System and method for monitoring the use of a resource by a client connected to a computer network having one or more servers in communication with one or more clients

• US 7,406,516 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2003
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: NetRatings Incorporated (NetRatings)
• Inventors: Davis, Owen, Jain, Vidyut
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell; Robert B
• Application Number:
  US10/653,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 705/52, 705/412, 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3409 for performance assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3495 for systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• 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 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for monitoring client interaction with a resource downloaded from a server in a computer network includes the steps of using a client to specify an address of a resource located on a first server, downloading a file corresponding to the resource from the first server in response to specification of the address, using the client to specify an address of a first executable program located on a second server, the address of the first executable program being embedded in the file downloaded from the first server, the first executable program including a software timer for monitoring the amount of time the client spends interacting with and displaying the file downloaded from the first server, downloading the first executable program from the second server to run on the client so as to determine the amount of time the client interacts with the file downloaded from the first server, using a server to acquire client identifying indicia from the client, and uploading the amount of time determined by the first executable program to a third server.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring use of a resource by a client connected to a computer network having one or more servers in communication with one or more clients, the method comprising:

receiving at a client a first HTML document, identified by a first URL, from a first web server, the first HTML document comprising a link to one or more first instructions, the one or more first instructions resident on a second server;

running, by the client, the one or more first instructions linked to by the first HTML document, the one or more first instructions operative to cause the client to generate a first indication of receipt of the first HTML document by the client;

receiving at the client a second HTML document identified by a second URL from a second web server, the second HTML document comprising a link to one or more second instructions, the one or more second instructions resident on the second server;

running, by the client, the one or more second instructions linked to by the second HTML document, the one or more second instructions operative to cause the client to generate a second indication of receipt of the second HTML document by the client; and

transmitting the first indication and the second indication to a third server.