new advertisement data from the server or, if the advertisement data that have stopped during receiving exist, continuously receiving the advertisement data based upon the information recording the state stopped; a log data transmitting step of, if the log data as the advertising execution result that are not transmitted to a hard disc of the terminal exist, transmitting the log data to the server; and an advertisement data transmission stopping step of, if the terminal resumes the Internet communication or other communication program that is in use, immediately stopping the reception of the advertisement data or the transmission of the log data and recording the state of the time point stopped.

According to the present invention, the second step in the advertisement data transmission method or the advertisement data transmission and advertising display method further comprises the step of checking a data transmission bandwidth used on the Internet communication or other communication program running on the terminal to detect the idle transmission band on a data transmitting/receiving band accessible by the terminal, and the third step further comprises the step of receiving the advertisement data from the server or transmitting the log data to the server by using the idle communication band. The advertisement data receiving step further comprises the steps of: automatically storing the advertisement data received from the server on the hard disc of the terminal according to types of the data; and automatically deleting the advertisement data whose period of prescription elapse.

According to the present invention, the fourth step in the advertisement data transmission method or the advertisement data transmission and advertising display method further comprises: a step of determining, during the terminal runs the Internet communication or other communication program, a starting time point of receiving Internet communication or other communication data as an advertising execution time; a step of receiving specific advertisement data among the advertisement data transmitted or the corresponding advertisement data according to a designated order in the server and if the contents of the advertisement upon a previous advertising execution are not finished, receiving the advertisement data after the stop time point; an advertising executing step of, after retrieving the advertisement data, displaying the advertising with the animation character appearing on an arbitrary position or a preset position on the screen of the terminal and with various kinds of animation operations carried out on the full screen of the terminal or on the display of the program running on the terminal as an action area thereof; an advertising execution time determining step of determining whether the advertising execution time is longer than a given minimum advertising time, at the time when all the Internet communication or other communication data are transmitted; an advertising stopping step of stopping the advertising execution, if the advertising execution time is longer than the given minimum advertising time; and a log data recording step of recording the log data of the displayed advertisement on the hard disc of the terminal. The advertising stopping step further comprises a limited advertising executing step of moving, if the advertising execution time is shorter than the given minimum advertising time, the animation character to an area where the animation character is not overlapped with the program being currently in use, or executing the advertising in the state where an advertising sound is lowered or turned off, until the given minimum advertising time elapses.

In the advertising executing step, the advertising is displayed on the screen of the program running on the terminal, or on an area of a tool collection box of the program, or the background screen of the terminal, and the user of the terminal has an interactive function of making the position of the advertising move arbitrarily using a mouse, and making the advertising object during running rotate or disappear.

The limited advertising executing step comprises the steps of making an advertising object (an object constituting the advertising, such as animation character) containing the animation character translucent and the user of the terminal has an interactive function of making the position of the advertising move arbitrarily using a mouse, and making the advertising object during running rotate or disappear, too.

And, the advertisement data are one or more data of the image data of the animation character to which motion or image variation is given as one or more images of a two-dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image opaque or translucent, the image data of the background screen transparent, translucent or opaque, sound data and text data. The image data of the animation character and the image data of the background screen may be designed separately or as a single integrated image data.

The log data are one or more data of the kind of advertising executed on the terminal, the advertising starting time, the advertising execution time, the existence or non-existence of the clicking of the animation character appearing in the advertising and user information, and reaction information by input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user or by the input of audio information by means of a mike(microphone) during the time the advertisement is executed.

In the advertisement data transmission method or the advertisement data transmission and advertising display method, the program on which the advertising is displayed is any one of an electronic mail program, an FTP program and a Web browser on the on-line or a utility program on the off-line.

Also, the Admation player further has the functions of: executing the advertising by using the advertisement data previously stored, if the use of the terminal stops over the predetermined time in the off-line state of the terminal; if the use of the terminal resumes, stopping the execution of the advertising and at the same time recording the log data of the advertising execution result on the cookie or hard disc of the terminal; and if the user clicks the advertising during the execution of the advertising in the off-line, automatically connecting to Internet by using an Internet connector installed in the terminal or the Admation player program so as to connect to the corresponding site.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for advertising using animation character having terminal(s), one or more servers and an Internet network or other data communication network connecting the terminal with the server(s), and the server(that is, an Admation server) comprising: an advertisement data transmitting module for providing advertisement data containing the image data of the animation character to the terminal, a log data receiving and saving module for receiving and saving log data as an advertising execution result from the terminal, an advertisement data database(DB) where the advertisement data to be provided to the terminal through the advertisement data transmitting module are stored, and a log data database (DB) where the log data transmitted from the terminal and a statistical record of the log data are stored; and the terminal comprising an Internet communication or other communication program accessible to the server, and an Admation player for receiving the advertisement data from the server or transmitting the log data as the advertising execution result to the server if the terminal is in a communication idle state, displaying the advertising containing the animation character and a background image transparent, translucent or opaque at a preset position or an arbitrary position on the full screen of the terminal or the display of the program running on the terminal as an action area thereof if the terminal is in the communication state or resumes the communication, and recording the log data according to the display.

The Admation player comprises: a communication checking module for monitoring the state of the Internet communication or other communications program of the terminal, checking whether data communication of the program is carried out and a transmission band width being in use and detecting an idle transmission band; an advertisement data receiving module for receiving the advertisement data from the server, at the time when the data communication of the program is not carried out after the monitoring of the communication checking module, and classifying and storing the advertisement data to the hard disc of the terminal by types of the data; a log data transmitting module for transmitting the log data recorded as the advertising execution result of the terminal to the server; an advertising executing module for building an advertising with one or more data of the animation character displayed with one or more images of a two-dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image, opaque or translucent, the background transparent, translucent or opaque, sound data and text data, with the advertisement data transmitted through the advertisement data receiving module and executing the advertising on the area where the advertising is overlapped or not overlapped to the screen of the Internet communication or other communication program, at the time when the data communication of the program is carried out; and a log data recording module for recording the log data according to the advertising execution.

The server (the Admation server) further comprises a log data statistical module that statistically manages the log data stored in the log data DB and provides control information controlling display order, times, intervals by advertisings of the terminal to the terminal.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and one or more servers are connected to each other, which comprises: a first step of requesting a Web page (HTML) of an Admation application site by the terminal; a second step of receiving the Web page containing an Admation player script from the Admation application site by the terminal; a third step of receiving advertisement data containing image data of an animation character from the server(an Admation server or server 1) by using a sequential transmission of the Web page data and the advertisement data or by using an idle transmission band, or transmitting log data of an advertising execution result to the server by using the idle transmission band by an Admation player that is generated or controlled by the Admation player script; and a fourth step of executing an advertising containing the animation character on the terminal upon the transmission between the terminal and the Admation application site or upon the movement on the Web pages of the site. Hereinafter, the above method is referred to as an advertisement data transmission method.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and one or more servers are connected to each other, which comprises: a first step of requesting a Web page of an Admation application site by the terminal; a second step of receiving the Web page containing an Admation player script from the Admation application site to the terminal; a third step of receiving advertisement data containing image data of an animation character from the server by an Admation player that is generated or controlled by the Admation player script; and a fourth step of displaying an advertising containing an animation character and a background image transparent, translucent or opaque at a preset position or an arbitrary position on the full background screen of the terminal or on the display of the program running on the terminal as an action area thereof. Hereinafter, the above method is referred to as an advertising display method.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and one or more servers are connected to each other, which comprises: a first step of requesting a Web page of an Admation application site by the terminal; a second step of receiving the Web page containing an Admation player script from the Admation application site to the terminal; a third step of receiving advertisement data containing image data of an animation character from the server, by using a sequential transmission of the Web page data and the advertisement data or by using an idle transmission band by an Admation player that is generated or controlled by the Admation player script, or transmitting log data as an advertising execution result to the server by using the idle transmission band; and a fourth step of displaying an advertising containing an animation character and a background image transparent, translucent or opaque at a preset position or an arbitrary position on the full background screen of the terminal or on the display of the program running on the terminal as an action area thereof, upon the transmission between the terminal and the Admation application site or upon the movement on the Web pages of the site. Hereinafter, the above method is referred to as an advertisement data transmission and advertising display method.

The third step is further comprises: an advertisement data list requesting step of determining, the position of the server at which the advertisement data is downloaded according to the position information of the server provided from the Admation player script and requesting an advertisement data list to the server by the Admation player; and an advertisement data list receiving step of receiving the advertisement data list to be executed on a corresponding time from the server.

The advertisement data list receiving step further comprises steps of storing the advertisement data list received from the server in a cookie of a cache or on a hard disc of the terminal as a separate file. The advertisement data list receiving step further comprises: an advertisement data attribute inquiring and requesting step of inquiring the attribute of the advertisement data in accordance with the advertisement data list received from the server by the Admation player to the cookie or the file to thereby receive the corresponding attribute, and determining the advertisement data to be received according to the attribute information to thereby request the advertisement data to the server.

On the other hand, according to a method for advertising by using animation character, the Admation player executes the advertising, by using one of the following software implementation methods: (a) Visual Basic script or Java script and ActiveX control using method;

(b) Visual Basic script or Java script and Java applet using method; and

(c) Visual Basic script or Java script using method, without using any activeX control or Java applet. And, according to a method for advertising using animation character, the formats of the image data of the advertisement data and the characteristics of each format arc given as follows:

(a) The advertisement data contain one or more image cuts composed of the image data of a bit map format, wherein one image cut may be separated into two or more areas and contain the information of the separated areas;

(b) The advertisement data contain one or more image objects composed of the image data of a bit map format, and the one or more image objects are combined and displayed on the screen every moment upon the advertising animation display;

(c) The advertisement data contain the image data of a vector format, which is composed of an outer line data of the vector format and a rendering data by each area of the image data. And, the advertisement data may contain the image data of the vector format and one or more image objects of the bit map format that are displayed simultaneously or separately with/from the image data of the vector format. And, the one or more image objects are combined and displayed on the screen every moment upon the advertising animation display; and

(d) The advertisement data contain a motion image object of an Mpeg format, or an Avi format, or an Mov format which is played in an opaque (color) or translucent image state, wherein two or more motion image objects are combined at the same time and displayed. According to a method for advertising using animation character, the advertising contains the animation character, opaque or translucent, and the background of the image, transparent or translucent, in which the background is changed to the opaque image or from the opaque image to the transparent or translucent image. If the animation character or the background in the opaque image state is clicked, the access to a corresponding site is carried out, and if the animation character or the background in the translucent image state is clicked, the function of the program running on the terminal at the back of the image is carried out.

The advertisement data are one or more data of the image data of the animation character to which motion or image variation is given as one or more images of a two- dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image opaque or translucent, the image data of the background transparent, translucent or opaque, sound data and text data. Of course, the image data of the animation character and the image data of the background may be designed separately or as a single integrated image The advertisement data contain one or more information of sequence information on the time, order and interval of each image appearing on the screen, the movement of position on the screen, the enlargement and/or reduction of the image, the variation of images transparent, translucent or opaque by areas of each image or the full screen of the advertising, when the advertising is executed, and conditional sequence information with that the image of the advertising is differently reacted in accordance with conditions by the input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user and the audio input by means of a mike, during the time the advertising is executed. The data format of the sequence information is a script or binary.

On the other hand, according to a method for advertising using animation character, the software implementation methods may be executed by using an image reproducing function of Web browser, Microsoft Agent, or shockwave flash of Macromedia.

The Microsoft Agent uses the sequence information with that the image of the advertising is reacted differently in accordance with whether the Web page of the Admation application site is transmitted on the terminal or the conditions by the input by means of the mouse and/or the keyboard or the audio input by means of the mike by the user during the time the advertising is executed. The sequence information is built by using one or more Visual Basic script, Java script, Visual Basic(VB), Visual C (VC) and Java.

The shockwave flash of the macromedia displays the image object of the vector format, the image object having the moving area corresponding to the whole Web pages of the Admation application site or the full background screen of the terminal by improvement of the function thereof, wherein the background of the image object may be transparent, translucent or opaque.

The advertising carried out by the Microsoft Agent or the shockwave flash of the macromedia contains one or more data among one or more animation character of a two-dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image opaque or translucent, the background transparent, translucent or opaque, sound data and text data. According to a method for advertising using animation character, the animation character or the background becomes opaque, after a predetermined time elapses or gradually, if a terminal user places a curser on the animation character or the background being in the translucent image state or clicks it, and the animation character or the background becomes translucent, if the user removes the curser out of the animation character or the background. Of course, the background may be changed to the transparent image state.

Also, the advertisement data contain information on a minimum advertising time for displaying the advertising. The animation character or the background is moved to an area where the animation character or the background is not overlapped with the program being currently in use on the terminal, or is changed to the translucent state if the advertising display time is shorter than the minimum advertising time, and immediately disappears if the minimum advertising time elapses.

The animation character (the motion image object) functions as an anchor character that gives news or information about stock, entertainment, etc, on web site such as a real-time information providing site, or a cyber shopping mall and the like, or as an agent character that guides sites or advertises products.

The program on which the advertising is displayed contains an electronic mail program on an on-line, and the Admation player script is contained in the mail data of the electronic mail.

The term "Admation" used in the present invention is a compound word of

"'advertisement" and "animation", which means an advertising technology of a new concept or a system where the new advertising technology is adopted. And, an advertising software or advertising implementing means according to the present invention is called "Admation player". The server of the system according to the present invention is called "Admation server" or "Admation Web server", the site according to the present invention is called "Admation application site", and the server of the Admation application site is called "Admation application site server" or "Admation alliance server". The Admation server can of course provide the Admation application site by itself.

The term "communication" means data communication containing Internet communication, PC communication and the like, and an example of the communication in the present invention is Internet communication. However, the present invention may be embodied on all wire and/or wireless data communications.

The communication program means the program that is accessible to the server that provides service on the Internet communication or other wire and/or wireless data communications on the on-line state. Hereinafter, a general example of the communication programs is the Web browser.

The above and other objects and features of the present invention will be better understood from the following description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the advertisement data receiving and log data transmitting procedures in a method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the advertising execution and log data recording procedures in a method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a system for advertising using animation character according to the present invention; Figs. 4a to 4f show various embodiments of the advertising display according to the present invention;

Fig. 5 shows the embodiment where a motion image object of the advertisement continuously moves according to the present invention; Fig. 6 shows the embodiment of the function of a program (Web browser) running at the back of the translucent advertising object among the advertising implementing types according to the present invention is exerted;

Fig. 7 shows the embodiment where the advertising object is changed to the opaque image state, if a user places a cursor on the advertising object translucent in the advertising implementing type according to the present invention, and the access to the corresponding site is carried out, if the advertising object in the opaque state is clicked;

Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the adding procedure of the Admation player according to the present invention to control of the Web browser on the terminal;

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the advertisement data download and advertising execution procedures by means of the Admation player according to the present invention;

Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the script of the Web page provided by the Admation alliance server according to the present invention; and

Fig. 11 shows an exemplary view illustrating a business plan of the Admation service according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Now, the present invention will be depicted with reference to the drawings. The preferred embodiments herein described are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed.

Embodiment 1 : Method for Advertising using Animation Character

First, an advertising method according to the present invention is executed by an Admation player as a program according to the present invention that operates independently and relatively of/to a communication program such as Web browser.

The advertising according to the present invention is displayed on an on-line as well as on an off-line.

Fig. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the advertisement data receiving and log data transmitting procedures in a method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention. As shown, a method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention comprises the steps of connecting a terminal to an Admation application site (at step 11); if a terminal user first is accessed to the site, downloading an Admation player program from an Admation server and generating the same in the terminal (which is omitted in the drawing); if the web pages are all transmitted the advertisement data from the Admation server by the Admation player in the communication idle state or if there is the advertisement data that stops while receiving a previous advertisement data, continuously receiving the advertisement data at the time point stopped (at step 13); and if log data recorded exit, transmitting the log data to the Admation server (at step 15). Here, the communication idle state means that the Web pages of the Admation application site requested by the terminal user are all received and thus, further transmission of data is no longer developed.

If the terminal is not in the communication idle state, that is, in case of (A) in the figure, an advertising execution step as will be hereinafter discussed is taken. At this time, the case where the terminal is not in the communication idle state means that under the request of the Web pages of the Admation application site by the terminal user, the communication where the corresponding Web pages are transmitted starts or resumes.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the advertising execution and log data recording procedures in a method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention. As shown, a method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention comprises the steps of connecting a terminal to an Admation application site (at step 21); executing an advertising whose background is transparent or translucent with the advertisement data received from the Admation server in a communication idle state, at the time when the Web pages of the Admation application site are received by the Web browser in the terminal, that is at the time when the terminal is not in the communication idle state (in the case of (A)) or continuously receiving the advertisement data at the time point stopped if there is the advertising that stops while receiving previous advertisement data (at step 23); if the Web pages are received and an advertising execution time is longer than a minimum advertising time (e.g., 5 seconds), immediately stopping the advertising (at step 25) and recording log data (at step 27); and if the advertising execution time is shorter than the minimum advertising time, moving an advertising object such as an animation character to an area where the advertising object is not overlapped with the program being currently in use or executing the advertising until the minimum advertising time elapses in the state where an advertising sound is lowered or turned off (at step 29).

The minimum advertising time is set preferably within about 30 seconds, more preferably within about 10 seconds, which can be set differently based upon the data transmission speed.

And, in case where the terminal has an idle transmission band on its data transmission/reception bandwidth, the advertisement data can be continuously received and the log data as the advertising execution result can be transmitted, upon generation of the log information by using the idle transmission band, without having any limitation of the communication idle time.

Embodiment 2: System for Advertising using Animation Character Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of a system for advertising using animation character according to the present invention. As shown, there is provided a system for advertising using animation character having a terminal 300, one or more servers and an Internet network 400 or other data communication network connecting the terminal 300 with the servers, the one or more servers composed of an Admation server 100 providing an v service according to the present invention and an Admation application site 200 on which the Admation service is applied, wherein the Admation server 100 and the Admation application site 200 and the terminal 300 are interconnected by the Internet network 400.

The Admation server 100 comprises: an advertisement data transmitting module 1 1 1 for providing the advertisement data containing the image data of the animation character to the terminal 300; a log data receiving and saving module 113 for receiving and saving the log data of the advertising execution result from the terminal 300; an advertisement data database 117 where the advertisement data to be provided to the terminal 300 of the advertisement data transmitting module 111 is stored; a log data database 1 19 where the log data transmitted from the terminal 300 and a statistical record of the log data to be provided to the terminal 300 of the log data receiving and saving module 113 are stored; and a log data statistical module 115 for statistically managing the log data stored in the log data DB 119 and providing control information controlling display order, times, intervals by advertisings of the terminal 300 to the terminal 300. The Admation server 100 may be embodied with several Web servers and DB servers.

The Admation application site 200 is the site operated by various kinds of servers such as PC communication companies, Internet portal site servers, advertising agencies, media rep. for Internet Web site advertising agency business and other general Internet systems, on which an Admation technique according to the present invention is applied.

The terminal 300 is configured of an Internet communication or other communications program accessible to the servers and an Admation player 310 for carrying out the Admation service according to the present invention on the terminal.

The Admation player 310 is composed of: a communication checking module 311 that monitors, by using a data hooking technique, the state of the Internet communication or other communication program of the terminal 300 and checks whether data communication of the program is carried out; an advertisement data receiving module 313 that receives the advertisement data from the Admation server (or server 1) 100. in the time when the data communication of the program is not carried out after the monitoring of the communication checking module 311 and classifies and stores the advertisement data to the cookie or the hard disc of the terminal 300 according to data types; a log data transmitting module 315 that transmits the log data recorded as the advertising execution result of the terminal to the Admation server 100; an advertising executing module 317 that builds an advertising with one or more data of the image data of the animation character displayed with one or more images of a two-dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image transparent or translucent, the image data of the background screen transparent, translucent or opaque, sound data and text data, with the advertisement data transmitted by the advertisement data receiving module 313 at the time when the data communication of the program is carried out and executes the advertising on the area where the advertising is overlapped or not overlapped to the screen of the Internet communication or other communication program; and a log data recording module 319 that records the log data according to the advertising execution.

The Admation player 310 receives the advertisement data from the Admation server 100 or transmits the log data as the advertising execution result to the Admation server 100, when the communication between the terminal 300 and the Admation application site (or server 2) 200 is idle, builds the advertising containing the background of image transparent, translucent or opaque with the advertisement data received from the Admation server 100, executes the advertising at a preset position or an arbitrary position on the full background screen of the terminal or the display of the program running on the terminal as an action area thereof, when the communication between the terminal 300 and the Admation application site (or server 2) 200 is carried out, and records the log data according to the execution of the advertising.

Further, a plurality of clients such as Web browser, Ftp client, mail client and the like operate on the terminal 300 and the Admation service according to the present invention is embodied on the screen of the service of each client. Now, the first embodiment (the method for advertising using animation character) and the second embodiment (the system for advertising using animation character) according to the present invention are classified into an Admation player installing process, a communication program monitoring process, advertisement data receiving and log data transmitting processes, an advertisement data receiving and storing process and an advertising display controlling process, each of which will be in detail discussed below.

< Admation Player Installing Process> The Admation player 310 according to the present invention operates in any form of add-on and plug-in of Internet Explorer, Netscape Communicator or the two Web browsers-based Web browser or other Web browsers or in the form installed in a special purpose Web browser itself. That is, the Admation player 310 is designed in any form of the add-on and plug-in of various kinds of Web browsers or in the form installed in the Web browser itself and operates on the full screen of the desk top or the full display of the program running as its action area, in accordance with the communication state of the Web browsers. The Admation player 310 may operates in the same manner as in other communication programs.

Examples of the method of installing the Admation player 310 are given as follows: It is installed with a Active-X function, automatically or by downloading in

Internet Explorer or Internet Explorer-based Web browser; It is installed by downloading of a plug-in type animation in Netscape Communicator; and Java-based

Admation player is automatically installed. Additionally, the Admation player installed in a new Web browser itself is installed together with the installation of the Web browser. The Admation player is also installed by downloading in other communication programs.

<Communication Program Monitoring Process> The Admation player 310 always operates as a background after installation runs at the state where the terminal is accessed to Internet and the Web browser or other communication program runs. If the communication program runs, the communication checking module 31 1 monitors the communication state by using the data hooking technique and also checks the data transmission bandwidth being used by the terminal 300 to thereby detect the idle transmission band on the data transmission/reception band applicable on the terminal 300.

< Advertisement data Receiving and Log Data Transmitting Processes > As noted, Fig.l is a flowchart illustrating the advertisement data receiving and log data transmitting procedures in a method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention.

When the terminal 300 is accessed to Internet and the Web browser or other communication program runs at the state where the Admation player 310 always operates as a background after installation on the terminal, it is determined whether the user terminal (PC) is in a communication state. At the step 13, in case where the user terminal is in the communication idle state or has the idle transmission band, the advertisement data are received from the Admation server 100 and stored in the hard disc. However, if there are the advertisement data previously downloaded, the advertisement data stopped are continuously received. In this way, the advertisement data are divided and stored by types of the data. And, at the step 15, it is determined whether the advertising display log data recorded on the hard disc exist or not and if exist, the log data are transmitted to the Admation server 100. The advertisement data are received or the log data are transmitted by the automatic communication with the Admation server 100 in case where the user terminal is not in the communication state, that is, in case of the communication idle state or in case where the idle transmission band exists, where the user checks the received contents, for example, the contents of the Web page.

The communication check module 311 of the Admation player 310 detects whether data transmission and reception between the Web browser or other communication program of the terminal 300 and the Admation application site 200 are carried out. If the data transmission and reception therebetween is not carried out, the advertisement data receiving module 313 receives the advertisement data from the Admation server 100.

On the other hand, if the Web browser or other communication program being in use of the terminal 300 carries out the data transmission and reception, the advertisement data receiving module 313 immediately stops the reception of the advertisement data and the Admation server 100 stores the state information at the stopping time point. If the Web browser or other communication program being in use of the terminal 300 does not carry out the data transmission and reception or in case where the idle transmission band exists, the previous advertisement data are continuously received. That is, a continuous data receiving function is carried out. This is used to divide the advertisement data having capacity over a predetermined size by predetermined units (block units) and receive it, in case where the advertisement data cannot received at a time during the time the communication program of the user is not in the communication state. The animation object of the advertising contains one or more data files, which are received from the Admation server 100 and automatically stored in the hard disc of the user.

The advertisement data receiving module 313 automatically deletes the animation object file whose the period of prescription lapses stored on the hard disc in accordance with the instruction of the Admation server 100 or pre-set prescription information. In this case, the animation object means the animation character constituting the animation advertising, which is also called advertising object.

The log data recording module 319 records the log data with one or more data of the kind of advertising running on the terminal, the advertising starting time, the advertising execution time, the existence or non-existence of clicking of the animation character appearing in the advertising and user information, and reaction information by input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user or by the input of audio information by means of a mike during the time the advertising is executed. And, the log data transmitting module 319 reads the log data recorded and transmits the log data read to the Admation server 100. The Admation server 100 stores the log data in the log data DB 119. At this time, the log data are transmitted to the Admation server 100, when the communication program is not in the communication state or using the idle transmission band. <Advertising Display Controlling Process>

Referring to Fig. 2, the Admation player is installed and if the Web browser or other communication program runs, it is determined whether the Web page data are downloaded in the Web browser or other data are downloaded in the other communication program being in use. If the downloading is started, the downloading starting time is determined as an advertising display starting time. The specific animation character to the corresponding Web page in the advertisement data stored in the disc or the corresponding animation character according to the order designated by the server is received and if the advertising contents are not finished in the previous advertising display, the advertisement data after the stopped time is received. After receiving the advertisement data, the advertising executing step is taken by locating the animation character at an arbitrary position on the desktop screen, thereby carrying out the advertising of a specific product with various kinds of gestures, effect sounds and voices on the full area of the desk top on the terminal as the action area thereof (at the step 23). Then, it is monitored whether the Web page data of the admation application site are all downloaded and if downloaded, it is determined whether an advertising execution time is longer than the minimum advertising time (e.g., 5 seconds). If the advertising execution time is shorter than the minimum advertising time, the advertising is displayed in the state where the animation character is moved to an area where the animation character is not overlapped with the Web browser or other communication program being currently in use or until the minimum advertising time elapses in the state where the advertising sound is lowered or turned off (at the step 29).

On the other hand, if the advertising execution time is longer than the minimum advertising time at the time when the Web page data are all downloaded, the advertising is stopped and disappears on the screen (at step 25) and the log data of the advertising displayed are recorded on the hard disc (at step 27).

The advertising display according to the present invention contains the animation object and the effect sound or voice, wherein the animation character (object) takes various motions for the advertising on the screen.

(1 ) The animation character (object) is automatically received and stored previously to the hard disc of the user or is partially contained in the Admation player program and distributed.

(2) The advertising can be displayed on any position of the desktop of an operating system (OS) of the user.

(3) The representation form of the advertising displayed on the screen is the animation character, which contains the background or does not contain it. In other words, in case of the animation character having no background, the background image is transparent, while it is opaque or translucent, in case of the animation character having the background. Further, the animation character may be opaque or translucent. The formation of the background image of transparent or translucent is to prevent the Web page or the received data contents from being hidden to a maximum, even if the animation object and the communication program in use are overlapped on the screen or view the contents of the advertising, even if they are fully overlapped on the screen. It is desirable that in the limited advertising executing step (at the step 29), the background is transparent or translucent and the animation character is translucent.

(4) The representation kind of the animation character is two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D) or photographic images.

(5) The software structure of the data format of the advertisement data containing the animation character is a still image such as BMP, JPG, GIF, etc., a continuous bundle of sound data such as WAV, or a motion image such as AVI, MOV, MPEG, etc.

(6) The representation size of the animation character on the screen is not limited.

(7) The action area of the animation character is the full screen of the desktop of the user and can be moved to any position on the screen during operation. And, the user has an interactive function of changing the position of the animation object by the manipulation of a mouse. (8) The time when the animation character appears and plays on the screen means the period of the time when the Web page or the data on the other communication program is downloaded, and if the downloading is completed, the animation character disappears on the screen, which allows the user to view the Web page or the contents of data, without any inconvenience. Then, if the Web page or the data on the other communication program is downloaded, the animation character appears on the screen to thus execute the animation advertising. The advertising may contain continuous contents of the previous advertising or new contents of advertising.

(9) In case where the downloading time of the data of the Web page or the data of the other program is very short (for example, 5 seconds or less), the advertising is executed for a predetermined time period (for example, 5 seconds) even if the downloading of the data is completed. It is, at this time, preferable that the effect sound or voice of the animation character is turned off. Further, the action position of the animation character is moved to the position where the animation character is not overlapped with the Web browser or other communication program in use. This is to view the contents of the advertising to the user, even if the downloading time is very short, and at the same time not to give the user any obstacle to checking of the Web page or the data. At this time, if the Web page is occupied on the full screen of the desktop, the sound is turned off and the animation character is displayed as the object translucent and the text is displayed. It is, hence, desirable that one advertising time is equal to the minimum advertising time.

(10) The animation character can operate, without any sound, under the option of the user.

(11 ) The animation character can be displayed with text every the time point when the sound is outputted, in the usage environment of the condition where the sound of the animation character is turned off. The representation shape of the text may be similar to that of balloon help.

(12) In case where there is the advertisement data that has been previously received on the terminal when the terminal of the user is on the off-line, the advertising is played even if the terminal is not connected to the communication. It is, however, preferable that only in the case where the user stops the usage of terminal for a predetermined time, the advertising is displayed and if he resumes the usage of the terminal, the advertising immediately disappears.

(13) If the user clicks the animation character, the Web page of the Web browser being in use is moved to the advertising agent or the associated Internet site. Otherwise, a new window of a corresponding site is opened. If the user terminal is on the off-line state, it is automatically accessed to Internet to open the corresponding site by using an Internet connector installed in the Admation player itself or that conventionally used by the user. (14) Each of advertisings stored on the hard disc of the user terminal has a difference in the operation frequency, which is based upon its advertising cost.

As discussed above, the embodiments for the method and system for advertising using the animation character with the Admation player program are described. Hereinafter, a more efficient embodiment of the present invention capable of protecting the resources of the user terminal to its maximum by using a communication program such as Web browser or script syntax will be in detail discussed.

Embodiment 3: Method for Advertising using Animation Character <Software Implementation Method of Admation >

By using the communication program such as Web browser or script, examples of the software implementation method of the Admation player are given as follows:

(1 ) There is a method of adding an Admation function to the Web browser using Visual Basic script or Java script and an activeX control as a principal function. The activeX control has an advantage that re-transmission is not required by the addition of a time of the control but a disadvantage that during adding, a protective warning window of the Web browser appears. An advertising play function is contained in the control itself or exerted by the image play function by Microsoft Agent control, shockwave flash control, or Web browser. Below, the software implementation method using the activeX control will be described.

(2) There is a method of using Visual Basic script or Java script and Java applet as a principal function. This is received and used when the Admation player requires the Java applet. If received once, the Java applet is stored in the cache of the Web browser, but if deleted due to the characteristics of the cache, it should be re-received. However, this method has an advantage that the protective warning window does not appear after receiving. An advertising play function is contained in the control itself or exerted by image play function of Microsoft Agent control, shockwave flash control, or Web browser. Below, the above-referenced software implementation method using the activeX control will be described, but the method described in the term (2) is the same as the method described in the term (1 ), excepting the adding process of the activeX control.

(3) There is a method of using only the Visual Basic script or Java script. This method has transmission form and cache-storing characteristics similar to the method using the Java applet and an advantage that a relatively small transmission capacity with the help of the script format. However, it is difficult to provide a separate advertising play function and hence, the advertising play function is exerted by using the image play function of Microsoft Agent control, shockwave flash control, or Web browser that has been added or installed on the terminal. Below, the software implementation method using the activeX control will be described. All processes of the method described in the term (3) are the same as the method described in the term (1 ), excepting the adding process of the activeX control and the Admation player generating process.

Figs. 4a to 4f show various embodiments of the advertising form according to the present invention. Each representation form is synchronized to sound data and thus played.

Fig. 4a shows the embodiment where the background of the advertising object (the animation character) is transparent and a main character 41 is opaque. The case where the background is transparent is the same representation form as the case where there is no background. This means that the display window of a specific size does not exist. At this time, the animation area of the character is occupied on the full screen of the desktop, such that the animation area becomes widened at its maximum. The non- existence of the background minimizes the amount of the Web page to be hidden due to the Admation advertising and prevents a specific area of the Web page from being hidden for a long time as the Admation area is freely moved on the large area on the screen. A maximum display area of the contents can be defined as the full area of the Web page, if necessary.

Fig. 4b shows the embodiment where the advertising play is accompanied by character data 42 of the text format. In other words, the advertising of the present invention does not contain the image type of data but contains the data of text form. At this time, the character data 42 is displayed with the background image of a rubber balloon shape.

Fig. 4c shows the embodiment where the background is transparent and a main character 43 is translucent. This embodiment contains all of the characteristics of the embodiment in Fig. 4a and through the main character translucent, the Web page portion hidden by the main character can be viewed. If the user positions the cursor on the main character for a predetermined time or clicks the main character, the character may be changed to be opaque.

Fig. 4d shows the embodiment where both the background and the main character 44 are translucent. In case where the background is required in the advertising display, the portion hidden by the screen of the advertising in the advertising play process is translucent, such that it can be viewed to the user. If the user positions the cursor on the main character or the background for a predetermined time or clicks it, the character or the background may be changed to be opaque. If the user clicks the main character or background being in the opaque state, the access to the corresponding site is carried out.

Fig. 4e shows the embodiment where the background is translucent and a main character 45 is opaque. This embodiment has the same object and characteristic as the embodiment in Fig. 4d and is used in case of emphasizing the main character 45. If the user positions the cursor on the background for a predetermined time or clicks it, the background may be changed to be opaque.

Fig. 4f shows the embodiment where both the background and the main character 46 are opaque. In this case, the full screen of the advertising is opaque, if necessary. If the user positions the cursor on the background or the main character for a predetermined time or clicks it, the main character or the background may be changed to be translucent. If the user removes the cursor out of the main character or background, the main character or the background may be changed to be translucent.

Fig. 5 shows the embodiment where a motion image object (a flight image "NETIAN") of the advertising according to the present invention is continuously moved. In this embodiment, a flight character 51 is firstly displayed as the motion image and after a predetermined time elapses, the company logo "NETIAN" 52 as character information is displayed. The display area of the advertising may be occupied on the full screen of the terminal or on the whole Web page, if necessary. During the advertising execution process, the representation form of the advertising object can be used by mixing the representation forms in Figs. 4a through 4f. The advertising display starting time is the time during which the basic data (HTML, script) of the Web page is received and the advertising is played for a predetermined time (during which the Web page is received). If the user clicks the advertising objects 51 and 52 during the advertising playing process, the access to the Web site previously designated (for example, www.netian.com) is carried out.

Fig. 6 shows the embodiment where the function of the program (for example, Web browser) running at the back of the advertising object translucent is carried out. This is intended to prevent the function of the program of the portion hidden by the advertising display screen translucent from being inhibited. In operation process, firstly, the cursor 61 locates on the site linking position of the Web page at the back of the advertising display screen translucent by the mouse of the user and the button on the mouse is clicked. Then, the screen of the Web page is moved to the Web page linked to the advertising clicked by the mouse. At this time, the advertising during execution is continuously displayed or executed in a limited manner for a predetermined advertising execution time or the minimum advertising time.

Fig. 7 shows another embodiment of the advertising execution form according to the present invention. In this embodiment, if a cursor 71 is positioned at the advertising object translucent for a predetermined time, the advertising object is changed to that in the opaque image and if the user clicks the advertising object opaque, the access to the corresponding site 73 is carried out.

If the mouse cursor is positioned on the screen of the advertising and then the user clicks, the process in Fig. 6 is accompanied. However, if the mouse cursor is positioned thereon for a predetermined time without any clicking, the screen of the advertising becomes opaque, such that the user can view a more vivid screen of the advertising. If the mouse cursor is removed out of the screen of the advertising, the screen of the advertising becomes translucent.

If the user clicks the screen of the advertising being in the opaque state, the screen is moved to the advertising site previously designated. In operation process, firstly, the mouse cursor is located on the screen of the advertising translucent for a predetermined time and thus, the screen of the advertising becomes opaque. At this time, the mouse button is clicked or the mouse cursor is removed out of the screen of the advertising. If the mouse cursor has been removed, the screen of the advertising becomes translucent. Next, the user clicks the screen of the advertising opaque and thus, the screen of the Web page is moved to the site linked to the advertising.

The Admation application site (the server 2) on which the Admation service is applied, the Admation server (the server 1) and the user terminal (PC) are connected through the Internet network, and the data flow of the Admation at the state where the Web browser is displayed on the terminal is formed as follows:

(1) If the user terminal starts the Web browsing to the Web page of the Admation application site, the Web browser receives the data of the corresponding page.

(2) The contents of the corresponding page are displayed on the screen of the Web browser and in case where the Admation player function is not added on the user terminal, the Admation player control is automatically received and added to the Web browser after receiving the Web pages. However, in case where the Admation player control has been added and the Admation advertising has been stored in the cache, the Web browser receives the Web page script on which the Admation advertising play indication contents are contained, interprets the contents thereof and displays the resulting contents. And, the Admation advertising designated is displayed and thus played for a predetermined time.

(3) If the Web pages Web-browsed by the user are all displayed on the screen and the transmission thereof is completed,

(4) the Admation control checks whether the Admation advertisement data to be received from the Admation server exist and if exist, the Web browser downloads the advertisement data as the background (in this case, the communication state is not sensed to the user). Only if the transmission of the Web page of the Web browser such as the movement of the Web page is resumed, the transmission of the Admation advertising is immediately stopped.

< Admation Player Control Adding Process>

Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the adding procedure of the Admation player control according to the present invention to the Web browser function on the terminal.

As shown, if the user firstly is accessed to the Web page where there is the

Admation player script of the Admation application site (at step 81), the Web browser downloads the Web page and interprets the script of the corresponding Web page (at step 83). In this case, whether the Admation player control is added to the Web browser of the user is inquired and only if not added, an Admation player control file is requested to the Admation server (at step 85). Thereby, the Admation server transmits the Admation player control file to the user and after transmission, the Admation player file is automatically added to the Web browser (at step 87). After adding, the advertisement data are downloaded and the advertising may be displayed (at step 89). < Admation Advertising Download and Display Control Processes>

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the Admation contents download and advertising execution processes by the Admation player according to the present invention.

In this case, the term "Admation contents" is a concept that contains contents data in the fields applicable in the present invention such as, for example, news or stock information providing services, goods information providing services in shopping malls and the like, in addition to advertisings, using a motion image containing the animation character according to the present invention. According to the present invention, the Admation contents mean the data on the object constituting the advertising, that is, the advertisement data.

As shown in Fig. 9, the diagram is composed of the Admation contents download sequence on the top portion thereof and the Admation contents play sequence on the bottom portion thereof. And, the diagram has the components such as the cache contained in the browser of the terminal, the Web page data (HTML), the Admation player, the Web server 1 (Web Svrl) and DB server contained in the Admation server and the Web server 2 (Web Svr2) of the Admation application site.

Whenever the user visits the Web page of the Admation application site, he can execute the Admation contents download sequence and the Admation contents play sequence and divide the two sequences by the Web pages. The Admation contents download sequence is carried out by using a sequential transmission of the Web page data and the advertisement data or the Admation contents or by using the idle transmission band of the terminal. The sequential transmission is carried out in such a manner that after the download of the Web page data from the Web server 2 is completed, the advertisement data are downloaded from the Web serverl . That is, the advertisement data or contents are not the component of the Web page, which are transmitted through a separate download sequence from the Admation server. If the idle transmission band exists on the terminal, further, the advertisement data or the Admation contents can be downloaded by using the idle transmission band, irrespective of the transmission or non-transmission of the Web page data. In the download sequence, each Admation contents are received from the Admation Web server and at this time, if there are Admation contents that are not completely transmitted at a previous step, the Admation contents are continuously received. In case where the Admation contents designated are not received at the current Web page, the Admation contents are continuously received at other Web page or at another visit.

The Admation contents play sequence is carried out at the moment when the Web page (HTML) is displayed on the screen by the Web browser of the user. In more detail, after the access to the Web page of the Admation application site is made by the Web browser of the user and other script data containing the HTML are received, the Admation contents play sequence is carried out in the script inteφreting process before the components of the Web page except the script are received. If the Admation contents have been already stored in the cache area in the play sequence process, the advertising is displayed with the Admation contents. However, if the Admation contents are all received at the Web page currently visited according to set, they can be played without another visit. The Admation player immediately ends at the time when the user browser is completed or the user moves to another pages or ends after the minimum advertising time elapses.

In case where the Admation player operates on the different pages, respectively, lock is used to prevent the Admation player on the other page from operating while the Admation player on the one page operates.

In summary, as shown in Fig. 9, the Admation contents download sequence is carried out by the following processes:

(1) The Web page (HTML) of the Admation application site (Web Svr2) is requested by the Web browser of the user;

(2) The Web page (HTML) in which the Admation player script (Admation player generating and controlling script) is contained is received from the Admation application site (Web Svr2) to the Web browser of the user;

(3) The Admation player script syntax of the Web page buffers the Admation player on the memory and generates the Admation player. The Admation player generated determines the position of the Admation server (Web Svrl) for downloading the Admation contents in accordance with the position information of the download server (Web Svrl ) provided at the script;

(4) A list of the Admation contents is requested to the Admation Web server (Web Svrl) by the Admation player;

(5) The Admation Web server searches the list of the contents to be played on a corresponding time and transmits the resulting list to the Admation player;

(6) The Admation player stores the list of contents in an Admation contents list cookie of the cache area thereof; (7) The Admation player inquires the attribute of each Admation contents to the

Admation contents list cookie;

(8) The Admation player receives the contents of each Admation contents from the cookie of the cache;

(9) The Admation player determines the Admation contents to be received in accordance with the information obtained in the above item (8) after the data of the current Web page are all transmitted to the Web browser of the user and requests the determined contents to the Admation Web server;

(10) The Admation Web server transmits the corresponding contents to the Admation player, in response to the request of the Admation player; and

(1 1) The Admation player stores the Admation contents received in the cache area and if the Admation contents are not completely received one time, continuously receives the remaining contents through the same processes as in the above items on another visit to the corresponding page. According to the Admation contents play sequence portion, as shown in Fig. 9, the Admation contents display is carried out by the following processes:

(2) The Web page (HTML) is received from the Admation application site (Web Svr2) to the Web browser of the user;

(3) If the user is accessed to The Admation application site and downloads the Web page in which the Admation player script is contained, the Admation player is generated on the memory of the user terminal (PC) by the Web page script;

(4) A list of the Admation contents is requested to the cookie of the cache area by the Admation player;

(5) The Admation player receives the list of the Admation contents from the cookie;

(6) The Admation player inquires the attribute information of each Admation contents on the list received to the Admation contents storing cookie of the cache area; (7) The attribute information inquired is received;

(8) The Admation contents to be played are determined based upon the attribute information of the Admation contents received and the play thereof is carried out;

(9) The playing result is stored in the cookie of the cache area by the Admation player;

(10) The Admation player transmits the Admation playing result to the Admation Web server (Web Svrl); and

(1 1 ) The Admation Web server stores the playing result information received in the database server. Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the script of the Web page of the

Admation application site according to the present invention.

The Admation player can be implemented in the activeX control or script using method. In the activeX control or Java applet using method, the Admation player is generated, controlled and removed under the control of the script of the Web page, and in the script using method, the script itself of the Web page functions as the Admation player.

If the user browses the Web page on which the Admation player script exists, the Admation player is generated by an OBJECT tag contained in the Web page. The Admation player generated is controlled by an event handle of the script syntax and upon loading the Web page, a few pieces of information are set as the attributes of the

Admation player. Examples of the items set as the attributes of the Admation player are a download server position of the contents, current page information, a list of the contents and the like. The Admation player detects the necessary information in the cookie area of the Web browser according to the attributes set to thereby build the information of a class of contents and determines the contents to be played on the basis of the information of contents built to thereby play the corresponding contents according to the determined information. Loaded as another event handle transmits a message to the Admation player, with which the Admation player can receive another contents. In this case, the Admation player checks whether the contents that should be received exist and if exist, carries out the download for the contents. Also, the Admation player repeatedly checks the list to be downloaded and downloads the contents.

< Admation Targeting Advertising Process>

If the terminal user is accessed to the Admation application site and logs-on, the cookie containing the information of the user transmitted from the site is stored in the cache of the Web browser and thus, the information of the user recorded on the cookie is transmitted to the Admation Web server, while the Admation player requests the list of contents and the contents to the Admation Web server. At this time, the Admation Web server analyzes the information of the user and primarily transmits the list of the Admation contents and the contents corresponding to the characteristics of the resulting analysis or assigns a weight attribute to the frequency displayed to the user and transmits the result. Also, the information of the user recorded on the cookie is transmitted together when the history information (the information on exposure frequency and time point, click frequency and time point, etc.) of the contents displayed to the user is transmitted to the Admation Web server. Hence, a targeting advertising, which is based upon the record and analysis of the characteristics distribution of the user through the display results by contents, can be carried out. Representation Method of Admation Contents and Function and Implementation Method of Admation Player>

With the method for advertising using animation character according to the present invention, the background of the main character as the object constituting the advertising is transparent, such that the size of the background image is not limited, thereby allowing various kinds of contents to be formed. Also, the character moves freely the position thereof, such that the advertising play area can be enlarged to the full screen of the terminal. Additionally, the background becomes opaque or translucent and the character becomes opaque or translucent, if necessary. The translucent image is used to minimize the factors inhibiting the user from viewing other contents except the Admation contents.

Hereinafter, the play implementation method for the advertising character that moves the position thereof on the whole desktop or the entire Web page area of the terminal will be discussed with reference to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the data format of the advertisement data or the Admation contents in each embodiment and the player function and implementation method will be discussed.

Embodiment 3-1 : Method for Advertising using Animation Character

(1) According to the embodiment of the present invention, the contents contain a plurality of image cuts composed of the image data of a bit map format. In this case, the term "image cut" means the screen every moment appearing on the screen of the terminal upon advertising playing, which is also called "frame". (2) The plurality of image cuts may have different sizes from each other.

(3) The kinds of colors that can be represented by the image cuts contain true colors in the opaque or translucent state and transparent colors.

(4) The Admation contents may contain sound data or text data, if necessary. This is also applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as will be below discussed.

(5) One image cut can be divided into two or more areas, e.g., into the main character area and the background area. Each image cut contains information divisible by areas. (6) The advertisement data contain sequence information on the time, order and interval of each image cut appearing on the screen, the movement of position of each image cut on the screen, the enlargement and reduction of each image cut, and the variation of transparent, translucent and opaque states by areas of each image cut or by the entire image cut, when the advertising is played. (7) In case of the movement of position of each image cut, the image cut places a moving area on the entire desktop of the terminal (PC) or the entire Web page.

(8) In case of the translucent state of the image cut, detailed information on a translucent intensity is provided.

(9) Two or more same or separate images contained in the advertisement data may appear at a time on the screen and thus operate in a separate sequence or may be synchronized to each other and operate. Also, the two or more images may be synthesized, synchronized to each other and operate.

(10) In case where the sound data is contained in the advertisement data, the information with which the sound data is synchronized to the animation to play the sound is provided. The sound data contain one or more data and a sequence through which each sound data is played.

(11) The advertisement data contain conditional sequence information that is reacted differently in accordance with the conditions by the input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user or the audio input by means of the mike of the user. This is also applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as will be below discussed.

(12) During the advertising is played, the advertisement data contain the conditional sequence information that is reacted differently in accordance with the conditions by the input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user or the audio input by means of the mike of the user.

(13) When the user clicks the translucent or opaque image in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the access to the Web site previously set according to the contents sequence data is carried out. This is also applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as will be below discussed.

(14) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image translucent or clicks the image in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the function of the program running on the terminal that operates at the back of the image is exerted. This is shown in the above-referenced embodiment of Fig. 6 or 7. This is also applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as will be below discussed.

(15) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image translucent in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the image translucent can be changed to one opaque after a predetermined time period or gradually. If the cursor of the mouse is removed out of the image opaque, the image opaque can be changed to one translucent. This is also applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as will be below discussed.

(16) The advertisement data contain the sequence in which the position of the image is movable in accordance with whether the transmission of the Web page is completed. This is also applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as will be below discussed.

(17) In order to make the part or entire of each image cut translucent, the color of the background portion of the screen hidden by the portion to be translucent is searched and then, the searched color is synthesized to the color of the image portion to be translucent, thereby producing an intermediate color. In other words, the image cut of the intermediate color is in the translucent state. The translucent intensity is determined upon the synthesis ratio of the colors.

(18) In case where the background of each image is transparent or translucent, the outer line of the character is roughened in the screen pixel unit due to the screen composed in the pixel unit. If the entire background image is initially opaque or translucent, an anti-aliasing process (the colors of the pixels of a boundary portion are mixed with the colors of the pixels adjacent thereto, thereby producing a smooth image) for the boundary portion between the background and the character upon _. designing the image is carried out. However, in case where the background image is transparent or translucent, the boundary portion between the outer line of the character and the background is varied in accordance with the movement of the position of the image, the enlargement and reduction of the image or the variation of the background screen (the screen except the contents image) except the character, such that a real-time anti-aliasing process should be carried out for the boundary portion. Hence, the color of the character on the outer line thereof and the color of the background screen are synthesized to produce an intermediate color, thereby making the character image not roughened. (19) Upon the enlargement or reduction of each image cut, the real-time antialiasing is carried out on the whole surface of each image cut, thereby minimizing the roughness of the surface of the image caused due to the enlargement or reduction of the image pixels.

(20) The data format of the sequence may be script or binary. (21) The advertisement data of the contents manufactured are integrated into one file, separated by functions or animation stages, or made to a compression file to reduce data transmission capacity. This is also applied to the preferred embodiments of the present invention as will be below discussed.

Embodiment 3-2: Method for Advertising using Animation Character

(1) According to the embodiment of the present invention, the contents contain one or more image objects composed of the image data of a bit map format, wherein the one or more image objects are combined and displayed on the screen at every moment upon playing of the advertising. In this case, the term "object" means one image data that are contained in the advertisement data and can be independently separated, which become a component on every screen upon displaying.

(2) The screen at every moment is displayed by combining the one or more image objects.

(3) The representation form of each image object is composed of opaque and transparent areas or translucent and transparent areas.

(4) In case of the representation form of each image object on the screen, the main character is represented in the opaque or translucent state with the background transparent (that is, no background). The image object constituting the background may exist or not exist, and if exist, it is represented in the opaque or translucent state.

(5) The kinds of colors that can be represented by each image object contain true colors in the opaque or translucent state and transparent colors.

(6) The advertisement data contain sequence information on the time, order and interval of each image object appearing on the screen, the movement of position of each image cut on the screen, the enlargement and reduction of each image object, and the variation of transparent, translucent and opaque states, when the advertising is played.

(7) In case of the movement of position of each image object, the image object places a moving area on the entire desktop of the terminal (PC) or the entire Web page. (8) In case of the translucent state of the image object, detailed information on a translucent intensity is provided.

(9) In case where the sound data are contained in the advertisement data, the information with which the sound data is synchronized to the animation to play the sound is provided. The sound data contain one or more data and a sequence through which each sound data is played.

(10) During the advertising is played, the advertisement data contains the conditional sequence information that is reacted differently in accordance with the conditions by the input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user or the audio input by means of the mike of the user. (1 1 ) When the user clicks the translucent or opaque image object in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the access to the Web site previously set according to the contents sequence data is carried out.

(12) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image translucent or clicks the image in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the function of the program running on the terminal that operates at the back of the image is exerted.

(13) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image translucent in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the image translucent can be changed to one opaque after a predetermined time period or gradually. If the cursor of the mouse is removed out of the image opaque, the image opaque can be changed to one translucent.

(14) The advertisement data contain the sequence in which the position of the image is movable in accordance with whether the transmission of the Web page is completed.

(15) In order to make the part or entire of each image object translucent, the color of the background portion of the screen hidden by the portion to be translucent is searched and then, the searched color is synthesized to the color of the image portion to be translucent, thereby producing an intermediate color. In other words, the image cut of the intermediate color is in the translucent state. The translucent intensity is determined upon the synthesis ratio of the colors.

(16) The boundary portion between each image object opaque or translucent and the background transparent is roughened in the screen pixel unit due to the screen composed in the pixel unit. If the entire image object is initially opaque or translucent, an anti-aliasing process for the boundary portion between the background and the character upon manufacturing the image object is carried out. However, in case where the background image is transparent or translucent, the boundary portion between the outer line of the character and the background is varied in accordance with the movement of the position of the image, the enlargement and reduction of the image or the variation of the background screen (the screen except the contents image) except the image object, such that a real-time anti-aliasing process should be carried out for the boundary portion. Hence, the color of the character on the outer line thereof and the color of the background screen are synthesized to produce an intermediate color, thereby making the character image not roughened.

(17) Upon the enlargement or reduction of each image object, the real-time antialiasing is carried out on the whole surface of each image object, thereby minimizing the roughness of the surface of the image caused due to the enlargement or reduction of the image pixels. (18) The data type of the sequence may be script or binary.

(19) The advertisement data of the contents manufactured are integrated into one file, separated by functions or animation stages or made to a compression file to reduce data transmission capacity.

Embodiment 3-3: Method for Advertising using Animation Character

(1) According to the embodiment of the present invention, the contents contain the image data of a vector format, which is composed of an outer line data of the vector format and rendering data by each area of the image data, thereby realizing a substantially small data capacity and enabling free enlargement and reduction of the image without the reduction of a quality of image and the increment of the data capacity.

(2) The advertisement data may contain one or more image objects of a bit map format that are displayed simultaneously or separately to/from the image data of the vector format.

(3) The image data of the advertising are composed of the image objects that can be combined to constitute the screen at every moment, upon displaying.

(4) Upon playing of the animation, the screen at every moment is displayed by combining the one or more image objects. (5) The representation form of each image object is composed of opaque and transparent areas or translucent and transparent areas.

(6) In case of the representation form of each image object on the screen, the main character is represented in the opaque or translucent state with the background transparent (that is, no background). The image object constituting the background may exist or not exist, and if exist, it is represented in the opaque or translucent state.

(7) The kinds of colors that can be represented by each image object contain true colors in the opaque or translucent state and transparent colors.

(8) The advertisement data contains sequence information on the time, order and interval of each image object appearing on the screen, the movement of position of each image cut on the screen, the enlargement and reduction of each image object, and the variation of transparent, translucent and opaque states, when the advertising is played.

(9) In case of the movement of position of each image object, the image object places a moving area on the entire desktop of the terminal (PC) or the entire Web page. (10) In case of the translucent state of the image object, detailed information on a translucent intensity is provided.

(11 ) In case where the sound data are contained in the advertisement data, the information with which the sound data is synchronized to the animation to play the sound is provided. The sound data contain one or more data and a sequence through which each sound data is played.

(13) When the user clicks the translucent or opaque image object in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the access to the Web site previously set according to the contents sequence data is carried out.

(14) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image object translucent or clicks the image in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the function of the program running on the terminal that operates at the back of the image is exerted.

(15) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image translucent in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the image translucent can be changed to one opaque after a predetermined time period or gradually. If the cursor of the mouse is removed out of the image opaque, the image opaque can be changed to one translucent.

(16) The advertisement data contain the sequence in which the position of the image is movable in accordance with whether the transmission of the Web page is completed.

(17) In order to make the part or entire of each image object translucent, the color of the background portion of the screen hidden by the portion to be translucent is searched and then, the searched color is synthesized to the color of the image portion to be translucent, thereby producing an intermediate color. In other words, the image cut of the intermediate color is in the translucent state. The translucent intensity is determined upon the synthesis ratio of the colors.

(18) The boundary portion between each image object opaque or translucent and the background transparent is roughened in the screen pixel unit due to the screen composed in the pixel unit. If the entire image object is initially opaque or translucent, an anti-aliasing process for the boundary portion between the background and the character upon manufacturing the image object is carried out. However, in case where the background image is transparent or translucent, the boundary portion between the outer line of the character and the background is varied in accordance with the movement of the position of the image, the enlargement and reduction of the image or the variation of the background screen (the screen except the contents image) except the image object, such that a real-time anti-aliasing process should be carried out for the boundary portion. Hence, the color of the character on the outer line thereof and the color of the background screen are synthesized to produce an intermediate color, thereby making the character image not roughened.

(19) Upon the enlargement or reduction of each image object, the real-time antialiasing is earned out on the whole surface of each image object, thereby minimizing the roughness of the surface of the image caused due to the enlargement or reduction of the image pixels. (20) The data type of the sequence may be script or binary.

(21) The advertisement data of the contents manufactured are integrated into one file, separated by functions or animation stages or made to a compression file to reduce data transmission capacity.

Embodiment 3-4: Method for Advertising using Animation Character

(1) According to the embodiment of the present invention, the contents contain a motion image object of an Mpeg format, an Avi format, or an Mov format which is displayed in an opaque (color) or translucent state, wherein the two or more motion image objects are combined at the same time and displayed.

(2) The play position of the motion image is an arbitrary position on the desktop of the terminal or the Web page and the motion image may be overlapped with the Web page or other programs.

(3) The motion image may contain the sound data synchronized thereto. (4) The area that is represented with a specific color in the motion data can be transparent or translucent, which enables representing the motion image of the animation of the character where the background does not exist.

(5) Upon playing of the motion image on the screen, the motion image can be played in the translucent or opaque state. (6) The screen on which the motion image is played can be moved on the entire desktop of the terminal (PC) or the entire Web page.

(7) When the user clicks the mouse on the image translucent, the function of the program running on the terminal (PC) at the back of the motion image is exerted.

(8) When the user clicks the translucent or opaque image in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the access to the Web site previously set according to the contents sequence data is carried out.

(9) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image being in the translucent state or clicks the image in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the function of the program running on the terminal that operates at the back of the image is exerted.

(10) When the user places the cursor of the mouse on the image translucent, the image translucent can be changed to one opaque after a predetermined time period or gradually. If the cursor of the mouse is removed out of the image opaque, the image opaque can be changed to one translucent. And, the advertisement data contain the sequence in which the position of the motion image is movable in accordance with whether the transmission of the Web page is completed.

(11) The two or more motion image objects can be played at the same time, synthesized and played. (12) The advertisement data contain sequence information of the above- mentioned items.

(13) The data type of the sequence may be script or binary.

(14) The advertisement data of the contents manufactured are integrated into one file, separated by functions or animation stages or made to a compression file to reduce data transmission capacity.

Embodiment 3-5: Method for Advertising using Animation Character

According to the embodiment of the present invention, the Admation contents player is embodied with Microsoft Agent control. So, the function of the Admation contents player is extended, thereby providing the following characteristics:

(1) The Microsoft Agent control is used as the Admation contents player, and in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the function thereof is extended.

(2) The contents contain the image data of a bit map format. (3) The total number of colors of all image cuts within the advertisement data is

256.

(4) The advertisement data may contain sound data and text data.

(5) Each of image cuts can make background transparent or translucent.

(6) The animation background transparent or translucent and the sound can be played at the same time.

(7) During the advertising is played, the advertisement data contain conditional sequence information that is reacted differently in accordance with the conditions by the input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user or the audio input by means of the mike of the user. (8) When the user clicks the image object in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the access to the Web site previously set according to the advertising sequence data is carried out.

(9) The advertisement data contain the sequence in which the position of the image is movable in accordance with whether the transmission of the Web page is completed.

(10) The advertisement data contain sequence information on the appearance of each image cut on the screen, the movement thereof and the variation of the transparent, translucent and opaque states of each image cut. The sequence information is manufactured by using Visual Basic script, Java script, Visual Basic, Visual C, or Java. (11) The image cut has a moving area on the entire desktop of the terminal (PC) or the entire Web page.

(12) The advertisement data of the contents manufactured are integrated into one file, separated by functions or animation stages or made to a compression file to reduce data transmission capacity.

Embodiment 3-6: Method for Advertising using Animation Character According to the embodiment of the present invention, the advertising player is embodied with the shockwave flash control of macromedia. So, the function of the advertising player is extended, thereby providing the following characteristics:

(1) The shockwave flash control of macromedia is used as the advertising player, and in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the function thereof is extended.

(2) The contents contain the image data ofa vector format. (3) The advertisement data may contain sound data.

(4) The area where the shockwave flash player is played can be on the desktop of the terminal (PC) on the outside of the Web page.

(5) The image object that is played by the shockwave flash player on the desktop of the terminal can be transparent or translucent. (6) The image that is played by the shockwave flash player has a moving area on the entire desktop of the terminal (PC) or the entire Web page.

(7) Two or more advertisement data can be played at the same time.

(8) During the advertising is played, the advertisement data contain conditional sequence information that is reacted differently in accordance with the conditions by the input by means of the mouse or keyboard of the user or the audio input by means of the mike of the user.

(9) When the user clicks the image object translucent or opaque in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the access to the Web site previously set according to the advertising sequence data is carried out.

(10) When the user clicks the translucent or opaque image object in the conditions by the input by means of the mouse of the user, the function of the program running on the terminal (PC) that operates at the back of the image is exerted.

(11) The advertisement data contain the sequence in which the position of the image is movable in accordance with whether the transmission of the Web page is completed.

(12) The play screen can move the position thereof and the sequence information for movement of the position is provided.

(13) In the same manner as in the above embodiments, the data type of the sequence may be script or binary.

(14) The advertisement data of the contents manufactured contain the shockwave flash file and the sequence file.

<Business Plan of Admation > Fig. 11 shows an exemplary view illustrating a business plan of the Admation service according to the present invention. An operator of the Admation server can provide the advertising system (Admation advertising system) using the animation character according to the present invention for the purposes of the contents of an advertising and a site to other Web sites or sell the Admation advertising system. Also, the operator directly receives the order of an advertising from a sponsor or joins hands with an advertising agency. Otherwise, he can ensures the sponsor or the advertising agency through the site of the Admation server and further ensure a quantity of advertisings. And, the operator provides the Admation advertising service through the Admation server or the server on each site. The operator can cooperate with an animation manufacturer for the purpose of manufacturing an advertising material and as a result, various characters that can match with the Admation are developed. The operator of the Admation server distributes the profits obtained from the sponsor by the Admation service to an agency joining in the business and the site that adopts the Admation service.

^Utilization of Admation as the Contents of Web site except the Advertising Contents>

The shockwave flash provides an additional multimedia play function of the Web browser, which is utilized for the puφose of the contents of the Web site. In the same manner as above, the Admation provides the additional multimedia play function of the Web browser, which can be of course utilized for the purpose of the contents of the Web site in a new form. For instance, the Admation is utilized as a Web site agent character or an agent character that guides planned products in shopping malls. Also, the Admation is utilized as an anchor character that transmits news or stocks information.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, the description is not to b construed as limiting the invention.

Particularly, the Admation sever 100 needs a substantially enormous server capacity in order to transmit the Admation advertisement data to the terminals of numerous users and collect history data for information analysis and targeting. Hence, the Admation server 100 can enable a plurality of Web servers to virtually operate as a single tremendous server through a load balance server. In other words, a network system where the method of the present invention is applied is basically divided into a server side and a client side, wherein the client side is divided into users who are exposed to advertising and sponsors who give orders of advertising and the server side is divided into Web servers that install the Admation for the users and transmit data, a load balance server that distributes the load of the Web servers and a database server that stores advertising exposure history data. The history data, that are results of transmission and play of the Admation contents on the terminal (PC) of the user, are integrated and recorded on the database server through each Web server and hence, the sponsor can monitor the results of the advertising play through the Web server at any time. The various kinds of modules that constitute the Admation player 310 of the terminal 300 are divided in a specific function unit or integrated into each other. For example, the log data recording module 319 can be integrated into the advertising executing module 317.

Also, the Admation player 310 can be stored in recording media readable by a computer and can be installed on the terminal by means of the recording media.

According to the method and system of the present invention, the terminal is comprised of wire or wireless terminal such as, for example, a computer (PC), an

Internet terminal, an Internet TV, a PDA (personal digital assistance), a PCS (personal communication system) phone, a portable radio communication terminal for a next- generation mobile communication service such as IMT2000 (International Mobile telecommunication 2000) and the like. The present invention can be embodied with the above terminals.

Various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

As described above, a method and system for advertising using animation character according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention has the following advantages:

First, various representations that can be viewed on TV Commercial Films and a multimedia function are provided, thereby exciting much interests of the terminal users.

Second, the advertisement data previously stored in the cache of the Web browser are read and immediately played, thereby enabling the standby time required at an advertising starting time when the Web page is received until the advertising display starts to be minimized and also utilizing the Web page transmission time as the advertising display time.

Third, when compared with the banner advertising provided on a predetermined position, the advertising of the present invention is provided with the character whose background is transparent (does not exist), thereby enlarging the movement of position of the advertising character by the animation to the whole Web page or the entire desktop of the terminal. Also, the displaying of the advertising translucent is aimed to prevent the contents of the Web page from being hidden due to the advertising and at the same time to suggest the background required for the advertising, such that the contents of the Web page can be displayed to the user, without any inconvenience and the displeasure by the advertising of the user can be minimized.

Fourth, by virtue of an excellent multimedia play function utilizing audio-visual effects, the contents of the advertising can be clearly transmitted and remain in the memory of the user, without any movement to the corresponding site. Also, the existing advertising model introduced in other media appears on the terminal as an advertising character of the Admation of the photographic image, thereby resulting in the increment of the advertising effect with the help of the friendliness and association to the character.

Fifth, the advertisement data are received as background and stored in the cache by using a communication idle time or idle transmission band of the terminal or by using a sequential transmission of the Web page data and the advertisement data, thereby preventing the communication speed for the Web browsing of the user from being slow. Generally, the advertisement data have a relatively large capacity than the banner advertisement data as the Admation has a multimedia function. However, considering that other advertisings inclusive of the banner advertising delay the transmission speed of the Web page, the above transmission method is good.

Finally, a high efficient advertising can be executed with the above-discussed advantages, thereby gaining a very expensive advertising and drastically improving the profits of the Internet sites.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and server(s) are connected to each other, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) connecting said terminal to said server;

(2) determining as to whether said terminal is on a communication idle state or a communication state;

(3) receiving an advertisement data containing an image data of an animation character from said server by the terminal or transmitting log data as an advertising execution result to said server, if it is determined that said terminal is on said communication idle state; and

(4) executing an advertising on said terminal containing said animation character, if said terminal is on said communication state or resumes communication.

2. A method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and server(s) are connected to each other, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) connecting said terminal to said server;

(2) transmitting an advertisement data containing an image data of an animation character to said terminal by said server; and

(3) displaying an advertising containing said animation character and a background image transparent or translucent on the full screen of the terminal or on a display of a program running on said terminal as its action area.

3. A method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and server(s) are connected to each other, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) connecting said terminal to said server;

(2) determining as to whether said terminal is on a communication idle state or communication state;

(3) receiving an advertisement data containing an image data of an animation character from said server by said terminal or transmitting log data as an advertising execution result to said server, if it is determined that said terminal is on the communication idle state; and (4) displaying an advertising containing said animation character and a background image, transparent or translucent, on a full screen of said terminal or on a display of a program running on said terminal, if said terminal is on said communication state or resumes communication.

4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said step(l) further comprises the steps of: connecting said terminal to an Admation application site; inter-connecting said terminal, said Admation application site and said server through said Internet network or other data communication network; searching whether an Admation player is installed in said terminal; receiving the Admation player from said server on said communication idle state of the terminal if said animation player is not installed in said terminal; installing said received Admation player by said terminal; and operating said Admation player installed in said terminal as background state on said terminal.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said Admation player is a program that monitors an Internet communication or other communication program of said terminal to determine whether said terminal is on said communication idle state or communication state, receives said advertisement data from said server or transmits said log data as said advertising execution result to said server if said terminal is on the communication idle state, and executes said advertising containing said animation character translucent or opaque, by means of said advertisement data and records said log data as said advertising execution result if said Internet communication or other communication program is resumed.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said Admation player operates in any form of add-on or plug-in of said Internet communication or other communication program or in said form installed in a special purpose Web browser itself.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said step (3) further comprises the steps of: (a) receiving new advertisement data from said server if said terminal is on said communication idle state or if said advertisement data that have stopped during receiving exist, continuously receiving the advertisement data based upon the information recording the state stopped;

(b) transmitting said log data to said server if said log data as said advertising execution result that are not transmitted to a hard disc of said terminal exist; and,

(c) immediately stopping the reception of said advertisement data or the transmission of said log data and recording the state of the stopped time point stopped if said terminal resumes said Internet communication or other communication program that is in use.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said step (2) further comprises an the step of checking a data transmission bandwidth used on said Internet communication or other communication program running on said terminal to detect an idle transmission band on a data transmitting/receiving band accessible by said terminal, and said step (3) further comprises the step of receiving said advertisement data from said server or transmitting said log data to said server by using said idle communication band.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step (a) further comprises the steps of: automatically storing the advertisement data received from said server on said hard disc of said terminal according to types of data; and automatically deleting said advertisement data whose period of prescription elapse.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said step (4) further comprises the steps of :

(a) determining a starting time point of receiving said Internet communication or other communication data as an advertising execution time during said terminal runs said Internet communication or other communications program;

(b) receiving specific advertisement data of said transmitted advertisement data or corresponding advertisement data according to a designated order in the server and, continuously receiving said advertisement data after said stopped time point if the contents of said advertising upon a previous advertising execution are not finished;

(c) displaying said advertising with said animation character appearing on an arbitrary position or a preset position on said screen of said terminal and with various kinds of animation operations carried out on said full screen of said terminal or on said display of said program running on said terminal as said action area thereof, after retrieving said advertisement data;

(d) determining whether said advertising execution time is longer than a given minimum advertising time at the time when said Internet communication or other communication data have been transmitted; (e) stopping said advertising execution, if said advertising execution time is longer than said given minimum advertising time at said time when said Internet communication or other communication data have been transmitted; and,

(f) recording said log data of said displayed advertising on said hard disc of said terminal.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said step (e) further comprises a limited advertising executing step of moving, said animation character to an area where said animation character is not overlapped with the program being currently in use until said given minimum advertising time elapses, or executing the advertising in the state where an advertising sound is lowered or turned off until said given minimum advertising time elapses, if said advertising execution time is shorter than said given minimum advertising time.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein in said step (c), said advertising is displayed on said screen of said program running on said terminal, or on an area of a tool collection box of the program, or on said background screen of said terminal, and the user of said terminal performs interactive functions of making the position of said advertising move arbitrarily by means of a mouse, and of making an advertising object during running rotate or disappear.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said limited advertising executing step comprises the steps of making said advertising object containing said animation character translucent, or of moving said position of said advertising arbitrarily by means of said mouse of said terminal user and/or making said advertising object during running rotate or disappear by the manipulation of the user of said terminal.

14. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein said advertisement data are one or more data of the image data of said animation character to which motion or image variation is given as one or more images of a two-dimensional, three- dimensional or photographic image opaque or translucent, image data of said background transparent, translucent or opaque, sound data and text data.

15. The method according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said log data are one or more data among a kind of advertising running on said terminal, said advertising starting time, said advertising execution time, said existence or non-existence of a clicking of said animation character appearing in said advertising and user information, and reaction information by input by means of said mouse or keyboard of said user or by said input of an audio information by means of said mike during the time said advertising is executed.

16. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said program is any one of an electronic mail program, an FTP program and a Web browser or a utility program.

17. The method according to claim 5, wherein said Admation player further has the functions of: executing said advertising by using said previously stored advertisement data, if the use of said terminal stops over a predetermined time in off-line state of said terminal; stopping the execution of said advertising and at the same time recording said log data as said advertising execution result on said hard disc of said terminal if the use of said terminal resumes; and automatically connecting to said Internet by using an Internet connector installed in said terminal or said Admation player program so as to connect to a corresponding site if the user clicks said advertising during the execution of said advertising in said off-line state of the terminal.

18. A system for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and server(s) are connected to each other, said system comprising: said server comprised of, an advertisement data transmitting module for providing an advertisement data containing image data of said animation character to said terminal, a log data receiving and saving module for receiving and saving log data as an advertising execution result from said terminal, an advertisement data database where said advertisement data to be provided to said terminal of said advertisement data transmitting module are stored, and a log data database where said log data transmitted from said terminal and a statistical record of the log data are stored; and said terminal comprised of: an Internet communication or other communication program accessible to said server, and an Admation player for receiving said advertisement data from said server or transmitting said log data as said advertising execution result to said server if said terminal is in a communication idle state, displaying an advertising containing said animation character and a background image, transparent or translucent, at a preset position or at an arbitrary position on a full screen of said terminal or on a display of said program running on said terminal as an action area thereof, and recording said log data according to said display if said terminal is on said communication state or resumes the communication.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said Admation player is comprises: a communication checking module for monitoring the state of said Internet communication or other communication program of said terminal, checking whether data communication of said program is carried out and a transmission band width being in use and detecting an idle transmission band; an advertisement data receiving module for receiving said advertisement data from said server, when said data communication of said program is not carried out after the monitoring of said communication checking module and classifying and storing said advertisement data to said hard disc of said terminal according to the types of data; a log data transmitting module for transmitting said log data recorded as an advertising execution result of said terminal to said server; an advertising executing module for building said advertising constituted by one or more data of said animation character displayed with one or more images of a two-dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image opaque or translucent, the background transparent or translucent, sound data and text data, with said advertisement data transmitted by said advertisement data receiving module, and executing the advertising on the area where said advertising is overlapped or not overlapped to the screen of said Internet communication or other communication program, at the time when said data communication of the program is carried out; and a log data recording module for recording said log data according to said advertising execution.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said server is further comprised of a log data statistical module for statistically managing said log data stored in a log data database and providing a control information that controls display order, times and intervals by advertisings of said terminal to said terminal.

21. A method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and server(s) are connected to each other, said method comprising the steps of:

(1) requesting a Web page of an Admation application site by said terminal;

(2) receiving said Web page containing an Admation player script from the Admation application site by said terminal;

(3) receiving an advertisement data containing an image data of an animation character from said server by said Admation player that is generated or controlled by the Admation player script by using a sequential transmission of a Web page data and said advertisement data or by using an idle transmission band, or transmitting said log data as said advertising execution result to said server by using said idle transmission band; and (4) executing an advertising containing said image data of said animation character on said terminal during the transmission between said terminal and the Admation application site or during the movement on said Web pages of said site.

22. A method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and server(s) are connected to each other, said method comprising the steps of:

(1 ) requesting a Web page of an Admation application site by said terminal;

(2) receiving said Web page containing an Admation player script from said Admation application site to said terminal; (3) receiving an advertisement data containing an image data of an animation character from said server by an Admation player that is generated or controlled by said Admation player script; and

(4) displaying an advertising containing said animation character and a background image, transparent or translucent, at a preset position or at an arbitrary position on a full screen of said terminal or on a display of said program running on said terminal as an action area thereof.

23. A method for advertising using animation character over an Internet network or other data communication network through which terminal(s) and server(s) are connected to each other, said method comprising the steps of: (1) requesting a Web page of an Admation application site by said terminal;

(2) receiving said Web page containing an Admation player script from said Admation application site to said terminal;

(3) receiving an advertisement data containing an image data of an animation character from said server by said Admation player that is generated or controlled by the Admation player script by using a sequential transmission of a Web page data and said advertisement data or by using an idle transmission band, or transmitting a log data as an advertising execution result to said server by means of said Admation player by using said idle transmission band; and

(4) displaying an advertising containing said animation character and a background image transparent or translucent at a preset position or at an arbitrary position on a full screen of said terminal or on a display of said program running on said terminal as an action area thereof, during the transmission between said terminal and said Admation application site or during the movement on said Web pages of said site.

24. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said step (3) is further comprises the steps of:

(a) determining a position of said server at which said advertisement data are downloaded according to a position information of said server provided from said Admation player script, and requesting an advertisement data list to said server; and

(b) receiving step of receiving said advertisement data list to be executed on a corresponding time from said server.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said step (b) further comprises the step of storing said advertisement data list received from said server in a cookie of a cache area of said terminal or on a hard disc of said terminal as a separate file.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said step (b) further comprises the step of inquiring an attribute of said advertisement data in accordance with said advertisement data list received from said server to said cookie or said file to thereby receive said corresponding attribute and determining said advertisement data to be received according to an attribute information to thereby request said advertisement data to the server.

27. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said Admation player executes said advertising by using one of the following software implementation methods: (a) Visual Basic script or Java script and active X control using method;

(b) Visual Basic script or Java script and Java applet using method; and

(c) Visual Basic script or Java script using method, without using any active X control or Java applet.

28. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said advertisement data contain one or more image cuts composed of said image data of a bit map format, said one image cut being divided into two or more areas and containing an information of said divided areas.

29. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said advertisement data contain one or more image objects composed of said image data of a bit map format, the one or more image objects being combined and displayed on the screen every moment during the advertising animation display.

30. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said advertisement data contain said image data of a vector format, said image data being composed of an outer line data of the vector format and rendering data by each area of said image data.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said advertisement data contain one or more image objects of a bit map format that are displayed simultaneously or separately to/from said image data of said vector format, said one or more image objects being combined and displayed on said screen every moment upon said advertising animation display.

32. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said advertisement data contain a motion image object of an Mpeg format, an Avi format, or an Mov format, said motion image object being displayed on an opaque or translucent image state and the two or more motion image objects being combined at the same time and displayed.

33. The method according to claim 27, wherein said software implementation method of the advertising is carried out by using an image reproducing function of the Web browser, Microsoft Agent, or shockwave flash of macromedia.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said Microsoft Agent uses sequence information with that said image of said advertising is reacted differently in accordance with whether said Web page of said Admation application site is transmitted on said terminal or the conditions by the input by means of said mouse and said keyboard or the audio input by means of said mike by the user during the time said advertising is executed, said sequence information being built by using one or more of Visual Basic script, Java script, Visual Basic(VB), Visual C (VC) and Java.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein said shockwave flash of the macromedia displays said image object of said vector format, said image object having a moving area corresponding to said whole Web pages of said Admation application site or said full screen of said terminal and said background of said image object being on the transparent, translucent or opaque image state.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein said advertising carried out by said Microsoft Agent or said shockwave flash of the macromedia contains one or more data of said animation character of a two-dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image, opaque or translucent, said background transparent or translucent, sound data and text data.

37. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said advertisement data contain one or more data of said image data of said animation character of a two- dimensional, three-dimensional or photographic image opaque or translucent, said image data of said background, transparent or translucent, sound data and text data.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein said advertisement data contain one or more information of a sequence information on the time, order and interval of each image appearing on said screen, the movement of position of each image on said screen, the enlargement and/or reduction of said image, the variation of transparent, translucent or opaque image states according to by areas of each image and on said full screen of said advertising, when the advertising is executed, and conditional sequence information that is differently reacted in accordance with conditions by the input by means of said mouse or keyboard of the user and said audio input by means of a mike, during the time said advertising is executed.

39. The method according to any of claims 21 to 23, wherein said advertising contains said animation character of said image, opaque or translucent, and said background of said image, transparent or translucent, in which said background is changed to the opaque image or from said opaque image to the transparent or translucent image.

40. The method according to claim 39, wherein said animation character or said background connects, if it in said opaque image state is clicked, to a corresponding site, and if said animation character or said background in said translucent image state is clicked, the function of said program running on said terminal at the back of said image is exerted.

41. The method according to claim 38, wherein the data form of said sequence information is script or binary.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein said animation character or said background becomes opaque after a predetermined time elapses or gradually, if said terminal user places a cursor on said animation character or said background being on said translucent image state or clicks it, and becomes translucent, if said terminal user removes said curser out of said animation character or said background.

43. The method according to claim 37, wherein said advertisement data contain information of a minimum advertising time for displaying said advertising, and if said advertising display time is shorter than said minimum advertising time, said animation character or said background is moved to an area where said animation character or said background is not overlapped with said program being currently in use or changed to said translucent image state and immediately disappears if said minimum advertising time elapses.

44. The method according to claim 39, wherein said animation character functions as an anchor character that gives news or stock information on a real-time information providing site or a cyber shopping mall and the like, or as an web agent character that guides sites or advertises products.

45. The method according to claim 21 or 23, wherein said log data are one or more data among a kind of advertising running on said terminal, an advertising starting time, said advertising executing time, an existence or non-existence of the clicking of said animation character appearing in said advertising and user information, and a reaction information by input with said mouse or keyboard of said terminal user or by the input of an audio information by means of a mike during the time said advertising is executed.

46. The method according to claim 22 or 23, wherein said program contains an electronic mail program on an on-line, and said Admation player script is contained in said mail data of the electronic mail.