Use of browser history file to determine web site reach

• US 8,862,712 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Blumenau, Trevor I., Harkness, David H., Bhatia, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHARDSON, THOMAS W
• Application Number:
  US12/242,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/219, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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

Methods and apparatus for using a browser history file to determine web site reach are disclosed. An example method includes accessing Web site access history information stored at a client computer, accessing a user setting corresponding to a duration of time for retention of the Web site access history information, and sending the Web site access history information and the user setting to a collection computer different from the client computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, with a processor, Web site access history information stored at a client computer, the Web site access history information including access history information for at least a first Web site of a first internet domain and a second Web site of a second internet domain different than the first internet domain;

accessing a user setting corresponding to a duration of time for retention of the Web site access history information, the user setting stored at the client computer for a browser executed by the client computer, wherein Web site access history information that exceeds the duration is removed from the Web site access history information while the user setting and Web site access history information that does not exceed the duration set by the user setting are retained;

sending the user setting to a collection computer different from the client computer; and

repeatedly sending the Web site access history information to the collection computer, wherein the collection computer receives Web site access history information from a plurality of client computers for a plurality of users, the Web site access history information from the plurality of client computers arranged in a common format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a data collection application from a server computer to the client computer and copying the Web site access history information through execution of the data collection application on the client computer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the server computer is the collection computer.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing in the collection computer the Web site access history information from the client computer together with Web site access history information from other computers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the Web site access history information, accessing the user setting, and sending the Web site access history information and the user setting to the collection computer are performed by a meter located at the client computer.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing in the collection computer the Web site access history information from the client computer together with Web site access history information from a second computer different from the client computer and different from the collection computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the Web site access history information is stored by the browser.

8. A method comprising:

accessing, with a processor, Web site access history information stored at a client computer, the Web site access history information including access history information for at least a first Web site of a first internet domain and a second Web site of a second internet domain different than the first internet domain;

accessing a user setting corresponding to a duration of time for retention of the Web site access history information, the user setting stored at the client computer for a browser executed by the client computer, wherein Web site access history information that exceeds the duration is removed from the Web site access history information while the user setting and Web site access history information that does not exceed the duration set by the user setting are retained; and

sending the user setting to a collection computer different from the client computer; and

repeatedly sending the Web site access history information to the collection computer, wherein accessing the Web site access history information stored at the client computer, accessing the user setting corresponding to the duration of time for retention of the Web site access history information, and sending the Web site access history information and the user setting to the collection computer different from the client computer are performed by an application different than the browser, wherein the collection computer receives Web site access history information from a plurality of client computers for a plurality of users, the Web site access history information from the plurality of client computers arranged in a common format.

9. A method comprising:

monitoring, with a processor, a Web site browser at a first computer to determine when the Web site browser stores Web site access history information in a history file, the Web site access history information including access history information for at least a first Web site of a first internet domain and a second Web site of a second internet domain different than the first internet domain;

intercepting the Web site access history information when it is determined that the Web site access history information is being stored in the history file;

accessing a user setting corresponding to a duration of time for retention of the Web site access history information, the user setting stored at the first computer for the Web site browser executing on the first computer, wherein Web site access history information that exceeds the duration is removed from the Web site access history information while the user setting and Web site access history information that does not exceed the duration set by the user setting are retained;

communicating the user setting to a second computer different from the first computer; and

repeatedly communicating the intercepted Web site access history information to the second computer, wherein the second computer receives Web site access history information from a plurality of client computers for a plurality of users, the Web site access history information from the plurality of client computers arranged in a common format.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a data collection application from a third computer to the first computer, wherein intercepting the Web site access history information is performed through execution of the data collection application on the processor of the first computer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising storing in the second computer the Web site access history information from the first computer together with Web site access history information from a third computer networked to the first computer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring the Web site browser at the first computer to determine when the Web site browser stores Web site access history information in the history file and intercepting the Web site access history information when it is determined that the Web site access history information is being stored in the history file are performed by a meter located at the first computer.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a data collection application from a second computer to the first computer, and collecting the Web site access history information through execution of the data collection application on the first computer.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing in the second computer the Web site access history information from the first computer together with Web site access history information from a third computer.

15. A tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to at least:

access Web site access history information stored at a client computer, the Web site access history information including access history information for at least a first Web site of a first internet domain and a second Web site of a second internet domain different than the first internet domain;

access a user setting corresponding to a duration of time for retention of the Web site access history information, the user setting stored at the client computer for a browser executing on the client computer, wherein Web site access history information that exceeds the duration is removed from the Web site access history information while Web site access history information that does not exceed the duration is retained;

transmit the user setting to a central facility; and

repeatedly transmit the Web site access history information to the central facility, wherein the central facility receives Web site access history information from a plurality of client computers for a plurality of users, the Web site access history information from the plurality of client computers arranged in a common format.

16. The tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions are received from a server via a network.

17. The tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the Web site access history information is to be stored together with Web site access history information from a second client computer.

18. The tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the Web site access history information is stored by the browser executed by the client computer.

19. The tangible machine readable storage disk or storage device as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions are a part of an application different than the browser.