Google Inc.

Spidercrunch Limited

Douglas De Jager

Simon Overell

Ben Hodgson

A technique is provided to determine whether a region within a web page is viewable to a user through a browser window. Often, browsers will only show part of a web page at given time, creating a difficulty in establishing whether a region of the web page, which may be an advertisement for example, is in view. This is addressed by providing one or more test features within the region, rendering the web page, monitoring a behavioural characteristic of the test features and determining whether the region is in view based on the monitored behavioural characteristic, wherein the behavioural characteristic varies according to whether the test feature is currently being displayed. One example of a behavioural characteristic is a frame progression rate. Browsers will typically redraw elements of a web page at a higher rate if they are currently in view through the browser window, and this characteristic can therefore be used to determine whether the test feature, and thus the region, is in view. The present invention finds particular utility where the region contains an advertisement, as it allows an advertiser to discover whether the advertisement has been seen by users.

Advertisements in view

A technique is provided to determine whether a region within a web page is viewable to a user through a browser window. Often, browsers will only show part of a web page at given time, creating a difficulty in establishing whether a region of the web page, which may be an advertisement for example, is in view. This is addressed by providing one or more test features within the region, rendering the web page, monitoring a behavioral characteristic of the test features and determining whether the region is in view based on the monitored behavioral characteristic, wherein the behavioral characteristic varies according to whether the test feature is currently being displayed. One example of a behavioral characteristic is a frame progression rate. Browsers will typically redraw elements of a web page at a higher rate if they are currently in view through the browser window, and this characteristic can therefore be used to determine whether the test feature, and thus the region, is in view. The present invention finds particular utility where the region contains an advertisement, as it allows an advertiser to discover whether the advertisement has been seen by users.

Method to determine whether advertisements in a web page are in view

In a system in which one or more client devicesaccess web serversover a network, a classification serveris provided to assist in identifying the nature of the agent controlling the client devices. In particular, the classification servermonitors events that occur as a client deviceaccesses content on a web server, and uses a record of these events to classify the client device. This classification occurs when a classification time, generated in dependence on the events that have already taken place, is reached. The classification time represents the earliest time at which a classification can be made with a predetermined level of confidence.

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London, United Kingdom

Douglas De Jager