Browser Interaction Tracking Controls for External Call Blocking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies fail to effectively manage and control network calls initiated by online resources, leading to increased network traffic, power consumption, and reduced privacy for users.
Innovation Solution
A browser on a client device detects and aggregates contributions of domains delivering external content, presenting a visual representation of these contributions, allowing users or resource providers to select and prevent subsequent network calls to specific domains, and optionally routes calls through VPNs or overlay networks to conceal user data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If the browser allows all external calls to remote servers, then content delivery is optimized and loading time is improved, but network traffic increases, power consumption increases, and user privacy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments external domains into different categories (allowlist, blocklist, contribution-based groups) and applies different call management strategies to each segment. This allows the system to optimize loading time for important domains while blocking calls from domains that only contribute to tracking, thereby reducing overall power consumption without significantly impacting user experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes the parameter of external call permission based on domain contribution level and user interaction. Domains are re-evaluated over time, and their call permissions are adjusted according to their actual contribution to content delivery versus tracking activities, creating an adaptive power management strategy.
2Productivity
If the browser allows all external calls to remote servers, then content delivery is optimized, but network traffic increases and user privacy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and identifies the specific portion of network traffic that contributes to user tracking versus content delivery. By separating tracking-related external calls from content-delivery calls, the system can selectively block tracking traffic while maintaining optimal content delivery performance.
3Ease of operation
If the browser provides detailed tracking of domain contributions, then user control over privacy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the browser automatically monitors, aggregates, and evaluates domain contributions without requiring user intervention. The system autonomously builds allowlists and blocklists based on observed domain behavior, reducing the operational burden on users while maintaining detailed tracking capabilities.
4Reliability
If the browser prevents external calls from selected domains, then user privacy is improved and power consumption is reduced, but content delivery may be impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a dynamic external call management system where domain permissions are not static but continuously adjusted based on observed behavior. Domains that initially contribute to content delivery are monitored, and if they transition to primarily tracking activities, their permissions are automatically reduced or blocked, ensuring privacy protection without permanently impacting content delivery.
Data Source
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AI summary
A browser executing on a client device can detect external calls to remote servers generated by an online document. The browser can detect, in external content received in response to the external calls and for presentation in the online document, metadata describing domains that contributed to the delivery of the external content to the client device. The browser can aggregate, for each of the domains, a contribution of the domain to enable the presentation of the external content with the online document over a specified time period. The browser can present a visual representation of the contribution of each of at least some of the domains. The browser can receive, in response to interaction with the visual representation, a selection of one or more domains among the at least some domains. The browser can prevent the one or more domains from receiving subsequent external calls from the browser.