Content display monitor
View Patent ↗The invention can enable monitoring of the display of content by a computer system. Moreover, the invention can enable monitoring of the displayed content to produce monitoring information from which conclusions may be deduced regarding the observation of the displayed content by an observer. The invention can also enable monitoring of the display at a content display site of content that is provided by a content provider site over a network to the content display site. Additionally, the invention can enable the expeditious provision of updated and/or tailored content over a network from a content provider site to a content display site so that the content provider's current and appropriately tailored content is always displayed at the content display site. Aspects of the invention related to transfer of content over a network are generally applicable to any type of network. However, it is contemplated that the invention can be particularly useful with a computer network, including private computer networks (e.g., America Online™) and public computer networks (e.g., the Internet).
1. A method to monitor user events relating to a web page provided by a first server to clients requesting the web page via the Internet, the method comprising:
embedding a computer executable monitoring instruction in an HTML file which, when executed by a first client or a second client different from the first client accessing the HTML file, generates monitoring information concerning user events relating to the web page associated with the HTML file;
embedding a computer executable transfer instruction in the HTML file which, when executed by the first or second client, transfers the monitoring information to a data collection server;
responding to a request for the HTML file from the first client by downloading a copy of the requested HTML file via the Internet to the first client;
responding to a request for the HTML file from the second client by downloading a copy of the requested HTML file via the Internet to the second client; and
receiving a report from the data collection server that did not transfer the copy of the HTML file to either the first client or the second client, the report concerning the user events of the first and second clients with respect to the copies of the HTML file.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that is located in the HTML file and that causes generation of the monitoring information.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one embedded computer executable monitoring instruction comprises a link to at least one computer executable monitoring instruction that resides external to the HTML file and that causes generation of the monitoring information.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data collection server collects monitoring information with respect to the web page provided by the first server and a second web page provided by a second server different from the first server.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user events are events transmitted by an operating system of the first or the second client.