System using first banner request that can not be blocked from reaching a server for accurately counting displays of banners on network terminals
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method for delivering information to a terminal connected to a computer network, wherein information delivered over the computer network from a primary server to the terminal contains references to other information to be delivered to the terminal from the primary server or from one or more other servers connected to the computer network, comprising:
- serving a first portion of information to the terminal, wherein said first portion of information contains a reference to a second portion of information;
sending a first request signal from the terminal to the primary server requesting a location address for said second portion of information from which said second portion of information can be served to the terminal, wherein said first request signal cannot be blocked from reaching said primary server by either the terminal or any intermediary device located topologically between the terminal and the primary server as a result of previous caching or storing of said first portion of information or said second portion of information by the terminal or said intermediary device;
sending a location signal from the primary server to the terminal providing said location address of said second portion of information; and
determining if said second portion of information is already stored on the terminal and, if said second portion of information is not already stored on the terminal, sending a second request signal from the terminal containing said location address of said second portion of information and requesting that said second portion of information be served to the terminal for display on the terminal, and, if said second portion of information is already stored on the terminal, displaying said second portion of information on the terminal.
8 Assignments
Litigations
2 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for delivering information on a computer network and allowing the information to be accessed by terminals connected to the computer network, either directly or through intermediary devices such as local or proxy servers, including computer or web sites storing pages which are requested by terminals for display. The pages may include references for the display of banners. The terminal initiates access or connection to a desired computer or web site to access a desired page. After the desired page is downloaded and served to the terminal from the computer or web site, the terminal initiates and sends an initial banner request signal to an information server. The information server returns a redirect signal to the terminal telling the terminal the location of the desired banner on the computer network, which may be the information server, the computer site, or some other information server, computer site, or location accessible via the computer network. The terminal then initiates a second banner request signal to the location of the desired banner and the banner is downloaded to the terminal for display on the terminal, unless the requested banner has previously been stored or cached in the terminal'"'"'s memory or in the memory of a local or proxy server connected to the terminal, in which case the second banner request signal is not sent across the computer network and the banner is loaded directly from the terminal'"'"'s memory or the proxy server.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method for delivering information to a terminal connected to a computer network, wherein information delivered over the computer network from a primary server to the terminal contains references to other information to be delivered to the terminal from the primary server or from one or more other servers connected to the computer network, comprising:
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serving a first portion of information to the terminal, wherein said first portion of information contains a reference to a second portion of information; sending a first request signal from the terminal to the primary server requesting a location address for said second portion of information from which said second portion of information can be served to the terminal, wherein said first request signal cannot be blocked from reaching said primary server by either the terminal or any intermediary device located topologically between the terminal and the primary server as a result of previous caching or storing of said first portion of information or said second portion of information by the terminal or said intermediary device; sending a location signal from the primary server to the terminal providing said location address of said second portion of information; and determining if said second portion of information is already stored on the terminal and, if said second portion of information is not already stored on the terminal, sending a second request signal from the terminal containing said location address of said second portion of information and requesting that said second portion of information be served to the terminal for display on the terminal, and, if said second portion of information is already stored on the terminal, displaying said second portion of information on the terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 23)
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17. A method for distributing a banner over a computer network to a client device, wherein the banner is stored in one or more servers connected to the computer network and referenced in a hypertext document served to the client device, and for counting the number of times a banner is displayed on the client device, comprising:
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sending a first banner request signal from the device to a server requesting that a banner be served to the client device, wherein said first banner request signal cannot be blocked from reaching said server by either the client device or any intermediary device located topologically between the client device and the server as a result of previous caching or storing of said banner by the client device or said intermediary device; sending a banner location signal from said server to the client device, wherein said banner location signal includes location information for a specified banner to be displayed on the client device; determining if said specified banner is stored on the client device and, if said specified banner is stored on the client device, displaying said specified banner on the client device, and if said specified banner is not stored on the client device, sending a second banner request signal from the client device requesting that said specified banner be served to the client device for display on the client device; and counting each display of said specified banner on the client device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33)
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30. A method for counting the number of times a banner is displayed on a device, wherein the banner is referenced in a document served to the device, the banner is stored in one or more servers connected to the computer network, and the device is connected to the computer network via an intermediary server, comprising:
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sending a first banner request signal from the device to a first server requesting that a banner be served to the device, wherein said first banner request signal cannot be blocked from reaching said first server by either the device or the intermediary server as a result of previous caching or storing of said banner by the device or the intermediary server; sending a banner location signal from said first server to the device, wherein said banner location signal includes location information for a specified banner stored on a second server; determining if said specified banner is stored on the device and, if said specified banner is not stored on the device, then sending a second banner request signal from the device to the intermediary server and determining if said specified banner is stored on the intermediary server, wherein if said specified banner is not stored on the intermediary server, sending said second banner request signal from said intermediary server to said second server requesting that said second server serve said specified banner to the device; displaying said specified banner on the device; and counting the number of times said specified banner is displayed on the device. - View Dependent Claims (31, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for serving a banner to a client device, wherein a primary server serves a HTML document to the client device and the HTML document contains an initial URL associated or pointing to a banner to be served to the client device in order to complete rendering of the HTML document on the client device, comprising:
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causing a first TCP/IP compliant request for the banner containing at least a portion of the initial URL, to be sent from the client device to the primary server without allowing said first TCP/IP compliant request to be blocked from being received by the primary server; serving a signal from the primary server to the client device that includes a second URL associated with the banner'"'"'s location; determining if the banner is stored on the client device and, if the banner is stored on the client device, rendering the banner on the client device, and if the banner is not stored on the client device, causing a second TCP/IP compliant request to be sent from the client device requesting that the banner be served to the client device; and counting at least one rendering of the banner on the client device. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for enabling accurate counting of the number of times a banner is displayed on a client device, wherein the banner is referenced in a document served to the client device, the banner is stored in one or more servers connected to the computer network, and the client device is connected to the computer network via an intermediary server, comprising:
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causing a first banner request signal to be sent from the client device to a first server requesting that a banner be served to the client device, wherein said first banner request signal cannot be blocked from reaching said first server by either the client device or the intermediary server as a result of previous caching or storing of said banner by the client device or the intermediary server; sending a banner location signal from said first server to the client device, wherein said banner location signal includes location information for a specified banner stored on a second server; and determining if said specified banner is stored on the client device and, if said specified banner is not stored on the client device, causing a second banner request signal to be sent from the client device to the intermediary server and determining if said specified banner is stored on the intermediary server, wherein if said specified banner is not stored on said intermediary server, causing a third banner request signal to be sent from the intermediary server to said second server requesting that said second server serve said specified banner to the client device. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification