Content rendering control system and method

• US 20100153544A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rich Media Club, LLC (Rich Media Worldwide)
• Original Assignee: Rich Media Club, LLC (Rich Media Worldwide)
• Inventors: Mentchoukov, Nikolai, Krassner, Brad, Edwards, Alan, Tchibirev, Igor
• Granted Patent: US 8,356,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]

Abstract

A system and method for controlling of rendering of content via electronic networks, whereby content is rendered at a content page only when and to the extent that a pre-defined area of the content page is within the viewer'"'"'s browser window dimensions and scrolling position, or within a pre-defined distance outside of said browser window dimensions and scrolling position. When a viewer accesses a content page and as the viewer scrolls up or down or left or right on the page, or increases or decreases the dimensions of the viewer'"'"'s browser window, content that has been designated to render in the content page area corresponding to the viewer'"'"'s then current browser window dimensions and scrolling position is rendered. Content relating to areas of the content page that are not within (or within such pre-defined distance from) the viewer'"'"'s browser window dimensions and scrolling position is not rendered unless or until such area is within such browser window dimensions and scrolling position or said pre-defined distance outside of same.

Claims

1. A system for controlling and monitoring the rendering of electronic content to a viewer via an electronic communications network, comprising:

a system-end computer equipped and configured for communications via said electronic communications network, including one or more computer processors and one or more system servers communicating via said electronic communications network with one or more electronic content pages, said one or more electronic content pages having one or more content rendering areas, said one or more electronic content pages being remotely accessible via said electronic communications network by a viewer, said viewer having an electronic network communications device with a browser application having a window having a viewable area defined by said window'"'"'s dimensions and scrolling position for perceiving said one or more electronic content pages, said viewer'"'"'s electronic network communications device further comprising a display screen for perceiving said browser window;

said system further comprising an electronic database for storing one or more records identifying said one or more electronic content pages, and said one or more content rendering areas within said one or more electronic content pages, and one or more content files for rendering at said one or more content rendering areas;

one or more electronic content file servers for storing said one or more electronic content files;

one or more electronic network communications interface software applications providing an electronic user interface for receiving from system users communicating via said electronic communications network data designating one or more of said electronic content pages, one or more of said content rendering areas within said one or more electronic content pages and one or more of said electronic content files for rendering at said one or more content rendering areas, and for creating a record for storage in said system database containing said data, and for assigning an identification code to said data record and generating a tag for placement on said designated one or more electronic content pages, said tag having a reference to said stored data record identification code and a link to a system custom software application;

said tag, when the content page wherein said tag is placed is requested by said viewer communicating via said electronic communications network via said electronic communications device and browser application, causing a communication to be sent from said electronic content page wherein said tag is placed to said system custom software application;

said system custom software application executing when said communication from said tag is received to retrieve said data from said stored data record corresponding to said data record identification code referenced in said tag and generating and writing to said designated electronic content page a correlator code;

said correlator code generating a code for marking said one or more content rendering areas on said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record and causing said one or more electronic content files designated in said stored data record to be retrieved and loaded at said one or more designated content rendering areas designated in said stored data record; and

said correlator code further determining, via retrieval of information from said browser application, whether a said content page rendering area designated in said stored data record is within said browser window dimensions and scrolling position and whether said browser window is the primary window open on said display device of said viewer'"'"'s electronic communications device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said correlator code causes said one or more electronic content files designated in said stored data record to be rendered at said one or more content rendering areas of said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record when a predefined area of said electronic content page is within said browser'"'"'s window viewable area.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said correlator code further monitors the time period in which said content rendering area is within said browser'"'"'s window viewable area and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said correlator code further monitors the proportional extent to which said content rendering area of said electronic content page designated in said stored data record is within said browser window dimensions and scrolling position.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said correlator code further monitors whether said browser window is obstructed from view on said viewer'"'"'s display device by another application window.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said correlator code transmits monitoring data collected by said correlator code to a said system server.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said correlator code transmits said monitoring data on a real-time basis.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said correlator code transmits said monitoring data periodically in predefined increments.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said correlator code transmits said monitoring data via a one-way nonconversational message sent from said correlator code to said system server in the form of a query string and URL corresponding to said system server.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising one or more system software applications for processing data retrieved from viewer page requests and retrieved via said correlator code from said viewer browser, said data comprising one or more data items selected from the group consisting of viewer identification, viewer geographic location, viewer browser type, viewer electronic communication device operating system type, view event duration, view event time, content rendering frequency, content rendering reach, viewer click-activity with respect to said electronic content files rendered in said content rendering area designated in said stored file, viewer display device viewable area dimensions, viewer browser window dimensions, viewer browser window scrolling position and viewer browser window in-focus status, and generating one or more system user reports regarding said data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said correlator code further detects viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content files designated in said stored data record.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more system software applications detect whether said viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record is manual activity.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more system software applications detect whether said viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content pages is automated activity.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications measure and record a view event with respect to a said electronic content file designated in said stored data record and a said content rendering area of said electronic content page designated in said stored data record if said electronic content file is rendered at said content rendering area of said electronic content page and a predefined proportion of said content rendering area is within said viewer browser window viewable area and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications measure and record a view event with respect to a said electronic content file designated in said stored data record and a said content rendering area of said electronic content page if said electronic content file is rendered at said content rendering area of said electronic content page and said content rendering area is within said viewer browser window viewable area and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device for a predefined period of time.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications measure and record a content rendered event with respect to a said electronic content file designated in said stored data record and a said content rendering area of said electronic content page if said electronic content file is rendered at said content rendering area of said electronic content page.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications generate a dynamic log of system activity events in relation to rendering of said one or more electronic content files at said electronic content page occurring in response to viewer activity events in relation to said electronic content page, said dynamic log being generated in a real-time manner as said system activity events and said viewer activity events occur.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said dynamic log of events is displayed to a system user in a window displayed adjacent to said electronic content page wherein said one or more electronic content files are designated to be rendered.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said dynamic log is provided to a system user apart from said electronic content page via a system user interface.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications provide a user interface for users to designate a broadcast schedule for said one or more electronic content files designated in said stored data record to be available for rendering at said one or more content rendering areas of said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic content page wherein said one or more electronic content files are to be rendered has a rendering mode, and wherein said system-generated tag placed on said electronic content page is capable of functioning to interact with said system server-side application regardless of the rendering mode utilized by said electronic content page wherein said tag is placed.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications comprise an application for controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a table.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications comprise an application for controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed on a electronic content page that has a layer positioned to overlap a said content rendering area on said electronic content page.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications comprise an application for controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a <

div>

layer of an electronic content page that has more than one layer.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications comprise an application for controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a <

div>

layer of an electronic content page that has more than one layer and a layer overlaps a said content rendering area on said electronic content page.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications comprise an application for controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a table within a <

div>

layer of an electronic content page that has more than one layer.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein said electronic content page is served by a server having an Internet domain, and wherein the number of unique browser users and the number of times each said unique browser user viewed an electronic content file at a content rendering page area of an electronic content page is tracked by retrieving information from cookies, and wherein the cookies from which said information is retrieved are only those cookies set by said server or another server having the same Internet domain as said server.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein said browser has two or more pages loaded at the same time and wherein said correlator code detects which of said two or more pages is the primary page viewable on said viewer'"'"'s display device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said one or more system software applications measure and record a view event with respect to a said electronic content file designated in said stored data record and a said content rendering area of said electronic content page if said electronic content file is rendered at said content rendering area of said electronic content page and said content rendering area is within the viewable area of one of said pages of said browser said page is the primary page open on said viewer'"'"'s display device for a predefined period of time.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more software applications generate a watch video preview button for display on said electronic content page which when activated by a viewer causes a video window to expand to cover a larger portion of the viewable area of said viewer'"'"'s browser window than said watch video preview button and causes a video content file designated in said stored file to render, said expanded video window remaining within the viewable area of said browser window even when said viewer scrolls up or down said electronic content page.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said correlator code measures the time period in which said video content file is rendered.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said video content file rendering and said correlator code'"'"'s measurement of the time period in which said video content file is rendered pauses if said viewer causes said browser window to not be the primary unobstructed window open on said viewers'"'"' display device before said video content file has been fully rendered, and wherein said video content file rendering and said correlator code'"'"'s measurement of the time period in which said video content file is rendered resumes if said browser window again becomes the primary unobstructed window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein said watch video preview button displays a preview loop of said video content file before said watch video preview button is activated by said viewer.

34. The system of claim 3, wherein said correlator code'"'"'s measurement of the time period in which said content rendering area is within said browser window'"'"'s dimensions and scrolling position and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device pauses if said viewer causes said browser window to not be the primary unobstructed window open on said viewers'"'"' display device and wherein said correlator code'"'"'s measurement of said time period resumes if said content rendering area is within said browser window'"'"'s dimensions and scrolling position and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device and said electronic content file is still rendered in said content rendering area.

35. The system of claim 1, wherein said one or more system software applications further comprise a content rendering module software application that is embedded at a said specified content page rendering area when said correlator code determines that said specified content page rendering area is within the dimensions and scrolling position of said viewer'"'"'s browser window and communicates with said one or more electronic content servers to retrieve and render said electronic content files designated in said stored data record at said content page rendering area designated in said stored data record.

36. A method for controlling the rendering of content via an electronic communication network on a content page rendering area of a content page, comprising the steps of:

receiving in a computer system having one or more computer processors, one or more servers, and one or more software applications, via a user interface communicating via an electronic communications network with a user having an electronic network communications device communicating via said electronic communications network, data designating an electronic content pages, a content page rendering area within said designated electronic content page, and one or more electronic content files, said electronic content files being previously stored in electronic file format in a content server of a computer system, for rendering at said designated content page rendering areas of said electronic content page;

storing as a record within a database said designated data pertaining to said designated electronic content page, said content page rendering areas and said one or more electronic content files;

assigning an identification code to said data record;

generating and placing on said designated electronic content page a tag/link that when activated by an viewer request for said designated electronic content page, said request transmitted via said electronic communications network by said viewer, said viewer having an electronic communications device with a browser having a window for perceiving electronic content pages within said window'"'"'s dimensions and scrolling position and a display device for perceiving said browser window, links to a system server-side application and retrieves, via said server-side application, data from said record stored in said system server-side database and retrieves data pertaining to said viewer and viewer browser from said electronic content page request;

generating and writing a correlator code to said designated electronic content page which determines whether said designated content page rendering area of said designated electronic content page is within said viewer'"'"'s browser window dimensions and scrolling position and generates an HTML layer to serve as a marker for said designated content page rendering area where said one or more designated electronic content files are to be rendered;

generating a query string and link for placement at said designated electronic content page, which when activated by said correlator code based on detection that a predefined portion of said designated content page rendering area is within the dimensions and scrolling position of said viewer'"'"'s browser window, dynamically generates HTML codes and tags to render said one or more designated electronic content files in said designated content page rendering area of said designated electronic content page; and

determining via said correlator code retrieving data from said browser whether said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer display device and is unobstructed.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of monitoring via said correlator code the time period in which said content page rendering area is within said browser'"'"'s window dimensions and scrolling position and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device with said designated one or more electronic content files rendered in said electronic content page rendering area.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of monitoring the proportional extent to which said designated content page rendering area of said designated electronic content page is within said browser window dimensions and scrolling position.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising the step of counting a viewable impression with respect to said designated one or more content files and said content page rendering area of said electronic content page if said one or more designated electronic content files are rendered in said designated content page rendering area of said designated electronic content page and said designated content page rendering area is within said browser window dimensions and scrolling position and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer display device and is unobstructed for a predefined time period.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of counting a viewable impression with respect to said designated one or more content files and said content page rendering area of said electronic content page if said one or more designated electronic content files are rendered in said designated content page rendering area of said designated electronic content page and a predefined portion of said designated content page rendering area is within said browser window dimensions and scrolling position and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer display device and is unobstructed.

41. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of transmitting monitoring data from said correlator code to a system server.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said correlator code transmits data via a one-way nonconversational message sent from said correlator code to said system server in the form of a query string and URL corresponding to said system server.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising the step of monitoring and transmitting to a system server database one or more data items selected from the group consisting of viewer identification, viewer geographic location, viewer browser type, viewer electronic communication device operating system type, view event duration, view event time, content rendering frequency, content rendering reach, viewer-click activity or other viewer-end activity with respect to said electronic content files rendered in said content rendering area designated in said stored file, viewer display device viewable area dimensions, viewer browser window dimensions, viewer browser window scrolling position and viewer browser window in-focus status.

44. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of detecting via said one or more software applications whether viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record is manual activity.

45. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of detecting, via said one or more software applications, whether viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record is automated activity.

46. The method of claim 36, wherein said one or more system software applications measure and record a content rendered event with respect to a said electronic content file designated in said stored record and a said content rendering area of said electronic content page if said electronic content file is rendered at said content page rendering area of said electronic content page.

47. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of generating via said one or more system software applications a dynamic log of system activity events in relation to rendering of said one or more electronic content files at said electronic content page occurring in response to viewer activity events in relation to said electronic content page, said dynamic log being generated in a real-time manner as said system activity events and said viewer activity events occur.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said dynamic log of events is displayed to a system user in a window displayed adjacent to said electronic content page wherein said one or more electronic content files are designated to be rendered.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein said dynamic log is provided to a system user apart from said electronic content page via a system user interface.

50. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of designating a broadcast schedule for said one or more electronic content files designated in said stored data record to be available for rendering at said one or more content rendering areas of said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record.

51. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a table.

52. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed on a electronic content page that has a layer positioned to overlap a said content rendering area on said electronic content page.

53. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a <

div>

layer of an electronic content page that has more than one layer.

54. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a <

div>

layer of an electronic content page that has more than one layer and a layer overlaps a said content rendering area on said electronic content page.

55. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of controlling the placement of said tag on said electronic content page to ensure correct placement of said tag when said tag is placed within a table within a <

div>

layer of an electronic content page that has more than one layer.

56. The method of claim 36, wherein said browser has two or more pages loaded at the same time and wherein said correlator code detects which of said two or more pages is the primary page viewable on said viewer'"'"'s display device.

57. The method of claim 37, wherein said correlator code'"'"'s measurement of the time period in which said content rendering area is within said browser window'"'"'s dimensions and scrolling position and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device pauses if said viewer causes said browser window to not be the primary unobstructed window open on said viewers'"'"' display device and wherein said correlator code'"'"'s measurement of said time period resumes if said content rendering area is within said browser window'"'"'s dimensions and scrolling position and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device and said electronic content file is still rendered in said content rendering area.

58. The system of claim 36, wherein said one or more system software applications further comprise a content rendering module software application that is embedded at a said specified content page rendering area when said correlator code determines that said specified content page rendering area is within the dimensions and scrolling position of said viewer'"'"'s browser window and communicates with said one or more electronic content servers to retrieve and render said electronic content files designated in said stored data record at said content page rendering area designated in said stored data record.

59. A system for monitoring the rendering of electronic content to a viewer via an electronic communications network, comprising:

a system-end computer equipped and configured for communications via said electronic communications network, including one or more computer processors and one or more system servers communicating via said electronic communications network with one or more electronic content pages, said one or more electronic content pages having one or more content rendering areas, said one or more electronic content pages being remotely accessible via said electronic communications network by a viewer, said viewer having an electronic network communications device with a browser application having a window having a viewable area defined by said window'"'"'s dimensions and scrolling position for perceiving said one or more electronic content pages, said viewer'"'"'s electronic network communications device further comprising a display screen for perceiving said browser window;

said system further comprising an electronic database for storing one or more records identifying said one or more electronic content pages and said one or more content rendering areas within said one or more electronic content pages;

one or more electronic network communications interface software applications providing an electronic user interface for receiving from system users communicating via said electronic communications network data designating one or more of said electronic content pages, one or more of said content rendering areas within said one or more electronic content pages, and for creating a record for storage in said system database containing said data, and for assigning an identification code to said data record and generating a tag for placement on said designated one or more electronic content pages, said tag having a reference to said stored data record identification code and a link to a system custom software application;

said tag, when the content page wherein said tag is placed is requested by said viewer communicating via said electronic communications network via said electronic communications device and browser application, causing a communication to be sent from said electronic content page wherein said tag is placed to said system custom software application;

said system custom software application executing when said communication from said tag is received to retrieve said data from said stored data record corresponding to said data record identification code referenced in said tag and generating and writing to said designated electronic content page a correlator code;

said correlator code generating a code for marking said one or more content rendering areas on said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record; and

said correlator code further monitoring, via retrieval of information from said browser application, whether a said content page rendering area designated in said stored data record is within said browser window dimensions and scrolling position and whether said browser window is the primary window open on said display device of said viewer'"'"'s electronic communications device.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein said correlator code further monitors the time period in which said content rendering area is within said browser'"'"'s window viewable area and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein said correlator code further monitors the proportional extent to which said content rendering area of said electronic content page designated in said stored data record is within said browser window dimensions and scrolling position.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein said correlator code further monitors whether said browser window is obstructed from view on said viewer'"'"'s display device by another application window.

63. The system of claim 59, wherein said correlator code transmits monitoring data collected by said correlator code to a said system server.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein said correlator code transmits said monitoring data on a real-time basis.

65. The system of claim 63, wherein said correlator code transmits said monitoring data periodically in predefined increments.

66. The system of claim 63, wherein said correlator code transmits said monitoring data via a one-way nonconversational message sent from said correlator code to said system server in the form of a query string and URL corresponding to said system server.

67. The system of claim 59, further comprising one or more system software applications for processing data retrieved from viewer page requests and retrieved via said correlator code from said viewer browser, said data comprising one or more data items selected from the group consisting of viewer identification, viewer geographic location, viewer browser type, viewer electronic communication device operating system type, view event duration, view event time, content rendering frequency, content rendering reach, viewer click-activity with respect to said electronic content files rendered in said content rendering area designated in said stored file, viewer display device viewable area dimensions, viewer browser window dimensions, viewer browser window scrolling position and viewer browser window in-focus status, and generating one or more system user reports regarding said data.

68. The system of claim 59, wherein said correlator code further detects viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content files designated in said stored data record.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein said one or more system software applications detect whether said viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content pages designated in said stored data record is manual activity.

70. The system of claim 68, wherein said one or more system software applications detect whether said viewer-end activity with respect to said one or more electronic content pages is automated activity.

71. The system of claim 59, wherein said one or more system software applications measure and record a view event with respect to content rendered within a said content rendering area of said electronic content page designated in said stored data record if said content is rendered at said content rendering area of said electronic content page and a predefined proportion of said content rendering area is within said viewer browser window viewable area and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device.

72. The system of claim 59, wherein said one or more system software applications measure and record a view event with respect to content rendered within a said content rendering area of said electronic content page if said content is rendered at said content rendering area of said electronic content page and said content rendering area is within said viewer browser window viewable area and said browser window is the primary window open on said viewer'"'"'s display device for a predefined period of time.