Virtual Machine Ad Blocking via Web Page Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face intrusive and bothersome online advertisements that can compromise their privacy, and existing ad blockers are often rendered inoperable by advertisers, necessitating a method to effectively block advertisements without user intervention.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method using a virtual machine to identify and remove advertisements from web pages by applying machine learning algorithms, which can operate on both local and remote servers, and integrate with web isolation platforms to provide an ad-free browsing experience while also detecting and mitigating malicious content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If traditional ad blockers are used, then advertisements are blocked from view, but websites may prevent users from fully experiencing the website or block ad blockers rendering them inoperable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisements blocking user experienceVSAvoidad blocker functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a virtual machine as an intermediary layer between the user's computing device and the web server. This virtual machine receives web pages from servers, removes advertisements through rendering and image processing, and delivers cleaned pages to users. This intermediary approach bypasses website restrictions on client-side ad blockers while maintaining ad-blocking functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces traditional client-side ad blocking mechanisms with server-side processing using virtual machines. Instead of relying on browser plugins or client applications that websites can detect and block, the system uses virtualized computing environments to perform ad removal, substituting mechanical ad-blocking approaches with virtualized server-side processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If ad blockers are implemented on user devices, then users have control over ad blocking, but the system complexity increases and requires user installation and configuration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser control over ad blockingVSAvoidad blocker implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual machine system performs ad blocking automatically without requiring user installation, configuration, or interaction. The system self-manages the entire ad-blocking process from receiving web pages to delivering cleaned content, eliminating the need for users to install or maintain ad-blocking software while still providing ad-free browsing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of placing ad-blocking functionality on the user's client device, the patent inverts the architecture by implementing ad blocking on the server side through virtual machines. This reversal transfers the computational burden from users to servers, simplifying the user experience while maintaining effective ad blocking.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If virtual machines are used for ad blocking, then advertisements are effectively removed, but the computational resources and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement presence on web pagesVSAvoidcomputational resources for virtual machine operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential visual content from web pages by rendering pages to images and removing advertisement regions. This extraction approach processes only the necessary visual elements rather than analyzing and modifying entire web page structures, reducing computational overhead while maintaining effective ad removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter representation of web pages from structured HTML/code to rendered image formats. This parameter transformation enables efficient ad detection and removal through image processing techniques, reducing the computational complexity compared to parsing and analyzing web page code structures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11509688B1Virtual ad blocking on a computing device

Publication Date: 2022.11.22 GEN DIGITAL INC

AI summary

Virtual ad blocking on a computing device. In some embodiments, a method may include receiving, at the virtual machine, an indication that the computing device is requesting delivery of a web page, downloading, at the virtual machine, the web page, rendering, at the virtual machine, a first version of the web page, identifying, at the virtual machine, a presence of at least one advertisement element on the rendered first version of the web page, removing, at the virtual machine, the presence of the at least one advertisement element on the rendered first version of the web page, rendering, at the virtual machine, a second version of the web page that does not include the presence of the at least one advertisement element, and sending the second version of the web page that does not include the presence of the at least one advertisement element to the computing device.