Unblockable Ad Delivery via Dynamic Path Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ad blockers effectively block online advertisements by identifying and blacklisting ad server domains, leading to a 'cat and mouse' game where ad serving companies struggle to maintain ad delivery across publisher sites, resulting in disrupted revenue streams for publishers and inefficient bandwidth usage.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows publishers to host a module and server-side script on their web server, which generates random file paths and injects ad codes into web pages, bypassing ad blockers by routing ad requests through the publisher's server, thus avoiding domain blacklisting and html element-specific blocking rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ad servers use fixed domain names and HTML elements for ad delivery, then ad serving is simple and direct, but ad blockers can easily blacklist and block ads
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making ad request paths dynamic and random rather than fixed. The system generates random file paths for ad requests (e.g., /ads/ followed by random characters) and rotates between multiple ad server domains. This dynamic behavior prevents ad blockers from creating effective blacklists since the request patterns constantly change.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer between the publisher's website and the ad server. Instead of direct ad requests from the browser to the ad server, all ad requests go through the publisher's server which then forwards them to the ad server. This intermediary obscures the actual ad server domain from the user's browser, making blacklisting difficult.
2Ease of manufacture
If publishers use 3rd party ad serving companies with standardized ad tags, then ad serving setup is easy, but ad blockers can blanket block all ads from that ad network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ad serving process into multiple independent components: the publisher's server, random path generation, domain rotation, and ad server communication. Each component operates independently and can be configured separately. This segmentation allows the system to maintain ease of setup while avoiding blanket blocking by making the ad serving process unique to each publisher's implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters of ad requests including the file path (using random strings), the domain (rotating between multiple domains), and the request timing. These parameter changes ensure that even if one ad request pattern is blocked, other patterns will succeed, maintaining ad display reliability while keeping the system relatively easy to set up.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If ad blockers implement strict domain blacklisting, then ad blocking effectiveness increases, but bandwidth is wasted on blocked ad requests
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring multiple valid ad server domains and random path patterns on the publisher's server. Before actual ad requests are made, the system prepares a pool of domains and path templates that are known to work. This preliminary preparation allows the system to efficiently route requests through valid paths without wasting bandwidth on obviously blocked domains.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system monitors which ad requests succeed and which are blocked. Based on this feedback, the system learns which domains and paths are effective and adjusts its request patterns accordingly. This feedback loop improves ad blocking effectiveness while reducing bandwidth waste by avoiding repeatedly trying blocked paths.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a system and process of delivering online media content files to websites which are not capable of being blocked. The system and process provides a publisher with a sub-domain name that is pointed to an IP provided by an ad server and ask publisher to update his DNS records. Concurrently, the system delivers the user a script on the newly suggested sub domain that publisher inserts in HEAD tag of web pages where it is determined that the unblockable ads are to be displayed.