Methods for serving interactive content to a user
One variation of a method for serving interactive content to a user includes, at a visual element inserted into a document accessed by a computing device: loading a first frame from a digital video; in response to a scroll-down event that moves the visual element upward from a bottom of a window rendered on the computing device toward a top of the window, seeking from the first frame through a subset of frames in the digital video in a first direction at a rate corresponding to a scroll rate of the scroll-down event, the subset of frames spanning a duration of the digital video corresponding to a length of the scroll-down event; and, in response to termination of the scroll-down event with the visual element remaining in view within the window, playing the digital video forward from a last frame in the subset of frames in the digital video.
1 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium with software recorded thereon for configuring a computing device with a screen to have a functionality comprising:
displaying a visual element embedded within an electronic document in a viewing window on the screen of the computing device;
receiving at the computing device via one or more servers, interactive advertising content comprising a plurality of images, in response to the one or more servers receiving an interactive advertising content request, wherein the electronic document comprises content distinct from content represented by the plurality of images; and
processing the interactive advertising content via one or more processors to select an image of the plurality of images based on vertical position information of the visual element and displaying the selected image of the plurality of images in the visual element such that:
when the visual element is located to an initial vertical position within the screen's viewing window, displaying a first image of the plurality of images via the visual element;
upon a first scroll event that relocates the visual element within the screen's viewing window to a second vertical position above the initial vertical position, displaying a second image of the plurality of images via the visual element; and
upon a second scroll event that relocates the visual element within the screen's viewing window to a vertical position below the second vertical position, displaying the first image of the plurality of images via the visual element.
2 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium with software recorded thereon of claim 1 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to receive data about the first and second scroll events.
3 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium with software recorded thereon of claim 1 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to select which image to display based upon data about the one or more of the scroll events.
4 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium with software recorded thereon of claim 1 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to receive data aboutthe vertical position of the visual element within the viewing window.
5 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium with software recorded thereon of claim 1 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to select which image to display based upon data about the vertical position of the visual element within the viewing window.
6 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium with software recorded thereon of claim 1 , wherein:
the viewing window comprises a plurality of pixel rows;
the initial vertical position corresponds to a first set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows;
the second vertical position corresponds to a second set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows; and
the vertical position below the second vertical position corresponds to the first set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows.
7 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium with software recorded thereon of claim 6 , wherein:
a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to receive datum or data concerning one or more pixel rows upon the first and second scroll events; and
the hardware/softwarecombination operating the visual element is configured to select which image to display based upon the datum or data concerning one or more pixel rows received.
8 . A method for configuring a computing device with a screen to have a functionality comprising:
displaying a visual element embedded within an electronicdocument in a viewing window on the screen of the computing device;
receiving at the computing device via one or more servers, interactive advertising content comprising a plurality of images, in response to the one or more servers receiving an interactive advertising content request, wherein the electronic document comprises content distinct from content represented by the plurality of images; and
processing the interactive advertising content via one or more processors to select an image of the plurality of images based on vertical position information of the visual element and displaying the selected image of the plurality of images in the visual element such that:
when the visual element is located to an initial vertical position within the screen's viewing window, a first image of the plurality of images is displayed via the visual element;
upon a first scroll event that locates the visual element within the screen's viewing window to a second vertical position above the initial vertical position, a second image of the plurality of images is displayed via the visual element; and
upon a second scroll event that relocates the visual element within the screen's viewing window to a vertical position below the second vertical position, the first image of the plurality of images is displayed via the visual element.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element receives data about the first and second scroll events.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element selects which image to display based upon data about the one or more of the scroll events.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element receives data about the vertical position of the visual element within the viewing window.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element selects which image to display based upon data about the vertical position of the visual element within the viewing window.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the viewing window comprises a plurality of pixel rows;
the initial vertical position corresponds to a first set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows;
the second vertical position corresponds to a second set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows; and
the vertical position below the second vertical position corresponds to the first set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein:
a hardware/software combination operating the visual element receives datum or data concerning one or more pixel rows upon the first and second scroll events; and
the hardware/software combination operating the visual element selects which image to display based upon the datum or data concerning one or more pixel rows received.
15 . Amethod for facilitating the display of images in the context of a web page or application program accessible via a computer network, the method comprising:
providing, via one or more servers, interactive advertising content comprising a plurality of images to be displayed via a visual element located within an electronicdocument visible on a computing device with a screen accessible through the computer network in response to the one or more servers receiving an interactive content request, the electronic document comprising content distinct from content represented by the plurality of images; and
prior to providing the plurality of images, providing code for configuring the computing device with a screen to be capable of:
displaying the visual element embedded within the electronic document in a viewing window on the screen of the computing device; and
processing the interactive advertising content via one or more processors to select an image of the plurality of images based on vertical position information of the visual element and displaying the selected image of the plurality of images in the visual element such that:
when the visual element is located to an initial vertical position within the viewing window, a first image of the plurality of images is displayed via the visual element;
upon a first scroll event that relocates the visual element to a second vertical position above the initial vertical position within the viewing window, a second image of the plurality of images is displayed via the visual element; and
upon a second scroll event that relocates the visual element to a vertical position belowthe second vertical position within the viewing window, the first image of the plurality of images is displayed via the visual element.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to receive data about the first and second scroll events.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to select which image to display based upon data about the one or more of the scroll events.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to receive data aboutthe vertical position of the visual element within the viewing window.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to select which image to display based upon data about the vertical position of the visual element within the viewing window.
20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:
the viewing window comprises a plurality of pixel rows;
the initial vertical position corresponds to a first set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows;
the second vertical position corresponds to a second set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows;
the vertical position below the second vertical position corresponds to the first set of one or more of the plurality of pixel rows;
a hardware/software combination operating the visual element is configured to receive datum or data concerning one or more pixel rows upon the first and second scroll events; and
the hardware/softwarecombination operating the visual element is configured to select which image to display based upon the datum or data concerning one or more pixel rows received.