Method and apparatus for detecting actual viewing or electronic advertisements
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMaria Azua Himmel, Viktors Berstis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for determining rates chargeable to advertisers based upon the actual viewing time for which their advertisements were seen by a given user. This is accomplished through the use of a advertisement control plug in combination with a file used during times in which the user is not connected to the Internet or other applicable network.
Claims16
In a computer environment where textual and graphical information are viewed in a web browser window by an end user, the window capable of displaying information having a physical size greater than the physical dimensions of the window, a method of detecting and recording time periods during which certain portions of the information are viewable by the user, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting when a predefined portion of the information is displayed within the physical dimensions of the window;
- and
- recording in predefined time intervals the detection of the displayed information.
In a computer environment where textual and graphical information are viewed in a web browser window by an end user, the window capable of displaying information having a physical size greater than the physical dimensions of the window, an apparatus for detecting and recording the period of time for which certain advertising portions of the information are viewable by the user, the apparatus comprising:
- means for detecting when a predefined portion of the information is displayed within the physical dimensions of the window;
- and
- means for recording in predefined time intervals the detection of the displayed information.
A computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for detecting and recording the period of time for which certain portions of textual and/or graphical information are viewable in a browser window by an end user, the computer readable program code means including:
- means for detecting predefined portion of the information is displayed within the physical dimensions of the window;
- means for recording in predefined time intervals the detection of the displayed information;
- means operable while the user is connected to the Internet for is transmitting the predetermined intervals to a remotely located computer;
- and
- means operable while the user is not connected to the Internet for locally storing the predetermined intervals for subsequent transmission to said remotely located computer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.