System and method for implementing click-through for browser executed software including ad proxy and proxy cookie caching

• US 8,108,881 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mqquis Techtrix LLC
• Inventors: Hamel, Lawrence Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Andy
• Application Number:
  US12/329,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 719/317, 719/329, 709/202, 709/217
• US Class Current: 719/317
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

An improved proxy is disclosed for allowing click-through on an ad URL delivered on a web page within a Java® applet executing on a client machine. The proxy caches cookie information for the browser, to support java applications that do not allow for planting of cookies directly. When the user clicks on the ad URL, the proxy retrieves the relevant cookie and link information from a host side database, and uses the same to help the browser open the correct URL associated with the ad. The proxy acts to extend the reach and access of a conventional applet beyond the resources of a download host associated with such applet.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a Java based software applet from a host of a destination site to a client site for execution within a web browser operating at the client site to view the destination site, the Java based software applet configured to include an interactive tag associated with content located at a third party site, wherein the content is not directly accessible to the Java based software applet;

caching cookie files associated with the content at the host using a proxy program, wherein the cookie files support click-through operation through a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the content;

monitoring with the proxy program the click-through operation on the interactive tag to access the content; and

requesting the content using the proxy program, wherein the cookie files allow the content to be downloaded to the web browser for display at the client site under control of the proxy program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Java based software applet is incorporated as part of a banner based on a web page associated with the destination site.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the content includes advertising material associated with the banner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy program is further configured to cache the content from the third party site such that the click-through operation can be satisfied by the destination site directly providing the content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising maintaining a file of links and calls at the host to support the click-through operations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing at the host IP address data associated with the click-through operation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending an ID parameter based on the IP address data to the third party site.

8. A method comprising:

supplying a Java based software applet from a host of a destination site for execution within a web browser operating at a client site to view the destination site, the Java based software applet including an interactive tag associated with content located at a third party site;

monitoring with a proxy program executed at the host click-through operation on the interactive tag to access the content;

requesting the content using the proxy program;

evaluating with the proxy program content display parameters associated with the content to determine if the content display parameters are compatible with applet display parameters associated with the Java based software applet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the Java based software applet is incorporated as part of a banner based on a web page associated with the destination site.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the content is advertising material associated with the banner.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the content display parameters include at least one of:

a type of content file to be displayed within the Java based software applet as part of the content;

a size of the content file; and

a refresh frequency to be used for the content file.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein when the content display parameters associated with the content are not compatible with applet display parameters, executing at the host at least one of:

modifying the content by the proxy program to make the content compatible with the Java based software applet, and

retrieving additional content from the third party site, and checking whether content display parameters of the additional content are compatible with the applet display parameters.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising requesting and receiving ad content automatically as a result of at least one of a timer expiring and in response to receipt of a signal from the client site.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising refreshing selected portions of the content as displayed at selected times.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising caching the content from the third party site.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the content includes advertising material supplied by an ad server.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising soliciting and storing the content during a background task executed by the proxy program.

18. The method of claim 8, further comprising maintaining accounting and/or tracking information for use by the third party site to verify accesses to content that is cached.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the Java based software applet has been idle for a predetermined period; and

adjusting future content delivery to the Java based software applet based on the determination.

20. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting when the third party site is unavailable; and

re-directing, based on the determination, the retrieval of content from another site.

21. A method comprising:

executing at a client site a Java based software applet originated from a destination site within a first frame of an Internet-capable browser presenting a destination site page;

displaying a first tag associated with a URL for a third party site in the first frame as a first visible tag;

controlling a second frame within the Internet-capable browser, the second frame being separate from the first frame and having a second tag for the third party site;

using the second tag to obtain the URL and a second cookie file related to a first cookie file from at least one of the destination site and the third party site; and

in response to click-through operation associated with the first visible tag, passing the URL and identification information in the second cookie file to the third party site permitting the click-through operation from within the Java based software applet to the third party site.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising interacting with a proxy program from the destination site to construct and control the second frame.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using the second frame to plant the second cookie file within the Internet-capable browser when the third party site indicates to the proxy program that the second cookie file is needed to view an ad associated with the Java based software applet.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the second cookie file includes information from the first cookie file and coded information associated with at least one of the destination site, the client site, and the Java based software applet.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising making the second frame selectively viewable under control of the Java based software applet.

26. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute a operations comprising:

providing a Java based software applet from the machine of a destination site to a client site for execution within a web browser operating at the client site to view a web page, the Java based software applet including an interactive tag associated with content located at a third party site and not directly accessible to the Java based software applet;

caching cookie files associated with the content, wherein the cookie files support click-through operation through a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the content;

monitoring with a proxy program the click-through operation on the interactive tag to access the content; and

requesting the content using the proxy program, wherein the cookie files allow the content to be downloaded to the web browser for display at the client site under control of the proxy program.

27. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 26, wherein the Java based software applet is incorporated as part of a banner based on the web page associated with the destination site.

28. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the content includes advertising material associated with the banner.

29. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising caching the content such that the click-through operation can be satisfied by the destination site directly providing the content.

30. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising maintaining a file of links and calls to support the click-through operation.

31. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising storing IP address data associated with the click-through operation.

32. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 31, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising sending an ID parameter based on the IP address data to the third party site.

33. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising:

a first server separate from a second server;

displaying a first tag in a first frame of a browser running on a client system, the first tag associated with content at the second server, the content being accessible through use of identification information in a first cookie file, wherein the first cookie file is not cached by the browser within the client system for accessing the content;

generating a second frame within the browser, the second frame being separate from the first frame, and having a second tag for the content;

using the second tag to obtain a uniform resource locator (URL) and a second cookie file related to the first cookie file; and

in response to click-through operation associated with the first visible tag, using the URL and identification information in the second cookie file to access the content.

34. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising requesting and receiving new ad content automatically as a result of at least one of a timer expiring and in response to receipt of a signal from the client system.

35. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising refreshing selected portions of the content as displayed at selected times.

36. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising caching the content.

37. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 36, wherein the content includes advertising material supplied by an ad server.

38. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 36, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising maintaining at least one of accounting and tracking information for use by the second server to verify access to the content that is cached.

39. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising:

determining whether the machine has been idle for a predetermined period; and

adjusting future content delivery based on the determination.

40. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising interacting with a proxy program running on the first server to construct and control the second frame.

41. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 40, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising using the second frame to plant the second cookie file within the browser when the second server indicates to the proxy program that the first cookie file is needed to view the content.

42. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the second cookie file includes information from the first cookie file and coded information associated with at least one of the first server and the client system.

43. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 33, further comprising instructions that when executed by a machine cause the machine to execute operations comprising making the second frame selectively viewable.

44. An apparatus comprising:

a host of a destination site configured to supply a Java based software applet to a client site for execution within a web browser operating at. the client site to view the destination site, the Java based software applet configured to include an interactive tag associated with content located at a third party site, and the content is not directly accessible to the Java based software applet;

a storage device at the host configured to cache cookie files associated with the content using a proxy program, wherein

the cookie files support click-through operation through a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the content; and

a computing device at the host configured to;

monitor with the proxy program the click-through operation on the interactive tag to access the content, and

request the content from the third party site using the proxy program, wherein

the cookie files cached at the host allow the content to be downloaded to the web browser for display at the client site under control of the proxy program.

45. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing a Java based software applet from a host of a destination site to a client site for execution within a web browser operating at the client site to view the destination site, the Java based software applet configured to include an interactive tag associated with content located at a third party site, wherein the content is not directly accessible to the Java based software applet;

means for caching cookie files associated with the content at the host using a proxy program, wherein the cookie files support click-through operations through a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the content;

means for monitoring with the proxy program the click-through operation on the interactive tag to access the content; and

means for requesting the content from the third party site using the proxy program, wherein the cookie files allow the content to be downloaded to the web browser for display at the client site under control of the proxy program.

46. An apparatus comprising:

a host of a destination site configured to supply a Java based software applet for execution within a web browser operating at a client site to view the destination site, the Java based software applet including an interactive tag associated with content located at a third party site;

a computing device at the host configured to;

monitor with a proxy program click-through operation on the interactive tag to access the content;

request the content from the third party site using the proxy program;

evaluate with the proxy program content display parameters associated with the content to determine if the content display parameters are compatible with applet display parameters associated with the Java based software applet.

47. An apparatus comprising:

means for supplying a Java based software applet from a host of a destination site for execution within a web browser operating at a client site to view the destination site, the Java based software applet including an interactive tag associated with content located at a third party site;

means for monitoring with a proxy program executed at the host click-through operation on the interactive tag to access the content;

means for requesting the content using the proxy program; and

means for evaluating with the proxy program content display parameters associated with the content to determine if the content display parameters are compatible with applet display parameters associated with the Java based software applet.