WO2015195408A1

WO2015195408A1 - Method and apparatus for detecting a state of selectable values of a web page

Info

Publication number: WO2015195408A1
Application number: PCT/US2015/034846
Authority: WO
Inventors: Curtis Kent Shrote; Richard Allen Norman
Original assignee: Thomson Licensing
Priority date: 2014-06-19
Filing date: 2015-06-09
Publication date: 2015-12-23

Abstract

Methods, and apparatus and a system for tracking a selection of an item on a web page is provided. A request for a web page from a client device is received at a server. Web bugs are embedded by the server within a code for the web page. The web bugs associated with selectable items of the web page and providing instructions to a client device for providing information to the server. The web page is transmitted to the requesting client device. In response to a selection of a selectable item of the web page, a web bug associated with the selected item within a code of the web page is detected and executed. A signal including information indicative of a selection of the selectable item by a user at the client device is communicated to the server. The information indicative of the selection of the item is logged.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A STATE OF SELECTABLE

VALUES OF A WEB PAGE

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure generally relates to monitoring characteristics of a web page and, more particularly, to methods, an apparatus and a system for detecting and tracking a state of selectable values of a web page. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The profitability of many websites is driven largely by online advertising as well as the many features associated with the website. A website that is frequently visited will be more profitable. To attract many users, it is important that users have an excellent user experience that will facilitate multiple views to the website. An important factor associated with user experience is the various selectable options and lists provided on a website which can be measured through web analytics data. At present, web analytics data can be collected from cookies or using web bugs.

Often, the web bug uses executable Javascript code to report the content of the respective web page by sending a message with information about the particular page within which the web bug was included. When using this technique, the user's browser sends clickstream data directly to a site analysis application. The HTTP request header, which requests delivery of the web bug, also supplies certain types of information about the client, such as what types of encoding this user agent supports, the IP address of the computer that fetched the web bug, the URL of the page on which the web bug is located, the U RL of the web bug, the time the web bug was viewed, the type of browser that fetched the web bug, or a previously set cookie value. Web bugs can be used for advertising, behavioral targeting, and other processes, to gather information about visits to websites.

Currently, drop down values in web forms and selected items of a web for are difficult to detect for any of the following reasons:

1 - current selection within the selection list is driven by dynamic code (script etc);

2 - the content of the web page is potentially dynamic and driven in part by the current state drop down value; and 3 - the values in the drop down list typically do not change regardless of the current value selected.

Currently, there exists no easy solution currently to monitor and determine a state of selectable values of a web page.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one embodiment, a method of tracking a selection of an item on a web page includes receiving, at a server, a request for a web page from a client device, embedding web bugs within a code for the web page, the web bugs providing instructions to a client device for providing information to the server, communicating the web page to the requesting client device, receiving a communication from the client device including information indicative of a selection of a selectable item on the web page and logging the information indicative of the selection of the item in a memory.

In an alternate embodiment, an apparatus for monitoring and tracking a selection of an item on a web page includes a memory for storing at least one of program routines, information regarding selectable items on the web page and data and a processor for executing the program routines. In such an embodiment, the apparatus is configured to receive a request for a web page from a client device, embed web bugs within a code for the web page, the web bugs providing instructions to a client device for providing information to the apparatus, communicate the web page to the requesting client device, receive a communication from the client device including information indicative of a selection of a selectable item on the web page and log the information indicative of the selection of the item in a memory.

In an alternate embodiment, a method of monitoring and tracking a selection of an item on a web page by a client device includes transmitting a request for a web page at a client device, receiving the web page from a server, rendering the web page on a display, in response to a selection of an item on the web page, detecting a web bug associated with the selected item within a code of the web page, executing the web bug and attaching information indicating selection of the item to metrics captured based on instructions within the web bug and providing the metrics including the information indicating selection of the item to the server. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be described or become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the views:

FIG. 1 depicts a high level block diagram of a system for monitoring dropdown selection lists of a web page in accordance with an embodiment of the present principles;

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring dropdown selection lists of a web page in accordance with an embodiment of the present principles;

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of a method for monitoring the selection of selectable items of a web page in accordance with an embodiment of the present principles; and

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for monitoring the selection of selectable items of a web page in accordance an alternate embodiment of the present principles.

It should be understood that the drawing(s) is for purposes of illustrating the concepts of the disclosure and is not necessarily the only possible configuration for illustrating the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present principles advantageously provide methods, an apparatus and a system for determining and tracking the selection of menu items on a web page as well as the selection and input of other values on the web page. Although the present principles will be described primarily within the context of a host server and a specific client device and the selection of menu items of a web page, the specific embodiments of the present principles should not be treated as limiting the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art and informed by the teachings of the present principles that the concepts of the present principles can be advantageously applied by any access device or content rendering device, such as but not limited to, a server, a gateway, a router, a content playout device and the like for tracking any selectable items of a web page.

In the claims hereof, any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements that performs that function or b) software in any form, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function. The present principles as defined by such claims reside in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. It is thus regarded that any means that can provide those functionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.

Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present principles, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.

The functions of the various elements shown in the figures can be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing software in association with appropriate software. When provided by a processor, the functions can be provided by a single dedicated processor, by a single shared processor, or by a plurality of individual processors, some of which can be shared. Moreover, explicit use of the term "processor" or "controller" should not be construed to refer exclusively to hardware capable of executing software, and can implicitly include, without limitation, digital signal processor ("DSP") hardware, read-only memory ("ROM") for storing software, random access memory ("RAM"), and non-volatile storage. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure).

Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the block diagrams presented herein represent conceptual views of illustrative system components and/or circuitry embodying the principles of the invention. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudocode, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable media and so executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

Furthermore, because some of the constituent system components and methods depicted in the accompanying drawings can be implemented in software, the actual connections between the system components or the process function blocks may differ depending upon the manner in which the present principles are programmed. Given the teachings herein, one of ordinary skill in the pertinent art will be able to contemplate these and similar implementations or configurations of the present principles.

In the claims hereof, any element expressed as a means for performing a specified function is intended to encompass any way of performing that function including, for example, a) a combination of circuit elements that performs that function or b) software in any form, including, therefore, firmware, microcode or the like, combined with appropriate circuitry for executing that software to perform the function. The disclosure as defined by such claims resides in the fact that the functionalities provided by the various recited means are combined and brought together in the manner which the claims call for. It is thus regarded that any means that can provide those functionalities are equivalent to those shown herein.

The present principles are directed, at least in part, towards a method, apparatus and system for determining and tracking the selection of menu items on a web page as well as the selection and input of other values on the web page. In various embodiments of the present principles, in order to monitor and track the selection of items and input of data on a web page, web bugs may be installed within the web page source code and associated with the respective code for the selectable items. The web bugs may be installed within the source code for each and every page within the Graphic User Interface (GUI) administration pages in order to track selection of menu items of input of data on the web page.

If data points representing selection of a menu item are logged to a server, then the data can be further aggregated in order to develop trends which can be implemented to accomplish at least the following:

1 - speed improvements; 2 - detection of browser defects; and

3 - determination of rank order popularity of specific pages and menu items which can feed back to ISPs concerning web data value added.

FIG. 1 depicts a high level block diagram of a system 10 for monitoring dropdown selection lists of a web page in accordance with an embodiment of the present principles. The system 10 of FIG. 1 illustratively includes a web server 20 for creating and sending the web page and a user or client system 30 for rendering the web page connected together via the internet 40. When a user at a client system 30 is interested in downloading a web page, the user will submit a request for the web page, for example, by typing the web page address in the address bar of the browser on the client system 30. When the request for the web page is made as indicated by the arrow labeled 50, the request is sent to the web server 20 through the internet 40 as indicated by the arrow labeled 60. In response to the request, the web server 20 will transmit a signal including the requested web page with web bugs embedded therein to the client system 30 via the internet 40 as indicated by the arrows labeled 70 and 80. Upon receipt of the signal including the requested web page, the client system 30 will begin downloading and rendering the web page. Embedded within the signal being downloaded by the client system 30 are web bugs in the form of instructions requesting certain files. In response to a user of the client system selecting a selectable menu item or inputting data within a selectable area on the web page, instructions to retrieve a file from the server associated with the selectable item initiate a call back to the web server 20, indicated by the reference numerals 90 and 100 in FIG. 1 , is made via the internet. The call back to the web server 20, in one embodiment, transmits the requested metrics as well as information indicative of the item selected by the user from the client system 30 to the web server 20. Upon receipt of the call back from the client system 30, the web server 20 is instructed to log the receipt of the call back from the client system 30 including the information related to the menu item selected by the user. As such and in accordance with the present principles, the web server 20 is able to monitor and track the different menu items of the web page selected by a user of the client system 30 from these log entries. In one embodiment, using the monitoring and tracking of the selected menu items, the system 10 is able to determine popularity and usage rankings of the web site and the contents thereof. These determinations enable a host or web developer to edit the web page to adjust the web pages to be more amenable to users such as by editing the web pages to provide more direct access to popular selectable items, remove unpopular items, test placement and clarity of selectable items on the web page, etc.

In one embodiment of the present principles, the web bugs can be embedded within the code of the web page and can be associated with any type and form of selectable item on the web page. Such items include but are not limited to dropdown menus and items populating dropdown menus, radio buttons, check boxes, text boxes, etc. Dropdown menus are selectable items on a display screen that, when a cursor is positioned over the selectable item, a menu of additional sub items is generated. In accordance with the present principles, a web bug can be used to identify when a dropdown menu is selected as well as when an individual sub item in the dropdown menu is selected. A radio button is a selectable button associated with an item within a group of items displayed on a web page whereby one item within the group can be selected at a time. Only one radio button for a particular item in the group of items can be selected at a time. If a radio button within the group is selected and a user selects another radio button within the group, the previously selected radio button will be deselected. In various embodiments of the present principles, a web bug can be embedded within the code of the web page to identify and affect the logging, by a server, of a selected radio button.

Check boxes are selectable boxes associated with a respective item within a group of selectable items. Check boxes allow any combination of items within the group of items to be selected simultaneously by selecting the respective check boxes. In accordance with the present principles, a web bug can be embedded within the code of the web page to identify and cause the logging, by a server, of a selected check box.

A text box is an area within a web page in which a user can input text upon selection of the text box. A web bug can be embedded within the code of the web page to cause a selected text box to be logged by a server as well as causing any text entered into the text box to be logged by the server. The above selectable items are shown and described for purposes of example only. In accordance with the present principles, web bugs can be embedded into the code of a web page to monitor and track any type of selectable item on the web page.

In various embodiments of the present principles, the web bugs can be implemented in a variety of technologies such as java script tags, html, etc. Examples of typical html formats for web bugs embedded within a web page are as follows: http://IPaddressofservercollectinqmetrics/buq.qif?wifiEncyptionSelection,WPA2₁wifiSe curitvPage,timestamp,softwareVersion,productlD

In accordance with embodiments of the present principles, any parameters that would be of use for metric collection can be included after the '?' in the URL. A web bug that is triggered resulting in a log entry being placed in the logs of an external server or that is parsed by local client software that needs to understand the current state of the page can take the following format in accordance with the present principles: http://technicolor om/buq.qif?wifiEncyptionSelection₁WPA2₁wifiSecurityPaqe₁timesta mp,software Version, roduct! D

In such a case, the encryption value can be WPA2 and additional automated actions can be driven from this state knowledge.

The exemplary formats for the web bugs presented above are for purposes of example only. The web bugs of the present principles can take numerous different forms other than those shown above. The form of the web bug can also be dependent on a number of different factors including the technology used to implement the web bug.

FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of an apparatus for monitoring dropdown selection lists of a web page in accordance with an embodiment of the present principles. The host/web server 20 of FIG. 2 illustratively comprises a processor 220 as well as a memory 230 for storing control programs, instructions, software, data, web bug information and the like. The processor 220 cooperates with conventional support circuitry 240 such as power supplies, clock circuits, cache memory and the like as well as circuits that assist in executing the software routines stored in the memory 230. As such, it is contemplated that some of the process steps discussed herein as software processes can be implemented within hardware, for example, as circuitry that cooperates with the processor 220 to perform various steps. The host/web server 20 of FIG. 2 also contains input-output circuitry 250 that forms an interface between the various respective functional elements communicating with the server 200. As noted throughout this disclosure, the memory 230 can be a hard disk storage device, a static RAM, a DRAM, ROM, etc., or combinations of the same.

Although the host/web server 20 of FIG. 2 is depicted as a general purpose computer that is programmed to perform various control functions in accordance with the present invention, the invention can be implemented in hardware, for example, as an application specified integrated circuit (ASIC). As such, the process steps described herein are intended to be broadly interpreted as being equivalently performed by software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

In the embodiment of the host/web server 20 of FIG. 2, the processor 220 cooperates with the input/output circuitry 250 for receiving requests for, for example, web pages and calls from client devices upon detection of web bugs. When the processor 220 receives a request for a web page, it creates and/or sends the web page to the requesting client device. As described above, the web bugs are associated with selectable items on the web page for which monitoring and tracking is desired. When the processor 220 receives a call from a client system 30, the processor logs information related to the call in a memory 230. The processor 220 logs information related to selected menus, menu items, radio buttons, check boxes, text boxes and data input into selectable text boxes included with each call back and use the logged data to determine different factors related to the web page such as popularity of selectable items, unpopular items, test placement and clarity of selectable items, etc. so the web site can be modified to obtain the best possible reception from users.

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of a method for monitoring the selection of selectable items of a web page in accordance with an embodiment of the present principles. That is, FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram describing the method performed at a client system for monitoring and tracking selection of an item on a web page. The method 300 begins at step 310 during which a request for a web page is communicated to, for example, a web server. That is, in one embodiment of the present principles, a user opens a web browser and initiates a loading of a web page. In various embodiments, this can be accomplished automatically upon opening up of the web browser on an internet connected device, typing an IP address in the address bar of a browser, selecting a link on a web page, initiating a search for a web page, etc. The method 300 can then proceed to step 320. At step 320, the requested web page is received. The method 300 can then proceed to step 330.

At step 330, the requested web page is downloaded and rendered on a display. The method 300 can then proceed to step 340.

At step 340, in response to a selectable item on the web page being selected, a web bug associated with the selected item is detected within a code of the web page. The method 300 can then proceed to step 350 and can in parallel proceed to step 370.

At step 350, the web bug is executed and metrics concerning the item of the web page having been selected are captured. That is, in one embodiment of the present principles, the client device attaches information identifying the selected item to the metrics. The method 300 can then proceed to step 360.

At step 360, a signal including the metrics and information regarding the selected item(s) are communicated to the web server. The web server logs the metrics and information regarding the selected item(s). That is, in one embodiment, execution of the web bug includes the client device attaching the information identifying the selected item to the metrics and transmitting the metrics concerning the selection of the item on the current web page to the web server for logging the data. The method 300 can then be exited.

At step 360, it is determined if at step 340 the selected item includes a request for a new web page. If so, the method 300 can return to step 31 0. If the selected item does not include a request for a new web page, the method 300 can return to step 340 to wait for another selection of a selectable item(s) of the web page.

The method 300 of FIG. 3 can optionally further include tracking each selection of an item on the requested web page by a user at the client device using the logged information.

FIG. 4 depicts a flow diagram of a method for monitoring the selection of selectable items of a web page in accordance an alternate embodiment of the present principles. That is, FIG. 4 is a flow diagram describing the method performed at a web server for tracking the selection of items on a web page. The method 400 begins at step 410 at which a request for a web page is received from a client system. The method 400 can then proceed to step 420. At step 420, web bugs are embedded within the code for the web page, the web bugs identifying selectable items on the web page. The method 400 can then proceed to step 430.

At step 430, the web page including the embedded web bugs are communicated to the requesting client system. That is, as downloading and rendering of the web page is initiated by the client system, the client system also downloads the embedded web bugs denoting the selectable items on the web page. When a user selects an item on the web page rendered by the client system, the client system attaches information identifying the selected item(s) to the metrics and communicates to the web server such metrics and information. The method 400 can then proceed to step 440.

At step 440, a communication from the client device is received comprising metrics and information regarding the selected item(s). In alternate embodiments of the present principles, the metrics and information identifying the selected items of the web page can be received by a web server, other than the primary content server, configured to receive web bug traffic. The web server receiving the metrics is determined by the embedded code within the web page code which determines the server to which the metrics are transmitted. The method 400 can then proceed to step 450 and can in parallel proceed to step 460.

At step 450, the web server logs the metrics and the information indicative of the selected items of the web page in a memory. The method 400 can then be exited.

At step 460, it is determined if at step 440, the selected item includes a request for a new web page. If so, the method 400 can return to step 410. If the selected item does not include a request for a new web page, the method 400 can return to step 440 to wait for another communication from the client system comprising metrics and information regarding selected item(s) of a web page.

The method 400 of FIG. 4 can optionally further include tracking each selection of an item on the requested web page by a user at the client device using the logged information.

Although embodiments which incorporate the teachings of the present disclosure have been shown and described in detail herein, those skilled in the art can readily devise many other varied embodiments that still incorporate the principles of the teachings herein. Having described preferred embodiments of a method, an apparatus and a system for determining and tracking the selection of selectable items on a web page (which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the disclosure disclosed which are within the scope of the disclosure as outlined by the appended claims.

Claims

1 . A method of tracking a selection of an item on a web page comprising:

receiving, at a server, a request for a web page from a client device;

embedding web bugs within a code for the web page, the web bugs providing instructions to a client device for providing information to the server;

communicating the web page to the requesting client device;

receiving a communication from the client device including information indicative of a selection of a selectable item on the web page; and

logging the information indicative of the selection of the item in a memory.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

tracking each selection of an item on the requested web page by a user at the client device using the logged information.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising using the logged information to determine at least one of a popularity of selectable items, unpopular selectable items, appropriateness of a placement of selectable items and clarity of selectable items.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of embedding includes embedding one of a java script tag or html code within the code for the web page.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the java script tag or html code instructs a client device to retrieve a file from the server.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the one of the java script tag or html code is embedded within the code for each selectable item on the web page.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each selectable item rendered on the web page includes at least one of a menu, an item within a menu, a radio button, a text box, data entered within a text box and a check box.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information received from the client device identifies a selectable item selected by the user of the client device.

9. An apparatus for monitoring and tracking a selection of an item on a web page comprising:

a memory for storing at least one of program routines, information regarding selectable items on the web page and data;

a processor for executing said program routines;

said apparatus configured to:

receive a request for a web page from a client device;

embed web bugs within a code for the web page, the web bugs providing instructions to a client device for providing information to the apparatus;

communicate the web page to the requesting client device; receive a communication from the client device including information indicative of a selection of a selectable item on the web page; and

log the information indicative of the selection of the item in a memory.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the apparatus is configured to track each selection of an item on the requested web page by a user at the client device using the logged information.

1 1 . The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a web bug includes one of a java script tag or html code.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the embedded web bugs request information indicative of a selection of an item on the web page.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the embedded web bugs by the procesor request information indicative of a selection of at least one of a dropdown menu, items populating dropdown menus, radio buttons, check boxes, text boxes and text entered into a textbox on the web page by a user of the client system.

14. A method of monitoring and tracking a selection of an item on a web page by a client device, comprising:

transmitting a request for a web page at a client device;

receiving the web page from a server;

rendering the web page on a display;

in response to a selection of an item on the web page, detecting a web bug associated with the selected item within a code of the web page;

executing the web bug and attaching information indicating selection of the item to metrics captured based on instructions within the web bug; and

providing the metrics including the information indicating selection of the item to the server.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

16. The method of claim 14, wherein selectable items on the web page include at least one of a dropdown menu, items populating dropdown menus, radio buttons, check boxes, text boxes and text entered into a textbox on the web page.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein a web bug being executed includes one of a java script tag or html code.