Metering of internet content using a control

• US 6,327,619 B1
• Filed: 07/08/1998
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Blumenau, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US09/111,963
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/224, 705/14
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing

Abstract

Web content received by a computer is processed such that a reference to a control is inserted in HTML received by the computer and the control is executed in response to the reference in order to process the web content in the received HTML. The control interfaces with a meta-level of program code, such as a browser, in order to process the web content. The control, for example, may be executed in order to meter exposure of an object, such as an advertising image object.

Claims

1. A method of metering web content received by a computer, the method being implemented through execution of program code by the computer, the method including the following steps:

a) obtaining a list of objects in the web content by use of a meta-level of the program code; and

,

b) metering exposure of the listed objects, wherein step b) includes the following steps;

determining whether one of the objects is an object of interest; and

,

metering the one object only if it is an object of interest.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an image contained in the HTML.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an HREF in the HTML.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting a cgi script URL in the HTML.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an identification tag in the HTML.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein step b) includes the following step;

c) determining when the image is displayed.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step c) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein step c) includes the following step;

determining an amount of time that the image is being displayed.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein step c) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an image having a predetermined size.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining when the image is displayed.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining an amount of time that the image is being displayed.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein step b) includes the following step;

determining an amount of the image being displayed.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an HREF in the HTML.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting a cgi script URL in the HTML.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein step b) includes the following step;

detecting an identification tag in the HTML.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting an HREF in the web content; and

,

metering the one object only if the HREF is detected.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting a correct size with respect to the one object; and

,

metering the one object only if the correct size is detected.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting a cgi script URL in the web content; and

,

metering the one object only if the cgi script URL is detected.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting an identification tag in the web content; and

,

metering the one object only if the identification tag is detected.

22. A method of using a meta-level of a browser so that exposure of an object contained in received HTML can be metered, the method comprising the following steps:

a) accessing the object in the HTML; and

,

b) using the meta-level in order to meter exposure of the object, wherein step b) includes the following steps;

determining whether the object is of interest; and

,

metering the object only if it is of interest.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein step a) comprises the step of inserting a reference to a control in the received HTML.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein step b) comprises the step of executing the control in order to meter the exposure of the object.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an image as an object in the HTML.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of determining when an object is displayed.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of determining an amount of an object viewable to a user.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of determining an amount of time that an object is being displayed.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an object having a predetermined size.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an HREF.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting a cgi script URL.

32. The method of claim 24 wherein the executing step comprises the step of detecting an identification tag.

33. The method of claim 22 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting an HREF in the object; and

,

metering the object only if the HREF is detected.

34. The method of claim 22 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting a correct size of an image, if any, associated with the object; and

,

metering the object only if the image has the correct size.

35. The method of claim 22 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting a cgi script URL in the object; and

,

metering the object only if the cgi script URL is detected.

36. The method of claim 22 wherein step b) includes the following steps:

detecting an identification tag in the object; and

,

metering the object only if the identification tag is detected.