Detecting visibility of a content item using tasks triggered by a timer

• US 9,460,159 B1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mostowy, Walter Alexander, Lippert, Rudiger, Zhang, Peng
• Primary Examiner(s): KUDDUS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/101,620
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 707/725, 707/726, 707/736, 707/741, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/25 Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A module may be included with a content item. The module may be configured such that the module performs a number of tasks at a first rate via a timer when the module is visible and at a second rate via a timer when the module is not visible. A script may be used with the module to determine the number of times the task has been executed by the module and to compare the number of times the task has been executed to a value. If the number of times that the task has been executed by the module is greater than the value then data may be output to indicate the that content item has been viewed. In some instances, the module may be used with a content item served in a cross-domain iframe.

Claims

1. A method for detecting visibility of a content item comprising:

receiving, at one or more processors of a content item selection system, a request for a content item;

generating, using the one or more processors, a script configured to;

determine that the content item is to be displayed as part of a cross-domain iframe,

inject a first module at a first position within the content item, the first module executing a task a first predetermined number of times per second when the first module is visible on a display of a client device and a second predetermined number of times per second when the first module is not visible on the display of the client device,

inject a second module at a second position within the content item, the second module executing the task the first predetermined number of times per second when the second module is visible on a display of a client device and the second predetermined number of times per second when the second module is not visible on the display of the client device,

determine a first number of times the task executed by the first module has been performed at a first time,

determine a second number of times the task executed by the first module has been performed at a second time,

determine a third number of times the task executed by the second module has been performed at the first time,

determine a fourth number of times the task executed by the second module has been performed at the second time,

determine a first difference between the first number of times and the second number of times,

determine a second difference between the third number of times and the fourth number of times, and

output data to the content item selection system including a parameter indicating at least a threshold amount of the content item was viewed in response to determining both the first difference and the second difference are greater than a predetermined value;

serving the content item and the script to the client device;

selecting, using one or more processors, code to configure the module; and

serving the code to configure the module to the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is further configured to store, in a cache of the client device, the first number of times and the second number of times the task executed by the first module has been performed, and the third number of times and the fourth number of times the task executed by the second module has been performed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is configured to output the data to a view data module including the parameter at an end of a page session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first module and the second module are invisible pixel-sized modules.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the script is further configured to associate a third module with a pixel of the content item, wherein the pixel of the content item is positioned substantially in the center of the content item.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the script is further configured to set a z-index position of the third module as a last element in a stack order.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first module and the second module is configured to end the execution of the task if the number of times the task executed by the module has been performed is greater than a value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined number of times per second is 24 and the second predetermined number of times per second is 2.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter included with the data indicates that at least a threshold amount of the content item was not viewed in response to determining both the first difference and the second difference are not greater than the predetermined value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the script is further configured to periodically retrieve the number of times the task executed by each of the first module and the second module has been performed and compare the retrieved number of times the task executed by each of the first module and the second module has been performed to a value.

11. A method for outputting a view parameter for a content item comprising:

receiving, at a client device, a content item and code to configure a plurality of modules injected at a plurality of positions within the content item, wherein each of the modules is configured to execute a task a first predetermined number of times per second when the module is visible on a display of the client device and a second predetermined number of times per second when the module is not visible on the display of the client device;

injecting, using one or more processors of the client device, a first module at a first position within the content item and a second module at a second position within the content item;

determining, using one or more processors of the client device, a first number of times the task executed by the first module has been performed at a first time;

determining, using one or more processors of the client device, a second number of times the task executed by the first module has been performed at a second time,

determining a third number of times the task executed by the second module has been performed at the first time,

determining a fourth number of times the task executed by the second module has been performed at the second time,

storing the first number of times, the second number of times, the third number of times, and the fourth number of times in a cache;

determining, using one or more processors of the client device, a first difference between the first number of times and the second number of times and a second difference between the third number of times and the fourth number of times; and

transmitting data to a content item selection system including a parameter indicating at least a threshold amount of the content item was viewed in response to determining both the first difference and the second difference are greater than a predetermined value, wherein the predetermined value is a numerical value between the first predetermined number of times and the second predetermined number of times.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the parameter indicates that at least a threshold amount of the content item was not viewed in response to determining both the first difference and the second difference are not greater than the predetermined value.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first predetermined number of times per second is 24, and wherein the second predetermined number of times per second is 2.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

measuring, using one or more processors of the client device, a vertical position and a horizontal position of the content item; and

modifying a position of at least one of the plurality of modules based, at least in part, on the measured vertical position and the measured horizontal position.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one module is a sibling of the content item.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

storing, in a storage device of the client device, data to configure the plurality of modules;

receiving, at the client device, a second content item including a reference to the data to configure the plurality of modules; and

associating, using one or more processors of the client device, a plurality of configured modules with the received second content item.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a storage device storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request for a content item,

selecting code to configure a first module and a second module, wherein each of the first module and the second module is configured to execute a task a first predetermined number of times per second when the module is visible on a display of a client device and a second predetermined number of times per second when the module is not visible on the display of the client device,

generating a script configured to;

determine that the content item is to be displayed as part of a cross-domain iframe,

associate the first module with the content item, wherein the first module is an invisible pixel-sized module, wherein the first module is associated with a plurality of pixels of the content item positioned along a first hyperbolic curve, wherein the first hyperbolic curve indicates a first amount of the content item is visible;

associate the second module with the content item, wherein the second module is an invisible pixel-sized module, wherein the second module is associated with at least one pixel at a first corner of the content item;

determine a first number of times the task executed by the first module has been performed at a first time,

determine a second number of times the task executed by first module has been performed at a second time,

determine a third number of times the task executed by the second module has been performed at the first time,

determine a fourth number of times the task executed by the second module has been performed at the second time,

determine a first difference between the first number of times and the second number of times and a second difference between the third number of times and the fourth number of times,

output data including a parameter, wherein the parameter indicates that the first amount of content item indicated by the first hyperbolic curve was viewed in response to determining both the first difference and the second difference are greater than a predetermined value, wherein the parameter indicates that the first amount of content item was not viewed in response to determining both the first difference and the second difference are not greater than the predetermined value, and

serving the content item, the script, and the selected code to the client device in response to the request for a content item.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein script is further configured to:

associate a third module with the content item, wherein the third module is configured to execute the task the first predetermined number of times per second when the third module is visible on the display of the client device, wherein the third module is configured to execute the task the second predetermined number of times per second when the third module is not visible on the display of the client device, wherein the third module is an invisible pixel-sized module, wherein the third module is associated with a third pixel of the content item positioned substantially at a second corner of the content item, wherein the second corner is opposite the first corner.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the task is not an animation of frames.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the script is further configured to:

associate a fourth module with the content item, wherein the fourth module is configured to execute the task the first predetermined number of times per second when the fourth module is visible on the display of the client device, wherein the third module is configured to execute the task the second predetermined number of times per second when the fourth module is not visible on the display of the client device, wherein the fourth module is an invisible pixel-sized module, wherein the fourth module is associated a plurality of pixels positioned along a second hyperbolic curve, wherein the second hyperbolic curve indicates a second amount of content item is visible.