Method and system for measuring Web site access requests

Claim 2

In a network comprising a plurality of nodes wherein each node is identified by a unique address and each node comprises the capability for including sub-addresses, a method on an advertiser's node, which is independent of one or more referring nodes, the method for determining the identity of one or more referring nodes that are delivering one or more web pages to one or more end-user systems, wherein the web pages include advertisements with a link based upon an address to the advertiser's node, the method comprising the steps of: receiving a request for an address on an advertiser's node, the request based upon the selection of the address by an end-user using an end-user system for browsing one or more web pages being presented on the end-user system by one or more referring nodes, the request including a request for a sub-address within the advertiser's node and wherein request is independent of the one or more referring nodes so that there is no requirement to receive a referring address from the one or more referring nodes and there is no requirement to retrieve advertisment for the one or more web pages from the advertiser's node; removing the sub-address from the request; comparing the sub-address located within the advertiser's node received with a list of sub-addresses located within the advertiser's node, at least one of the sub-addresses in the list corresponding to the one or more referring nodes; and determining each one or more referring nodes corresponding to the sub-address located within the advertiser's node based on the comparison.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving a request comprises receiving a request for a Web site in the World-Wide-Web and wherein the request comprises an extension of the address for the Web site.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein the step of removing the sub-address from the request comprises removing the extension.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 wherein the step of comparing the sub-address received with a list of sub-addresses comprises comparing the extension with a list of extensions and referring entities wherein each referring entity in the list corresponds to an extension listed therein.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein the step of determining the referring entity comprises determining the referring entity corresponding to the request for a web site based on the comparison.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 further comprising the following step preceding the comparison step: storing a list of sub-addresses, each corresponding to a referring entity.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 wherein the storing step comprises: storing a list of Web address extensions, each corresponding to a referring entity.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of counting the number of removed extensions for each referring source.

Claim 10

The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of counting the number of removed extensions for each referring source.

Claim 11

A computer readable medium comprising instructions on an advertiser's node, which is independent of one or more referring nodes, for determining the identity of one or more referring nodes in a network, the one or more referring nodes delivering one or more web pages to one or more end-user systems, wherein the web pages include advertisements with a link based upon an address to the advertiser's node, the network comprising a plurality of nodes wherein each node is identified by a unique address and each node comprises the capability for including sub-addresses, comprising the instructions of: receiving a request for an address on an advertiser's node, the request based upon the selection of the address by an end-user using an end-user system for browsing one or more web pages being presented on the end-user system by one or more referring nodes, the request including a request for a sub-address within the advertiser's node and wherein request is independent of the one or more referring nodes so that there is no requirement to receive a referring address from the one or more referring nodes and there is no requirement to retrieve advertisment for the one or more web pages from the advertiser's node; removing the sub-address from the request; comparing the sub-address located within the advertiser's node received with a list of sub-addresses located within the advertiser's node, at least one of the sub-addresses in the list corresponding to the one or more referring nodes; and determining each one or more referring nodes corresponding to the sub-address located within the advertiser's node based on the comparison.

Claim 12

A computer readable medium comprising instructions on an advertiser's node, which is independent of one or more referring nodes, for determining the identity of one or more referring nodes in a network, the one or more referring nodes delivering one or more web pages to one or more end-user systems, wherein the web pages include advertisements with a link based upon an address to the advertiser's node, the network comprising a plurality of nodes wherein each node is identified by a unique address and each node comprises the capability for including sub-addresses, comprising the instructions of: receiving a request for an address on an advertiser's node, the request based upon the selection of the address by an end-user using an end-user system for browsing one or more web pages being presented on the end-user system by one or more referring nodes, the request including a request for a sub-address within the advertiser's node and wherein request is independent of the one or more referring nodes so that there is no requirement to receive a referring address from the one or more referring nodes and there is no requirement to retrieve advertisment for the one or more web pages from the advertiser's node; removing the sub-address from the request; comparing the sub-address located within the advertiser's node received with a list of sub-addresses located within the advertiser's node, at least one of the sub-addresses in the list corresponding to the one or more referring nodes; and determining each one or more referring nodes corresponding to the sub-address located within the advertiser's node based on the comparison.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10 wherein the step of receiving a request comprises receiving a request for a Web site in the WORLD-WIDE-WEB and wherein the request comprises an extension of the address for the Web site.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11 wherein the step of removing the sub-address from the request comprises removing the extension.

Claim 15

The method of claim 12 wherein the step of comparing the sub-address received with a list of sub-addresses comprises comparing the extension with a list of extensions and referring entities wherein each referring entity in the list corresponds to an extension listed therein.

Claim 16

The method of claim 13 wherein the step of determining the referring entity comprises determining the referring entity corresponding to the request for a web site based on the comparison.

Claim 17

The method of claim 10 further comprising the following step preceding the comparison step: storing a list of sub-addresses, each corresponding to a referring entity.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 wherein the storing step comprises: storing a list of Web address extensions, each corresponding to a referring entity.

Claim 19

The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of counting the number of removed extensions for each referring source.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of counting the number of removed extensions for each referring source.

Claim 21

An information processing system for determining the identity of one or more referring nodes in a network, the information processing system coupled to a plurality of nodes wherein each node is identified by a unique address and each node comprises the capability for including sub-addresses, the information processing system comprising: means for receiving a request for an address on an advertiser's node, the request based upon the selection of the address by an end-user using an end-user system for browsing one or more web pages being presented on the end-user system by one or more referring nodes, the request including a request for a sub-address within the advertiser's node and wherein request is independent of the one or more referring nodes so that there is no requirement to receive a referring address from the one or more referring nodes and there is no requirement to retrieve advertisment for the one or more web pages from the advertiser's node; means for removing the sub-address from the request; means for comparing the sub-address located within the advertiser's node received with a list of sub-addresses located within the advertiser's node, at least one of the sub-addresses in the list corresponding to the one or more referring nodes; and means for determining each one or more referring nodes corresponding to the sub-address located within the advertiser's node based on the comparison.

Claim 22

An information processing system for determining the identity of one or more referring nodes in a network, the information processing system coupled to a plurality of nodes wherein each node is identified by a unique address and each node comprises the capability for including sub-addresses, the information processing system comprising: means for receiving a request for an address on an advertiser's node, the request based upon the selection of the address by an end-user using an end-user system for browsing one or more web pages being presented on the end-user system by one or more referring nodes, the request including a request for a sub-address within the advertiser's node and wherein request is independent of the one or more referring nodes so that there is no requirement to receive a referring address from the one or more referring nodes and there is no requirement to retrieve advertisment for the one or more web pages from the advertiser's node; means for removing the sub-address from the request; means for comparing the sub-address located within the advertiser's node received with a list of sub-addresses located within the advertiser's node, at least one of the sub-addresses in the list corresponding to the one or more referring nodes; and means for determining each one or more referring nodes corresponding to the sub-address located within the advertiser's node based on the comparison.

Claim 23

The informational processing system of claim 19 wherein the means for of receiving a request comprises receiving a request for a Web site in the World-Wide-Web and wherein the request comprises an extension of the address for the Web site.

Claim 24

The information processing system of claim 20 wherein the means for removing the sub-address from the request comprises removing the extension.

Claim 25

The information processing system of claim 21 wherein the means for comparing the sub-address received with a list of sub-addresses comprises comparing the extension with a list of extensions and referring entities wherein each referring entity in the list corresponds to an extension listed therein.

Claim 26

The information processing system of claim 22 wherein the means of determining the referring entity comprises means for determining the referring entity corresponding to the request for a web site based on the comparison.

Claim 27

The information processing system of claim 19 wherein the means for comparing comprises: means for storing a list of sub-addresses, each sub-address corresponding to a referring entity.

Claim 28

The information processing system of claim 24 wherein the storing means comprises: means for storing a list of Web address extensions, each corresponding to a referring entity.

Claim 29

The information processing system of claim 19 further comprising the means for counting the number of removed extensions for each referring source.

Claim 30

The information processing system of claim 23 further comprising the means for counting the number of removed extensions for each referring source.