TRACKING NAVIGATION FLOWS WITHIN THE SAME BROWSER TAB

• US 20110239138A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: King, Jonathan Q., Galushka, Nataliya, Siddiqi, Asif A., Vettivelu, Mathanram, Parsell, Ryan D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,232,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments enable navigation flows that occur within a single tab to be tracked through the use of identifiers that are created and passed between client-side and server-side software. The client-side and server-side software work in concert to utilize these identifiers to track navigation within a particular tab. In at least some embodiments, a client can request a web page from within a tab and, responsive to that request, a server can create an identifier and associate the identifier with the web page. The web page and identifier can then be returned to the client. Subsequent web page requests from within the tab include the identifier so that the server knows that the request came from the same tab.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating a request for a web page from within a browser'"'"'s tab;

sending the request to a server;

responsive to sending the request, receiving the web page including an identifier;

using the identifier in subsequent web page requests from within the tab; and

not using the identifier in web page requests from other tabs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a JavaScript variable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said using and not using are performed by a navigation tracking module that is implemented as part of the browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said using the identifier comprises including the identifier with a query string in the subsequent web page requests.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said using the identifier comprises including the identifier with a cookie that is sent along with the subsequent web page requests.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said using the identifier comprises using the identifier if a requested web page is within a domain of interest.

7. One or more computer readable media embodying computer-executable instructions which, when executed, implement the method of claim 1.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request for a web page;

ascertaining whether an identifier, associated with an individual tab on a requesting browser, is associated with the request;

responsive to the request not containing the identifier, generating a new identifier and logging the new identifier and the associated web page in a log file;

responsive to the request containing the identifier, logging the identifier and the associated web page in the log file;

associating either the identifier or the new identifier with the web page; and

returning the web page including either the identifier or the new identifier to a client from which the request was received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ascertaining is performed by ascertaining whether the identifier is associated with a query string that forms part of the request.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the ascertaining is performed by ascertaining whether the identifier is associated with a cookie that is received along with the request.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating a new identifier is performed by generating a JavaScript variable.

12. One or more computer readable media embodying computer executable instructions which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

receiving a web page request from a client;

ascertaining an Experience ID associated with the web page request;

ascertaining whether a Flow ID is associated with the web page request;

if no Flow ID is associated with the web page request, generating a new Flow ID for the web page request and making a log entry of the Experience ID, the requested web page, and the new Flow ID;

if a Flow ID is associated with the web page request, making a log entry of at least the requested web page and the Flow ID;

associating either the new Flow ID or the Flow ID with the requested web page; and

transmitting the requested web page including either the new Flow ID or the Flow ID to the client.

13. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 12, wherein said associating either the new Flow ID or the Flow ID is performed by incorporating into the requested web page a JavaScript variable.

14. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 12, wherein said ascertaining whether a Flow ID is associated with the web page request is performed by ascertaining whether the Flow ID is associated with a query string that forms part of the web page request.

15. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 12, wherein said ascertaining whether a Flow ID is associated with the web page request is performed by ascertaining whether the Flow ID is associated with a cookie that is received along with the web page request.

16. A server embodying the one or more computer readable storage media of claim 12.