Method and system to detect invalid and fraudulent impressions and clicks in web-based advertisement systems
DC CAFCFirst Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for detecting fraudulent activity in a pay-per-click system, comprising:
- (a) providing a search engine on a server side;
b) receiving, at said server side, a search request from a client;
c) generating a unique code on the server side, for identifying said client;
d) transmitting said code to said client from the server side;
e) transmitting to said client from the server side, in response to said search request, a plurality of links associated with a plurality of websites associated with a plurality of merchants;
f) generating website information regarding a website selected by the client when said client clicks one of said plurality of links;
g) transmitting said code and said website information together from said client to said server side;
h) receiving said code and said website information at the server side, and detecting fraudulent activity by measuring the duration between clicks by said client to said selected website by examining said code and website information.
6 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention improves upon existing pay-per-click arrangements periodically generating a code associated with the search-engine users. This code, preferably in the form of a serial number, is compared to the user of the website, such that by observing a metric like the number of clicks for a given period of time, be it a short time or a longer period, such as a day or a week, the system can automatically determine if certain clicks are illegitimate. This allows the pay-per-click company to more fairly invoice the merchants, thereby preventing fraudulent over use.
18 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A method for detecting fraudulent activity in a pay-per-click system, comprising:
-
(a) providing a search engine on a server side; b) receiving, at said server side, a search request from a client; c) generating a unique code on the server side, for identifying said client; d) transmitting said code to said client from the server side; e) transmitting to said client from the server side, in response to said search request, a plurality of links associated with a plurality of websites associated with a plurality of merchants; f) generating website information regarding a website selected by the client when said client clicks one of said plurality of links; g) transmitting said code and said website information together from said client to said server side; h) receiving said code and said website information at the server side, and detecting fraudulent activity by measuring the duration between clicks by said client to said selected website by examining said code and website information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. In an advertising system including a search engine on a server side, the search engine providing a plurality of links associated with a plurality of web pages to a user at a device on a client side, the method for identifying fraud comprising the steps of:
-
generating a code on the server side, the code identifying said device on the client side; sending said code to said device; receiving data from said device, said data including said code and information about one or more selections by the user of at least one of said plurality of web pages; determining from said data whether said at least one of said selections of said at least one web page is fraudulent; and examining a duration between a time of one of said selections of said at least one web site and a time of another of said selections of said at least one web site. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for detecting fraud in an advertising system including a search engine on a server side comprising the steps of:
-
generating a code on the server side, the code identifying a device on a client side; generating on the server side, a plurality of links associated with a plurality of web pages in response to a search initiated at the device on the client side wherein at least one of said links includes said code; sending said plurality of links to the device; receiving data from said device, said data including said code and information about one or more clicks by the user on at least one of said plurality of links associated with the plurality of web pages; determining from said data whether said at least one of said clicks on said at least one link is fraudulent; and examining a duration between a time of one of said clicks on said at least one link and a time of another of said clicks on said at least one link. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method for detecting fraudulent activity in a pay-per-click system, comprising:
-
(a) providing a search engine on a server side; b) receiving, at said server side, a search request from a client; c) generating a unique code on the server side, for identifying said client; d) transmitting said code to said client from the server side; e) transmitting to said client from the server side, in response to said search request, a plurality of links associated with a plurality of websites associated with a plurality of merchants; f) receiving, on said server side, website information regarding a website selected by the client together with said code, when said client clicks one of said plurality of links; g) detecting fraudulent activity by measuring the duration between clicks by said client to said selected website by examining said code and website information. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
Specification