System And Method For Identifying Hidden Content

1 . A method of identifying hidden content comprising:

analyzing rendered code for a digital display page to identify objects;

extracting graphic images displayed in the objects;

creating a repository of the graphic images;

saving a rendered version of the digital display page as an image;

identifying visible images, and marking the remaining images as “invisible”; and

classifying the digital display page based on the marked images.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital display page is captured using a crawler or using a client side browser plugin.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visible images are identified by using image analysis to compare each graphic image contained within the image of the rendered version of the digital display page with the graphic images in the repository, and identifying as visible those graphic images from the image of the rendered version of the digital display page that are found among the graphic images in the repository.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital display page is classified as containing an invisible object if any object of the digital display page is marked as invisible.

5 . A method of identifying hidden content comprising:

analyzing code for a digital display page by performing a geometric analysis of a location of an object to identify whether the object is within a viewable portion of the digital display page;

performing a resource-based analysis to measure computer resources in use to determine whether the object is being prepared for display, and

when an object is identified as viewable based on the geometric analysis while at the same time considered not viewable based on the resource based analysis, the object and digital display page are classified as invisible.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the geometric analysis is performed by:

calculating a location of the object on the digital display page;

calculating a location of viewable areas of a browser within the digital display page;

calculating a size of an open browser window; and

determining whether the object is located in an area that is viewable to the user, such as within the browser window, with the browser window in focus and not covered by other applications.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the resource-based analysis is performed by:

determining an amount of CPU resource utilization.

8 . A method of identifying hidden content comprising:

performing a plurality of analyses on a digital display page to determine whether the digital display page includes content is hidden, wherein each analysis may determine a different result based on whether content in the digital display page is delivered but hidden;

comparing the resulting determinations of the analyses;

when the analyses all determine that the content is not hidden, classifying the digital display page as not including hidden content; and

when at least one analysis determines that the content is not hidden and at least one analysis determines that the content is hidden, classifying the digital display page as including hidden content.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of analyses includes at least one of a page-rendering analysis, a resource-based analysis, a code analysis, a geometric analysis, or identifying existence of the object and saving creative or graphic elements of the object.

10 . A system for identifying hidden content comprising a processor, memory accessible by the processor, and program instructions and data stored in the memory, the program instructions executable by the processor to perform:

analyzing rendered code for a digital display page to identify objects;

extracting graphic images displayed in the objects;

creating a repository of the graphic images;

saving a rendered version of the digital display page as an image;

identifying visible images, and marking the remaining images as “invisible”; and

classifying the digital display page based on the marked images.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the digital display page is captured using a crawler or using a client side browser plugin.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the visible images are identified by using image analysis to compare each graphic image contained within the image of the rendered version of the digital display page with the graphic images in the repository, and identifying as visible those graphic images from the image of the rendered version of the digital display page that are found among the graphic images in the repository.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the digital display page is classified as containing an invisible object if any object of the digital display page is marked as invisible.

14 . A system for identifying hidden content comprising a processor, memory accessible by the processor, and program instructions and data stored in the memory, the program instructions executable by the processor to perform:

analyzing code for a digital display page by performing a geometric analysis of a location of an object to identify whether the object is within a viewable portion of the digital display page;

performing a resource-based analysis to measure computer resources in use to determine whether the object is being prepared for display, and

when an object is identified as viewable based on the geometric analysis while at the same time considered not viewable based on the resource based analysis, the object and digital display page are classified as invisible.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the geometric analysis is performed by:

calculating a location of the object on the digital display page;

calculating a location of viewable areas of a browser within the digital display page;

calculating a size of an open browser window; and

determining whether the object is located in an area that is viewable to the user, such as within the browser window, with the browser window in focus and not covered by other applications.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the resource-based analysis is performed by:

determining an amount of CPU resource utilization.

17 . A system for identifying hidden content comprising a processor, memory accessible by the processor, and program instructions and data stored in the memory, the program instructions executable by the processor to perform:

performing a plurality of analyses on a digital display page to determine whether the digital display page includes content is hidden, wherein each analysis may determine a different result based on whether content in the digital display page is delivered but hidden;

comparing the resulting determinations of the analyses;

when the analyses all determine that the content is not hidden, classifying the digital display page as not including hidden content; and

when at least one analysis determines that the content is not hidden and at least one analysis determines that the content is hidden, classifying the digital display page as including hidden content.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of analyses includes at least one of a page-rendering analysis, a resource-based analysis, a code analysis, a geometric analysis, or identifying existence of the object and saving creative or graphic elements of the object.

19 . A computer program product for identifying hidden content comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions that when executed by a processor perform:

analyzing rendered code for a digital display page to identify objects;

extracting graphic images displayed in the objects;

creating a repository of the graphic images;

saving a rendered version of the digital display page as an image;

identifying visible images, and marking the remaining images as “invisible”; and

classifying the digital display page based on the marked images.

20 . The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the digital display page is captured using a crawler or using a client side browser plugin.

21 . The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the visible images are identified by using image analysis to compare each graphic image contained within the image of the rendered version of the digital display page with the graphic images in the repository, and identifying as visible those graphic images from the image of the rendered version of the digital display page that are found among the graphic images in the repository.

22 . The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the digital display page is classified as containing an invisible object if any object of the digital display page is marked as invisible.

23 . A computer program product for identifying hidden content comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions that when executed by a processor perform:

analyzing code for a digital display page by performing a geometric analysis of a location of an object to identify whether the object is within a viewable portion of the digital display page;

performing a resource-based analysis to measure computer resources in use to determine whether the object is being prepared for display, and

when an object is identified as viewable based on the geometric analysis while at the same time considered not viewable based on the resource based analysis, the object and digital display page are classified as invisible.

24 . The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the geometric analysis is performed by:

calculating a location of the object on the digital display page;

calculating a location of viewable areas of a browser within the digital display page;

calculating a size of an open browser window; and

determining whether the object is located in an area that is viewable to the user, such as within the browser window, with the browser window in focus and not covered by other applications.

25 . The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the resource-based analysis is performed by:

determining an amount of CPU resource utilization.

26 . A computer program product for identifying hidden content comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing program instructions that when executed by a processor perform:

performing a plurality of analyses on a digital display page to determine whether the digital display page includes content is hidden, wherein each analysis may determine a different result based on whether content in the digital display page is delivered but hidden;

comparing the resulting determinations of the analyses;

when the analyses all determine that the content is not hidden, classifying the digital display page as not including hidden content; and

when at least one analysis determines that the content is not hidden and at least one analysis determines that the content is hidden, classifying the digital display page as including hidden content.

27 . The computer program product of claim 26 , wherein the plurality of analyses includes at least one of a page-rendering analysis, a resource-based analysis, a code analysis, a geometric analysis, or identifying existence of the object and saving creative or graphic elements of the object.