Abstract:
In connection with display of advertising within Web pages, an applet is downloaded to the user&#39;s Web browser to track the user&#39;s interactions with the Web page. Tracked user interactions include mouse cursor position, time displayed on page, time of mouse cursor hovering over the advertisement, and so on. At an appropriate time, such as when the display of the Web page is terminated, the applet forwards logged interaction information from the client to a remote server, the remote server being typically controlled by an advertiser, rating service or the like. As a result, the advertiser may track consumer response to advertising impressions on a Web page without requiring the user to download other pages. This allows advertisers to track user response to specific elements of the Web page as well as to better infer information about the user&#39;s interests in an effort to qualify the user prior to presenting subsequent advertising.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/146,012, filed Sep. 2, 1998 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/058,655, filed on Sep. 11, 1997. 
     The entire teachings of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Distributed computing environments are becoming a very popular mechanism for publishing information of various types. In such an environment, a network of several different types of computers is used in order to share access to information. Certain computers, known as servers, contain databases and other repositories of information. Other computers in the network, known as clients, act as interfaces for the human users to retrieve and display information. 
     One particularly well known example of a distributed computing environment is the World Wide Web. In this environment, the Web server computers presently in use typically store data files, or so-called Web pages, in a format known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Web pages are transferred between Web servers and clients using a communication protocol known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). HTML permits the Web servers, or sites, to handle container or document files which reference other files of varying formats. Using HTML, a given Web page may include content information in various formats. An HTML format file may also refer to other files, by including reference information, known as a Uniform Reference Locator (URL), which specifies the location of remote Web servers at which the other files may be located. 
     Certain Web servers, such as those maintained by on-line service providers such as AMERICA ONLINE ®(AOL®) or Microsoft Network (MSN®), are an increasingly popular way for people to obtain information of interest on the World Wide Web. (AMERICA ONLINE®and AOL® are registered trademarks of America Online, Inc. of Dulles, Virginia. MSN® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington). Indeed, certain Web sites host search engines such as AltaVista®, Yahoo®, and InfoSeek™and thus are exclusively devoted to guiding users through the Web. (AltaVista™ is a trademark of AltaVista, Overture Services, Inc. of Pasadena, California; Yahoo™ is a trademark of Yahoo!Inc. of Sunnyvale, California; and InfoSeek™ is a trademark of InfoSeek Corporation of Sunnyvale, California). These sites are so popular that their operators provide their services free of charge to users of the Web, and support themselves typically by selling advertising space on their Web pages. Thus, an advertiser, for example, a running shoe manufacturer, may contract with a search service such as Yahoo, or an on-line service, such as AOL®, to periodically present its ads on their Web pages in much the same manner that commercials are traditionally purchased from television broadcasters. 
     Certain tools are presently in use by the providers of such services and advertisers, typically in order to calculate advertising rates. For example, the Web servers at such sites may count the number of times that the Web page containing the advertisement is displayed. 
     Alternatively, an advertiser may count the number of visits that its own Web page receives as a result of linking from the original Web page advertisement, i.e., the number of times that users request the URL of the advertiser&#39;s Web site via the original Web page on which the advertisement was displayed. In the usual model of user interaction with a Web page, this occurs whenever the user clicks (i.e., selects by a mouse input device) on a hypertext item. In many instances, objects such as graphical images or “GIFs” may be clicked on to activate the hypertext links. 
     Advertisers, however, would like not only to count a number of “impressions,” or how many times their advertisement is seen, but also to find a way to track how effective their ads are in attracting consumers&#39; interest in their products. 
     Advertisers would also like to find a way to more precisely gauge a user&#39;s interest in a product, as well as to entice those users who are casually browsing through the World Wide Web, without actually requiring users to download the advertiser&#39;s Web page. In this manner, interest in a particular product or promotion could be gauged directly from data surrounding the initial presentation of the advertisement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly, the present invention is a technique for tracking user interactions with the elements that comprise a Web page advertisement. As a result, an advertiser may understand (make inferences as to) what motivates users to pay initial attention to and/or otherwise interact with Web page advertising. 
     The invention, in particular, tracks any sort of user “micro-interaction” with the advertisement. The user interactions which are tracked, for example, may include mouse movement, mouse clicks, and other mouse activity such as it relates to elements in the ad. These elements may include various display items such as graphics, pictures, or words, or may include user prompting items such as menus, buttons, or slides. Elements also may include defined regions of the advertisement. 
     The activities monitored may include how long an object is displayed, which objects are selected by a user, which items are considered by a user according to the amount of time the cursor hovers over the items, measuring the time of presentation of an element in various ways, and/or activating hyperlinks. 
     The tracked interactions are preferably logged to a local memory by a downloadable Web browser applet embedded in the Web page, such as a program written in an interpretive language such as Java™. (Java™ is a trademark of Sun Microsystems Corporation of Sunnyvale, Calif.) 
     The logged interactions as stored in the local memory file are then sent to a remote server at appropriate times. For example, in the preferred embodiment, the logged interaction information may be included in a “dummy” HTTP GET message sent by the client to the server at the time the applet is taken down, such as when the user requests that a next page be displayed. 
     The logged interaction information may be flushed in other ways, such as by sending a POST message to the server either periodically or upon occurrence of certain events. 
     The invention therefore permits the tracking of user interactions with a Web page advertisement before subsequent actions, such as loading the advertiser&#39;s home Web page, occur. For example, the applet may intercept multiple interactions such as mouse clicks on objects to further qualify a user before loading a specific one of the advertiser&#39;s own home Web pages. 
     As a result, the advertiser may obtain information about what interests the user without the user having to leave the originally displayed Web page or performing other tasks which are perceived as being cumbersome and/or distracting from what the user was originally doing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a distributed computing system illustrating a manner of tracking user interaction with a Web page according to the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow chart of the operations performed by an applet program according to the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a typical Web page display illustrating how the invention may prequalify a user. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a distributed computing system  10 . The distributed computing system  10  includes a number of computers  12 ,  20  interconnected by a communication media  14 . The communication media  14 , and in general the distributed computing system  10 , may make use of any number of computer networking techniques such as local area networks (LANs), routers, dial-up connections, and/or other data communication techniques to form what has become known as an “intranet” or “internet.” In the preferred embodiment, the present invention is employed in what has become known as “the Internet,” which is an international computer network linking many millions of computers. 
     Typically the computers  12 ,  20  are personal computers, mini-computers, or the like. Certain of the computers in the distributed computing system  10  act as servers  12   a ,  12   b , and are used primarily to store and supply information. One type of server  12   a  which is in widespread use on the Internet is known as a Web server that provides access to information stored in a form known as a Web page  16 . 
     Other computers in the distributed computing system  10  known as clients  20   a ,  . . . ,  20   n  are typically controlled by one user. The typical client computer  20   a  includes, as for any computer, a processor  22 , a memory  24 , and a display  26 . The client computers  20  allow a user to view Web pages  16  by “downloading” replica Web page files  40  to the client computer  20   a  from the server computer  12   a  over communication media  14 . The Web page files  40  enable replication of the Web page  16  on the client computer  20   a . The downloading function is specifically performed by a browser program  28 , which preferably includes browser program software such as Netscape Navigator™ or Microsoft Internet Explorer™. (Netscape Navigator™ is a trademark of Netscape Communications Corporation of Mountain View, Calif., and Internet Explore™ is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash.) These browser programs include and/or permit the use of embedded interpretive languages  30 , such as Java™, that may execute programs that are included in the Web page file  16 . 
     The browser program  28  thus enables the user to create a view of the Web page  16 , such as in a window  34  on the display  26 . It should be understood that other windows  35  and other programs  36  may relate to other programs  31  that the user is presently running on the processor  22 . In order to display the Web page  16 , the browser program  28  typically downloads the Web page files to its local memory  24 , storing it as a local replica  40 . The Web page replica  40  includes various portions such as a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) as well as other instructions for the Browser program  28  to format the Web page information in the window  34 . 
     The Web page replica  40  also includes Java™ code  44  that includes instructions to be run while the user computer  20   a  is displaying the Web page. 
     The display of the Web page replica  40  in the window  34  may include various regions such as a user input area  37  where the user enters addresses of Web pages that he or she desires to view, and menus  38  for other actions associated with operating the browser program  28  itself. 
     Of interest to the description of the present invention is a Web page replica  40  that contains at least one advertisement area  39 . The advertisement  39  on the Web page replica  40  is typically created by the provider of a service or product manufacturer. The advertisement  39  is typically used as an enticement for the user to download other Web pages specifically associated with the originator or author of the advertisement  39 . 
     In accordance with the invention, the Java™ code  44  includes an applet program and data for tracking and logging the activities of the user in memory  24  while the user is viewing the Web page replica  40 . The applet program  44  therefore permits the authors of the advertisement  39  to better understand how the users interact with the Web page advertisement in order to provide more effective advertising. 
     More specifically, the Web page replica  40  includes the Java™ code applet  44  that describes the particular attributes of the advertisement  39 . Once the Web page replica  40  begins to display, the applet  44  also begins to execute in order to track and/or log user activities as they relate to various parts or objects of the advertisement  39 . 
     For example, the applet  44  may include information that describes regions  46  of the advertisement  39 , a list of visual elements  48  associated with the advertisement  39 , and/or user activity definitions  50  that may take place within the context of the advertisement  39 . The regions  46  may define areas within the advertisement  39 , such as areas devoted to text or graphics. The elements  48  within the advertisement  39  may include various graphical images. The elements  48  may also include user prompts such as buttons, menus, slide bars, radio buttons, and the like. 
     The list of activity definitions  50  may include various types of user input. The most important user input is typically mouse position, as reflected by the position of a cursor  33 , but these may also include other user inputs such as mouse clicks or keyboard inputs. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow chart of the operations performed by the applet  44  in the process of tracking user interactions with the advertisement  39 . An initial state  100  is entered when the applet is first started. This typically occurs when the user requests the display of the Web page  16  and the replica  40  has been downloaded or has at least begun being downloaded from the server  12   a.    
     In the next state  101 , the applet program  44  begins execution on the client computer  20   a . This is typically in the context of an interpretative language such as the Java™ language executed within the browser  28 . However, it should be understood that the applet may be implemented in other ways, as long as the applet  44  has access to the appropriate user inputs and local memory  24  for the logging of user activities with respect to the advertisement  39 . 
     In the next state  102 , the applet  44  establishes a local list of elements and regions on the Web page replica  40  associated with the advertisement  39  that are of concern. 
     A next state  104  is then entered in which user activities with respect to objects within the advertisement  39  may begin to be tracked by logging information in local memory locations  24  at the client  20 . From this state  104 , any number of states  106  through  114  and/or state  118  may be next entered for any given element  48 . 
     For example, in state  106 , the elapsed time that the element  48  has been displayed on the page is tracked. 
     In state  108 , the fact that the mouse hovered near an element  48 , i.e., the fact that the user moved the mouse within a region  46  of the page associated with the element  48  but did not actually click on the element, is tracked. 
     In state  110 , the fact that the user clicked on an element  48  is tracked. It should be noted that this may include the tracking of one or more mouse clicks on one or more elements  48  by making multiple entries in the log  60 . Thus, unlike the standard operation of an HTML hyperlink, a single mouse click may not necessarily automatically lead to the loading of the next Web page  16 . 
     In state  112 , the applet  44  tracks cursor  33  location at the moment of a mouse click with respect to the element  48 . 
     In another state  114 , the applet  44  may adjust the time frame associated with the particular action being logged. For example, when the user initially views a Web page  40 , certain activities such as cursor  33  location maybe tracked in short-time intervals such as microseconds. However, other items such as the elapsed time an element  48  is displayed on the page may be tracked in longer time intervals such as seconds. Certain items such as cursor hover time may initially be tracked in a microsecond time frame, and then, depending upon the amount of time the element has been displayed, will switch to tracking a longer time interval, such as seconds. 
     In state  116 , the fact of the user requesting a different Web page is tracked. 
     It should be understood that, in states  106  through  114 , data associated with the various user activities is logged in a portion of the memory  24  associated with maintaining an activity log  60 . 
     Eventually, a state  118  is reached in which the user indicates that he or she wishes to leave the present page  40 . This event is typically associated with loading another page in state  116  or may also include the closing of the browser program window  34 . 
     At certain times, state  120  is entered in which the activity log  60  is sent from the local memory  24  by the applet  44  back to a server  12   b . The server  12   b  is typically associated with the advertiser, or an advertisement rating service. This server  12   b  may or may not be the same server  12   a  from which the Web page  46  was originally downloaded. The applet  44  may then terminate. 
     In the preferred implementation of state  120 , the activity log  13  is sent to the server  12   b  via a “dummy” HTTP GET message sent via a “back channel” to the server  12   b  at the time that the user leaves the present page  40 . In particular, this back channel is a second network connection, different from the network connection used to fetch the Web page and download the applet in step  100 . The dummy message is encoded as an HTTP GET with interaction log data shared in the GET message in such a way as to appear to be part of an extended address, for example. Thus, the browser program  28  does not need to perform any special functions or otherwise be modified. 
     However, the interaction log data may also be sent at other times. For example, while the advertisement is being displayed, the applet may periodically open a back channel connection and send a POST message to the server  12   b . Alternatively, certain events may trigger sending the logged interaction data, such as when the user clicks on a particular part of the advertisement. 
     What is important is that the logged interaction data is eventually flushed to the server  12   b , so that the author of the advertisement  39  may occasionally check on the collection  62  of activity logs stored at the server  12   b  and analyze the data in order to determine the effectiveness of the advertisement  39 . 
       FIG. 3  is a view of a Web page such as that produced by a search engine such as Yahoo®. The advertisement  39  is typically displayed in a defined region on the Web page  40 . In this example, the effectiveness of the advertisement  39  associated with the advertiser who is in the running shoe business is being tracked. In the example, the applet  44  tracks how long a user allows the mouse cursor  50  to hover near one of the eight possible displayed selections for running shoes. The applet  44  also tracks the position of the mouse to determine which one or more of the running shoes is selected by user-activated mouse clicks. This information is then sent to the logging server  12   b  and is used prior to loading the manufacturer&#39;s Web page. Thus, the relative interest in a particular type of shoe may be gauged before the advertiser&#39;s Web page is loaded or, indeed, a lack of interest, in particular lead or “teaser” items, may be determined prior to the user requesting that the manufacturer&#39;s Web page be loaded. 
     It is now understood how the invention provides various advantages over the prior art. In particular, the invention includes an applet  44  that is downloaded together with a Web page  40  (Web page files) capable of logging the user&#39;s interactions with elements  48  on the page. The applet in particular logs user interactions with the page  40  that indicates user interest to an advertiser. By identifying regions on the page and then tracking user activity and relating it to the particular elements or regions on the page, the advertiser may therefore more effectively evaluate the effectiveness of particular objects in the advertising. 
     By collecting the interaction data locally and then sending them to a server which logs data locally via a back channel, the operation of the client computer or data stored thereon need not be permanently modified. 
     By tracking multiple interactions before loading the advertiser&#39;s own Web page, the advertiser may prequalify a user and hence customize or tailor information to be displayed. In turn, the advertiser may more effectively present the information once the advertiser&#39;s Web page is requested by the user. 
     The user may also be enticed to interact with a Web page advertisement, thereby disclosing information about the user&#39;s interests, without their actually requesting the loading of Web pages associated with the advertiser. 
     While this invention has been particularly shown and described with references to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention encompassed by the appended claims.