Abstract:
A method and system for computerized presentation of promotional content, which decreases or eliminates the intrusive and unsolicited nature of computer-related advertisements. The present invention allows providing of specific advertisements to a targeted group of people, while presenting a minimal intrusion in the workflow of both targeted and non-targeted users. Depending upon an action by a user, a menu of selectable items may be generated, including, among functional content items, an item of promotional content. The user may decide to investigate the promotional item by selecting it in the same manner that the user would select a functional item from the menu. Upon selection, the promotional content is displayed on the screen for the user to view and/or to take further action associated with the promotional content.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/765,975, entitled “User-Prompted Display of Promotional Content,” filed Feb. 7, 2006, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates generally to a computerized method and system for the presentation of advertising content. Specifically, the present invention relates to a computerized method and system for user-driven, such as menu-driven, presentation of advertising content.  
         [0004]     2. Background of the Related Art  
         [0005]     One problem with the presentation of computer-related and other software advertising content today is that the advertising content (also interchangeably referred to herein as “promotional content”) is typically unsolicited, frequently interrupts the workflow a user is engaged in, and usually requires an action by the user to eliminate the advertising content from the screen. As an example, most computer users today are all too familiar with the intrusive nature of pop-up, pop-under and banner-type advertisements that may appear on a computer screen as often as several times per second.  
         [0006]     Another problem with the presentation of computer advertising content today is that it may be very difficult, if not impossible, to target a specific advertisement to a particular population group (e.g., as defined by gender, age, education or any other criterion). Thus, not only is computerized advertising content, by its very nature, intrusive and distracting to the user, but it becomes even more so when it is impossible to direct it to a particular group of users that may have a potential interest in the specific advertisement being presented. This problem is equally inconvenient and burdensome for computer users, computer advertisers and network/website operators alike, as each group has significant interest in having specific product or service-related promotional content targeted to a group of users that may have a potential interest in the specific product or service, rather than presenting the content to the public at large.  
         [0007]     Nevertheless, with the advent of computer networks and the Internet, computer-related advertising has become a major source of revenue for Internet advertisers and network/website operators, and does not appear to be in decline. There is a general need in the art, therefore, for methods and systems that allow computerized presentation of promotional content, while at the same time avoiding the intrusive and unsolicited nature of current computer-related advertising content. There is a further need in the art for methods and systems that allow presentation of promotional content to a user without requiring an action by the user to eliminate the content from the screen, while permitting the user to take further steps to reveal the actual nature of the advertisement, should the user be so inclined. There is a further need in the art for methods and systems for providing advertising content to a targeted group of people, while presenting minimal intrusion in the workflow of both the targeted and non-targeted groups of users.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention solves the above-identified needs, and others, by providing a method and system for computerized presentation of promotional content, while at the same time avoiding the intrusive and unsolicited nature of current computer-related advertising content. Further, the present invention allows presentation of promotional content to a user without requiring user action for elimination of the content from the screen, while permitting the user to take further steps to reveal the actual nature of the advertisement, should the user be so inclined. In addition, the present invention allows advertising content to be provided to a targeted group of people, while presenting a minimal intrusion in the workflow of both the targeted and non-targeted groups of users.  
         [0009]     The present invention includes a method and system for providing promotional content within, for example, any software that permits user-selectable items, such as a menu of selectable functions or other items to be performed by the software. In one embodiment, depending on the context of the workflow in which the user is engaged, the menu of selectable items may include, among the content items for the software functionality (interchangeably referred to herein as “functional content items”), an item of promotional content (interchangeably referred to herein as a “promotional content item”). The user may choose to investigate the promotional item by selecting it in the same manner that the user would select a functional item from the menu. Upon selection, the promotional content will be provided on the screen for the user to view and/or to take further action associated with the promotional content. The user may, however, decide not to pursue the promotional item, and to select a functional item instead. Upon such a user selection, in one embodiment, the item of promotional content will disappear from the screen, along with all of the remaining choices in the menu, without requiring additional action from the user.  
         [0010]     It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be added at the development stage of any software program, or may be added to existing software programs as a separate add-on module.  
         [0011]     Other objects, features, and advantages will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0012]     For a more complete understanding of the present invention, the needs satisfied thereby, and the objects, features, and advantages thereof, reference now is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of a Graphic User Interface (“GUI”) screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a list of selectable items within a software program is displayed, each selectable item representing either a functional or promotional content item;  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of a GUI screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a list of selectable items within a software program is displayed, each selectable item representing either a functional or promotional content item, wherein a user is in the process of selecting a functional item;  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of a GUI screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a list of selectable items within a software program is displayed, each selectable item representing either a functional or promotional content item, wherein a user is in the process of selecting a functional item;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of a GUI screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a list of selectable items within a software program is displayed, each selectable item representing either a functional or promotional content item, wherein a user is in the process of selecting an item of promotional content;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is an illustration of a GUI screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a list of selectable items within a software program is displayed, each selectable item representing either a functional or promotional content item;  
         [0018]      FIG. 6  is an illustration of a GUI screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a list of selectable items within a software program is displayed, each selectable item representing either a functional or promotional content item, wherein an item of promotional content has been selected and the selected promotional content has been displayed;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of a GUI screen in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a list of selectable items within a software program is displayed, each selectable item representing either a functional or promotional content item, wherein the promotional content is targeted to a specific population group;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart illustrating various steps in a method of displaying promotional content according to one embodiment of the invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 9  illustrates a block diagram of various computer system components for use with an exemplary implementation of a system for menu-driven advertising, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 10  illustrates a block diagram of various network system components for use with an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0023]      FIG. 11  presents an example open system architecture, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]     Preferred embodiments of the present invention and their features and advantages may be understood by referring to  FIGS. 1-11 , like numerals being used for like corresponding parts in the various drawings.  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-4 , shown therein are GUI screens depicting various elements of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Although  FIGS. 1-4  show a computer user interface window  10 , it will be readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be implemented using a personal computer (PC), a laptop computer, or other computer terminal, a kiosk, a wireless mobile telephony device, personal digital assistant (PDA), interactive television, or any other device that has a screen or other data delivery device and an input/output device.  
         [0026]     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1-4 , user action directs screen cursor  12 . For example, in  FIG. 1  the cursor  12  is located over button  14 , i.e., the “View” button  14 , which is available along the toolbar  16  within the user interface window  10 . Upon user selection of the “View” button  14 , e.g., by clicking a mouse button or by simply locating the cursor over the “View ” button  14 , a drop-down menu  18  appears and displays a list of selectable items. Among the selectable items displayed in drop-down menu  18  are one or more items representing software functions that may be performed, and one or more selectable items that represent promotional content. The user can direct cursor  12  to select a functional content item, e.g., “Toolbars”  20  in  FIG. 2 , which leads to the appearance of “Display Toolbar Options” screen box  22  as shown in  FIG. 2 , or “Select Details”  24  in  FIG. 3 , which, in turn, leads to the display of “Display Options Related to Presentation of Files in Current Folder” screen box  28 . Alternatively, the user can direct cursor  12  to select a promotional content item, e.g., “Save $$ On Car Insurance”  30 , shown in  FIG. 4 , which leads to the appearance of “Display Promotional Content” screen box  32 .  
         [0027]     One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that further windows may be nested or cascaded in association with the drop-down menu  18 , “Toolbars” item  20  and “Display Toolbar Options”  22  in  FIG. 2 ; “Select Details”  24  and “Display Options Related to Presentation of Files in Current Folder” screen box  28  in  FIG. 3 ; and “Save $$ On Car Insurance”  30  and “Display Promotional Content” screen box  32  in  FIG. 4 . One of ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that each user-selectable window, drop-down or other menu, screen or dialog box, or the like represents one or more operations that may be performed by the system upon selection by the user.  
         [0028]     In addition, it will be readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the user actions or user selections referred to herein may refer to the manual depressions of buttons on a cursor-position controller such as a mouse having left and right buttons, or may refer to mere movements of such a controller with or without regard to whether buttons are clicked (when not so clicked, also interchangeably referred to herein as “hovering”). Also, it will be appreciated that, while drop down menus are shown for illustrative purposes, other selection options may be provided for listing or otherwise allowing user view and/or selection. Furthermore, actions of the user referred to herein may refer to rotations of a tracking-ball type cursor controller, depressions of directional keys on a keypad, the touching of a touch-sensitive user input device such as a touch-pad or touch-sensitive screen, or manipulation of any other input/output device. Thus, actions of the user referred to herein relate generally to receipt of one or more user inputs by a host system, such that presentations and displays occurring responsive to such actions are appreciated by the user as occurring under the control and influence of the user.  
         [0029]     Thus, in  FIG. 3 , for example, further to user action, cursor  12  is hovering over a “Select Details” selectable item  24  that represents one or more functions that control options for the listing of files displayed within the viewing area  26  of the window  10 . Upon selection by the user of “Select Details” item  24 , screen box  28  appears on the screen and displays information related to the one or more functions that are represented by the “Select Details” item  24 . In this example, screen box  28  and any additional windows nested or cascaded in association with the window  28  and the item  24  present the user with information and controls for selecting the details displayed for each file listed in the viewing area  26 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the file name, the size, and the last date of modification are displayed for each file listed. Other types of information such as the file type of each listed file may be added to the details displayed by way and by use of functions represented by the selectable item  24  and the information displayed in the window  28 .  
         [0030]     In the example shown in  FIG. 4 , further to user action, cursor  12  is hovering over selectable item “Save $$ On Car Insurance”  30 , representing promotional content. Responsive user action, e.g., selection of selectable item  30 , screen box “Display promotional Content”  32  appears on the screen and displays promotional content. In this example, selectable item  30  represents promotional content related to automobile insurance. The promotional content displayed may include information identifying an insurance provider and may include hyperlinks to one or more websites, for example. Further windows nested or cascaded in association with screen box  32  may be further opened responsively to further actions of the user. Thus, according to this embodiment of the invention, distribution of promotional content to consumers may be accomplished by user selection of item  30 , wherein the user continues to maintain control of the interaction and the navigation through promotional content represented by the item  30 .  
         [0031]     In the example shown in  FIG. 4 , selectable item  30 , which represents promotional content, appears in a list displayed by a drop-down menu. The display of item  30 , which represents promotional content, and the display of window  32 , which displays the promotional content, are conveniently prompted and dismissed by actions of the user. As previously discussed, the selectable item  30  first appears upon user selection of the “View” button  14 . Should the user direct the cursor  12  to other areas of window  10 , such as, to locations of other buttons on toolbar  16 , window  30  and the listing of selectable items displayed therein disappear from the screen. It should be understood that other selectable items representing promotional content may appear in other drop down menus associated with other buttons. Thus, promotional content is displayed with minimal inconvenience to the user as the user navigates about the window  10 , and about other windows, boxes, menus, or the like, similarly displayed.  
         [0032]     It will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the software within which promotional content may be displayed, may include any types of software, such as an operating system, an application that runs concurrently or in conjunction with an operating system, that runs without regard to an operating system, or any other software that is capable of displaying promotional content. It will be further understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the promotional content displayed may include text, images, sound, universal resource locators (URLs), short videos/commercial clips and/or be presented in any other format that is suitable or appropriate for advertising content.  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , therein shown is a GUI screen depicting various elements of another embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 5 , a general window  50  generated under the control of an operating system has therein a particular window  60  that represents a software application running concurrently or in conjunction with the operating system. In this embodiment, the user controls the movement of cursor  62  within the area of window  60 , and within additional windows nested or cascaded in association with window  60 .  
         [0034]     For example, upon user selection of an item within window  60 , window  64 , hierarchically subordinate to window  60 , appears on the screen and displays selectable items that represent functions. Sub-window  64  may open, e.g., responsive to a right-click of a mouse button at general a position of the cursor  62 . Upon selection by the user of a selectable item when the cursor is disposed at a second location,  62 ′ (the movement of the cursor from location  62  to  62 ′ indicated by dotted arrow A), an additional sub-window  68 , which is subordinate to sub-window  64 , opens and displays several selectable items, all of which represent respective functional content items, except for a single selectable item  70 , which represents a promotional content item In the example shown in  FIG. 5 , the user has chosen to pursue one or more functions represented by the selectable item  72  (corresponding to cursor location  62 ″, the movement of the cursor from location  62 ′ to  62 ″ indicated by dotted arrow B) within the sub-window  68 , and has not chosen to view promotional content represented by the selectable item  70 . Thus, upon selection by the user of a selectable item when the cursor is disposed at a second location,  62 ″, an additional sub-window  74  opens, and the user may move the cursor therein to select or perform functions available therein. As illustrated in this example, the user may optionally refrain from prompting the presentation of promotional content, such as that represented by the selectable item  70 . Therefore, the user is not unduly inconvenienced by the display of unsolicited items representing promotional content.  
         [0035]     In one embodiment, to further preserve the convenience of the user, only a limited number of selectable items representing promotional content may be displayed concurrently. For example, among the selectable items available in the sub-window  68 , only the item  70  represents promotional content. Each of the other illustrated selectable items, such as the item  72 , represents one or more functions within the software program that can be performed by the user. It should be understood that, although the sub-window  68  in  FIG. 5  displays only the single promotional content item  70 , other embodiments of the invention relate to displaying several such items at once. In some embodiments, such additional promotional content may also only be provided in response to user selection or actuation of an item, thereby further limiting the intrusiveness of the advertising.  
         [0036]     According to another embodiment of the invention, selectable items representing functions are easily distinguished from promotional items due to spatial arrangement of the items. For example, in the exemplary user interaction portrayed in  FIG. 5 , promotional content item  70  appears at a margin, i.e., the bottom margin, of the list of selectable items displayed within the sub-window  68 . Thus, the user finds selectable items representing functional content items uninterruptedly grouped together, spatially separated from selectable items that represent promotional content, and which are thereby easily distinguished from such promotional content items. Nonetheless, the selectable item(s) that represent promotional content are proximate to the selectable items that represent functions and, as such, are positioned in a region of the display that likely will be examined by the user, thereby adding to the value of such promotional content.  
         [0037]     A subsequent stage of the example shown in  FIG. 5  is portrayed in  FIG. 6 . In  FIG. 6 , upon user selection of an item at a third location, indicated at cursor position  62 ′″ (the movement of the cursor from a general position  62  indicated by dotted arrow C), the appearance of sub-window  80  occurs, which displays a list of selectable items, including several items representing functions and an item  82  representing promotional content, within window  60 . Further user selection of promotional content item  82  causes the appearance of sub-window  86 , which displays the promotional content represented by the selectable promotional content item  82 . In this example, the promotional content relates to savings available with the purchase of a laptop computer. The promotional content includes textual content  88  identifying the manufacturer of the available computer, and textual content  90  identifying the manufacturer of the processor that comes within the available computer. The names of such manufacturers optionally appear as hyperlinks that lead to further information, for example, by way of the respective websites of the manufacturers. The promotional content also includes enticing textual content  92  regarding the amount of savings available, for example, as a percentage of the purchase price, and graphical content  94  depicting the product that is offered. A hyperlink  96  having the caption “Shop now” is displayed so that a user can optionally consider a purchase by viewing further information.  
         [0038]     In one embodiment, selectable items representing different promotional content are displayed in different lists or menus. For example, the selectable item representing promotional content may merely alternate between the items of promotional content as different lists are requested by a user. In one example, in which promotional content exists for companies A, B and C, a selectable item representing promotional content for company A may be displayed, e.g., in a first menu; a selectable item representing promotional content for company B may be displayed, e.g., in a second menu; a selectable item representing promotional content for company C may be displayed, e.g., in a third menu; and a selectable item representing promotional content for company A may again be displayed, e.g., in a fourth menu.  
         [0039]     An embodiment of the present invention directed to the concept of targeting advertising content to specific population groups will now be described in reference to the example shown in  FIG. 7 . In this example, upon selection by the user (e.g., by hovering or clicking a mouse button) of the word “Time” in a Microsoft Word® document, located at the location of cursor  712  in  FIG. 7 , a pop-up menu  700  appears on the screen, listing a number of selectable functional content items and selectable promotional content item  720 . As can be seen from the figure, promotional content item  720  is entitled “Timepieces from around the world,” as the method and system of the present invention made the inference that, if a user selects the word “Time,” that user may be interested in advertisements for timepieces. If the user is not interested in advertisements for timepieces, the user may select a functional item from pop-up menu  700 , or otherwise continue the workflow the user was involved in prior to the appearance of pop-up menu  700 . If the user displays an interest in viewing timepiece advertisements, however, the user may select selectable promotional content item  720  at cursor location  712 ′, and may further choose options that may appear on pop-up menu  740  or otherwise continue the process of viewing and selecting various items of promotional content associated with selectable promotional content item  720 .  
         [0040]     To terminate the process of viewing and selecting promotional content items, the viewer may simply move the cursor away from pop-up menus  720  and  740 , and any other nested, embedded or otherwise associated menus with menus  720  and  740  to a different location on the screen  600 , such as location  712 ″. Pop-up menus  720  and  740  may automatically disappear from the screen  600  upon the passage of a predetermined time interval after moving the cursor to location  712 ″. Alternatively, another user action may be required to terminate the process of viewing and selecting promotional content items.  
         [0041]     It will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that any other criterion may be used to select the type of promotional content to be displayed. For example, based on successive user-specific actions, such as successively selecting and/or deselecting functional and promotional items, different menu choices may be downloaded in real time. Furthermore, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, items of promotional content may be downloaded via a wide area network from a pool of available items.  
         [0042]     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , therein shown is a flowchart for a method of displaying promotional content according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The method includes receiving an indication of a user action  810 , such as selecting a button on the screen or hovering over a particular location on the screen. Upon receiving the indication of user action  810 , a list of functional and promotional items is displayed  820 . Next, a user selection  830  of an item on the displayed list is received. If the received user selection  840  is that of a functional item, user workflow continues  850  without interruption by an exhibited advertisement. If the received user selection  840  is for a promotional item, the promotional content associated with the promotional content item is displayed on the screen, and/or the user may take other actions, as appropriate  860 . Upon terminating the process of viewing promotional content and related actions  870 , the workflow the user was involved in prior to viewing the promotional content continues  850 .  
         [0043]     As described above,  FIG. 8  is a flowchart of an exemplary method for use with, systems and program products, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus create means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s) or step(s). These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture, including instruction means that implement the function specified in the flowchart block(s) or step(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s) or step(s).  
         [0044]     Accordingly, blocks or steps of the flowchart support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block or step of the flowchart, and combinations of blocks or steps in the flowchart, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.  
         [0045]     The present invention may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. In one embodiment, the invention is directed toward one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. An example of such a computer system  900  is shown in  FIG. 9 .  
         [0046]     Computer system  900  includes one or more processors, such as processor  904 . The processor  904  is connected to a communication infrastructure  906  (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network). Various software embodiments are described in terms of this exemplary computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement the invention using other computer systems and/or architectures.  
         [0047]     Computer system  900  can include a display interface  902  that forwards graphics, text, and other data from the communication infrastructure  906  (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display on the display unit  930 . Computer system  900  also includes a main memory  908 , preferably random access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory  910 . The secondary memory  910  may include, for example, a hard disk drive  912  and/or a removable storage drive  914 , representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, etc. The removable storage drive  914  reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit  918  in a well known manner. Removable storage unit  918 , represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc., which is read by and written to removable storage drive  914 . As will be appreciated, the removable storage unit  918  includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data.  
         [0048]     In alternative embodiments, secondary memory  910  may include other similar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system  900 . Such devices may include, for example, a removable storage unit  922  and an interface  920 . Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM)) and associated socket, and other removable storage units  922  and interfaces  920 , which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit  922  to computer system  900 .  
         [0049]     Computer system  900  may also include a communications interface  924 . Communications interface  924  allows software and data to be transferred between computer system  900  and external devices. Examples of communications interface  924  may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface  924  are in the form of signals  928 , which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by communications interface  924 . These signals  928  are provided to communications interface  924  via a communications path (e.g., channel)  926 . This path  926  carries signals  928  and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF) link and/or other communications channels. In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer usable medium” are used to refer generally to media such as a removable storage drive  914 , a hard disk installed in hard disk drive  912 , and signals  928 . These computer program products provide software to the computer system  900 . The invention is directed to such computer program products.  
         [0050]     Computer programs (also referred to as computer control logic) are stored in main memory  908  and/or secondary memory  910 . Computer programs may also be received via communications interface  924 . Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system  900  to perform the features of the present invention, as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor  904  to perform the features of the present invention. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system  900 .  
         [0051]     In an embodiment where the invention is implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into computer system  900  using removable storage drive  914 , hard drive  912 , or communications interface  924 . The control logic (software), when executed by the processor  904 , causes the processor  904  to perform the functions of the invention as described herein. In another embodiment, the invention is implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of the hardware state machine so as to perform the functions described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s).  
         [0052]     In one exemplary embodiment, the system for user-driven advertising may be implemented, for example, as a Microsoft.net® desktop application program (Microsoft.net® is made by Microsoft® Corporation of Redmond, Washington), which may reside on a computer hard drive, database or other repository of data, or be uploaded from the Internet or other network (e.g., from a PC, minicomputer, mainframe computer, microcomputer, telephone device, PDA, or other device having a processor and input and/or output capability). It will be recognized by those skilled in the art, however, that any available software tool capable of implementing the concepts described herein may be used to implement the system and method of the present invention.  
         [0053]     It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, that the method and system of the present invention may be implemented as an application-specific add-on to a program, or as a standalone application.  
         [0054]     As shown in  FIG. 10 , in an embodiment of the present invention, some data for use in the system is, for example, input by one or more accessor(s)  1060 ,  1062  (also referred to interchangeably herein as “user(s)”) via a terminal(s)  1042 ,  1066 , such as a PC, minicomputer, mainframe computer, microcomputer, telephonic device, or wireless device, such as a hand-held wireless device coupled to a server  1043 , such as a PC, minicomputer, mainframe computer, microcomputer, or other device having a processor and a repository for data and/or connection to a processor and/or repository for data, via, for example, a network  1044 , such as the Internet or an intranet, and couplings  1045 ,  1046 ,  1064 . The couplings  1045 ,  1046 ,  1064  include, for example, wired, wireless, or fiberoptic links. In another embodiment, the method and system of the present invention operate in a stand-alone environment, such as on a single terminal.  
         [0055]     One embodiment of the present invention is based on an open system architecture  1100 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . In this embodiment, the system for user-driven advertising includes Targeting Engine Module  1110 , Menu Engine Module  1120 , and a Database of Promotional Content  1130 . It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that Targeting Engine Module  1110  may use any criterion to target advertisements to a particular group of people that may be interested in the targeted advertisements. As described above, the targeting feature of the present invention, in some embodiments, serves the double goal of reducing unsolicited and intrusive advertisements (e.g., all other advertisements that may not be associated with the particular criterion chosen), while targeting particular advertisements to a specific group of people who may have an interest in the particular advertisements (e.g., based on user profiles for users purchasing the software in which the present invention is embedded).  
         [0056]     It will further be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that Menu Engine Module  1120  for generating a list of selectable items may be software application-specific and/or may be based on any algorithm (e.g., based on user-specific information, on succession of user-specific actions, on advertisement revenue, or other factors). The actual advertising content that is displayed upon user selection of a promotional content item may be displayed based upon similar or different criteria.  
         [0057]     It will further be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that displayed promotional content may be acquired from a Database  1130  or other repository, which may be stored within a proximal data storage device co-located with or resident within the device or system that hosts the software application, and/or may be acquired from a remote data storage device such as that of a server via a network such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, and/or via any type of communication device or system, capable of delivering content.  
         [0058]     While the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the preferred embodiments described above may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the specification or from a practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and the described examples are considered exemplary only, with the true scope of the invention indicated by the following claims.