Dynamic Content Auditing via External Time Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for auditing dynamic content, such as determining the number of client systems presenting specific content during auditable events, face challenges when embedded instructions are absent, leading to inaccurate tracking of advertising content presentation across packet-based networks.
Innovation Solution
A system that utilizes status messages from client systems to determine presentation times and event times, allowing an auditing system to calculate the number of client systems presenting dynamic content during auditable events, even without embedded auditing tags, by accessing presentation and event time information from these messages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If embedded instructions are used in dynamic content to track auditable events, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the auditing function from the dynamic content itself by using separate status messages and event time information that are independently generated and transmitted. This removes the need for embedded instructions within the content while maintaining tracking capability through external correlation of presentation time and event time data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary auditing system that receives status messages from client systems and event time information separately, then correlates them to determine auditable events. This intermediary approach avoids modifying the dynamic content structure while achieving accurate tracking through temporal correlation.
2Reliability
If embedded instructions are used in dynamic content for auditing, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The auditing functionality is extracted from the content production process. Instead of embedding instructions during content creation, the system generates status messages and event time information separately from the dynamic content, simplifying content production while maintaining auditing reliability through post-production correlation.
Solution Approach 2:
Client systems automatically generate status messages and present dynamic content without requiring manual embedding of auditing instructions. The system self-services the auditing function by correlating automatically generated presentation time data with event time information, eliminating the need for complex content production processes.
3Device complexity
If presentation time information and event time information are correlated without embedded tags, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by having client systems generate and transmit status messages containing presentation time information before auditing is needed, and having event time information recorded separately. This preliminary data collection enables accurate correlation without embedded tags, maintaining measurement precision while reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback loops where client systems continuously send status messages about content presentation, and the auditing system correlates this feedback with event time information. This continuous feedback mechanism ensures accurate tracking through temporal correlation without requiring embedded instructions in the content.
Data Source
AI summary
At times, it may be desirable to determine that a client system is, or to determine the number of client systems that are, presenting particular dynamic content when an auditable event occurs in the dynamic content. One manner of making the determination may include accessing presentation time information that indicates the time(s) at which one or more client systems present particular dynamic content and accessing event time information indicating the time(s) at which one or more auditable events occur in the dynamic particular content. Based on the presentation time information and the event time information, it may be possible to determine that a client system is, or to determine the number of client systems that are, presenting particular dynamic content when an auditable event occurs in the dynamic content.