Method for continuous, frame-specific click-stream recording
A method for tracking a user's movements between network addresses can include, subsequent to a request for a (current) network address from a user, receiving the network address and an identifier for a region associated with the network address. The method can also include locating a record that contains the identifier for the region and a time that immediately precedes the request for the network address from the user. The record may further contain a prior network address. The method can further include generating an entry for a table that includes the identifier for the region, the current network address, and the prior network address. A server computer or a client computer can generate the entry. Improved accountability and improved user profile accuracy can be obtained with the method. A data processing system readable medium can comprise code that includes instructions for carrying out the method.
1. A data tracking method, comprising:
responsive to a user at a user device interacting with a network site associated with a server computer, collecting region-specific data in a data structure embodied on non-transitory computer memory, the collecting performed by the user device or the server computer, the data structure configured for storing region-specific identifying information, network addresses, and temporal information indicating when requests are sent from the user device, the region-specific data collected in the data structure comprising a first data entry containing a first identifier for a first region of a view displayed on the user device, a first network address, and a first time;
determining that the first time precedes immediately a second time when a request is originated from the user device, the request containing the first identifier for the first region of the view displayed on the user device and a second network address;
generating a second data entry in the data structure, the second data entry containing the first identifier for the first region of the view displayed on the user device, the second network address, the second time, and the first network address; and
generating a string for the user at the user device, the string including a sequence of network addresses that originated from the first region of the view displayed on the client device, the string generated utilizing the data structure, the sequence of network addresses comprising the first network address and the second network address.
2. The data tracking method according to claim 1 , wherein the string is one of a plurality of strings generated for the user, each string of the plurality of strings including a sequence of network addresses that originated from a particular region of the view displayed on the client device.
3. The data tracking method according to claim 1 , wherein the view is received by the user device from a content server.
4. The data tracking method according to claim 3 , wherein the content server resides on the server computer.
5. The data tracking method according to claim 3 , wherein the content server resides on a non-transitory computer memory external to the server computer.
6. The data tracking method according to claim 1 , wherein the first time comprises a timestamp substantially corresponding to when the request is sent from the user device to the server computer.
7. The data tracking method according to claim 1 , wherein the data structure comprises a table.
8. A data tracking system, comprising:
a processor;
a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and
stored instructions translatable by the processor to perform:
responsive to a user at a user device interacting with a network site, collecting region-specific data in a data structure embodied on the non-transitory computer-readable medium, the data structure configured for storing region-specific identifying information, network addresses, and temporal information indicating when requests are sent from the user device, the region-specific data collected in the data structure comprising a first data entry containing a first identifier for a first region of a view displayed on the user device, a first network address, and a first time;
determining that the first time precedes immediately a second time when a request is originated from the user device, the request containing the first identifier for the first region of the view displayed on the user device and a second network address;
generating a second data entry in the data structure, the second data entry containing the first identifier for the first region of the view displayed on the user device, the second network address, the second time, and the first network address; and
generating a string for the user at the user device, the string including a sequence of network addresses that originated from the first region of the view displayed on the client device, the string generated utilizing the data structure, the sequence of network addresses comprising the first network address and the second network address.
9. The data tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the string is one of a plurality of strings generated for the user, each string of the plurality of strings including a sequence of network addresses that originated from a particular region of the view displayed on the client device.
10. The data tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the view is received by the user device from a content server.
11. The data tracking system of claim 10 , wherein the content server resides on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.
12. The data tracking system of claim 10 , wherein the content server resides on a server computer external to the data tracking system.
13. The data tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the user device embodies the data tracking system.
14. The data tracking system of claim 8 , wherein the first time comprises a timestamp substantially corresponding to when the request is sent from the user device.
15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions translatable by a processor to perform:
responsive to a user at a user device interacting with a network site, collecting region-specific data in a data structure embodied on non-transitory computer memory, the data structure configured for storing region-specific identifying information, network addresses, and temporal information indicating when requests are sent from the user device, the region-specific data collected in the data structure comprising a first data entry containing a first identifier for a first region of a view displayed on the user device, a first network address, and a first time;
determining that the first time precedes immediately a second time when a request is originated from the user device, the request containing the first identifier for the first region of the view displayed on the user device and a second network address;
generating a second data entry in the data structure, the second data entry containing the first identifier for the first region of the view displayed on the user device, the second network address, the second time, and the first network address; and
generating a string for the user at the user device, the string including a sequence of network addresses that originated from the first region of the view displayed on the client device, the string generated utilizing the data structure, the sequence of network addresses comprising the first network address and the second network address.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the string is one of a plurality of strings generated for the user, each string of the plurality of strings including a sequence of network addresses that originated from a particular region of the view displayed on the client device.
17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the view is received by the user device from a content server.
18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the content server resides on the non-transitory computer-readable medium.
19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the first time comprises a timestamp substantially corresponding to when the request is sent from the user device.
20. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the data structure comprises a table.