`GOOG 1002
`IPR of U.S. Patent No. 6,014,698
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`PATENT APPLICATION SERIAL N0.
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`55431 U
`3/3 8' Pro -
`W971
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`5'/11
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`U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`FEE RECORD SHEET
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`PTO- I 556
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`(5,187)
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`June 11, 1997
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`EXPRE S MAIL P ST OFFICE TO ADDRESSEE LABEL NO.
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`EM1fZ7692289US
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`Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks
`BOX PATENT APPLICATION
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`Washington, D.C. 20231
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`
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`Re:
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`U.S. Patent Application: METHOD FOR COUNTING DISPLAYS OF
`BANNERS ON TERMINALS CONNECTED TO A COMPUTER
`NETWORK
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`Inventor:
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`Michael John Griffiths
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`Our File No.:
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`l8022~002
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`Sir:
`
`The enclosed Patent Application of the above—referenced inventor, Michael John
`Griffiths, Westminster, Colorado is being filed by EXPRESS MAIL POST
`OFFICE T0 ADDRESSEE (Label No. EM177629982US) with the specification,
`claims, abstract, and drawings which are sufficient to obtain a filing date under 37
`C.F.R. 1.53 of the Patent Ofiice Rules. The applicant will complete the application
`by submitting the required filing fee and declaration within the time allowed under
`37 C.F.R. 1.53. This application is a continuation-in—part of Application Serial
`Number yet to be assigned, filed May 19,1997, and entitled Information Storage and
`Delivery Over A Computer Network Using Centralized Intelligence to Monitor and
`Control the Information Being Delivered.
`'
`
`The correspondence address for purposes of Rule 1.553 is as follows:
`5
`
`Scott B. Allison, Reg. No. 38i,370
`Attorney for Applicant
`l
`CHRISMAN, BYNUM & JOHNSON, P.C.
`1900 Fifteenth Street
`
`Boulder, CO 80302
`
`(303) 546-1300
`Telephone:
`Facsimile: (303) 449-5426
`
`Sincerely,
`
`Scott B. Allison
`
`SBA:mmp
`Enc.
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`Applicants:
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`Michael John Griffiths
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`Serial No.:
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`Not Yet Accorded
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`Filing Date:
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`Not Yet Accorded
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`Title:
`
`METHOD FOR COUNTING DISPLAYS
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`OF BANNERS ON TERMINALS
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`CONNECTED TO A COMPUTER
`NETWORK
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`Our File No.:
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`18022-002
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`\../\../‘-._J\-_/\&\—/\_/\_/\.../\.—/\-._/\-...J
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`E E
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`Examiner: Not Yet Accorded
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`CERTIFICATE OF EXPRESS MAILINQ UNDER 37 C.F.R. 1.10
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`I hereby certify that the following documents:
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`1.
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`3.
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`4.
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`Patent Application (including fifty—four (54) pages of specifications, six (6) pages
`of claims (1-29), and Abstract) entitled METHOD FOR COUNTING DISPLAYS
`OF BANNERS ON TERMINALS CONNECTED TO A COMPUTER
`NETWORK;
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`Four (4) sheets of drawings (Figures 1-4);
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`Transmittal Letter to Assistant Commissioner of Patents; and
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`Post Card for return by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`are being deposited with the United States Postal Service as EXPRESS MAIL POST OFFICE
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`TO ADDRESSEE, postage prepaid, EXPRESS MAIL LABEL NO. EM177699989US, in an
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`envelope addressed to: Assistant Commissioner for Patents, BOX PATENT APPLICATION,
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`Washington, D.C.'2023l, on this 11th day of June, 1997.
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`éaQZ%/
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`R COUNTING DISPLAYS OF BANNERS
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`ON
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`COMPUTER NETWORK
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`Invented by:
`
`Michael J. Griffiths
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`CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED INVENTION
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`This application is a continuation—in—part of Application Serial No. 6% { g 5?‘ 95,
`“aw ? \
`filed May 19, 1997,’\and enti led Information Storage and Delivery Over A computer Network
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`Using Centralized Intelligence to Monitor and Control the Information Being Delivered.
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`10.
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`1.
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`In ni n:
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`This invention relates to the system for the storage, management, and delivery of
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`information on a computer network and, more specifically, to the efficient and accurate counting
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`of advertising information displayed on terminals connected to the computer network.
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`2.
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`Description of the Prior Ar_t:
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`During recent years there have been rapid advancements in computers and computer
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`networking. In particular, the world-wide network of computers commonly referred to as the
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`Internet has seen explosive growth The Internet comprises a vast network "of smaller wide area
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`and local area computer networks connected together so as to allow the sharing of resources and
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`to facilitate data communication between computers and users. The rapid growth of the Internet
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`is due, in large part, to the introduction and widespread use of graphical user interfaces called
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`browsers which allow users easy access to network servers and computers connected to the
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`Internet and, more particularly, the World Wide Web.
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`The World Wide Web forms a subset of the Internet and includes a collection of servers,
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`computers, and other devices. Each server may contain documents formatted as web pages or
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`hypertext documents that are accessible and viewable with a web compliant browser, such as the
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`Netscape Navigator” browser or the Mosaic“ browser. Each hypertext document or web page
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`may contain references to graphic files or banners that are to be displayed in conjunction with the
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`hypertext document or web page. The files and banners may or may not be stored at the same
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`5
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`location as the hypertext document or web page.
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`A hypertext document often contains hypertext links to other hypertext documents such that
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`the other hypertext documents can be accessed from the first hypertext document by activating the
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`hypertext links. The servers connected to the World Wide Web utilize the Hypertext Transfer
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`Protocol (HTTP) which is widely known protocol which allows users to use browsers to access
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`web pages and the banners or files associated with web pages. The files, banners, hypertext
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`documents, or web pages may contain text, graphics, images, sound, video, etc. and are generally
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`written in a standard page or hypertext document description language known as the Hypertext
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`Markup Language (HTML). The HTML format allows a web page developer to specify the
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`location and presentation of the graphic, textual, sound, etc. on the screen displayed to the user
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`accessing the web page.
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`In addition, the HTML format allows a web page to contain links, such
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`as the hypertext links described above, to other web pages or servers on the Internet. Simply by
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`selecting a link, a user can be transferred to the new web page, which may be located very
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`different geographically or topologically from the original web page.
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`When using a conventional browser, a user can select which web page or hypertext
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`document the user wishes to have displayed on the user’s computer or terminal by specifying the
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`web page’s Universal or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address. Each server has a unique
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`URL address and, in fact, so does each web page and each file needed to display the web page.
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`For example,
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`the URL address for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is currently
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`http://www.uspto. gov. When a user types in this URL address into a browser, the user’s terminal
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`establishes a connection with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the initial web page for
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`the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is transmitted from the server storing this web page (which
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`may or may not be actually located at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) to the user’s terminal
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`and displayed on the user’s terminal. The web page may include a number of graphic images or
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`elements, often referred to as banners, which are to be displayed on the user’s terminal in
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`conjunction with the web page. Each of the graphic images is typically stored as a separate file
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`on the server and has its own URL address. When the web page is initially transmitted from the
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`server to the user’s terminal, the browser receives the URL addresses for the graphic images and
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`then requests that they be transmitted from the server on which they are stored to the user’s
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`terminal for display on the user’s terminal in conjunction with the web page. The server(s) on
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`which the graphic images are stored may or may not be the same server on which the original web
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`page is stored. More specifically, since the URL‘s addresses for the included graphic images are
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`all processed separately using the HTML protocols, it is possible and, in fact, common, for these
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`graphic images to be stored on separate and even widely distributed computers or hosts, all of
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`which are accessible to the user’s terminal via a computer network. For purposes of the present
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`invention, the term “banner” is meant to be construed very broadly and includes any information
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`displayed in conjunction with a web page wherein the information is not part of the same file as
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`the web page. That is, a banner includes anything that is displayed or used in conjunction with
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`a web page, but which can exist separately from the web page or which can be used in conjunction
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`with many web pages. Banners can include graphics,
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`textual
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`information, video, audio,
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`animation, and links to other computer sites, web sites, web pages, or banners.
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`The growth of easy access to the World Wide Web and the ability to create visually
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`pleasing web pages have helped increase the amount of advertising and other promotional
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`materials created for use and display with web pages. For example, a car manufacturer may have
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`a web page describing the company and the cars and car parts that the company manufactures and
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`sells. Part of the web page may include advertising information or banners such as, for example,
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`images of current car models sold by the manufacturer or the types and numbers or cars the
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`manufacturer has in stock. The car manufacturer may also contract with the owners or operators
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`of other web pages to have the car manufacturer’s advertisement banners displayed when users
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`access these other web pages. Similarly, an advertising agency may contract with various web
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`sites to have the advertisement banners of the agency’s clients displayed when users access the web
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`pages stored on the web sites. For example, an advertising agency or ad-network firm may
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`contract with a web site containing general information about cars to have advertising information
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`or banners included on the web pages displayed to a user accessing the web site. The advertising
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`banners may contain graphics, text, etc. about car models or car parts manufactured by on of the
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`advertising agency’s clients. Furthermore, the advertisement banners may not be stored on the
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`same server or computer or web site on which the web page is stored. Rather, all or a significant
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`portion of the advertisement banners created by an advertising agency may reside on one or more
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`information or ad servers. Typically, an advertising agency will pay a fixed amount of money for
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`a fixed number of displays of its advertisement banners on a single web page or group of Web
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`pages. Therefore, advertising agencies are understandably very interested in knowing which
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`advertisement banners have been displayed with which web pages and how often each
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`advertisement banner has been displayed on terminals or otherwise served to terminals.
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`Unfortunately, the current state of the art is such that accurate counts are not made of how
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`many times an banner, even a banner containing an advertisement, is displayed to users or served
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`to terminals. Furthermore, nature and extent of the problem of rniscounting displays of banners
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`is not well-known or even understood in the industry or by people of ordinary skill in the art.
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`Therefore, despite the well-developed state of the art in the displaying of information, banners,
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`and advertisements in conjunction with web pages, documents, or other information, there is still
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`a need for a system for storing and delivering information and banners on a computer network
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`where accurate counts of the number of times each piece of information and banner is displayed
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`can be made and the information and banners are displayed quickly and efficiently to users or
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`terminals.
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`In addition, there is a need for a highly reliable, even fault—tolerant, system for storing
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`and delivering the information and banners that will not significantly reduce the efficiency of the
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`Internet or the servers on which the information and banners are stored, while providing for
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`accurate monitoring and counting of the information and banners displayed to a user or served to
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`a terminal.
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a system for storing
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`Express Mail Label No. EM177699989US
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`and delivering information on a computer network.
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`It is a specific object of the present invention to provide a system for the storage, delivery
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`monitoring, and tailoring of advertising information on a computer network.
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`It is another general object of the present invention to provide a system for storing and
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`delivering information on a computer network wherein accurate counts of the number of times the
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`information is displayed or served to users or terminals can be made.
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`It is a specific object of the present invention to provide a system for storing and delivering
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`information on a computer network wherein the operation of the computer network is not
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`significantly affected.
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`It is another general object of the present invention to provide a system for storing and
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`delivering information on a computer network wherein the system maintains a high degree of
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`reliability and fault tolerance.
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`Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention shall be set forth in part
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`in the description that follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon
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`examination of the following or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The objects and
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`the advantages may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and in combinations
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`particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
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`To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with the purposes of the
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`present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the system includes terminals
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`connected to a computer network, either directly, or indirectly through an intermediary device
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`such as a local or proxy server, that access computer or web sites also connected to the computer
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`network to download or transmit pages, documents, or other information from the computer or
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`web sites for storage or display on the terminals, wherein the pages, documents, or other
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`information served to the terminals contain references to banners to be displayed in conjunction
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`with the pages, documents, and information. The terminal initiates access or connection to a
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`desired computer or web site to access a desired page. After the desired page is transmitted and
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`served to the terminal from the computer or web site, the terminal initiates and sends an initial
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`banner request signal to an information server either requesting that unspecified banner be served
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`to the terminal or that a specified banner be served to the terminal. The information server returns
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`a redirect signal to the terminal telling the terminal the location on the computer network of the
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`banner requested or specified by the terminal or selected by the information server, which location
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`may be the information server, the computer site, or some other information server, computer site,
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`or location accessible to the terminal via the computer network. The terminal then initiates a
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`second specific banner request signal to the location of the banner requested or specified by the
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`terminal or selected by the information server and the banner is transmitted to the terminal for
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`display on the terminal, unless the requested or selected banner has previously been stored or
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`cached in the terminal’s memory or in the memory of a local or proxy server connected to the
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`terminal, in which case the second banner request signal is not sent across the computer network
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`and the banner is loaded and/or displayed directly from the terminal’s memory or served to the
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`terminal from the proxy server. Each display of a banner on a terminal is counted, preferably
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`by an information server, so that accurate counts of banner displays can be made.
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`In a second embodiment, a primary information server and at least one mirror information
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`server are connected to the computer site, but may be separated either geographically or network
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`topologically. The banner information stored in the primary information server is also stored in
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`each of the mirror information servers. All of the initial banner request signals are sent to the
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`primary information server which determines which information server is best suited for delivering
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`the barmer to the terminal sending the initial banner request signal. As in the first embodiment,
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`the barmer may be specifically requested by the terminal or may be selected by the primary
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`information server. The primary information server then sends a signal to the terminal indicating
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`to the terminal which information server the terminal should request the requested or selected
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`banner from. The terminal then generates the second banner request signal to serve or transmit
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`the banner from the information server selected by the primary information server. Should the
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`primary information server go offline, one or more of the .mirror information servers can become
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`a new primary information server.
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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`The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of the
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`specification, illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and together with the
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`descriptions serve to explain the principles of the invention.
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`In the Drawings:
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`Figure 1
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`illustrates a computer network over which the present
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`implemented;
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`Figure 2 shows an representative web page accessible from a computer site connected to
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`Express Mail Label No. EM177699989US
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`the computer network of Figure 1;
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`Figure 3 shows a flowchart diagram of a prior method for storing and delivering
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`information across the computer network of Figure 1; and
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`Figure 4 shows a flowchart diagram of the preferred method of the present invention for
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`storing and delivering information across the computer network of Figure 1.
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
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`A representative computer network 30 is illustrated in Figure 1 and includes computers or
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`atin
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`terminals 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44 with which users can access or connect to the computer
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`network 30 and the resources connected to the computer network 30 such as the computer or web
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`sites or servers 46, 48. The computer network 30 can include satellite links, microwave links,
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`fiber optic transmission lines, local area networks, wide area networks, etc. Terminals, such as
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`the terminals 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, may be connected to the computer network 30 via local or
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`caching proxy servers 50, 52 or other intermediary devices (not shown). Proxy servers allow
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`multiple terminals to access the computer network 30, while reducing the number of physical
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`connections to the computer network 30, as will be discussed in more detail below. A primary
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`information server 54 and mirror information servers 56, 58 may also be connected to the
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`computer network 30 to facilitate the serving and displaying of information or banners to the
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`terminals 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, as- will also be discussed in more detail below. The
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`computer network 30 illustrated in Figure 1 is only meant to be generally representative of
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`computer networks for purposes of elaboration and explanation of the present invention and other
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`devices, networks, etc. may be connected to the computer network 30 without departing from the
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`scope of the present invention. The computer network 30 is also intended to be representative of,
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`and include, the Internet, the World Wide Web, privately or publicly owned or operated networks
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`such as, for example, Tymnet, Telenet, America On-Line, Prodigy, Compuserve, Information
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`America, and the Microsoft Network, and other local or wide area computer networks. The
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`computer network 30 can also include or be representative of corporate or other private intranets,
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`which are privately owned networks using Internet protocols.
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`It should also be noted that the
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`distinction between information servers, web site, computer sites, and generic servers is made only
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`for the purposes of elaboration and explanation of the present invention and that a device can
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`function simultaneously or alternatively as a computer site, web site, information server, generic
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`server, or other device, or combinations thereof without falling outside the scope of the present
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`invention.
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`By way of general introduction,_ in a typical computer network, a user located at a terminal
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`can access the resources connected to the computer network. For example, a user at the terminal
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`34 or terminal 36 can access the web site or computer site 46 and the information stored thereon.
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`The computer site or server 46 may contain web pages, such as the web page 60 illustrated in
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`Figure 2,
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`that the user can download for display on the terminal 34. For purposes of this
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`invention, the term “web page” shall be defined broadly and will include any hypertext document,
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`information, screen displays, etc. that a user can download or otherwise retrieve from a computer
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`or web site for display and/or storage on the user’s terminal, and shall not be limited to only the
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`information, pages, or documents retrievable by a user connected to the World Wide Web.
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`Therefore, the term “web page” will be used generically to refer to information transmitted or
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`served to a terminal from a computer site, web site, server, or other device, wherein the web page
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`may contain banners or references to banners that can be served to the terminal and displayed in
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`conjunction with the web page. The web page 60 may contain textual information, such as “XYZ
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`COMPANY” and “Company History,” and information configured in banners, such as the
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`banners 62, 64, 66. The banners 62, 64, 66 may contain graphics, text, video, etc. As will be
`discussed in more detailbelow, the banners associated with a web page may not be stored at the
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`same place as the web page and may be downloaded or served to a user’s terminal separately from
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`the web page. A significant feature and advantage of the present invention is in the way the
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`banner information is selected and downloaded or served to a user’s terminal from computer sites
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`or information servers connected over a same computer network, as will be discussed in more
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`detail below. The current state of the art is such that the counts of banner displays are largely
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`inaccurate, banners are not targetable to large segments of the population using caching proxy
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`servers, and suffers when the performance gains provided by proxy servers are not taken into
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`account in prior art methods of counting banner displays, as will also be discussed in more detail
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`below.
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`In a conventional web page, such as the web page 60, if a user clicks on, or otherwise
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`activates, the button associated with the textual information, a new web page might be displayed
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`on the user’s terminal. For example, if the user clicks on the button 68 associated with the textual
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`information 7‘Company History,” a new web page devoted to the history of the XYZ company
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`might be served from the computer site 46 to the user’s terminal 34 and displayed on the user’s
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`terminal 34. Similarly, if the user clicks on the button 70 associated with the textual information
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`“Product Line,” a new web page devoted to the product line of the XYZ company might be served
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`from the computer site 46 to the user’s terminal 34 and displayed on the user’s terminal 34. Each
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`web page may contain similar “links” to other web pages, hypertext documents, web sites, etc.
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`Activating a link available on a web page or hypertext document, therefore, provides the user with
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`an ability to navigate or move to and display or download different documents, pages, banners,
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`sites, or other information via the computer network 30.
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`When a user has a web page displayed on the user’s terminal, the web page and its
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`associated banners are often stored or cached in the termina1’s memory for a period of time.
`this fashion, if the user desires orrequests that a web page previously displayed to the user on the
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`terminal be reaccessed and displayed on the user’s terminal, the web page and the banners
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`associated with the requested web page can beloaded directly from the terminal’s memory without
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`reconnecting to the computer or web site on which the web page is stored and from which the web
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`page was originally served and without reconnecting to the computer site or information server
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`on which the banners are stored and from the banners were originally served, thereby reducing
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`the time needed to display the web page. Similarly, if the user’s terminal is connected to a local
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`or proxy server, the web page and the banners associated with the web page may be stored in the
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`memory of the proxy server. Should the user at a terminal request a redisplay of a web page
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`previously displayed on the user’s terminal or previously displayed on any other terminal
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`connected to the same proxy server, the web page and the banners associated from the web page
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`can be served from the proxy server to the terminal for display on the terminal without connecting
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`to the computer or web site on which the web page is stored and from which the web page was
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`originally downloaded or served and without connecting to computer site or information servers
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`on which the banners are stored and from which the banners were originally transmitted or served.
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`Note that, in the case that the information is retrieved from a copy of the information previously
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`stored held within a proxy server connected to the terminal, the serving of the information to the
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`terminal will typically be completed by sending the information from the proxy server to the
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`terminal, tie. ,without the participation of the computer site or server. Therefore, it is difficult for
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`the computer site or server 46 to maintain an accurate count of the terminals 36, 38, etc. on which
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`the information is displayed if the terminals are connected to caching proxy servers, if the
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`performance benefits offered by the caching proxy server are desired.
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`As previously discussed above, a significant feature and advantage of the present invention
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`is in the way the banner information is selected and transmitted and served to the user’s terminal
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`from computer sites or information servers connected over a same computer network. More
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`specifically, the method of the present invention allows banner information to be served over a
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`computer network to a terminal, computer, etc.
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`in a way which takes advantage of the
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`performance enhancements offered by caching proxy servers and such that the operation of the
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`computer network is not significantly affected while providing the ability to accurately track or
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`count the number of times the banner information has been displayed on terminals connected to
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`the computer network, as will be discussed in more detail below.
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`It is not uncommon for banners
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`to contain up to fifty kilobytes (KB) of information, thereby making the limiting of banner
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`transmissions across a computer network very significant to the efficiency and operation of the
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`computer network and to banner serving computer systems.
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`For purposes of elaboration and explanation of the present invention, the conventions and
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`protocols of the World Wide Web, and browsers therefore, will be used as examples, in particular,
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`the concept of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the
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`Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
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`(TCP/IP).
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`It should be noted, however, that the concepts underlying the present invention can be
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`used for computer networks using other or different types of conventions and protocols. For more
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`details on these protocols, the reader is directed to: Kevin Washburn and Jim Evans, TCP[lP
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`running a successful network, 2nd Ed. (1996), published by Addison—Wesley, Douglas E. Comer,
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`Internetworking with TCP[IP, 3rd Ed. (1995), published by Prentice Hall, John December and
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`Mark Ginsberg, HTML 3.2 and CGI
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`nlea hed Profe ional Ref rence Edition (1996), published
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`by Sams.net Publishing, and Jerry Honeycutt er al. , Using HTML 3.2, 3rd Ed (1997), published
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`by Que Corporation, all of these references of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other
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`information about the HTTP, HTML, TCP/IP and other network protocols can also be found in
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`U.S. Patent No. 5,617,540 issued to Civanlar er al., U.S. Patent No. 5,572,643 issued to Judson,
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`and U.S. Patent No. 5,442,771 issued to Filepp er al. , all of which are also incorporated herein
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`by reference. The linking of one web page or hypertext document to another is commonly done
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`using a hypertext markup comment tag. When the user clicks on or otherwise activates the
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`hypertext markup comment tag, a link to the new web page or hypertext document is generally
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`initiated by the user’s browser software which causes the user’s terminal to request that the new
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`web page or hypertext document be displayed on the user’s terminal or computer. Similarly, if
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`a web page served to a user’s terminal contains banners, the URL addresses for the banners will
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`be served with the web page so that the terminal can request that the banners be served to the
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`terminal for display on the terminal along with the previously served web page.
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`It should also be noted that the disclosed system and method also work for all types of
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`operating systems running on the computers, terminals, computer sites, information servers, and
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`other devices connected to the computer network 30. Such operating systems can include, for
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`example, Microsoft’s DOS“, WINDOWS 3.x”, WINDOWS NT”, or WINDOWS 95"” software,
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`IBM’s OS/2"‘ software, Apple’s System 7"‘ software, or the AIX or UNIX operating system
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`software platforms.
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`Now referring back to Figure 1, computers or terminals can be connected to the computer
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`network 30 in a variety of ways. For example, the terminals 32, 34 can be connected directly to
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`the computer network 30 or may be attached via a dial-up line or network access service provider.
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`Other terminals may connected to the computer via network proxy or local servers, such as the
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`proxy servers 50, 52. Proxy servers allow multiple computers, terminals, or computer networks
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`to be connected to another computer network at a single point.
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`In addition, since the connection
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`from the terminals 32, 34 and the proxy server 50 to the computer network 30 is in most instances
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`slower than the connections from the terminals 36, 38 to the proxy server 50, the proxy server 50
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`can provide significant speed improvements. For example, a large corporation may have all it