Method and system to detect invalid and fraudulent impressions and clicks in web-based advertisement systems
DC CAFCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for detecting fraudulent activity in a pay-per-click system, comprising:
- (a) providing a pay-per-click engine on a server side;
b) receiving, at said server side, a request from a client;
c) generating a unique code on the server side, for identifying said client;
d) transmitting said code to said client from the server side;
e) transmitting to said client from the server side, in response to said request, one or more links associated with one or more websites associated with one or more merchants;
f) generating website information regarding a website selected by the client when said client clicks one of said links;
g) transmitting said code and said website information together from said client to said server side;
h) receiving said code and said website information at the server side, and detecting fraudulent activity by measuring the duration between clicks by said client to said selected website by examining said code and website information.
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1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention improves upon existing pay-per-click arrangements periodically generating a code associated with the search-engine users. This code, preferably in the form of a serial number, is compared to the user of the website, such that by observing a metric like the number of clicks for a given period of time, be it a short time or a longer period, such as a day or a week, the system can automatically determine if certain clicks are illegitimate. This allows the pay-per-click company to more fairly invoice the merchants, thereby preventing fraudulent over use.
44 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for detecting fraudulent activity in a pay-per-click system, comprising:
- (a) providing a pay-per-click engine on a server side;
b) receiving, at said server side, a request from a client;
c) generating a unique code on the server side, for identifying said client;
d) transmitting said code to said client from the server side;
e) transmitting to said client from the server side, in response to said request, one or more links associated with one or more websites associated with one or more merchants;
f) generating website information regarding a website selected by the client when said client clicks one of said links;
g) transmitting said code and said website information together from said client to said server side;
h) receiving said code and said website information at the server side, and detecting fraudulent activity by measuring the duration between clicks by said client to said selected website by examining said code and website information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- (a) providing a pay-per-click engine on a server side;
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10. In an advertising system including a pay-per-click engine on a server side, the pay-per-click engine providing one or more links associated with one or more web pages to a user at a device on a client side, the method for identifying fraud comprising the steps of:
- generating a code on the server side, the code identifying said device on the client side;
sending said code to said device;
receiving data from said device, said data including said code and information about one or more selections by the user of at least one of said one or more web pages;
determining from said data whether said at least one of said selections of said at least one web page is fraudulent; and
examining a duration between a time of one of said selections of said at least one web site and a time of another of said selections of said at least one web site. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
- generating a code on the server side, the code identifying said device on the client side;
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14. A method for detecting fraudulent activity in a pay-per-click system, comprising:
- (a) providing a pay-per-click engine on a server side;
b) receiving, at said server side, a request from a client;
c) generating a unique code on the server side, for identifying said client;
d) transmitting said code to said client from the server side;
e) transmitting to said client from the server side, in response to said request, one or more links associated with one or more websites associated with one or more merchants;
f) receiving, on said server side, website information regarding a website selected by the client together with said code, when said client clicks one of said links;
g) detecting fraudulent activity by measuring the duration between clicks by said client to said selected website by examining said code and website information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- (a) providing a pay-per-click engine on a server side;
Specification