WO2015128642A1 - Computing devices and servers for making and receiving requests for user data - Google Patents
Computing devices and servers for making and receiving requests for user data Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2015128642A1 WO2015128642A1 PCT/GB2015/050543 GB2015050543W WO2015128642A1 WO 2015128642 A1 WO2015128642 A1 WO 2015128642A1 GB 2015050543 W GB2015050543 W GB 2015050543W WO 2015128642 A1 WO2015128642 A1 WO 2015128642A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- user data
- key
- request
- computing device
- server
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
- G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
- G06F16/00—Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
- G06F16/90—Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
- G06F16/95—Retrieval from the web
- G06F16/957—Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
- G06F16/9574—Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation of access to content, e.g. by caching
Definitions
- the present invention concerns computing devices and servers for making and receiving requests for user data.
- the invention is particularly, but not exclusively, appropriate for use with "ad servers", that is a servers that provide advertisements for inclusion in web pages.
- the system 1 comprises a personal computer 11, a web server 12, and a content server 13, all of which are able to communicate over the internet 10.
- the personal computer 11 has installed on it a web browser application which is able to retrieve and display "web pages" obtained over the internet 10.
- Web pages are commonly defined by means of data files in the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) .
- the web server 12 has installed on it web server software, which is able to provide (amongst other things) HTML data files that define web pages.
- a user of the personal computer 11 can request a web page from the web server 12 using a Uniform resource Locator (URL), or "web address", associated with the web server 12, which may for example of the form http : //webserver . com/page . html . This is interpreted as a request for the HTML data file "page.html", from the web server known to the internet 10 as
- URL Uniform resource Locator
- webserver.com which in this example is the web server 12.
- the web address may be entered directly into the web browser by the user, or for example a web page the user is currently viewing may contain a hyperlink associated with a web address, which can be clicked by the user to request the web page with that web address.
- the personal computer 11 sends a request for the HTML data file with the desired web address to the internet 10; the
- internet 10 then relays that request to the web server 12, which in response returns the data file.
- the HTML data file is then relayed by the internet 10 back to the personal computer 11, and displayed by the web browser.
- the web page 20 comprises text 21, which is explicitly contained in the underlying HTML data file page.html.
- the web page 20 also comprises a picture 22. However, unlike the text 21, the picture 22 is not
- HTML data file page.html contains a reference to a graphics file that is used to generate the picture.
- the reference may for example be of the form
- the web browser makes a further request to the internet 10 for the required graphics file picture.jpg at address contentserver.com; the internet 10 relays the request to the content server 13, which returns the graphics file; the graphics file is then relayed by the internet 10 back to the personal computer 11, which displays it as part of the web page 20.
- a graphics file In addition or alternatively to a graphics file, other content may be provided.
- a web address may be provided along with the graphics file, and the web page 20 arranged to go to that web address when the picture 22 is clicked by the user.
- text to be displayed, or code to be executed might be provided along with the graphics file, or an "applet" file might be provided instead of a graphics file, to give just some examples.
- a web page obtained from a first source in the above example the web server 12, may include content from a second source, in the above example the content server 13.
- a second source in the above example the content server 13.
- a common application is the supply of advertisements in web pages, whereby the provider of the web page 20 allows advertisements to be displayed as part of their web page, usually in return for payment .
- a content server 13 When a content server 13 is used to provide such advertisements, it is commonly known as an "ad server".
- the advertisements may be provided as graphics files to be included in the web page 20, as described above.
- the content server 13 will have a store of graphics files corresponding to different advertisements that it can provide.
- the content server 13 receives a request for an advertisement, it returns one of the graphics files from the store, corresponding to the particular advertisement it wishes to be displayed on that occasion.
- the website can store in a cookie containing an identifier for the user in a cookie on the personal computer.
- the website can request the contents of the cookie so as to identify the user, meaning user does not need to log in again.
- Cookies are used in various other ways to enhance website browsing experience, for example by storing details of items selected for purchase in a "web basket" on a shopping website.
- Cookies are also used by third parties, such as content providers, to identify users who receive adverts so that information about the user can be determined (browsing habits and the like) .
- the use of cookies can be disabled, but this can lead to websites viewed by the user having reduced functionality, which is undesirable. It would be advantageous for users to have greater control over the user data they provide.
- the present invention seeks to solve and/or mitigate the above-mentioned problems.
- the present invention provides improved computing devices and servers for making and receiving requests for user data.
- the invention is particularly suitable in the context of serving advertisements for inclusion in web pages, it will be appreciated that it is applicable to situations in which other types of content items are to be provided from a set.
- the present invention could be applied to the serving of pictures, jokes, games, quiz questions or any other content that might be included in a web page.
- a computing device comprising a web browser arranged to receive and store user data, wherein: the computing device is arranged to receive a request for a key for requesting user data, and in response to generate and return a key; and
- the web browser is arranged to receive a request for user data including a key, and in response to determine whether the key is valid, and in the case the key is valid return the requested user data.
- the computing device can decide who it wants to send a key in response to a request. This allows the computing device to control who is sent user data, rather than simply not storing and/or sending any user data at all.
- the computing device is a personal
- the web browser receives the request for the key and generates and returns the key.
- the user data is stored in a browser cookie.
- the user data may be stored in a flash cookie or other suitable stored user data record. It will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to any suitable type of user data record or store from in which user data can be stored and returned to a third party.
- the user data may be associated with the party making the request.
- the request may be for user data stored in a cookie associated with the website making request (i.e. the website's "own" cookie) .
- the user data may include user data not associated with the party making the request.
- the user data may include user identification used by other websites.
- the user data may include other data stored by the user, such as biographical details, shopping preferences, or other preferences set by the user identifying subjects of interest to them.
- the other data need not be stored in cookies or the like.
- the computing device is arranged to
- the computing device is arranged to determine that the key is valid if it has not previously been included in a request for user data.
- the key is a "one-time" key.
- the computing device is further
- the user data may have been provided to be stored in a cookie, but is instead stored in a separate database.
- the computing device is further arranged to obtain user data stored in user data records, store the obtained user data in a data store distinct from the user data record, and delete the user data from the user data record .
- a server arranged to communicate via a web interface with a computing device as described above, wherein :
- the server is arranged to send a request for a key for requesting user data to the computing device, and to receive a key returned in response;
- the server is arranged to send a request for user data including the key to the computing device, and to receive user data returned in response. In this way, the server can obtain user data stored on a computing device as described above.
- the server is arranged to send the request for the key to the computing device in response to a request from the computing device for a content item.
- the server is further arranged to determine a content provider for the content item, and to provide a content item from the content provider in response to the request. In this way, the server can select the content provider to provide the content item.
- the server is further arranged to determine one or more
- the server may target the request to the content provider, using the determined properties obtained by analysing the request.
- the server may further use information it has stored about the user.
- the determined properties may be obtained by analysing the HTTP header of the request, the IP address of the request, or any other information available for the request.
- the server may be arranged to send a request for the content item to the content provider. This allows the content provider to provide the request, and in addition advantageously allows the content provider to decide whether they wish to provide a content item for the request or not. Alternati ely, the server may have a store of content items for different content providers.
- a computer program product arranged, when executed on a computing device, to provide any of the computing devices described above.
- a computer program product arranged, when executed on a server, to provide any of the servers
- Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a known system for
- Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a web page
- Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a personal computer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the
- Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the
- Figure 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the
- FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a server in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
- Figures 8a and 8b are a flow chart showing the operation of the server in response to a request for a content item.
- a personal computer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 3.
- the personal computer 100 connects to the internet 10 via a web interface 101.
- a web browser 102 allows a user to view web pages.
- the web browser 102 comprises a plugin.
- the personal computer 100 further comprises a key store 103 and a user data store 104, accessed by the plugin, the use of which is explained below.
- Figure 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the plugin of the web browser 102 in response to user data being received for storing in a cookie.
- the web browser 102 receives user data to store in a cookie, for example after logging into a website (step 201) .
- the user data is stored in the user data store 104 (step 202) .
- the web browser 102 may store the user data in a cookie in the conventional manner, but the storing of the data may trigger the plugin to extract the user data from the cookie and store it in the user data store, and then delete it from the cookie .
- Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the plugin of the web browser 102 in response to a request for a key.
- the web browser 102 receives a request for a key via the web interface 101 (step 301) .
- the web browser 102 then generates a key (step 302) .
- the key is a unique new key, which can be generated in accordance with any known unique key generation method.
- a copy of the key is then stored in the key store 103 (step 303) , and also sent to the requester (step 304) .
- Figure 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the plugin of the web browser 102 in response to a request for user data via the web interface 101.
- the web browser 102 receives a request for user data, including a key (step 401) .
- the web browser 102 checks if the key is in the key store 103 (step 402) . If not, the web browser refuses the request for user data (step 403) . If the key is in the key store 103, the web browser 102 obtains the requested user data from the user data store 104, and returns it to the requester (step 404) . It then removes the key from the key store 103 (step 405) .
- the key can be used on one occasion to obtain user data from the web browser 102.
- the user data is not stored in web cookies as would
- a requester cannot obtain user data directly from the web browser 102 without using a key. If the key included in the request was not generated by the web browser 102, or if it was generated but has already been used for a request, the key will not be in the key store and so the request will be refused.
- the key may be usable a limited number of times, or for a limited period of time, for example. Rather than removing the key from the key store 103 it may be marked as used, which has the additional advantage of allowing the web browser 102 to ensure it does not issue the same key more than once, as it can check a generated key is not in the key store 103 before sending it to a requester.
- a server in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown schematically in Figure 7.
- the personal computer 500 connects to the internet 10 via a web interface 501.
- the server 500 comprises a decision engine 502, and a content item store 503.
- Figures 8a and 8b are a flow chart showing the
- the server 100 receives the request for the content item (step 601) .
- the server 100 then sends a request to the personal computer 100 for a key (step 602) .
- the server 100 then receives a key from the personal computer (step 603), and then sends a request for user data to the personal computer 100, the request including the key (step 604) .
- the server 100 then receives user data from the personal computer 100 (step 605), and uses the personal data to determine a content item to send from content item store 503 (step 605) .
- the server 100 then sends the content item to the personal computer (step 607) .
- the server 500 is able to obtain user data from the personal computer 100, by obtained the required key from the personal computer 100.
- the server 500 uses the user data to determine a content provider from which to obtain a content item, and then requests a content item from that content provider via the web interface 501.
- the content provider may refuse the request, in which case the server 500 can offer the request to another content
- the user data returned to the server 500 by the personal computer 100 need not be merely user data that could be sorted by the server 500 in a cookie; it may further include user data that would usually be stored in cookies for other websites (but is now stored in the user data store 104), and/or additional data such as shopping preferences set by the user.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
- Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
- Data Mining & Analysis (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Storage Device Security (AREA)
- Information Transfer Between Computers (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB1616221.6A GB2545294A (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2015-02-25 | Computing devices and services for making and receiving requests for user data |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GBGB1403623.0A GB201403623D0 (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2014-02-28 | Computing devices and servers for making and receiving requests for user data |
GB1403623.0 | 2014-02-28 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2015128642A1 true WO2015128642A1 (en) | 2015-09-03 |
Family
ID=50490624
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/GB2015/050543 WO2015128642A1 (en) | 2014-02-28 | 2015-02-25 | Computing devices and servers for making and receiving requests for user data |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (2) | GB201403623D0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2015128642A1 (en) |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110145321A1 (en) * | 2009-12-15 | 2011-06-16 | Facebook Inc. | Setting Cookies in Conjunction with Phased Delivery of Structured Documents |
WO2012022929A1 (en) * | 2010-08-18 | 2012-02-23 | Dancing Sun Limited | Content server |
US8578036B1 (en) * | 2011-11-14 | 2013-11-05 | Google Inc. | Providing standardized transparency for cookies and other website data using a server side description file |
-
2014
- 2014-02-28 GB GBGB1403623.0A patent/GB201403623D0/en not_active Ceased
-
2015
- 2015-02-25 GB GB1616221.6A patent/GB2545294A/en not_active Withdrawn
- 2015-02-25 WO PCT/GB2015/050543 patent/WO2015128642A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110145321A1 (en) * | 2009-12-15 | 2011-06-16 | Facebook Inc. | Setting Cookies in Conjunction with Phased Delivery of Structured Documents |
WO2012022929A1 (en) * | 2010-08-18 | 2012-02-23 | Dancing Sun Limited | Content server |
US8578036B1 (en) * | 2011-11-14 | 2013-11-05 | Google Inc. | Providing standardized transparency for cookies and other website data using a server side description file |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB201403623D0 (en) | 2014-04-16 |
GB2545294A (en) | 2017-06-14 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US11533356B2 (en) | Establishing a trust association | |
US9183316B2 (en) | Providing action links to share web content | |
US9547648B2 (en) | Electronic document information extraction | |
US8498895B2 (en) | Browser based user identification | |
US8359236B1 (en) | Privacy-sensitive cookies | |
US20110093790A1 (en) | Preemptive caching for web-based systems | |
US20140344707A1 (en) | Information Distribution Method and Device | |
US10110966B2 (en) | Method, device, server and client device for video processing | |
US8719292B2 (en) | Interactive system for internet information retrieval and exploration | |
JP2009259260A (en) | System for using continuous type message transmission unit in network architecture, and method therefor | |
KR20080114818A (en) | Offline advertisement serving and presentation | |
CN102449655A (en) | Protected serving of electronic content | |
US9400988B2 (en) | Media content based advertising | |
US20180005276A1 (en) | User controlled profiles | |
WO2011002989A1 (en) | System and method for enhancing digital content | |
CN105389369A (en) | Web page commenting method and apparatus, terminal and server | |
JP2013512504A (en) | Remote printing | |
JP2006526218A (en) | Generation and presentation of search results using addressing information | |
CN105450460B (en) | Network operation recording method and system | |
US9508078B1 (en) | Link creation techniques | |
US10104196B2 (en) | Method of and server for transmitting a personalized message to a user electronic device | |
US20130316320A1 (en) | Contextual Just in Time Learning System and Method | |
JP6213881B2 (en) | RECOMMENDED INFORMATION TRANSMITTING DEVICE, COMPUTER PROGRAM, RECOMMENDED INFORMATION DISPLAY SYSTEM, AND RECOMMENDED INFORMATION DISPLAY METHOD | |
WO2015128642A1 (en) | Computing devices and servers for making and receiving requests for user data | |
US9947030B1 (en) | Enhanced privacy with fewer cookies |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
121 | Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application |
Ref document number: 15711809 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |
|
NENP | Non-entry into the national phase |
Ref country code: DE |
|
ENP | Entry into the national phase |
Ref document number: 201616221 Country of ref document: GB Kind code of ref document: A Free format text: PCT FILING DATE = 20150225 |
|
122 | Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase |
Ref document number: 15711809 Country of ref document: EP Kind code of ref document: A1 |