System and method for displaying commercials in connection with an interactive television application

Abstract

An embodiment provides a method including: providing an interactive game application for execution on a client device; providing access to data for use in conjunction with said interactive game application; determining a specified event has taken place within the interactive game application in accordance with one or more user interactions with said interactive game application; requesting at least one asset identification from a server; after determining the specified event has taken place within the interactive game application, suspending the interactive game application; displaying at least one asset corresponding to the at least one asset identification; and resuming the interactive game application in response to displaying the at least one asset. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing an interactive game application for execution on a client device;   providing access to data for use in conjunction with said interactive game application;   determining a specified event has taken place within the interactive game application in accordance with one or more user interactions with said interactive game application;   requesting at least one asset identification from a server;   after determining the specified event has taken place within the interactive game application, suspending said interactive game application;   displaying at least one asset corresponding to the at least one asset identification; and   resuming the interactive game application in response to displaying said at least one asset.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one asset is a commercial. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the commercial is displayed on a portion of a screen shared with the interactive game application. 
     
     
         4 . The method claim of  2 , wherein the commercial is displayed on a full screen. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein suspending the interactive game application comprises halting execution of the interactive game application. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein suspending the interactive game application comprises pausing the interactive game application without halting execution of the interactive game application. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein suspending the interactive game application comprises continuing to run the interactive game application in the background. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein requesting at least one asset identification from a server comprises requesting the at least one asset identification after determining the specified event has taken place within the interactive game application. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one video asset is selected based upon a user profile. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 a client device comprising a processor, memory, and communications link operatively coupled to a communications network,   the client device further comprising at least one interactive game application residing in its memory;   the interactive game application being programmed to:
 insert at least one asset at points during the use of the interactive game application in accordance with one or more user interactions with the interactive game application; 
   the client device requesting an identifier of the at least one asset in accordance with one or more user interactions with the interactive game application.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one asset acts as payment for use of the interactive game application based on a profile of user preferences for payment. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one asset is a commercial. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the commercial is displayed on a portion of a screen shared with the interactive game application. 
     
     
         14 . The system claim of  12 , wherein the commercial is displayed on a full screen. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein suspending the interactive game application comprises halting execution of the interactive game application. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein suspending the interactive game application comprises pausing the interactive game application without halting execution of the interactive game application. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein suspending the interactive game application comprises continuing to run the interactive game application in the background. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein requesting an identifier of the at least one asset in accordance with one or more user interactions with the interactive game application comprises requesting the at least one asset identification after determining a specified event has taken place within the interactive game application 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one video asset is selected based upon a user profile.