IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,145,747
Granted Patent B2
US 8,145,747 · App. 11/953,890 · Granted Mar 27, 2012

Webpage domain monitoring

Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,145,747
App. No.
11/953,890
Granted
Mar 27, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Webpage domain monitoring is described. In an implementation, one or more web pages are obtained at a client, with each said web page including a plurality of content that is provided, respectively, via a plurality of domains. The plurality of domains that were used to provide the plurality of content is identified and a counter is incremented, respectively, for each identified domain. When the counter for a respective said domain exceeds a threshold, a notification is output by the client that indicates that the respective said domain has a likelihood of tracking the client.

Claims (37)

1. A method comprising:

obtaining at a client a first web page including a first plurality of content that is provided, respectively, via a first plurality of domains;

displaying the first web page at the client;

tracking calls initiated from the first plurality of content in the first web page and checking links contained within the first plurality of content in the first web page, by the client, to identify the first plurality of domains used to provide the first plurality of content of the first web page;

incrementing, by the client, a counter for each identified said domain, respectively used to provide the first plurality of content of the first web page;

obtaining at the client a second web page including a second plurality of content that is provided, respectively, via a second plurality of domains;

tracking calls initiated from the second plurality of content in the second web page and checking links contained within the second plurality of content in the second web page, by the client, to identify the second plurality of domains used to provide the second plurality of content to the second web page;

incrementing, by the client, a counter for each identified said domain, respectively, used to provide the second plurality of content of the second web page; and

when a counter for a respective said domain indicates, relative to a counter for at least one different said domain, that the respective said domain has a likelihood of tracking the client, displaying a notification at the client that indicates that the respective said domain has a likelihood of tracking the client and how the respective said domain provided the content.

2. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the notification includes an option that is selectable to block the respective said domain from knowing that the client is to receive respective said content from the respective said domain.

3. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein each said domain is configured in accordance with Uniform Resource Locator (URL) techniques.

4. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the notification includes an option that is selectable to block subsequent receipt of the content from the respective said domain, and the option when selected, causes the respective said domain to be included in a blocked domain list.

5. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the notification includes an option that is selectable to allow subsequent receipt of the content from the respective said domain, and the option when selected, causes the respective said domain to be included in an allowed domain list.

6. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the tracking of the client includes navigation by the client through said content received via a plurality of web sites.

7. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the notification includes a link to the respective said domain, identifying the respective said domain, to indicate that the respective said domain has a likelihood of tracking the client.

8. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the notification includes an indication that said content was received by respective said domain from at least one third-party domain to indicate how the respective said domain provided the content.

9. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that are stored thereon and are executable by a client device to:

obtain at the client device a plurality of web pages that include content provided by one or more domains;

display the plurality of web pages at the client device that include the content provided by the one or more domains;

track calls initiated from the content and check links contained within the content to monitor the one or more domains at the client device such that each of a plurality of said domains that are used to provide respective said content for display in a single said web page is identified;

increment a counter for each identified said domain respectively;

determine from the monitoring of the one or more domains that a particular said domain has a likelihood of tracking usage of the client device when the counter for the particular said domain exceeds a predetermined threshold relative to a total that includes counters for each of the identified said domains; and

responsive to the determining, provide a notification at the client device indicating that the particular said domain has a likelihood of tracking the client device and how the particular said domain provided the respective said content to the plurality of web pages, the notification including an option to block subsequent retrieval by the client device of the respective said content from the particular said domain.

10. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further executable to determine that the particular said domain has the likelihood of tracking the usage based at least in part on a number of times that the client device that executes the instructions receives respective said content from respective said domains.

11. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 9 , wherein the instructions are executable to determine that the particular said domain has the likelihood of tracking the usage based at least in part on a number of web pages, from which, the client device that executes the instructions receives respective said content from respective said domains.

12. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 9 , wherein selection of the option causes the particular said domain to be included in a block list.

13. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 9 , wherein the instructions are further executable to provide an option to allow subsequent retrieval of the respective said content from the particular said domain.

14. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions that are stored thereon and are executable by a client device to:

display a single webpage including a plurality of content obtained at the client device;

track calls initiated from the plurality of content and check links contained within the plurality of content to identify a plurality of domains used to provide the content to the single webpage at the client device;

increment a counter at the client device for each identified said domain, respectively; and

display a notification at the client device that indicates that a respective said domain has a likelihood of tracking the client device and how the respective said domain provided the content to the single web page if a percentage, which corresponds to the counter for the respective said domain relative to a total that includes the counter for each of the identified said domains, exceeds a predetermined threshold.

15. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 14 , wherein the notification includes an option that is selectable to block the respective said domain from knowing that the client device is to receive respective said content from the respective said domain.

16. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 14 , wherein the notification includes an option that is selectable to block subsequent receipt of the content from the respective said domain.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 14 , wherein the notification includes an option that is selectable to allow subsequent receipt of the content from the respective said domain.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 14 , wherein the tracking of the client device includes navigation by the client device through said content received via a plurality of websites.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 14 , wherein the notification includes a link to the respective said domain to indicate that the respective said domain has a likelihood of tracking the client, the link identifying the respective said domain and identifying how the respective said domain provided the content to the single web page.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2014
From: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
To: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
Reel/Frame 034542/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2007
From: EPLING, JEREMIAH S
To: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 020224/0344 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20090150539A1 · Jun 11, 2009