Method and system for tracking multiple information feeds on a communications network

• US 20060095507A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stuart T. Watson
• Original Assignee: Stuart T. Watson
• Inventors: Watson, Stuart T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,535 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

A method and system for tracking multiple information channels, the end-users of those channels, and the distribution partners utilizing those channels to re-syndicate the information on a communications network. The method and system may be used to collect and use information associated with syndicated information requests. The methods and system described herein may also provide the ability to personalize, customize, and target users of network devices via their requests for syndicated information including anonymous users.

Claims

1. A method for tracking syndicated information, comprising:

sending a request from a network device to a server for syndicated information including a unique syndicated information identifier;

receiving the requested syndicated information from the server on the network device, wherein the requested syndicated information includes the unique syndicated information identifier, thereby allowing the unique syndicated identifier to be connected to the request and the requesting network device;

tracking use of the requested syndicated information on the network device from the server using the unique syndicated information identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing one or more processors to executed the steps of the method.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending a request includes sending a syndicated news item request.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the request includes a Really Simple Syndication, Really Simple Syndication, ATOM, or extensible markup language (XML) request for syndicated information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the server includes Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, ATOM, or extensible markup language (XML) server.

6. A method for tracking syndicated information, comprising:

receiving a request on a server from a network device for syndicated information including a unique syndicated information source identifier;

collecting identifying information associated with the request from the network device on the server; and

storing the collected identifying information is stored on the server, thereby allowing the identifying information to be connected to the request and the requesting network device.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing one or more processors to executed the steps of the method.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the receiving a request includes receiving a syndicated information item request.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the request includes a Really Simple Syndication, Really Simple Syndication, ATOM, or extensible markup language (XML) request for syndicated information.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the unique syndicated information source identifier includes a uniform resource locator (URL) from the network device.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the server includes Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, ATOM, or extensible markup language (XML) server.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of collecting identifying information includes collecting a digital cookie from the network device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of collecting identifying information includes collection a unique syndication identifier, a source identifier and other identifying information including an Internet Protocol (IP) address, hardware address, or a device name.

14. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

writing information on the network device via the server in the form of a digital cookie; and

storing the digital cookie on the network device.

15. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

writing information on a first network device making the request via the server in the form of a digital cookie; and

storing the digital cookie on a second network device.

16. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

writing information on the network device via the server in the form of a digital cookie on the network device; and

storing the digital cookie on the server.

17. A method for tracking syndicated information, comprising:

generating a syndicated information source identifier on a server including identifying information collected from a network device in response to a request for syndicated information; and

using the generated syndicated information source identifier to personalize, customize, or target users of network devices via requests for syndicated information.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing one or more processors to executed the steps of the method.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the request for syndicated information includes a Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, ATOM, or extensible markup language (XML) request for syndicated information.

20. A method for tracking syndicated information, comprising:

generating an anonymous syndicated information source identifier on a server for a network device in response to a request for syndicated information; and

using the generated anonymous syndicated information source identifier to track an anonymous user'"'"'s behavior with respect to requesting and consuming requested syndicated information.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing one or more processors to executed the steps of the method.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the request for syndicated information includes a Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, ATOM, or extensible markup language (XML) request for syndicated information.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the using step includes:

using the to generated anonymous syndicated information source identifier to improve distribution of the syndicated information.

24. A method for altering requests for syndicated information, comprising:

receiving a request on a first server from a network device for syndicated information; and

altering the request for the syndicated information to include a syndicated information source identifier; and

redirecting the request from the first server to a second server using the syndicated information source identifier in the altered request, thereby allowing the identifying information to be connected to the request and the requesting network device.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising a computer readable medium having stored therein instructions for causing one or more processors to executed the steps of the method.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the request for syndicated information includes a Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, ATOM, or extensible markup language (XML) request for syndicated information.

27. A syndicated information tracking system, comprising in combination:

means for sending a request from a network device to a server for syndicated information including a unique syndicated information identifier;

means for receiving the requested syndicated information from the server on the network device, wherein the requested syndicated information includes the unique syndicated information identifier, thereby allowing the unique syndicated identifier to be connected to the request and the requesting network device;

means for tracking use of the requested syndicated information on the network device from the server using the unique syndicated information identifier.

28. A syndicated information tracking system, comprising in combination:

means for receiving a request on a server from a network device for syndicated information including a unique syndicated information source identifier;

means for collecting identifying information associated with the request from the network device on the server; and

means for storing the collected identifying information is stored on the server, thereby allowing the identifying information to be connected to the request and the requesting network device.

29. The syndicated information system of claim 28 further comprising:

means for using the generated syndicated information source identifier to personalize, customize, or target users of network devices via requests for syndicated information.

30. The syndicated information system of claim 28 further comprising:

means for redirecting the request from the server to a second server using the syndicated information source identifier.