Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating display of content within application programs executing on electronic devices

Abstract

An application program interface (API) is operably associated with application programs executing on an electronic device and enables the application programs to retrieve, store, and display content. The API enables application programs to communicate with other application programs and to send/retrieve content to/from other application programs. In addition, the API is configured to perform various event accounting functions. A gateway communicates with an electronic device application program via the API and is configured to retrieve content from a content server in response to receiving requests from the application programs. The gateway is configured to serve content retrieved from the content server to the electronic device, as well as to other servers and/or devices. Methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for dynamically selecting advertisements for use within user-requested content wherein the advertisements are stored locally within a user client device.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A computer program product that facilitates the display of content within electronic devices, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:
 computer readable program code that selects content stored within an electronic device for display by an application program executing on the electronic device;   computer readable program code that displays the selected content within the application program; and   computer readable program code that notifies a remotely located content server that the selected content has been displayed.   
     
     
         42 . The computer program code according to  claim 41 , further comprising computer readable program code that processes user responses to content displayed by the application program. 
     
     
         43 . The computer program code according to  claim 42 , wherein the computer readable program code that processes user responses to content comprises computer readable program code that displays content within the application program in response to user activation of the content. 
     
     
         44 . The computer program code according the  claim 41 , further comprising computer readable program code that notifies a server about content displayed by the application program. 
     
     
         45 . The computer program code according the  claim 41 , further comprising computer readable program code that notifies a server about user interaction with content displayed by the application program. 
     
     
         46 . The computer program code according to  claim 41 , wherein the content comprises promotional content. 
     
     
         47 - 69 . (canceled) 
     
     
         70 . A client device, comprising:
 a Web browser;   a display;   a plurality of stored advertisements that are configured to be displayed by the Web browser within the display; and   an ad agent in communication with the Web browser, comprising:   means for requesting a remote ad server to select an advertisement for insertion within content displayed by the Web browser within the display;   means for receiving an identification of an advertisement selected by the remote ad server;   means for retrieving the selected advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements; and   means for inserting the retrieved advertisement within content displayed by the Web browser via the display.   
     
     
         71 . The client device according to  claim 70 , wherein the ad agent further comprises:
 means for retrieving advertisements from remote ad servers; and   means for storing retrieved advertisements within the client device.   
     
     
         72 . The client device according to  claim 70 , further comprising means for notifying a remote ad server of display of an advertisement within the display. 
     
     
         73 . The client device according to  claim 70 , wherein the client device is a handheld device. 
     
     
         74 . A client device, comprising:
 a Web browser;   a display;   a plurality of stored advertisements that are configured to be displayed by the Web browser within the display; and   an ad agent in communication with the Web browser, comprising:   means for selecting an advertisement for insertion within content displayed by the Web browser within the display;   means for retrieving the selected advertisement from the plurality of stored advertisements; and   means for inserting the retrieved advertisement within content displayed by the Web browser via the display.   
     
     
         75 . The client device according to  claim 74 , wherein the ad agent further comprises:
 means for retrieving advertisements from remote ad servers; and   means for storing retrieved advertisements within the client device.   
     
     
         76 . The client device according to  claim 74 , further comprising means for notifying a remote ad server of display of an advertisement within the display. 
     
     
         77 . The client device according to  claim 74 , wherein the client device is a handheld device. 
     
     
         78 . A computer program product that provides dynamically selected advertising within content requested by a client device, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:
 computer readable program code that requests content from a server;   computer readable program code that receives the requested content and a link to an ad server, wherein the requested content includes a portion designated to receive a dynamically selected advertisement therewithin, and wherein the link is configured to cause the client device to request an advertisement from the ad server;   computer readable program code that requests the ad server to select an advertisement for insertion within the requested content designated portion,   computer readable program code that receives an identification of an advertisement selected by the ad server;   computer readable program code that retrieves the selected advertisement from within the client device; and   computer readable program code that displays the requested content and selected advertisement via a display of the client device.   
     
     
         79 . The computer program product according to  claim 78 , further comprising:
 computer readable program code that retrieves one or more advertisements from an ad server; and   computer readable program code that stores the retrieved one or more advertisements within the client device.   
     
     
         80 . The computer program product according to  claim 78 , wherein the content is a Web page. 
     
     
         81 . The computer program product according to  claim 78 , further comprising computer readable program code that notifies the ad server of usage of the selected advertisement. 
     
     
         82 . The computer program product according to  claim 78 , wherein the client device is a handheld device. 
     
     
         83 - 87 . (canceled)