Patent ID: 6934743

Claim:
A method of displaying an intermediate message in a web browser executed on a client computer, comprising the steps of: identifying an active display window of the web browser; defining size and dimensions of a message display window encompassing the intermediate message; identifying an unused display space within the active display window corresponding to the defined size and dimensions of the message display window; defining a pattern corresponding to a background pattern of the active display window, wherein the step of identifying an unused display space within the active display window comprises comparing blocks of pixels within the active display window to the defined background pattern: monitoring the state of the active display window to determine if there is a change in content of the active display window to produce a new active display window; monitoring a period of time that the active display window is active; identifying an area in the new active display window corresponding to the location of the message display window in the active display window; determining if the area in the new active display window is unused; and displaying the intermediate message in the area if the active display window is unused, or identifying an alternative unused area within the new active display window if the area is not unused.