Method and apparatus for monitoring internet traffic on an internet web page

• US 6,584,504 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Networks Associates Technology, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Choe, Kerry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAFORGIA, CHRISTIAN A
• Application Number:
  US09/579,777
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/203, 702/176, 725/125, 370/338, 370/230, 345/736
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A computer program product enables a computer device to implement a method of monitoring Web page traffic. The multi-step method begins by automatically sending a first ping at a first time to a first Internet address associated with a first Web page. A first response time for the first ping is measured to determine a first level of Internet traffic on the first Web page. Using the first response time, a first value is assigned to a perceptible characteristic of a first graphical object, which is then displayed on a display device associated with the computer device. Next, a second ping is automatically sent to the first Internet address at a second time. The second response time to the second ping is measured to determine a second level of Internet traffic on the first Web page. Based on the second response time a second value is assigned to the perceptible characteristic of the first graphical object, which is then redisplayed on the display device.

Claims

1. A computer program product to enable a computer device to implement a method of monitoring Web page traffic, the computer device including a display device, the method comprising:

a. automatically sending a first ping at a first time to a first Internet address associated with a first Web page in response to a determination that a pointing icon points to a hypertext link including the first Internet address associated with the first Web page;

b. measuring a first response time to the first ping to determine a first level of Internet traffic on the first Web page;

c. assigning a first value to a perceptible characteristic of a first graphical object, the first value representing the first level of Internet traffic;

d. displaying on the display device the first graphical object for identifying an amount of Web page traffic associated with the hypertext link prior to the selection thereof via the pointing icon;

e. automatically sending a second ping at a second time to the first Internet address;

f. measuring a second response time to the second ping to determine a second level of Internet traffic on the first Web page; and

g. assigning a second value to the perceptible characteristic of the first graphical object, the second value representing the second level of Internet traffic;

h. redisplaying on the display device the first graphical object for identifying the amount of the Web page traffic associated with the hypertext link prior to the selection thereof via the pointing icon.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

i. automatically sending a third ping at the first time to a second Internet address associated with a second Web page;

j. measuring a third response time to the third ping to determine a third level of Internet traffic on the second Web page;

k. assigning a third value to a perceptible characteristic of a second graphical object, the third value representing the third level of Internet traffic;

l. displaying on the display device the second graphical object;

m. automatically sending a fourth ping at the second time to the second Internet address;

n. measuring a fourth response time to the fourth ping to determine a fourth level of Internet traffic on the second Web page;

o. assigning a fourth value to the perceptible characteristic of the second graphical object, the fourth value representing the fourth level of Internet traffic;

p. redisplaying on the display device the second graphical object.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the interval between the first time and the second time is determined according to a mathematical distribution.

4. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the mathematical distribution is a constant time interval.

5. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the mathematical distribution is a Gaussian distribution.

6. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the mathematical distribution is a White Noise distribution.

7. The computer program product of claim 3 wherein the mathematical distribution is a Poisson distribution.

8. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the method further comprises selecting the first Web page and the second Web page.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises selecting the first Web page from a user'"'"'s list of Internet addresses.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the list of Internet addresses is a one of a list of user favorite Internet addresses and a list of most recently visited Internet addresses.

11. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the method further comprises storing the first Internet address and the second Internet address.

12. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the perceptible characteristic of the first graphical object is a first one of color, size, shape and audio tone.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the perceptible characteristic of the second graphical object is a second one of color, size, shape and audio tone.

14. A computer program product to enable a computer device to implement a method of monitoring Web page traffic, the computer device including a display device displaying a pointing icon, the pointing icon having a perceptible characteristic, the method comprising:

a. determining whether the pointing icon points to a hypertext link including a first Internet address associated with a first Web page;

b. automatically sending a first ping at a first time to the first Internet address in response to a determination that the pointing icon points to the hypertext link including the first Internet address associated with the first Web page;

c. measuring a first response time to the first ping to determine a first level of Internet traffic on the first Web page;

d. selecting from a set of ranges a first selected range including the first level of Internet traffic, the set of ranges including a first range associated with a first value of the perceptible characteristic, a second range associated with a second value of the perceptible characteristic, and a third range associated with a third value of the perceptible characteristic;

e. displaying the pointing icon using the value of the perceptible characteristic associated with the first selected range for identifying an amount of Web page traffic associated with the hypertext link prior to the selection thereof via the pointing icon;

f. automatically sending a second ping at a second time to the first Internet address if the pointing icon points to the hypertext link;

g. measuring a second response time to the second ping to determine a second level of Internet traffic on the first Web page;

h. selecting from the set of ranges a second selected range including the second level of Internet traffic;

i. displaying the pointing icon using the value of the perceptible characteristic associated with the second selected range for identifying the amount of Web page traffic associated with the hypertext link prior to the selection thereof via the pointing icon.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the perceptible characteristic of the pointing icon is a one of color, size, shape and audio tone.

16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the first Web page is selected from a list of Internet addresses.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the list of Internet addresses is a one of a list of user favorite Internet addresses and a list of most recently visited Internet addresses.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the method further comprises:

j. accessing the first Web page when the Internet traffic on the first Web page is within an acceptable range.

19. A personal computer device allowing a user to connect to the Internet, comprising:

a. a display device;

b. a processor coupled to the display device and executing instructions; and

c. a memory device coupled to the processor and storing instructions of a method comprising;

1. automatically sending a first ping at a first time to a first Internet address associated with a first Web page in response to a determination that a pointing icon points to a hypertext link including the first Internet address associated with the first Web page;

2. measuring a first response time to the first ping to determine a first level of Internet traffic on the first Web page;

3. assigning a first value to a perceptible characteristic of a first graphical object, the first value representing the first value;

4. displaying on the display device the first graphical object for identifying an amount of Web page traffic associated with the hypertext link prior to the selection thereof via the pointing icon;

5. automatically sending a second ping at a second time to the first Internet address;

6. measuring a second response time to the second ping to determine a second level of Internet traffic on the first Web page;

7. assigning a second value to the perceptible characteristic of the first graphical object, the second value representing the second level;

8. redisplaying on the display device the first graphical object for identifying the amount of Web page traffic associated with the hypertext link prior to the selection thereof via the pointing icon.

20. A computer program product to enable a computer device to implement a method of monitoring Web page traffic, the computer device including a display device displaying a pointing icon, the method comprising:

a. determining whether the pointing icon points to a hypertext link including a Internet address associated with a Web page;

b. automatically sending a ping to the Internet address in response to a determination that the pointing icon points to the hypertext link including the Internet address associated with the Web page;

c. measuring a response time to the ping to determine a level of Internet traffic on the Web page; and

d. displaying the level of Internet traffic on the Web page prior to the selection thereof via the pointing icon.