Content display monitoring by a processing system

• US 7,386,473 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2000
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetRatings Incorporated (NetRatings), Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Blumenau, Trevor
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US09/490,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20040078292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,059 Days
• Field of Search: 345/349, 345/440, 345/340, 345/963, 707/2, 707/10, 705/1, 705/9, 705/14, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/34 Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of user activity, e.g. usability assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/348 Circuit details, i.e. tracer hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3485 for I/O devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters

Abstract

The invention can enable monitoring of the display of content by a computer system. Moreover, the invention can enable monitoring of the displayed content to produce monitoring information from which conclusions may be deduced regarding the observation of the displayed content by an observer. The invention can also enable monitoring of the display at a content display site of content that is provided by a content provider site over a network to the content display site. Additionally, the invention can enable the expeditious provision of updated and/or tailored content over a network from a content provider site to a content display site so that the content provider'"'"'s current and appropriately tailored content is always displayed at the content display site. Aspects of the invention related to transfer of content over a network are generally applicable to any type of network. However, it is contemplated that the invention can be particularly useful with a computer network, including private computer networks (e.g., America Online™) and public computer networks (e.g., the Internet). In particular, the invention can be advantageously used with computer networks or portions of computer networks over which video and/or audio content are transferred from one network site to another network site for observation, such as the World Wide Web portion of the Internet.

Claims

1. A system in a computer networked environment for generating monitoring information about a display of content, comprising:

a content provider site that stores a content file, wherein the content file has embedded therein at least one computer executable monitoring instruction to cause generation of monitoring information about the display of content associated with the content file;

a content display site to receive the content file from the content provider site, to display the content associated with the content file, and to execute the monitoring instruction, wherein the content display site executes the at least one embedded monitoring instruction when the content file is accessed, thereby causing monitoring information about the display of the content to be generated; and

a remote site which did not transfer the content file from the content provider site to the content display site, which is different from the content provider site, and which is adapted to receive the generated monitoring information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that is located in the content file and that causes generation of the monitoring information about the display of the content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises a link to at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that resides external to the content file and that causes generation of the monitoring information about the display of the content.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated monitoring information indicates that the content was displayed.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated monitoring information about the display of the content is stored on the remote site.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the remote site performs analysis on the generated monitoring information about the display of the content.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the content file is provided by a content provider with an assigned account number, and wherein the generated monitoring information about the display of the content contains the account number of the content provider.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated monitoring information about the display of the content includes a time stamp.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated monitoring information about the display of the content includes identifying information about the content display site.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated monitoring information about the display of the content includes demographic information.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information about the display of the content generated at the content display site includes information concerning a user input relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information about the display of the content generated at the content display site includes information concerning a user selection relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information about the display of the content generated at the content display site includes information concerning a user event relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

22. A system in a computer networked environment for detecting each time content is displayed at a content display site, comprising:

a content provider site that stores a content file, wherein the content file has embedded therein at least one computer executable monitoring instruction to cause detection of display of content associated with the content file;

a content display site to receive the content file from the content provider site, to display the content associated with the content file, and to execute the monitoring instruction, wherein when the content display site reads the content file, the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction associated with the content file is executed at the content display site, thereby causing display of the content to be detected and causing generation of a data signal encoded with data indicating that the content was displayed; and

a remote site which did not deliver the content file to the content display site, which is different from the content provider site, and which is adapted to receive the generated data signal.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that is located in the content file and that detects the display of the content and generates the data signal.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises a link to at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that resides external to the content file and that causes detection of the display of the content and generation of the data signal.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the remote site extracts the encoded data from the data signal and stores the data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the remote site performs analysis on the stored data.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the content file is provided by a content provider with an assigned account number, and wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes the account number of the content provider.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes a time stamp.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes identifying information about the content display site.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes demographic information.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed comprises information identifying a user input relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

35. The system of claim 22, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed comprises information identifying a user selection relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

40. The system of claim 22, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed comprises information identifying a user event relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

42. A system in a computer networked environment for detecting each time content is displayed at a content display site, comprising:

a computer readable medium having a content file originally provided by a content provider stored thereon, wherein the content file has embedded therein at least one computer executable monitoring instruction to cause detection of display of content associated with the content file;

a content display site to display the content associated with the content file and to execute the computer executable monitoring instruction, wherein the content display site only executes the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction if the content file provided by the content provider is accessed, thereby causing the display of the content to be detected and causing generation of a data signal encoded with data indicating that the content was displayed; and

a remote site which did not provide the content file to the content display site and adapted to receive the generated data signal.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the computer readable medium is resident on a content provider site.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein the computer readable medium is resident on the content display site.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that is located in the content file and that detects the display of the content and generates the data signal.

46. The system of claim 42, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises a link to at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that resides external to the content file and that causes detection of the display of the content and generation of the data signal.

47. The system of claim 42, wherein the remote site extracts the encoded data from the data signal and stores the data.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the remote site performs analysis on the stored data.

49. The system of claim 42, wherein the content file is provided by a content provider with an assigned account number, and wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes the account number of the content provider.

50. The system of claim 42, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes a time stamp.

51. The system of claim 42, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes identifying information about the content display site.

52. The system of claim 42, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes demographic information.

53. The system of claim 42, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information concerning a user input relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

55. The system of claim 53, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

56. The system of claim 53, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

57. The system of claim 42, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information concerning a user selection relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

59. The system of claim 57, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

60. The system of claim 57, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

61. The system of claim 57, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

62. The system of claim 42, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information concerning a user event relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

64. A method for detecting each time content is displayed at a content display site, comprising:

receiving a content file from a content provider site at a content display site, the content file having embedded therein at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that causes display of content associated with the content file to be detected;

accessing the content file at the content display site to cause display of the content and execution of the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction to cause generation of a data signal encoded with data indicating that the content was displayed; and

transmitting the data signal to a remote site which did not transfer the content file from the content provider site to the content display site and which is different from the content provider site.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that is located in the content file to detect the display of the content and to generate the data signal.

66. The method of claim 64, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises a link to at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that resides external to the content file to cause detection of the display of the content and generation of the data signal.

67. The method of claim 64, wherein the content file is provided by a content provider with an assigned account number, and wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes the account number of the content provider.

68. The method of claim 64, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes a time stamp.

69. The method of claim 64, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes identifying information about the content display site.

70. The method of claim 64, wherein the encoded data of the data signal includes demographic information.

71. The method of claim 64, further comprising:

extracting the encoded data from the data signal; and

storing the extracted data at the remote site.

72. The method of claim 71, further comprising analyzing the stored data.

73. The method of claim 64, further comprising storing the content file at the content display site, wherein accessing the content file at the content display site comprises accessing the stored content file.

74. The method of claim 64, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed comprises information identifying a user input relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

76. The method of claim 74, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

77. The method of claim 74, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

78. The method of claim 64, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information concerning a user selection relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

80. The method of claim 78, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

81. The method of claim 78, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

82. The method of claim 78, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

83. The method of claim 64, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information concerning a user event relating to the content displayed at the content display site.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system of the content display site.

85. A computer readable medium comprising a file containing content for display and having embedded therein at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that, when executed, causes display of the content associated with the file to be detected, and at least one computer executable instruction that, when executed, causes data indicating the content was displayed to be transmitted to a remote site which did not supply the file.

86. The computer readable medium of claim 85, wherein the computer readable medium is resident on a content provider site.

87. The computer readable medium of claim 85, wherein the computer readable medium is resident on a content display site.

88. The computer readable medium of claim 85, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that is located in the file to detect the display of the content associated with the file.

89. The computer readable medium of claim 85, wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises a link to at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that resides external to the file to cause detection of the display of the content associated with the file.

90. The computer readable medium of claim 85, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information reflecting a user input.

91. The computer readable medium of claim 90, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

92. The computer readable medium of claim 90, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

93. The computer readable medium of claim 90, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

94. The computer readable medium of claim 85, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information reflecting a user selection.

95. The computer readable medium of claim 94, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

96. The computer readable medium of claim 94, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

97. The computer readable medium of claim 94, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

98. The computer readable medium of claim 94, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

99. The computer readable medium of claim 85, wherein the data indicating that the content was displayed includes information concerning a user event.

100. The computer readable medium of claim 99, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system.

101. An article of manufacture comprising a tangible medium storing executable machine readable instructions comprising:

a computer executable display instruction which, when executed, causes an image originally provided by a content provider to be displayed on a display device;

a computer executable monitoring instruction associated with the display instruction such that the monitoring instruction is executed to monitor the display when the image is displayed and such that the monitoring instruction is not executed when the image is not displayed; and

a computer executable transmit instruction which, when executed, causes data indicating the image was displayed to be transmitted to a remote site which did not supply the image.

102. The article of manufacture of claim 101, wherein the data indicating that the image was displayed is information identifying a user input relating to the image.

103. The article of manufacture of claim 102, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

104. The article of manufacture of claim 102, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

105. The article of manufacture of claim 102, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

106. The article of manufacture of claim 101, wherein the data indicating that the image was displayed is information identifying a user selection relating to the image.

107. The article of manufacture of claim 106, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

108. The article of manufacture of claim 106, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

109. The article of manufacture of claim 106, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

110. The article of manufacture of claim 106, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

111. The article of manufacture of claim 101, wherein the data indicating that the image was displayed includes information concerning a user event relating to the image.

112. The article of manufacture of claim 111, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system.

113. An article of manufacture comprising a tangible medium storing executable machine readable instructions comprising:

a computer executable display instruction which, when executed, causes an image originally provided by a content provider to be displayed on a display device;

a computer executable monitoring instruction which, when executed, gathers monitoring information concerning display of the image; and

a computer executable transmit instruction which, when executed, causes the monitoring information to be transmitted to a remote site which did not supply the image, wherein the monitoring instruction and the display instruction are embedded in an HTML file such that the monitoring instruction is only executed when the HTML file is executed to display the image.

114. The article of manufacture of claim 113, wherein the monitoring information concerning display of the image includes information reflecting a user input relating to the image.

115. The article of manufacture of claim 114, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

116. The article of manufacture of claim 114, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

117. The article of manufacture of claim 114, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

118. The article of manufacture of claim 113, wherein the monitoring information concerning display of the image includes information reflecting a user selection relating to the image.

119. The article of manufacture of claim 118, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

120. The article of manufacture of claim 118, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

121. The article of manufacture of claim 118, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

122. The article of manufacture of claim 118, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

123. The article of manufacture of claim 118, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system.

124. The article of manufacture of claim 113, wherein the data indicating that the image was displayed includes information concerning a user event relating to the image.

125. An article of manufacture comprising a tangible medium storing executable machine readable instructions comprising:

a computer executable display instruction which, when executed, causes an image originally provided by a content provider to be displayed on a display device;

a computer executable monitoring instruction which, when executed, gathers monitoring information concerning display of the image; and

a computer executable transmit instruction which, when executed, causes the monitoring information to be transmitted to a remote site which did not supply the image, wherein the display instruction is embedded in an HTML file and the monitoring instruction is referenced by the HTML file such that the monitoring instruction is only executed when the HTML file is executed to display the image.

126. The article of manufacture of claim 125, wherein the monitoring information concerning display of the image reflects at least one user input.

127. The article of manufacture of claim 126, wherein the user input comprises a mouse click.

128. The article of manufacture of claim 126, wherein the user input comprises a keyboard input.

129. The article of manufacture of claim 126, wherein the user input is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

130. The article of manufacture of claim 125, wherein the monitoring information concerning display of the image reflects at least one user selection.

131. The article of manufacture of claim 130, wherein the user selection comprises a hyperlink selection.

132. The article of manufacture of claim 130, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a user interface mechanism.

133. The article of manufacture of claim 130, wherein the user selection comprises selection of a graphical pushbutton.

134. The article of manufacture of claim 130, wherein the user selection is monitored by monitoring events transmitted by an operating system.

135. The article of manufacture of claim 125, wherein the monitoring information concerning display of the image reflects at least one user event.

136. The article of manufacture of claim 135, wherein the user event is an event transmitted by an operating system.