Embedded-advertising content presented in document context

• US 8,930,971 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Meera G., Kshetramade, Sanjay, Pinkovezky, Aviad, Mikles, Kevin R., Cherian, Eldo K., Cao, Kancheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US14/216,894
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 719/329
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A user may activate an embedded advertisement in an embedded window in a document, such as a web page. This embedded advertisement may be associated with a domain (a granddaughter domain) that is different than the domain associated with the embedded window (a daughter domain) and the domain associated with the document (a parent domain). In older browsers, cross-domain communication may not be supported in this circumstance. This problem is solved by opening a series of windows from the granddaughter domain, each of which is associated with a candidate origin of the document. Then, access commands associated with the windows are communicated to the domain of the document. Only the access command for the window having the correct origin of the domain of the document is processed, which results in content associated with the embedded advertisement being linked at a source and presented or displayed in the embedded advertisement.

Claims

1. A computer-system-implemented method for providing content, the method comprising:

using the computer system, loading a document associated with a first domain, wherein the document includes an embedded document associated with a daughter domain, and wherein the embedded document includes an embedded advertisement associated with a granddaughter domain;

receiving information in the granddaughter domain indicating that a viewer of the document activated the embedded advertisement;

in response to receiving the information, determining if the document supports a cross-domain communication technique;

if the document does not support the cross-domain communication technique, determining if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain;

if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain, invoking, in the granddaughter domain, a series of windows corresponding to different candidate origins of the first domain;

communicating access commands associated with the windows from the granddaughter domain to the document associated with the first domain, wherein a given access command includes one of the candidate origins, a content identifier for content associated with the embedded advertisement and a source location of the content; and

processing one of the access commands having a candidate origin that is the same as that of the first domain using a cross-domain communication module executing in an environment of the first domain, wherein the processing involves linking to the content at the source location, which is displayed in one of the windows associated with the one of the access commands.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining involves invoking, in a command, the cross-domain communication module;

and

wherein the invoking fails if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-domain communication technique includes postMessage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the windows include iframes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, prior to invoking the series of windows, the method further comprises accessing a list of predefined candidate origins of the first domain.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, relative to each other, the candidate origins of the first domain have one of:

different protocols, different port numbers and different subdomains.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content includes one of:

a video, and a presentation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access commands are compatible with JAVASCRIPT OBJECT NOTATION.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the document includes a web page;

and

wherein the environment of the first domain includes INTERNET EXPLORER 7.

10. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein, to provide content, the computer-program mechanism including:

instructions for loading a document associated with a first domain, wherein the document includes an embedded document associated with a daughter domain, and wherein the embedded document includes an embedded advertisement associated with a granddaughter domain;

instructions for receiving information in the granddaughter domain indicating that a viewer of the document activated the embedded advertisement;

instructions for determining if the document supports a cross-domain communication technique in response to receiving the information;

instructions for determining if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain in response to receiving the information if the document does not support the cross-domain communication technique;

instructions for invoking, in the granddaughter domain if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain, a series of windows corresponding to different candidate origins of the first domain;

instructions for communicating access commands associated with the windows from the granddaughter domain to the document associated with the first domain, wherein a given access command includes one of the candidate origins, a content identifier for content associated with the embedded advertisement and a source location of the content; and

instructions for processing one of the access commands having a candidate origin that is the same as that of the first domain using a cross-domain communication module executing in an environment of the first domain, wherein the processing involves linking to the content at the source location, which is displayed in one of the windows associated with the one of the access commands.

11. The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the instructions for determining include instructions for invoking, in a command, the cross-domain communication module;

and

wherein the instructions for invoking fail if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain.

12. The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein, prior to the instructions for invoking the series of windows, the computer-program mechanism further comprises instructions for accessing a list of predefined candidate origins of the first domain.

13. The computer-program product of claim 10, wherein the access commands are compatible with JAVASCRIPT OBJECT NOTATION.

14. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

memory; and

a program module, wherein the program module is stored in the memory and configurable to be executed by the processor to provide content, the program module including;

instructions for loading a document associated with a first domain, wherein the document includes an embedded document associated with a daughter domain, and wherein the embedded document includes an embedded advertisement associated with a granddaughter domain;

instructions for receiving information in the granddaughter domain indicating that a viewer of the document activated the embedded advertisement;

instructions for determining if the document supports a cross-domain communication technique in response to receiving the information;

instructions for determining if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain in response to receiving the information if the document does not support the cross-domain communication technique;

instructions for invoking, in the granddaughter domain if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain, a series of windows corresponding to different candidate origins of the first domain;

instructions for communicating access commands associated with the windows from the granddaughter domain to the document associated with the first domain, wherein a given access command includes one of the candidate origins, a content identifier for content associated with the embedded advertisement and a source location of the content; and

instructions for processing one of the access commands having a candidate origin that is the same as that of the first domain using a cross-domain communication module executing in an environment of the first domain, wherein the processing involves linking to the content at the source location, which is displayed in one of the windows associated with the one of the access commands.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the instructions for determining include instructions for invoking, in a command, the cross-domain communication module;

and

wherein the instructions for invoking fail if the first domain is different than the granddaughter domain.

16. The computer system of claim 14, wherein, prior to the instructions for invoking the series of windows, the program module further comprises instructions for accessing a list of predefined candidate origins of the first domain.

17. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the access commands are compatible with JAVASCRIPT OBJECT NOTATION.