Displaying advertising content in a shell interface

Abstract

This disclosure generally may disclose a web-based online network drive that may be utilized by many users. Furthermore, this disclosure may provide for an efficient, web-based file system, which may be available as a network drive on a local computer.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A hardware implemented computer readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing platform, cause the computing platform to:
 create a shell interface configured to transmit information between a client computing device, a web-based data store and a content provider;   display the shell interface as a common file folder so it resembles a native file folder within an operating system of the computing platform;   display a set of data files located at the web-based data store in a first section of the shell interface, wherein the data files are user data files stored remotely from the client computing device at the web-based data store;   receive advertising content from the content provider; and   display the advertising content in a second section of the shell interface.   
     
     
         30 . The hardware implemented computer readable storage medium of  claim 29  further comprising instructions executable by the computing platform to cache the user data files on the client computing device. 
     
     
         31 . The hardware implemented computer readable storage medium of  claim 29  further comprising instructions executable by the computing platform to cache advertising content on the client computing device. 
     
     
         32 . The hardware implemented computer readable storage medium of  claim 29  further comprising instructions executable by the computing platform to:
 periodically sync the advertising content with the content provider; and 
 cache the synced advertising content on the client computing device. 
 
     
     
         33 . The hardware implemented computer readable storage medium of  claim 29  further comprising instructions executable by the computing platform to dynamically determine the location of the second section of the shell interface based on one or more parameters comprising open space within the shell interface, priority of information, and user preferences. 
     
     
         34 . The hardware implemented computer readable storage medium of  claim 29  further comprising instructions executable by the computing platform to define the location of the second section of the shell interface as a pre-determined and unused portion of the shell interface where the data files are not displayed. 
     
     
         35 . The hardware implemented computer readable storage medium of  claim 29 , wherein the advertising content received from the content provider is based on one or more parameters comprising user preferences, user indicated interests, information transmitted by the shell interface, information received by the shell interface, and previous advertising content displayed in the shell interface. 
     
     
         36 . A method for delivering advertising content to a computing device, the method comprising:
 providing a shell interface for the computing device, wherein the shell interface is configured to resemble a file folder or network drive as a common file folder or network drive would ordinarily be displayed in an operating system of the computing device;   populating a first section of the shell interface with user data files located remotely from the computing device on a web-based data store; and   configuring the shell interface to connect to a content provider, wherein the shell interface displays advertising content received from the content provider in a second section of the shell interface.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising configuring the shell interface to cache user data files located at the web-based data store on the computing device. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising configuring the shell interface to dynamically determine the location of the second section of the shell interface. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein determining the location of the second section of the shell interface is based on one or more parameters comprising open space within the shell interface, priority of information, and user preferences. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising configuring the shell interface to define the second location of the shell interface as a pre-determined and unused portion of the shell interface where the user data files are not displayed. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising configuring the shell interface to transmit one or more of user preference data, user data file information, and computing device location information to the content provider. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 36  further comprising:
 configuring the shell interface to periodically sync advertising content with the content provider; and 
 caching the synced advertising content on the computing device. 
 
     
     
         43 . The method of claim, wherein the shell interface is integrated into the operating system of the computing device to make the shell interface appear as a native folder system in the operating system. 
     
     
         44 . A computer readable medium storing a computer program product, the computer program product comprising instruction executable by a processor for:
 creating a shell interface;   displaying the shell interface as integrated into an operating system of a computing device so it resembles a common folder system in the operating system;   receiving a list of user data files, wherein the user data files are remotely located on a web-based data store;   displaying the list of user data files in a first section of the shell interface;   receiving advertising content from a content provider;   displaying the advertising content in a second section of the shell interface.   
     
     
         45 . The computer readable medium of  claim 44  further comprising instructions for caching the user data files on the computing device. 
     
     
         46 . The computer readable medium of  claim 45  further comprising instructions for:
 receiving manipulated blocks of user data files that are stored at the web-based data store; and 
 caching the manipulated blocks of data at the computing device. 
 
     
     
         47 . The computer readable medium of  claim 44  further comprising instructions for:
 caching advertising content on the computing device; and 
 displaying the advertising content in the shell interface when the computing device is offline. 
 
     
     
         48 . The computer readable medium of  claim 44  further comprising instructions for transmitting information comprising at least one of user data file information and user preference information to the content provider.