System and method for detecting and reporting online activity using real-time content-based network monitoring

• US 10,469,604 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2019
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Network Monitoring LLC
• Original Assignee: Peter K. Trzyna
• Inventors: Angeles, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Shin, Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US16/396,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20190253507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 190 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3476 Data logging G06F11/14, G06F11/2205 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 : at the transport layer
• 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 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A computerized system and method for tracking and reporting online activity across a plurality of clients and servers is disclosed that intercepts and logs secure and non-secure HTTP request and response pages, analyzes each of the received page records, associates each page record to an event type based on user-defined parameters, identifies and extracts user-defined attributes of each page record based on its event type, and reports on the occurrence of the event along with its associated attributes.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a digital tracking system connected to a user browser and a Web server on the Internet, the system adapted to perform operations that include, for at least one session;

providing to the user browser a Web page containing a URL specifying both an address of a computer-programmed tracking system and information that specifies a URL on the Web server;

upon receipt by the tracking system of a Web page request from the user browser, determining a Web server URL from the Web page request;

identifying and extracting captured information indicating that the user browser has requested the Web server URL;

storing the captured information stored within a database;

encoding an original URL as part of the tracking system'"'"'s URL path to construct at least one rewritten URL;

embedding said at least one rewritten URL in a response such that a browser request to at least one said rewritten embedded URL is sent to the tracking system;

providing site management, including associating objects with one another; and

causing the Web page specified by the Web server URL to be returned to the user browser, wherein the causing is carried out such that the Web page specified by the Web server URL to be returned to the user includes redirecting the user browser to the Web page on the Web browser; and

providing data analysis of said least one session, reporting of data derived from said at least one session, or both.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations include the providing data analysis of at least one session.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations include the reporting of data derived from said at least one session.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the reporting includes reporting via an interface to an external client.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via an XML feed to the external client.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via a Web interface to the external client.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

13. The apparatus of claim 6, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

14. The apparatus of claim 6, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

15. The apparatus of claim 5, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

16. The apparatus of claim 5, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations include both the providing data analysis of at least one session and the reporting of data derived from said at least one session.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the reporting includes reporting via an interface to an external client.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via an XML feed to the external client.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the reporting via the interface to the external client includes reporting via a Web interface to the external client.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further including the operation of producing at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

26. The apparatus of claim 18, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

28. The apparatus of claim 17, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the operation of producing, based on said at least one session, at least one of a session detail report, an event detail report, a purchase detail report, and a purchase summary report.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the operation of associating an object with another object.