Identifying associated systems such as advertising networks

• US 8,782,129 B1
• Filed: 11/23/2011
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Liang, Mike Hsin-Ping, Deckel, Johan, Kulkarni, Sanjeev, Kawasaki, Christine I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thu
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIDHALM, ANGELA M
• Application Number:
  US13/303,883
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Among other disclosure, a method includes receiving first electronic content configured for displaying a first page in a browser, the first electronic content including a document object model for the first page. Content in the document object model is identified as corresponding to at least one advertisement on the first page, the first page further including page content. Information is extracted from the identified content to be used in identifying an advertising network system that the advertisement links to. An identity of the advertising network system is determined using the extracted information. Second electronic content is generated using the first electronic content and the determined identity of the advertising network system. A second page including the page content of the first page and the advertisement is generated and displayed. On the second page the advertisement is labeled with the determined identity of the advertising network system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying to a user an advertising network system associated with an advertisement, the method comprising:

identifying, in a document object model for a first page, information corresponding to at least one advertisement;

determining, using the identified information, an identity of an advertising network system that selects the advertisement for presentation on the first page and distributes the advertisement on behalf of an advertiser;

generating electronic content, different from the advertisement and from the first page, using at least the determined identity of the advertising network system; and

displaying, using the generated electronic content, a second page that includes, as part of the second page, at least part of the first page and the generated electronic content, wherein on the second page the generated electronic content indicates the determined identity of the advertising network system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the electronic content to a central reporting server.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

filtering user-identifying data from the electronic content.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the advertising network system is configured to distribute advertisements on behalf of multiple different advertisers for publication on one or more of the first page and other pages, and wherein the advertising network system obtains the advertisement from one of the advertisers.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the advertisement as distributed by the advertising network system includes an identity of the advertiser.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the identified information is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a link, a tag, a frame, and combinations thereof.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the electronic content comprises modifying the document object model.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the electronic content comprises generating a new document object model using the document object model.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the first page before displaying the second page.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the second page is displayed upon request by a user to whom the first page is displayed.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein displaying the second page including the generated content comprises placing a label on the first page, the label including the determined identity.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first page is generated using a first canvas in a browser, and wherein the second page is displayed by generating a second canvas in the browser and overwriting the first canvas with the second canvas.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an identification area listing any advertising network system whose identity has been determined for the first page.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the identification area is presented using at least one of a pop-up, an information bubble, an iframe, an overlay, or a browser status bar message.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein for another advertisement on the first page no advertising network system is identified, the method further comprising generating a report regarding the other advertisement.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of the other advertisement on the first page;

identifying other information in the document model, the other information corresponding to the other advertisement; and

including the identified other information in the report.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input with an advertising network system identification for the other advertisement, and including the advertising network system identification in the report.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein multiple advertising network systems are identified for the first page, further comprising displaying a list on the first page, the list including determined identities for the multiple advertising network systems.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein multiple advertisements are selected and distributed by the advertising network system for presentation on the first page, and wherein the generated electronic content comprises a single identifier for the multiple advertisements, the single identifier identifying the determined identity of the advertising network system.

19. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, cause a method to be performed comprising:

identifying, in a document object model for a first page, information corresponding to at least one advertisement;

determining, using the identified information, an identity of an advertising network system that selects the advertisement for presentation on the first page and distributes the advertisement on behalf of an advertiser;

generating electronic content, different from the advertisement and from the first page, using at least the determined identity of the advertising network system; and

displaying, using the generated electronic content, a second page that includes, as part of the second page, at least part of the first page and the generated electronic content, wherein on the second page the generated electronic content indicates the determined identity of the advertising network system.

20. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, generate on a display device a graphical user interface for identifying an advertising network system to a user, the graphical user interface comprising:

a page content area presenting a page having at least one advertisement, wherein an identity of an advertising network system that selects the advertisement for presentation on the page and distributes the advertisement on behalf of an advertiser is determined using a document object model for the page; and

added to content of the page in the page content area as part of the page, an indicator of the determined identity of the advertising network system, the indicator different from the advertisement and from the page.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the graphical user interface further includes a selectively displayable area listing any advertising network system identified for the page.