CDN Edge Node Protocol Rewriting for Ad Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing advertisement anti-blocking methods are ineffective as they can be easily updated by blacklist systems, leading to blocked advertisement requests, which negatively impact webpage administrators and advertisement distributors.

Innovation Solution

A webpage advertisement anti-blocking method that uses a detection script to identify advertisement blocking components and rewrites advertisement requests to comply with alternative transmission protocols like WebRTC or WebSocket, allowing the requests to bypass blocking components through a content delivery network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If advertisement blocking tools use blacklist methods to block advertisement servers, then advertisement blocking effectiveness is improved, but advertisement delivery reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadvertisement blocking effectivenessVSAvoidadvertisement delivery blockage
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a CDN edge node as an intermediary between the client terminal and advertisement servers. The edge node receives advertisement requests from clients, performs protocol conversion to bypass blocking tools, and delivers advertisements through alternative channels. This intermediary approach allows advertisements to reach users even when direct communication is blocked by blacklist-based blocking tools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the communication protocol parameter from standard HTTP to alternative protocols like WebRTC or WebSocket. By transforming the request protocol, the advertisement traffic evades detection and blocking by traditional blacklist methods that target HTTP requests to known advertisement domains. The protocol transformation occurs at the CDN edge node, which rewrites the request using different protocol characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If advertisement anti-blocking methods use encrypted or interfering elements in communication addresses, then bypassing blacklists is improved, but reliability deteriorates as addresses are added to blacklists

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebypassing blacklist capabilityVSAvoidanti-blocking effectiveness durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of modifying advertisement server addresses to bypass blacklists, the patent inverts the approach by modifying the client's request protocol at the CDN edge node. The edge node receives the original advertisement request and transforms it into a different protocol type (e.g., HTTP to WebRTC), allowing the request to bypass blocking mechanisms without relying on address obfuscation that gets countered by blacklist updates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the protocol parameter of advertisement requests from HTTP to alternative protocols such as WebRTC or WebSocket. This parameter transformation occurs at the CDN edge node, which rewrites the request headers and communication characteristics. The protocol change enables advertisements to bypass blocking tools that specifically target HTTP traffic to known advertisement domains, providing more durable anti-blocking effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If intermediate proxy servers are used to pass advertisement requests, then bypassing blocks is improved, but reliability deteriorates as proxy addresses are blacklisted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadvertisement request transmissionVSAvoidproxy server effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses CDN edge nodes distributed across multiple locations as intermediaries to relay advertisement requests. Unlike single fixed proxy servers, CDN edge nodes provide distributed mediation with numerous entry points. The client terminal sends requests to the CDN network, which routes them through appropriate edge nodes that perform protocol conversion and delivery, providing redundancy and avoiding single-point blacklisting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the advertisement delivery function across multiple CDN edge nodes distributed geographically. Instead of relying on a single proxy server that can be blacklisted, the system divides the delivery function across many edge locations. Each edge node independently handles requests in its region, providing segmented redundancy that maintains effectiveness even if individual nodes are blocked.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3528474B1Webpage advertisement Anti-shielding methods and content distribution network
Publication Date: 2020.09.16 CHINANETCENT TECH
  • EP3528474B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3528474B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3528474B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A webpage advertisement anti-blocking method includes: receiving an access request for a target page issued by a client terminal, and in response to the access request, feeding back a response including a detection script to the client terminal, wherein the detection script, when running on the client terminal, detects whether there exists an advertisement blocking component on the client terminal and whether the client terminal supports a specified transmission protocol, and determines, based on a detection result on the client terminal, whether to transmit loading information of the target page to an advertisement request rewriting module, to allow the advertisement request rewriting module to rewrite an advertisement request included in the loading information as a rewritten request complying with the specified transmission protocol.