EXPRESSION-BASED WEB LOGGER FOR USAGE AND NAVIGATIONAL BEHAVIOR TRACKING

• US 20090276523A1
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Prasad, Rajeev, Kornelson, Kevin Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Configurably storing data in a plurality of files based on expressions and conditions associated with the data. Logging software enables tracking of the navigation pattern of users for selected network properties under specified conditions. The logging software is configurable such that most current and future logging specifications may be fulfilled without any code changes to the logging software.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. :

A method for tracking user behavior, said method comprising;

accessing configuration information including at least one expression defining a specific user navigation path;

receiving, from a web server, clickstream data, said clickstream data being in a format defined by the web server, said clickstream data including at least one condition said condition being associated with the clickstream data and affecting storage thereof;

analyzing the received clickstream data by evaluating the expression from the accessed configuration information said expression being evaluated by using the condition to determine a relationship between the user navigation path and the clickstream data; and

storing at least a portion of the clickstream data in accordance with the determined relationship without modifying the format of the received clickstream data defined by the web server.

27. :

The method of claim 26, wherein storing the clickstream data comprises storing a cookie associated with the computing device in accordance with the evaluated expression.

28. :

The method of claim 26, further comprising formatting the clickstream data in accordance with the accessed configuration information.

29. :

The method of claim 28, wherein formatting the clickstream data comprises separating the clickstream data into columns.

30. :

The method of claim 26, wherein storing the clickstream data comprises maintaining a sequence of evaluated expressions to track user navigational behavior.

31. :

The method of claim 26, wherein analyzing the received clickstream data comprises;

forwarding the received clickstream data to a filter component to evaluate the expression using the condition; and

receiving the evaluated expression from the filter component.

32. :

The method of claim 26, further comprising sampling the received clickstream data prior to storing the clickstream data.

33. :

The method of claim 26, wherein said receiving the clickstream data and said analyzing the received clickstream data occur in real-time.

34. :

One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 26.

35. :

One or more computer storage media having computer-executable components for tracking user behavior, said components comprising;

a configuration component to access configuration information including at least one expression defining a specific user navigation path;

an interface component to receive, from a web server, clickstream data, said clickstream data being in a format defined by the web server, said clickstream data including at least one condition, said condition being associated with the clickstream data and affecting storage thereof;

an expression component to analyze the received clickstream data by evaluating the expression from the accessed configuration information, said expression being evaluated by using the condition to determine a relationship between the user navigation path and the clickstream data; and

a storage component to store at least a portion of the clickstream data in accordance with the determined relationship without modifying the format of the received clickstream data defined by the web server.

36. :

The computer storage media of claim 35, further comprising a logging component to store a cookie associated with the computing device in accordance with the evaluated expression.

37. :

The computer storage media of claim 36, wherein the logging component is further configured to format the clickstream data in accordance with the accessed configuration information.

38. :

The computer storage media of claim 35, wherein the storage component is further configured to maintain a sequence of evaluated expressions to track user navigational behavior.

39. :

The computer storage media of claim 35, further comprising a filter component, wherein the interface component is further configured to forward the received clickstream data to the filter component to evaluate the expression using the condition and to receive the evaluated expression from the filter component.

40. :

A system for tracking user behavior, said system comprising;

a memory area to store configuration information, said configuration information including at least one expression defining a specific user navigation path;

a computing device to process clickstream data received from a web server, said clickstream data being in a format defined by the web server, said clickstream data including at least one condition, said condition being associated with the clickstream data and affecting storage thereof; and

a computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions to be executed on the computing device to analyze the received clickstream data by evaluating the expression from the accessed configuration information, said expression being evaluated by using the condition to determine a relationship between the user navigation path and the clickstream data; and

another memory area to store at least a portion of the clickstream data in accordance with the determined relationship without modifying the format of the received clickstream data defined by the web server.

41. :

The system of claim 40, wherein the computer-executable instructions to analyze the received clickstream data comprise computer-executable instructions to store a cookie associated with the computing device in accordance with the evaluated expression.

42. :

The system of claim 40, wherein the clickstream data is formatted in accordance with the accessed configuration information.

43. :

The system of claim 40, wherein the clickstream data comprises a sequence of evaluated expressions to track user navigational behavior.

44. :

The system of claim 40, wherein the computer-executable instructions to analyze the received clickstream data comprise computer-executable instructions to forward the received clickstream data to a filter component to evaluate the expression using the condition and to receive the evaluated expression from the filter component.

45. :

The system of claim 40, wherein the computer-executable instructions to analyze the received clickstream data comprise computer-executable instructions to sample the received clickstream data prior to storing the clickstream data.