METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INTERNET TRAFFIC MONITORING BY THIRD PARTIES USING MONITORING IMPLEMENTS TRANSMITTED VIA PIGGYBACKING HTTP TRANSACTIONS

• US 20090216882A1
• Filed: 03/24/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Front Porch, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Front Porch, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Scott Kenneth, Vazquez, Carlos Alberto, Blocher, Brian Mathew, Maxson, Derek Stephen, Fletcher, Thabo Husayn, Britton, Zachary Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata

Abstract

Disclosed is an internet traffic monitoring method that includes a network service provider analyzing an HTTP transaction involving an internet user client. The network service provider responds to the HTTP transaction by forwarding, to the internet user client, a modified web object including a monitoring implement. After forwarding the modified web object to the internet user client, the network service provider forwards a web object, originally associated with the HTTP transaction, to the internet user client.

Claims

1. An internet traffic monitoring method, comprising:

a network service provider analyzing an HTTP transaction involving an internet user client;

the network service provider responding to the HTTP transaction by forwarding, to the internet user client, a modified embedded web object including a monitoring implement; and

after forwarding the modified web object to the internet user client, the network service provider forwarding a web object, originally associated with the HTTP transaction, to the internet user client.

2. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 1, wherein the HTTP transaction involves a web content request that includes search terms directed to an internet search engine, and wherein the monitoring implement causes the internet user client to forward the search terms to an associated advertisement selection service.

3. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modified web object includes at least two monitoring implements which are each associated with a separate advertisement selection service.

4. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 3, wherein the monitoring implements comprise at least first and second web bugs.

5. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 4, wherein the first web bug is referenced with a URL having embedded parameters related to the user associated with the internet user client.

6. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 3, wherein the monitoring implements comprise at least first and second cookies.

7. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 3, wherein monitoring implements comprise a web bug associated with a first advertisement selection service, and a cookie associated with a second advertisement selection service.

8. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 1, wherein an advertisement selection service selects targeted advertising web content for presentation by the internet user client based on at least one parameter from a monitoring implement included in an embedded web object forwarded by the network service provider.

9. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 1, wherein an advertisement selection service selects targeted advertising web content for presentation to the internet user client based on at least one parameter from a monitoring implement included in an embedded web object forwarded by the network service provider, and based on at least one parameter from a monitoring implement included in an embedded web object forwarded by another network service provider in response to a separate HTTP transaction.

10. An internet traffic monitoring system for a network service provider, comprising:

means for analyzing an HTTP transaction involving an internet user client;

means for responding to the HTTP transaction by forwarding, to the internet user client, an embedded web object including a monitoring implement; and

means for forwarding web content, originally associated with the HTTP transaction, to the internet user client after forwarding the modified embedded web object.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

computer readable medium including;

code for causing a computer to analyze an HTTP transaction involving an internet user client;

code for causing a computer to respond to the HTTP transaction by forwarding, to the internet user client, an embedded web object including a monitoring implement; and

code for causing a computer to forward web content, originally associated with the HTTP transaction, to the internet user client after forwarding the modified embedded web object.

12. An internet traffic monitoring method, comprising:

a network service provider analyzing a embedded web object request from an internet user client;

the network service provider intercepting the requested web object and customizing the requested embedded web object, wherein the customized web object includes the requested embedded web object which has been modified by the network service provider to include a monitoring implement; and

the network service provider forwarding the customized web object to the internet user client.

13. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 12, wherein the embedded web object request includes search terms directed to an internet search engine, and wherein the monitoring implement causes the internet user client to forward the search terms to an associated advertisement selection service.

14. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 12, wherein the customized web object includes at least two monitoring implements which are each associated with a separate advertisement selection service.

15. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 14, wherein the monitoring implements comprise at least first and second web bugs.

16. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 15, wherein the first web bug is referenced with a URL having embedded parameters related to the user associated with the internet user client.

17. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 14, wherein the monitoring implements comprise at least first and second cookies.

18. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 14, wherein the monitoring implements comprise a web bug associated with a first advertisement selection service, and a cookie associated with a second advertisement selection service.

19. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 14, wherein an advertisement selection service selects targeted advertising content for presentation by the internet user client based on at least one parameter from a monitoring implement included in customized web object forwarded by the network service provider.

20. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 14, wherein an advertisement selection service selects targeted advertising content for presentation to the internet user client based on at least one parameter from a monitoring implement included in customized web object forwarded by the network service provider, and based on at least one parameter from a monitoring implement included in a customized web object forwarded by another network service provider in response to a separate embedded web object request.

21. An internet traffic monitoring method as defined in claim 14, wherein the embedded web object is a request for a javascript object.

22. An internet traffic monitoring system for a network service provider, comprising:

means for analyzing an embedded web object request from an internet user client;

means for intercepting the requested embedded web object and customizing the requested embedded web object, wherein the customized web object includes the requested embedded web object which has been modified by the network service provider to include a monitoring implement; and

means for forwarding the customized web object to the internet user client.

23. A computer program product, comprising:

computer readable medium including;

code for causing a computer to analyze an embedded web object request from an internet user client;

code for causing a computer to intercept the requested embedded web object and to customize the requested embedded web object, wherein the customized web object includes the requested embedded web object which has been modified by the network service provider to include a monitoring implement; and

code for causing a computer to forward the customized web object to the internet user client.