Web site client information tracker

An apparatus operable on a client computer having a memory and a browser program running in the memory, the apparatus obtaining client information relating to usage of a World Wide Web site web page consisting of data and code for displaying the data, which data and code are downloaded into the memory from a web server in response to a browser request, the apparatus comprising:

• a tracker program at a World Wide Web site;
• a tracker tag in the web page code in the web server, the tracker tag including means for sending, in response to detection of the tracker tag in the web page code when the web page code is read by the browser program, a tracker message from the client computer to the tracker program;
• and
• means for causing the tracker to obtain the client information in response to the receipt of the tracker message.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon operable on a client computer having a memory and a browser program running in the memory, the computer program product obtaining client information relating to usage of a World Wide Web site web page consisting of data and code for displaying the data, which data and code are downloaded into the memory from a web server in response to a browser request, the computer readable program code comprising:
• tracker tag program code in the code of the web page;
• program code for operating a tracker program at a World Wide Web site;
• program code for sending, in response to the detection of the tracker tag program code in web page code read by the browser program, a tracker message from the client computer to the tracker program;
• and
• program code for causing the tracker program to obtain the client information in response to receipt of the tracker message.

A method operable on a client computer having a memory and a browser program running in the memory, the method obtaining client information relating to usage of a web page consisting of data and code for displaying the data, which data and code are downloaded into the memory from a web server in response to a browser request, the code having tags, each of which includes the address of a tracking server and a location of a resource at the tracking server which is to be retrieved by the browser program, the method comprising the steps of:

• A. inserting a tracker tag in the web page code in the web server, wherein the tracker tag includes a mechanism for modifying the resource location in the tracker tag so that the modified location will be different each time the tracker tag is detected by the browser program;
• B. operating a tracker program at the tracking server;
• C. sending, in response to each detection of the tracker tag in web page code being read by the browser program, a tracker message from the client computer to the tracker program to retrieve a resource at the modified location;
• and
• D. causing the tracker program to obtain the client information in response to receipt of the tracker message.

An apparatus operable on a client computer having a memory and a browser program running in the memory, the apparatus obtaining client information relating to usage of a web page consisting of data and code for displaying the data, which data and code are downloaded into the memory from a web server in response to a browser request, the code having tags, each of which includes the address of a tracking server and a location of a resource at the tracking server which is to be retrieved by the browser program, the apparatus comprising:

• a tracker program at the tracking server;
• a tracker tag in the web page code in the web server, the tracker tag including a mechanism for modifying the resource location in the tracker tag so that the modified location will be different each time the tracker tag is detected by the browser program and means for sending, in response to each detection of the tracker tag in the web page code when the web page code is read by the browser program, a tracker message from the client computer to the tracker program to retrieve a resource at the modified location;
• and
• means for causing the tracker to obtain the client information in response to the receipt of the tracker message.

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon operable on a client computer having a memory and a browser program running in the memory, the computer program product obtaining client information relating to usage of a web page consisting of data and code for displaying the data, which data and code are downloaded into the memory from a web server in response to a browser request, the code having tags, each of which includes the address of a tracking server and a location of a resource at the tracking server which is to be retrieved by the browser program, the computer readable program code comprising:
• tracker tag program code in the code of the web page, wherein the tracker tag program code includes program code for modifying the resource location in the tracker tag so that the modified location will be different each time the tracker tag is detected by the browser program;
• program code for operating a tracker program at the tracking server;
• program code for sending, in response to the detection of the tracker tag program code in web page code read by the browser program, a tracker message from the client computer to the tracker program to retrieve a resource at the modified location;
• and
• program code for causing the tracker program to obtain the client information in response to receipt of the tracker message.

A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for obtaining client information relating to usage of a World Wide Web site web page consisting of data and code for displaying the data, which data and code are downloaded into the memory from a web server in response to a browser request, the computer data signal comprising:

• program code for inserting a tracker tag into the code of the web page;
• program code for installing a tracker program at a tracking server, the tracker program obtaining the client information in response to receipt of a tracker message;
• and
• program code for sending, in response to the detection of the tracker tag program code in web page code when read by the browser program, a tracker message from the client computer to the tracker program so that the tracker program monitors the web page usage.