Methods for persisting, organizing, and replacing perishable browser information using a browser plug-in
AssigneeThe Weather Channel, Inc.
InventorsJon Badenell, Joseph Pearson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is directed to methods for identification of users communicating with web servers by replacing or creating browser information associated with a user. In one embodiment, a local object store containing cookie values or URL data on the user's computer is accessed when a web page is rendered. The values stored in the local object store are used to recreate cookies that have been deleted from the computer's web browser or the URL data is used to identify web pages that the user has downloaded. Once recreated, the cookies may be placed back in the web browser or the URL data may be used by the web-server in targeting the user for advertisements, personalization, etc.
Claims20
A method for creating browser information associated with a user of a computer, the computer comprising a web browser and a local object store, the local object store in a location independent of the web browser, the method comprising:
- communicating with the computer through the Internet;
- accessing the local object store;
- retrieving a browser value;
- and
- creating browser information from the browser value, wherein the browser information is associated with the user of the computer.
A method for replacing information deleted from a web browser on a computer, the web-browser comprising a plug-in, the method comprising:
- inserting a control media into a web page, the control media for accessing a local object store on the computer in a location independent of the web browser, wherein the local object store is associated with the plug-in and comprises a browser value;
- and
- inserting control code in the web page for creating browser information from the browser value.
A method for writing a cookie value associated with a cookie name in a local object store on a computer comprising a web browser, the local object store in a location independent of the web browser, the method comprising:
- accessing the local object store, wherein the local object store is associated with a plug-in located on the computer;
- and
- writing a browser value associated with a cookie name in the local object store, wherein the writing is completed by a control media associated with the plug-in that is inserted into a web page that is rendered on the computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.