Use of browser history file to determine web site reach

• US 7,680,889 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Manish, Blumenau, Trevor I., Harkness, David H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang; Paul H
• Application Number:
  US11/094,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,812 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/219, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

In a method of metering Web usage, a collection program is downloaded from a server to a metered computer in response to a message transmitted from the metered computer to the server, and the collection program is executed on the metered computer in order to collect Web usage history information stored in a history file by a browser running on the metered computer. The collected Web site usage history information is transmitted by the metered computer to the server. The Web site usage history information is stored in the server along with Web site usage history information from other metered computers.

Claims

1. A method of metering a Web site comprising:

maintaining a browser history stored on a first computer, wherein the browser history stores a reference to the Web site in response to the browser accessing the Web site, wherein the browser history is maintained by browser functionality native to a browser, and wherein the browser history has a first format;

sending a message from the first computer to a second computer after the browser history is populated with information, wherein the message includes an identity indication of the first computer;

receiving an application at the first computer from the second computer in response to the message, wherein the application is configured to operate with browser histories having the first format; and

executing the application at the first computer, wherein during execution the application accesses the browser history having the first format, extracts a portion of the browser history, and inserts the extracted portion of the browser history into a communication directed to a third computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the second and third computers are the same computer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing in the third computer the reference to the Web site from the first computer together with Web site access history information from other computers.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first format of the browser history comprises a directory that is structured hierarchically according to date and week.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first format of the browser history comprises a flat database file.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second computer determines a format of the browser history stored at the first computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein sending a message from the first computer to the second computer comprises the first computer logging onto a web page hosted by the second computer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a message at the first computer, wherein the message received at the first computer requests the first computer to send the message to a second computer.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein receiving the message at the first computer comprises receiving an electronic mail.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second computer determines if the first computer is operated by a panelist who has agreed to participate in a web site reach survey.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the application is received at the first computer only if the first computer is operated by a panelist who has agreed to participate in the web site reach survey.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the execution of the application at the first computer includes prompting a user at the first computer to approve execution of the application.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the browser history is stored without user intervention in response to the browser accessing the Web site.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving a user input including a reference to the Web site and accessing the Web site in response to the user input.