Detection of exit behavior of an internet user

• US 8,645,212 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2012
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wunderkind Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bounce Exchange Incorporated
• Inventors: Urban, Ryan Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/660,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20130290117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 705/14.73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

User action in the form of movement of a tracking device on a webpage, represented by cursor gestures on the webpage, is used to detect if a user intends to leave the webpage. Upon detection of an intent to leave the webpage, an advertisement may be displayed to a user. The advertisement may be targeted to the user and/or based on the content the user was viewing on the webpage.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of detecting exit behavior of a user of a user device that accesses the internet, the method comprising:

in a system configured to host a webpage, the system comprising at least one processor and a memory,

detecting, by the at least one processor, a user accessing the webpage;

setting, by the at least one processor, a predetermined value, stored in the memory, that corresponds to a horizontal line on the webpage;

detecting, by the at least one processor, the user'"'"'s intent to initiate an exit command on the webpage prior to the user initiating the exit command on the webpage, wherein detecting the user'"'"'s intent to initiate an exit command comprises identifying a cursor motion below, above, or across the predetermined value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the horizontal line is an interface between the webpage being viewed by the user and a menu or submenu of functions, keys, or buttons of a web browser being used by a user to view the webpage.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of displaying an advertisement unit on the webpage prior to the user exiting the webpage, the advertisement unit containing one or more advertisements that comprise a solicitation for a conversion.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting data associated with the user or the user device, wherein the step of detecting exit behavior on the webpage is at least partially based upon the data associated with the user or the user device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data associated with the user or the user device comprises one or more of:

(i) a web browser being utilized by the user device;

(ii) an operating system of the user or user device;

(iii) whether a computer programming code has been enabled or disabled on the user device;

(iv) a network connection speed of the user device;

(v) an enabled cookie;

(vi) screen resolution settings of the user device; and

(vii) the presence of mouse gestures.

6. A computer-implemented method of providing advertisements to a user of a user device that accesses the internet, the method comprising:

in a system configured to host a webpage, the system comprising at least one processor and a memory,

detecting, by the at least one processor, a user accessing the webpage;

collecting, by the at least one processor, data, stored in the memory, associated with the user;

detecting, by the at least one processor, the user'"'"'s intent to exit the webpage prior to the user initiating an exit command on the webpage; and

displaying an advertisement unit on the webpage prior to the user initiating an exit command on the webpage, the advertisement unit containing one or more advertisements based at least partially on the data associated with the user;

wherein detecting the user'"'"'s intent to exit the webpage comprises tracking cursor motion controlled by the user on the webpage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data associated with the user comprises one or more of:

(i) user search criteria;

(ii) user identification information;

(iii) user preferences;

(iv) user location;

(v) browser information;

(vi) user device characteristics; and

(vii) user referral history.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein collecting data associated with the user comprises obtaining one or more of:

(i) the user search criteria on the webpage;

(ii) login information associated with the user;

(iii) a browsing history associated with the user; and

(iv) an identifier associated with the user device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the user'"'"'s intent to exit the webpage is at least partially determined by tracking cursor movement controlled by the user on the webpage and configuration of the user'"'"'s web browsing software.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises setting an interface value that corresponds to a pixel or set of pixels that define a position or shape on a screen being viewed by the user between a region of the webpage and a region of a web browser being used by a user to view the webpage, before detecting the user'"'"'s intent to exit the webpage;

and wherein the tracking cursor movement controlled by the user comprises identifying a cursor movement below, above, or across the interface value.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the movement controlled by the user on the webpage comprises cursor gestures across a predetermined value that corresponds to a line of pixels on a screen being viewed by the user between a region of the webpage being viewed by the user and one or more regions of a web browser being used by a user to view the webpage.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the user'"'"'s intent to exit the webpage comprises tracking cursor motion controlled by the user on the webpage and

allowing a time delay of a predetermined period of time to elapse prior to displaying an advertisement unit on the webpage.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein displaying an advertisement unit on the webpage comprises:

populating a window with the one or more advertisements;

displaying the window over at least a portion of the webpage; and

shading the webpage so that the window is brighter in contrast than the webpage.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in conjunction with detecting exit intent on the webpage, determining a level of engagement of the user on the webpage; and

if the level of engagement of the user meets or exceeds baseline criteria associated with a baseline level of engagement, classifying the user as engaged.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the one or more advertisements in the advertisement unit comprises one or more of:

(i) a link to an advertisement webpage to view information associated with the one or more advertisements;

(ii) a text description associated with the one or more advertisements;

(iii) a clickable video associated with the one or more advertisements; and

(iv) a solicitation for a conversion.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, such that the cursor gestures are either:

(i) cursor gestures above, below, or across an interface value between a webpage and a web browser being used by a user to view the webpage;

or (ii) cursor gestures above, below, or across a predetermined coordinate or set of coordinates that correspond to a pixel or line of pixels on the webpage.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the cursor gestures are cursor gestures above, below, or across any predetermined line of pixels on the webpage.

18. A non-transitory computer program product encoded on a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for:

detecting a user accessing a webpage;

collecting data associated with the user;

detecting exit behavior on the webpage prior to the user initiating an exit command; and

displaying an advertisement unit on the webpage prior to the user initiating an exit command on the webpage, the advertisement unit containing one or more advertisements based at least partially on the data associated with the user;

wherein the exit behavior is based on tracked movement controlled by the user on the webpage.

19. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, wherein the data associated with the user comprises one or more of:

(i) user search criteria;

(ii) user identification information;

(iii) user preferences;

(iv) user location;

(v) browser information;

(vi) user device characteristics;

(vii) previous visit history; and

(viii) referral history.

20. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 19, wherein collecting data associated with the user comprises obtaining one or more of:

(i) the user search criteria on the webpage;

(ii) login information associated with the user;

(iii) a browsing history associated with the user; and

(iv) an identifier associated with the user device.

21. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, wherein the movement controlled by the user comprises acceleration of the cursor gestures at or below a predetermined value.

22. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, wherein the tracked movement controlled by the user on the webpage comprises a cursor movement below, above or across a pixel or set of pixels corresponding to a position or shape on the screen of the user between a region of the webpage and one or more regions of the web browser functionality being used by a user to view the webpage.

23. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 22, wherein the action indicating that the user intends to leave the webpage comprises cursor movement across a predetermined value that corresponds to a line of pixels between a region of the webpage being viewed by the user and a menu or submenu of functions, keys, or buttons of a web browser being used by a user to view the webpage.

24. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, wherein the instruction for detecting exit behavior on the webpage prior to the user initiating an exit command is based on tracked movement controlled by the user on the webpage and

allowing a time delay of a predetermined period of time to elapse prior to displaying an advertisement unit on the webpage.

25. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, wherein instructions for displaying an advertisement unit on the webpage comprise instructions for:

populating a window with the one or more advertisements;

displaying the window over at least a portion of the webpage; and

shading the webpage so that the window is brighter in contrast than the webpage.

26. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, further comprising instructions for:

in conjunction with detecting exit behavior on the webpage, determining a level of engagement of the user on the webpage; and

if the level of engagement of the user meets or exceeds baseline criteria associated with a baseline level of engagement, classifying the user as engaged.

27. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 18, wherein each of the one or more advertisements in the advertisement unit comprises one or more of:

(i) a link to an advertisement webpage to view information associated with the one or more advertisements;

(ii) a text description associated with the one or more advertisements; and

(iii) a clickable video associated with the one or more advertisements.

28. A system comprising a computer storage device that comprises the non-transitory computer program product of claim 18.