Systems and methods for automatically creating content modification scheme

1. A computerized method for automatically creating a content modification scheme for content, the method comprising:

receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) from a content provider, the URL identifying a resource;

rendering the resource to produce an object tree;

determining a first node of the object tree representing a content slot, the first node having dimensions;

identifying a second node of the object tree with equal dimensions as the first node, the second node having a content characteristic;

extracting the content characteristic from the second node;

associating the content characteristic with the first node of the object tree; and

storing, in a data structure maintained in a memory element, the association of the determined first node and the associated content characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a first node of the object tree comprises traversing the object tree until the first node representing a content slot having dimensions is encountered.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining a first node of the object tree comprises:

traversing the entire object tree to identify a plurality of nodes representing a content slot that has dimensions; and

selecting one of the plurality of nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a second node comprises traversing the object tree starting from the first node until a second node representing a content slot having equal dimensions as the first node is encountered.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying a second node comprises:

determining a plurality of content slots having equal dimensions as the first node; and

selecting a second node by selecting one of the plurality of content slots.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein selecting a second node comprises selecting a second node by selecting one of the plurality of content slots that is closest to the first node.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving dimensions of a selected content item; and

wherein determining a first node of the object tree comprises determining a first node of the object tree representing a content slot, the first node having equal dimensions as the received dimensions.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining a first node comprises:

traversing the entire object tree to identify a plurality of nodes representing a content slot that has equal dimensions as the received dimensions; and

selecting one of the plurality of nodes as a first node.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein selecting one of the plurality of nodes comprises selecting one of the plurality of nodes as a first node, where the first node has fewer content characteristics than other of the plurality of nodes.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein selecting one of the plurality of nodes comprises selecting one of the plurality of nodes as a first node, where the first node has a certain content characteristic.

11. An apparatus for automatically creating a content modification scheme for content, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, implement:

a receiver accepting a URL from a content provider, the URL identifying a resource;

a renderer in communication with the receiver, the renderer producing an object tree;

a first node identifier accessing the object tree produced by the renderer, the first node identifier determining a first node of the object tree representing a content slot, the first node having dimensions;

a second node identifier in communication with the first node identifier, the second node identifier determining a second node of the object tree with equal dimensions as the first node, the second node having a content characteristic;

a node dimensions module in communication with the first node identifier and the second node identifier, the node dimensions module determining the dimensions of the first node and the second node;

an extractor engine in communication with the second node identifier, the extractor engine extracting the content characteristic of the second node;

a linker in communication with the extractor engine and the first node identifier, the linker associating the content characteristic with the first node of the object tree; and

a data manager in communication with the linker and a memory element, the data manager storing the association of the determined first node and the associated content characteristic in a data structure maintained in the memory element.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first node identifier comprises a tree traversal module accessing the object tree produced by the renderer, the tree traversal module traversing the object tree until the first node representing a content slot having dimensions is encountered.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first node identifier comprises:

a tree traversal module accessing the object tree produced by the renderer, the tree traversal module traversing the entire object tree to identify a plurality of nodes representing a content slot that has dimensions; and

a node selector in communication with the tree traversal module, the node selector selecting one of the plurality of nodes.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second node identifier comprises a tree traversal module in communication with the first node identifier, traversing the object tree starting from the first node until a second node representing a content slot having equal dimensions as the first node is encountered.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second node identifier comprises:

a multi-node identifier in communication with a node dimensions module, the multi-node identifier determining a plurality of content slots having equal dimensions as the first node; and

a node selector in communication with the multi-node identifier, the node selector selecting a second node by selecting one of the plurality of content slots.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second node identifier further comprises a node distance calculator in communication with the multi-node identifier and the node selector, the node distance calculator selecting a second node by selecting one of the plurality of content slots that is closest to the first node.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the receiver further comprises a dimensions receiver accepting dimensions of a selected content item; and

wherein the first node identifier comprises dimensions comparer in communication with the dimensions receiver, the dimensions comparer determining a first node of the object tree representing a content slot, the first node having equal dimensions as the received dimensions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the first node identifier comprises:

a tree traversal module in communication with the dimensions receiver, the tree traversal module traversing the entire object tree to identify a plurality of nodes representing a content slot that has equal dimensions as the received dimensions; and

a node selector in communication with the tree traversal module, the node selector selecting one of the plurality of nodes as a first node.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first node identifier further comprises a content characteristic counter in communication with the node selector, the content characteristic counter selecting one of the plurality of nodes as a first node, where the first node has fewer content characteristics than other of the plurality of nodes.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first node identifier further comprises a content characteristic identifier in communication with the node selector, the content characteristic identifier selecting one of the plurality of nodes as a first node, where the first node has a certain content characteristic.