Method and system for tracking web link usage

• US 10,091,313 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Nuzzi, Frank Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Ries, Laurie A
• Application Number:
  US15/140,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

A method and system for tracking web link usage is provided. An example system includes a request detector, a click history module, a link presentation generator, and a serving module. The request detector may be configured to receive a request for a web page comprising a web link. The click history module may be configured to access click history associated with the user account. The link presentation generator may be configured to modify the web page, utilizing the click history. The serving module may be configured to serve the modified web page in response to the request for the web page.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a client device associated with a user account, a request for a web page comprising at least a first web link and a second web link;

accessing a click history associated with the user account, the click history storing time-since-click values for the first web link and the second web link, the time-since-click values reflecting measures of time since the respective first and second web links were activated utilizing the user account;

modifying the web page based on the click history to generate a modified web page, the modified web page including a modified presentation of the web links, the modified presentation indicating, via a first highlighting of the first web link, that less than a predetermined amount of time elapsed since the last time the first web link was activated, and the modified presentation indicating, via a second highlighting of the second web link, that more than the predetermined amount of time elapsed since the last time the second web link was activated, the first highlighting of the first web link different than the second highlighting of the second web link; and

serving the modified web page in response to the request for the web page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying the web page comprises modifying HyperText Markup Language (HTML) content of the web page.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the web page is performed at a computer system hosting a web site that provides the web page.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the web page is performed at a client system of a user associated with the user account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the click history is generated using a browser plug-in.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the click history is generated using a tracking feature provided as a native feature of a browser.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking links clicked by a user associated with the user account based upon a login session, and storing information about the clicked links as the click history.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified web page includes a hover balloon functionality to display at least one of a date or a time when the first web link was last accessed by a user associated with the user account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the click history is stored in a database or locally with respect to a browser application used by a user associated with the user account.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a user associated with the user account is permitted to customize a way in which the highlighting or previous click history information is displayed.

11. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a request detector, implemented using the least one processor, to receive a request for a web page comprising at least a first web link and a second web link, the request associated with a user account;

a click history module, implemented using the least one processor, to access a click history associated with the user account, the click history storing time-since-click values for the first web link and the second web link, the time-since-click values reflecting measures of time since the respective first and second web links were activated utilizing the user account;

a link presentation generator, implemented using the least one processor, to modify the web page based on the click history to generate a modified web page, the modified web page including a modified presentation of the web links, the modified presentation indicating, via a first highlighting of the first web link, that less than a predetermined amount of time elapsed since the last time the first web link was activated, and the modified presentation indicating, via a second highlighting of the second web link, that more than the predetermined amount of time elapsed since the last time the second web link was activated, the first highlighting of the first web link different than the second highlighting of the second web link; and

a serving module, implemented using the least one processor, to serve the modified web page in response to the request for the web page.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the modifying the web page comprises modifying HyperText Markup Language (HTML) content of the web page.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the modifying of the web page is performed at a computer system hosting a web site that provides the web page.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the modifying of the web page is performed at a client system of a user associated with the user account.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the click history is generated using a browser plug-in.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the click history is generated using a tracking feature provided as a native feature of a browser.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising tracking links clicked by a user associated with the user account based upon a login session, and storing information about the clicked links as the click history.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the modified web page includes a hover balloon functionality to display at least one of a date or a time when the first web link was last accessed by a user associated with the user account.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the click history is stored in a database or locally with respect to a browser application used by a user associated with the user account.

20. A machine-readable non-transitory medium having instruction data to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a client device associated with a user account, a request for a web page comprising at least a first web link and a second web link;

accessing a click history associated with the user account, the click history storing time-since-click values for the first web link and the second web link, the time-since-click values reflecting measures of time since the respective first and second web links were activated utilizing the user account; and

modifying the web page based on the click history to generate a modified web page, the modified web page including a modified presentation of the web links, the modified presentation indicating, via a first highlighting of the first web link, that less than a predetermined amount of time elapsed since the last time the first web link was activated, and the modified presentation indicating, via a second highlighting of the second web link, that more than the predetermined amount of time elapsed since the last time the second web link was activated, the first highlighting of the first web link different than the second highlighting of the second web link.