METHODS AND APPARATUS TO MONITOR USAGE OF INTERNET ADVERTISING NETWORKS

• US 20140068411A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ross, Scott, Low, Binlay, Dervaux, Vianney
• Application Number:
  US13/630,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20140068411A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor usage of Internet advertising networks are disclosed. An example method includes identifying, by inspecting a Page Info interface of a browser with a processor, a first universal resource locator (URL) of a webpage displayed by the browser. A media element displayed on the webpage is identified. A second URL associated with the media element displayed on the webpage is gathered. A log of network communications to identify a request for the second URL is inspected. A referrer URL is identified within a header of the request, the referrer URL being different from the first URL. A record of the referrer URL is stored in association with the first URL.

Claims

1. A method to monitor advertisement placements, the method comprising:

identifying, by inspecting a Page Info interface of a browser with a processor, a first universal resource locator (URL) of a webpage displayed by the browser;

identifying a media element displayed on the webpage;

gathering a second URL associated with the media element displayed on the webpage;

inspecting a log of network communications to identify a request for the second URL;

identifying a referrer URL within a header of the request, the referrer URL being different from the first URL; and

storing a record of the referrer URL in association with the first URL.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the media element is identified by inspecting the Page Info interface of the browser.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the media element is identified by inspecting a document object model (DOM) of the browser.

5. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising retrieving source code of the webpage from the browser.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the second URL is gathered by inspecting the Page Info interface of the browser.

8. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a message transmitted via a network interface; and

recording the message in the log of network communications.

9. The method as described in claim 8, wherein detecting the message further comprises determining whether the message is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request;

and recording the message further comprises recording the message in the log of network communications when the message is an HTTP request.

10. The method as described in claim 8, wherein detecting the message further comprises determining whether the message originated from the browser;

and recording the message further comprises recording the message in the log of network communications when the message originated from the browser.

11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein inspecting the log to identify the request comprises selecting a request having a timestamp within a threshold time range of a time that the webpage was displayed by the browser.

12. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising storing a record of the referrer URL in association with the second URL.

13. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising storing a panelist identifier in association with the record.

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15. An apparatus to identify an Internet advertising network, the apparatus comprising:

a browser information gatherer to gather browser information from a Page Info interface of a browser;

a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) traffic data gatherer to monitor network communications of a network interface associated with the browser;

a data correlator to correlate the browser information with the network communications to identify a referrer universal resource locator (URL) of an element displayed on a webpage, the webpage having a webpage URL, the element having an element URL; and

a data storer to store a record associating the referrer URL with the webpage URL in a data store.

17. The apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the data storer is to store a second record associating the referrer URL and the element URL in the data store.

19. The apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the data storer is to store a panelist identifier in association with the record.

20. The apparatus as described in claim 15, wherein the browser information gatherer is further to identify the element displayed on the webpage via the Page Info interface.

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21. A tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

identify by inspecting a Page Info interface of a browser, a first universal resource locator (URL) of a webpage displayed by the browser;

identify a media element displayed on the webpage;

gather a second URL associated with the media element displayed on the webpage;

inspect a log of network communications to identify a request for the second URL;

identify a referrer URL within a header of the request, the referrer URL being different from the first URL; and

store a record of the referrer URL in association with the first URL.

25. The computer-readable storage medium as described in claim 21, further comprising retrieving source code of the webpage from the browser.

28. The computer-readable storage medium as described in claim 21, further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

detect a message transmitted via a network interface; and

record the message in the log of network communications.

29. The computer-readable storage medium as described in claim 28, further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

determine whether the message is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request; and

record the message in the log of network communications when the message is an HTTP request.

30. The computer-readable storage medium as described in claim 28, further storing instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

determine whether the message originated from the browser; and

record the message in the log of network communications when the message originated from the browser.

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