Content display monitor

Abstract

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). In particular, the invention can be advantageously used with computer networks or portions of computer networks over which video and/or audio content are transferred from one network site to another network site for observation, such as the World Wide Web portion of the Internet.

1 - 66 . (canceled) 
     
     
         67 . A method, implemented using a computing system, for determining whether content within a web page is in view, the method comprising:
 receiving at least one element with the content;   rendering the web page;   monitoring a behavioral characteristic relating to the at least one element; and   determining, from the monitored behavioral characteristic, whether the content is in view or not in view,   wherein the behavioral characteristic varies according to whether the at least one element is in view or not in view.   
     
     
         68 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic is carried out by instructions operating in the web page. 
     
     
         69 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic comprises;
 monitoring behavior of a redraw of the at least one element.   
     
     
         70 . The method according to  claim 69 , further comprising:
 invalidating the at least one element to cause the redraw.   
     
     
         71 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic comprises:
 monitoring operating system characteristics that indicate whether the at least one element is hidden.   
     
     
         72 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic comprises:
 monitoring behavior of a request to redraw the at least one element.   
     
     
         73 . The method according to  claim 72 , wherein the request comprises:
 an operating system request.   
     
     
         74 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic occurs at a client device, and the method further comprises:
 transmitting information relating to the monitored behavioral characteristic from the client device to a server.   
     
     
         75 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element is an element of the content. 
     
     
         76 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element is a pixel. 
     
     
         77 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element is a corner of the content. 
     
     
         78 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element is an applet. 
     
     
         79 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element comprises a plurality of elements, and wherein determining whether the content is in view or not in view comprises:
 determining a proportion of the plurality of elements that is in view.   
     
     
         80 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element comprises a plurality of elements, and wherein determining whether the content is in view or not in view comprises:
 determining whether any part of the plurality of elements is in view.   
     
     
         81 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element comprises a plurality of elements, and wherein determining whether the content is in view or not in view comprises:
 determining whether all of the plurality of elements are in view.   
     
     
         82 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element is located at an edge of the content. 
     
     
         83 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein the at least one element is not observable by a human user. 
     
     
         84 . The method according to  claim 67 , wherein an advertisement is provided in the content. 
     
     
         85 . The method according to  claim 84 , where the at least one element is part of or the whole of the advertisement. 
     
     
         86 . The method according to  claim 67 , further comprising:
 determining, from the monitored behavioral characteristic, a duration of time during which the content is in view.   
     
     
         87 . A server arranged to transmit monitoring instructions to a client device over a network, wherein the monitoring instructions, when executed by the client device, perform operations for determining whether content within a web page is in view, the operations comprising:
 receiving at least one element with the content;   rendering the web page;   monitoring a behavioral characteristic relating to the at least one element; and   determining, from the monitored behavioral characteristic, whether the content is in view or not in view,   wherein the behavioral characteristic varies according to whether the at least one element is in view or not in view.   
     
     
         88 . A method, implemented using a computing system, for determining whether content within a web page is in view, the method comprising:
 providing at least one element with the content;   rendering the web page;   monitoring a behavioral characteristic relating to the at least one element; and   determining from the monitored behavioral characteristic whether the content is in view or not in view,   wherein the behavioral characteristic comprises a redrawing of the at least one element.   
     
     
         89 . The method according to  claim 88 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic comprises:
 monitoring events indicative of the at least one element being in view.   
     
     
         90 . The method according to  claim 88 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic comprises:
 monitoring events issued when an on-screen pointer enters an area defined by the content.   
     
     
         91 . The method according to  claim 88 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic comprises:
 monitoring behavior of an applet as it relates to the at least one element.   
     
     
         92 . The method according to  claim 88 , wherein monitoring the behavioral characteristic comprises:
 monitoring behavior of a request to redraw the at least one element; and   wherein the request comprises:
 an operating system request.