# US 10,320,882 B2 · Uniform resource locator discovery and tracking for managing sponsored data

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- Number: US 10,320,882 B2
- Document ID: US10320882B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/689,360
- Filed: 2017-08-29
- Published: 2019-02-28
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-29
- Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Applicants: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
- Inventors: Rajendra Dadlani; Constance Goshgarian; Maria Dillard; Jeffrey Wilson; Ranny Sue; Umesh Balani; Arlene Cava; Michael McBride; Pankaj Sharma; Xavier D. Riley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320882B2

## CPC

- H04L 67/025: for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
- G06F 16/955: using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
- G06Q 30/0273: Determination of fees for advertising
- H04L 12/14: Charging, metering or billing arrangements specially adapted for data communications, e.g. authentication, authorisation and accounting [AAA] framework
- H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)}
- H04M 15/00: Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication {; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP}
- H04M 15/28: with meter at substation {or with calculation of charges at terminal}
- H04M 15/8083: {involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts}
- H04N 21/236: Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream {(multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00)}
- H04N 21/2408: {Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests (monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60)}
- H04N 21/2668: Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles {(information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063)}
- H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)}
- H04N 21/858: Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot
- H04N 21/8586: {by using a URL (processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02)}
- H04M 2215/0192: Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

In one example, the present disclosure describes a device, computer-readable medium, and method for discovering and tracking uniform resource locators (URLs) for the purposes of managing sponsored data. For instance, in one example, a method includes monitoring a request for a stream of data delivered to a user endpoint device via a content distribution network, wherein the stream of data is accessed via a digital content distribution application running on the user endpoint device, discovering a uniform resource locator associated with the stream of data, and updating a list of sponsored uniform resource locators in accordance with the discovering, wherein the sponsored uniform resource locators comprise uniform resource locators that are permitted to be accessed by the digital content distribution application without impacting a data allowance allocated to the user endpoint device.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
monitoring a request for a stream of data delivered to a user endpoint device via a content distribution network, wherein the stream of data is accessed via a digital content distribution application running on the user endpoint device;
discovering a first uniform resource locator associated with the stream of data;
updating a list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored in accordance with the discovering, wherein the list of sponsored uniform resource locators comprises uniform resource locators that are permitted to be accessed by the digital content distribution application without impacting a data allowance allocated to the user endpoint device; and
publishing the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored for viewing by a potential sponsor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored is obtained prior to the monitoring.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the digital content distribution application browses, plays, and navigates digital content delivered via the content distribution network.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the digital content distribution application browses, plays, and navigates the digital content in cooperation with a mobile application controller in the content distribution network.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the discovering comprises:
obtaining a complete path of the first uniform resource locator; and
aggregating the first uniform resource locator with a second uniform resource locator, based on the complete path.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the second uniform resource locator is also associated with the stream of data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the second uniform resource locator is included on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the aggregating comprises:
detecting that the first uniform resource locator and the second uniform resource locator share a longest common path.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the longest common path comprises a common top level domain.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the updating comprises:
adding the first uniform resource locator to the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored, when the first uniform resource locator is not already present on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored; and
indicating, on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored, a time at which the first uniform resource locator was last discovered.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the updating comprises:
determining that the first uniform resource locator is already present on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored; and
indicating, on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored, a time at which the first uniform resource locator was last discovered.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the updating comprises:
determining that the first uniform resource locator has not been discovered for at least a predefined threshold period of time; and
removing the first uniform resource locator from the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring, the discovering, and the updating are repeated on a continuous basis.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first uniform resource locator is a hypertext transfer protocol over transport layer security uniform resource locator.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first uniform resource locator is a hypertext transfer protocol uniform resource locator.

### Claim 16

A device, comprising:
a processor; and
a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
monitoring a request for a stream of data delivered to a user endpoint device via a content distribution network, wherein the stream of data is accessed via a digital content distribution application running on the user endpoint device;
discovering a uniform resource locator associated with the stream of data;
updating a list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored in accordance with the discovering, wherein the list of sponsored uniform resource locators comprises uniform resource locators that are permitted to be accessed by the digital content distribution application without impacting a data allowance allocated to the user endpoint device; and
publishing the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored for viewing by a potential sponsor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The device of claim 16, wherein the updating comprises:
adding the uniform resource locator to the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored, when the uniform resource locator is not already present on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored; and
indicating, on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored, a time at which the first uniform resource locator was last discovered.

### Claim 18

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
monitoring a request for a stream of data delivered to a user endpoint device via a content distribution network, wherein the stream of data is accessed via a digital content distribution application running on the user endpoint device;
discovering a uniform resource locator associated with the stream of data;
updating a list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored in accordance with the discovering, wherein the list of sponsored uniform resource locators comprises uniform resource locators that are permitted to be accessed by the digital content distribution application without impacting a data allowance allocated to the user endpoint device; and
publishing the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored for viewing by a potential sponsor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the updating comprises:
adding the uniform resource locator to the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored, when the uniform resource locator is not already present on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored; and
indicating, on the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored, a time at which the first uniform resource locator was last discovered.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the updating comprises:
determining the uniform resource locator has not been discovered for at least a predefined threshold period of time; and
removing the uniform resource locator from the list of sponsored uniform resource locators that are available to be sponsored.