Methods and systems for displaying content

Abstract

An indication that a user is accessing an online resource is received from a user terminal. The online resource provides an item of primary content for display on the user terminal with an associated size control, wherein the associated size control, when activated by the user, is configured to cause the item of primary content to occupy substantially all of the display area. The operation of the size control is modified, wherein at least partly in response to the user activating the size control: the item of primary content will be increased in size but will not occupy substantially all of the display area so as to leave room on the user terminal display area to display a first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof, or the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof will be caused to overlay the primary content.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A content management system, comprising:
 at least one processing device;   a non-transitory computer readable medium storing programmatic instructions thereon, that when executed by the at least on processing device, are configured to cause the content management system to perform operations comprising:   receiving an indication that a first user is accessing an online resource, wherein the indication is received via a user terminal including a display having a display area, the online resource providing at least a first item of primary visual content for display on the user terminal with an associated size control, wherein the associated size control, when activated by the first user, is configured to cause the first item of primary content to occupy substantially all of the display area;   identifying a profile associated with the first user, the profile including preference information, demographic information, or both preference information and demographic information;   accessing from a storage medium information provided by one or more supplementary content providers, the specified information including demographics of desired viewers and/or metadata related to content of the one or more items of supplementary content;   selecting a first plurality of items of supplementary content based at least in part on the first user profile and the specified information provided by the one or more content providers, wherein one or more items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content includes a video component;   accessing respective metadata associated with the first plurality of items of supplementary content to determine respective time lengths and/or qualifying viewing times of items in the first plurality of items;   causing, at least in part, the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof to be provided for display on the user terminal;   causing, at least in part, information regarding the first plurality of items of supplementary content to be provided for display on the user terminal, including some or all of the following:
 respective time lengths of items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
 respective qualifying viewing times for items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
 respective credit amounts to be awarded for viewing items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
   causing, at least in part, the operation of the size control to be modified, wherein at least partly in response to the first user activating the size control:
 the first item of primary content will be increased in size but will not occupy substantially all of the display area so as to leave room on the user terminal display area to display the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof, or 
 the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof will be caused to overlay the primary content; 
 receiving a selection by the first user of a first item of supplementary content in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, wherein the first item of supplementary content includes a first video component and is associated with a first credit amount; 
   causing at least in part the first video component to be provided to the user terminal for reproduction by the user terminal;   receiving an indication as to whether the first video component was reproduced by the user terminal; and   if the received indication indicates that the first video component was reproduced by the user terminal, at least partly in response, assigning by the computer system the first credit amount to the first user.   
     
     
         2 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are caused to overlay the primary content in a translucent manner. 
     
     
         3 . The system as defined in  claim 1 , the operations further comprising providing a control via which the user can specify that the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are not to be displayed when the size control is activated. 
     
     
         4 . A method of controlling content windowing, the method comprising:
 receiving at a computer system an indication that a first user is accessing an online resource, wherein the indication is received via a user terminal including a display having a display area, the online resource providing at least a first item of primary visual content for display on the user terminal with an associated size control, wherein the associated size control, when activated by the first user, is configured to cause the first item of primary content to occupy substantially all of the display area;   identifying, by the computer system, a profile associated with the first user, the profile including preference information, demographic information, or both preference information and demographic information;   accessing from a storage medium, by the computer system, information provided by one or more supplementary content providers, the specified information including demographics of desired viewers and/or metadata related to content of the one or more items of supplementary content;   selecting, by the computer system, a first plurality of items of supplementary content based at least in part on the first user profile and the specified information provided by the one or more content providers, wherein one or more items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content includes a video component;   accessing, by the computer system, respective metadata associated with the first plurality of items of supplementary content to determine respective time lengths and/or qualifying viewing times of items in the first plurality of items;   the computer system causing, at least in part, the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof to be provided for display on the user terminal;   the computer system causing, at least in part, information regarding the first plurality of items of supplementary content to be provided for display on the user terminal, including some or all of the following:
 respective time lengths of items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
 respective qualifying viewing times for items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
 respective credit amounts to be awarded for viewing items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
   causing, at least in part, the operation of the size control to be modified, wherein at least partly in response to the first user activating the size control:
 the first item of primary content will be increased in size but will not occupy substantially all of the display area so as to leave room on the user terminal display area to display the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof, or 
 the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof will be caused to overlay the primary content; 
 receiving by the computer system a selection by the first user of a first item of supplementary content in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, wherein the first item of supplementary content includes a first video component and is associated with a first credit amount; 
   the computer system causing at least in part the first video component to be provided to the user terminal for reproduction by the user terminal;   receiving, at the computer system, an indication as to whether the first video component was reproduced by the user terminal; and   if the received indication indicates that the first video component was reproduced by the user terminal, at least partly in response, assigning by the computer system the first credit amount to the first user.   
     
     
         5 . The method as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are caused to overlay the primary content in a translucent manner. 
     
     
         6 . The method as defined in  claim 4 , the method further comprising providing a control via which the user can specify that the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are not to be displayed when the size control is activated. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing programmatic instructions thereon, that when executed by a computer system, are configured to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an indication that a first user is accessing an online resource, wherein the indication is received via a user terminal including a display having a display area, the online resource providing at least a first item of primary visual content for display on the user terminal with an associated size control, wherein the associated size control, when activated by the first user, is configured to cause the first item of primary content to occupy substantially all of the display area;   identifying a profile associated with the first user, the profile including preference information, demographic information, or both preference information and demographic information;   accessing from a storage medium information provided by one or more supplementary content providers, the specified information including demographics of desired viewers and/or metadata related to content of the one or more items of supplementary content;   selecting a first plurality of items of supplementary content based at least in part on the first user profile and the specified information provided by the one or more content providers, wherein one or more items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content includes a video component;   accessing respective metadata associated with the first plurality of items of supplementary content to determine respective time lengths and/or qualifying viewing times of items in the first plurality of items;   causing, at least in part, the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof to be provided for display on the user terminal;   causing, at least in part, information regarding the first plurality of items of supplementary content to be provided for display on the user terminal, including some or all of the following:
 respective time lengths of items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
 respective qualifying viewing times for items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
 respective credit amounts to be awarded for viewing items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
   causing, at least in part, the operation of the size control to be modified, wherein at least partly in response to the first user activating the size control:
 the first item of primary content will be increased in size but will not occupy substantially all of the display area so as to leave room on the user terminal display area to display the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof, or 
 the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof will be caused to overlay the primary content; 
 receiving a selection by the first user of a first item of supplementary content in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, wherein the first item of supplementary content includes a first video component and is associated with a first credit amount; 
   causing at least in part the first video component to be provided to the user terminal for reproduction by the user terminal;   receiving an indication as to whether the first video component was reproduced by the user terminal; and   if the received indication indicates that the first video component was reproduced by the user terminal, at least partly in response, assigning by the computer system the first credit amount to the first user.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are caused to overlay the primary content in a translucent manner. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in  claim 7 , the operations further comprising providing a control via which the user can specify that the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are not to be displayed when the size control is activated. 
     
     
         10 . A content management system, comprising:
 at least one processing device;   a non-transitory computer readable medium storing programmatic instructions thereon, that when executed by the at least on processing device, are configured to cause the content management system to perform operations comprising:   receiving an indication that a first user is accessing an online resource, wherein the indication is received via a user terminal including a display having a display area, the online resource providing at least a first item of primary visual content for display on the user terminal with an associated size control, wherein the associated size control, when activated by the first user, is configured to cause the first item of primary content to occupy substantially all of the display area;   accessing from a storage medium information provided by one or more supplementary content providers, the specified information including demographics of desired viewers and/or metadata related to content of the one or more items of supplementary content;   selecting a first plurality of items of supplementary content based at least in part on the specified information provided by the one or more content providers, wherein one or more items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content includes a video component;   causing, at least in part, the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof to be provided for display on the user terminal;   causing, at least in part, information regarding the first plurality of items of supplementary content to be provided for display on the user terminal, including at least:
 respective time lengths of items in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, 
   causing, at least in part, the operation of the size control to be modified, wherein at least partly in response to the first user activating the size control:
 the first item of primary content will be increased in size but will not occupy substantially all of the display area so as to leave room on the user terminal display area to display the first plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof, or 
 the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations thereof will be caused to overlay the primary content; 
 receiving a selection by the first user of a first item of supplementary content in the first plurality of items of supplementary content, wherein the first item of supplementary content includes a first video component and is associated with a first credit amount; 
   causing at least in part the first video component to be provided to the user terminal for reproduction by the user terminal; and   receiving an indication as to whether the first video component was reproduced by the user terminal.   
     
     
         11 . The system as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are caused to overlay the primary content in a translucent manner. 
     
     
         12 . The system as defined in  claim 10 , the operations further comprising providing a control via which the user can specify that the plurality of items of supplementary content or representations are not to be displayed when the size control is activated.