Method and apparatus for tracking client interaction with a network resource

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. The first executable program may also monitor time, keyboard events, mouse events, and the like, in order to track choices and selections made by a user in the file, and may execute upon the occurrence of a predetermined event, as well as monitoring or determining the amount of information downloaded by the client. The monitored information and client identifying indicia is stored on a database in a server for use in analysis and for automatically serving out files assembled according to user interests and preferences.

Description

[0001] This is a continuation application of application Ser. No. 09 / 120,376, filed Jul. 21, 1998, now pending; which is a continuation application of 08 / 821,534, filed Mar. 21, 1997, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,796,952 on Aug. 18, 1998.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring client use of and interaction with a resource downloaded from a server on a computer network, for storing monitored data, for creating a database including profiles indexed by user and / or resource identity, and for generating customized resources based upon client profiles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The development of software packages designed to permit simplified graphical user interface (GUI)-based access to the wealth of electronic information available over the Internet and the World Wide Web has lead to a dramatic increase in the amount of information that is currently available over public computer networks. Unlike the highly controlled ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides a method for tracking the use and interaction of a user with a resource downloaded from a server on a network using a tracking program embedded in the resource and executed on a client. The tracking program monitors various indicia, such as elapsed time, mouse events, and keyboard events, to track the user's interaction with the resource. The information collected is sent back to the server for analysis and storage. The tracking program can be embedded in a network-based program, such as a Web page or ad banner, and can be used to provide highly targeted information to advertisers and marketers. The tracking program can also be used to create a database of user profiles for advertisements and marketing resources."

Problems solved by technology

Unlike the highly controlled atmosphere of a private computer network, however, it is difficult to monitor user interaction with network resources on public networks.

As a result, it is difficult for individual servers on a public network to determine how long individual users have interacted with their resources, or how much information has been downloaded.

It is equally difficult for individual servers to target specialized information to a particular audience or to learn the identity of individual users on a public network.

The techniques utilized in many private networks for monitoring client use and interaction do not lend themselves to public networks.

In a public computer network, however, use of server-resident monitoring techniques may be severely limited.

Due largely to the lack of advanced monitoring techniques available to individual servers on a public network, the same information is generally served out to all clients on a completely untargeted basis.

While various methods are known for obtaining information concerning user preferences, no such methods are automatic.

While the “customizable home page” facilitates the serving of information on a limited targeted basis, it does not provide for the automatic determination of user interests, and inconveniences the user by requesting that he or she specify various preferences.

Moreover, use of a customizable home page is limited to individual Web sites and can not be “spread out” over multiple resources on different servers.

In other words, while a customizable home page may be of use with respect to the particular resources located on a single server, it does not serve any purpose for other servers on a public network.

Like the customizable home page, this method of user-specific data acquisition requires the active participation of the user, and does not provide for the automatic determination of user preferences and interests.

In addition to the inability to serve out information on a targeted basis, which is of enormous concern from a marketing standpoint, the limited monitoring capabilities available to individual servers makes it difficult for servers and administrators to determine how long users have viewed their resources and how much information has been downloaded by individual users so as to be able to bill client use and interaction with network resources and to analyze the value and effectiveness of such resources.

In addition, while it is currently possible to track a user's links within the same resource, there is no standard way to track user's links across multiple resources on different servers.

However, there is generally no uniform way in which to monitor such occurrences.

In addition, while it is currently possible to track the number of times a particular resource has been accessed, it has generally not been possible to track the length of time a particular resource has been viewed by a particular user.

There is also a great deal of other valuable information concerning user interaction with a resource which would be useful to administrators, advertisers, marketing professionals and the like, but which can not be conveniently collected using current monitoring techniques.

In many cases, the use of an ad banner substantially increases the advertiser's exposure.

Using the limited monitoring techniques available to Internet servers, however, it is difficult to determine the effectiveness of individual Web sites and ad banners.

For instance, known monitoring techniques are generally limited to determining the number of times a Web page was downloaded.

While Web sites and ad banners have, in some cases, been valuable marketing tools, the limited monitoring capabilities available to servers on networks in which no permanent connection is made between a server and a client (such as the Internet) has prevented these marketing tools from being used to their full potential.

Since HTTP or Web servers cannot automatically determine the amount of time and the frequency at which particular users interact with their resources, Web site administrators and advertisers cannot accurately determine the effectiveness of their resources.

Since servers cannot automatically monitor user interaction and automatically obtain user preferences and interests, servers cannot assemble and serve resources targeted to individual user interests.

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