Metering of internet content using a control

• US 20010014915A1
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Published: 08/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Blumenau, Trevor
• Granted Patent: US 6,418,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing

Abstract

Web content received by a computer is processed such that a reference to a control is inserted in HTML received by the computer and the control is executed in response to the reference in order to process the web content in the received HTML. The control interfaces with a meta-level of program code, such as a browser, in order to process the web content. The control, for example, may be executed in order to meter exposure of an object, such as an advertising image object.

Claims

1. A method of metering web content received by a computer, the method being implemented through execution of program code by the computer, the method including the following steps:

a) obtaining a list of objects in the web content by use of a meta-level of the program code; and

,

b) metering exposure of the listed objects.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an image contained in the HTML.

3. The method of

claim 2

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an HREF in the HTML.

4. The method of

claim 2

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting a cgi script URL in the HTML.

5. The method of

claim 2

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an identification tag in the HTML.

6. The method of

claim 2

wherein step b) includes the following step;

c) determining when the image is displayed.

7. The method of

claim 6

wherein step c) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

8. The method of

claim 6

wherein step c) includes the following step;

determining an amount of time that the image is being displayed.

9. The method of

claim 6

wherein step c) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

10. The method of

claim 1

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an image having a predetermined size.

11. The method of

claim 10

wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining when the image is displayed.

12. The method of

claim 10

wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

13. The method of

claim 10

wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining an amount of time that the image is being displayed.

14. The method of

claim 13

wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

15. The method of

claim 10

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an HREF in the HTML.

16. The method of

claim 10

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting a cgi script URL in the HTML.

17. The method of

claim 10

wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an identification tag in the HTML.

18. A method of processing web content received by a computer, the method being implemented through execution of program code by the computer, the method including the following steps:

a) inserting a reference to a control in HTML received by the computer; and

,

b) executing the control in response to the reference in order to process the web content in the received HTML.

19. The method of

claim 18

wherein the control is plug-in of a browser.

20. The method of

claim 19

wherein the control accesses methods from a meta-level of the browser.

21. The method of

claim 18

wherein the control accesses methods from a meta-level of the program code.

22. The method of

claim 18

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting an image contained in the HTML.

23. The method of

claim 22

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting an HREF in the image.

24. The method of

claim 22

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting a cgi script URL in the image.

25. The method of

claim 22

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting an identification tag in the image.

26. The method of

claim 22

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining when the image is displayed.

27. The method of

claim 26

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining an amount of the image being displayed.

28. The method of

claim 26

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining an amount of time that the image is being displayed.

29. The method of

claim 28

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining an amount of the image being displayed.

30. The method of

claim 18

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting an image having a predetermined size.

31. The method of

claim 30

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining when the image is displayed.

32. The method of

claim 31

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining an amount of the image being displayed.

33. The method of

claim 31

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining an amount of time that the image is being displayed.

34. The method of

claim 33

wherein step b) comprises the step of determining an amount of the image being displayed.

35. The method of

claim 30

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting an HREF in the image.

36. The method of

claim 30

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting a cgi script URL in the image.

37. The method of

claim 30

wherein step b) comprises the step of detecting an identification tag in the image.

38. The method of

claim 18

wherein the reference is an nxm pixel object, and wherein n and m are integers of any magnitude including zero.

39. The method of

claim 18

wherein the reference is an executable identifier.

40. A method of using a meta-level of a browser so that exposure of an object contained in received HTML can be metered, the method comprising the following steps:

a) accessing the object in the HTML; and

,

b) using the meta-level in order to meter exposure of the object.

41. The method of

claim 40

wherein step a) comprises the step of inserting a reference to a control in the received HTML.

42. The method of

claim 41

wherein step b) comprises the step of executing the control in order to meter the exposure of the object.

43. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an image as an object in the HTML.

44. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of determining when an object is displayed.

45. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of determining an amount of an object viewable to a user.

46. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of determining an amount of time that an object is being displayed.

47. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an object having a predetermined size.

48. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an HREF.

49. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting a cgi script URL.

50. The method of

claim 42

wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an identification tag.

51. A software meter, wherein the software meter is executed by a computer in order to meter exposure of an object contained in HTML received by the computer, wherein the computer runs a browser having a meta-layer, and wherein the software meter includes a control arranged to access the meta-level in order to meter exposure of the object.

52. The software meter of

claim 51

further comprising program code running on the computer so as to insert a reference to the control in the received HTML so that the browser executes the control in response to the reference.