MEDIA ADVERTISING

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to on-line media advertising, and in particular, to a system and method for controlling the type of advertising content displayed on a device within a predetermined area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The availability and ease of access of individuals to the internet has significantly changed the way individuals live and access information. With the introduction of personal devices such as smart phones, tablets and the like, which are capable of being carried by an individual, it is possible to access the internet at any time and place, depending upon network availability.

[0003] Various types of networks exist to provide connectivity to the internet. Conventional wired or cable networks provide the ability to provide a dedicated connection to the internet for personal computers and the like. With the availability of mobile devices, a variety of types of mobile or wireless networks have been developed to provide mobile or wireless connectivity. Such networks are based on a variety of different standards and protocols and include GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). More recently, Wi-Fi and LTE technology (broadband wireless data with voice as VoIP) has become standard network requirement to access the internet.

[0004] With the availability of networks to access the internet, there has been a need for content providers to be able to generate revenue for providing such access. As a result, the ability to supply advertisements to users accessing the internet has been one successful means for achieving this. In this regard, each webpage or document page generated by each content provider’s server will include advertisements which are delivered to the user as part of the overall content. In recent times, targeted advertising has proven an effective means for matching the advertisements to be included in the content with a user who may have an interest in the material being advertised. As websites often place markers called“cookies” on user devices based on the content material viewed, such cookies can be read and processed by content providers to build a user profile for each user based on their interests and likes. Whilst targeted methods of advertising can more easily align the advertising content with the desired user, they are often invasive and difficult to track and control.

[0005] For venue hosts this poses a particular problem. For large sports stadiums, concert venues, and the like, it is common for the venue to be hosted by a specific body who pay a considerable fee to the venue owners to sponsor the event and to have exclusive advertising rights to that event. However, if a venue is being sponsored by one brand of soft drink manufacturer, should a patron seek to access the internet via their smart phone during the game/performance they may be delivered targeted advertising of a rival soft drink manufacturer, thereby circumventing the exclusive rights of the sponsor. Similarly, at an airport terminal reserved for a specific airline, should a customer waiting in line use their smart phone to access the web, it is highly possible that they will receive advertising embedded on the accessed web page for a rival airline.

[0006] In addition, users or browsers cannot accurately predict if a website URL is using a secure protocol, i.e. whether the protocol is HTTP or HTTPS. If the user initiates a web browsing session to a website which has a website URL which is using a HTTPS protocol, this can increase the difficulty of implementing targeted methods of advertising. Most methods of supplying advertising to users accessing the internet have been directed to websites which are not encrypted.

[0007] Thus, there is a need for venue owners or providers to have a mechanism by which they can control the type of advertising being delivered to the attendees of their venue whilst they are present in the venue without fear of competitors inundating their customers with advertising material for a rival product.

[0008] For LTE mobile telecom service providers, there has been constant downward price pressure to reduce network access fees while offering quality high speed internet with allowable data quota increasing every few months. This poses a business sustainability problem to mobile telecom operators, where a new business model needs to be introduced to subsidise the ever-eroding operating margin of the current business model. Advertising is a natural supplement to the mobile telecom business models. [0009] The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the following prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

[0010] According to a first aspect, there is provided a system for controlling information content being delivered to network users within a venue, comprising:

a network hosted by the venue and being connectable to the internet, the network being accessible by a plurality of users within the venue by way of personal electronic devices;

an interception and insertion service positioned so as to function as an interface between the user and the internet, the internet and insertion service comprising a proxy server in association with a proxy DNS;

wherein, the network is configured such that the proxy DNS sends and receives data from each user and readdresses the received data to be sent to the proxy server such that received content is assessed and controlled prior to delivery to the user, said assessment and control being based upon the requirements of the host venue.

[0011] In one embodiment, the information content may comprise advertising material associated with web browsing sessions conducted by the users.

[0012] The assessment and control based on requirements of the host venue may involve the delivery of advertising material and content associated with web browsing sessions that is authorised by the host venue. This may include the removal of advertising material not authorised by the host venue and replacement with advertising material that is authorised by the host venue.

[0013] The proxy DNS may be configured to initially receive all NS lookup requests before passing onto a primary DNS. The proxy DNS may be further configured to receive all IP addresses from the primary DNS and to readdress said IP addresses so that all future requests to said IP addresses are initially directed to the proxy server of the interception and insertion service. The proxy server of the interception and insertion service may be able to assess the content received from each IP addresses and remove/insert content in accordance with the requirements of the host venue.

[0014] The proxy server of the interception and insertion service may be configured to assess whether the content type associated with a URL and path of a said request is of encrypted form. Preferably, the assessment is facilitated by a database being configured for storing information associated with said request and/or said URL and path and/or the user.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, the system, upon determination that the content type is of encrypted form, the proxy server may be configured to redirect the user from the proxy server to a destination web server associated said URL and path. More preferably, the proxy server is configured to display information content to the user before redirecting the user from the proxy server to the destination web server.

[0016] The requirements of the host venue may include delivering different content to different areas of the venue.

[0017] ln accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method of controlling information content being delivered to network users within a venue, comprising:

providing a network for users to access and browse the internet by way of a personal electronic device interface;

intercepting all NS lookup requests associated with each internet access events and directing said NS lookup requests to a proxy DNS;

transferring said NS lookup requests from said proxy DNS to a primary DNS to obtain IP addresses for all said NS lookup requests;

receiving said IP addresses from the primary DNS and readdressing the IP addresses before returning the IP addresses to the originating personal electronic device interface;

intercepting by way of a proxy server, a data request initiated by the user from the received IP address;

assessing information relating to the data request to determine whether information content is sent and received in encrypted form; and based on said assessment, receiving information content and delivering said information content for display to the user for display on the user’s personal electronic device interface.

[0018] In another embodiment, the method includes, upon determining that the information content is sent and received in unencrypted form, receiving said information content from said IP address to said proxy server and amending said information content received in accordance with requirements of the host venue; and delivering the amended information content to the user for display on the user’s personal electronic device interface.

[0019] The method may also include, upon determining that the information content is in encrypted form, redirecting the user from the proxy server to a destination web server associated with a URL and path of said request. Preferably, the method includes, before the step of redirecting the user from the proxy server to the destination web server associated with the URL and path, displaying to the user information content received in accordance with requirements of the host venue by way of the proxy server.

[0020] The method may include assessing the information relating to the request and/or the user, wherein the information is retrievable by the proxy server from a database.

[0021] The information relating to or associated with the request and/or user may include one or more of the following: the destination URL, path and content type, whitelist, blacklist, advertising display frequency cap information, and wherein the information content in un encrypted form is of HTTP form, and information content in encrypted form is in HTTPS form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

[0023] Fig. 1 is a system diagram depicting an embodiment of the system in accordance with the present invention;

[0024] Fig. 2 is a flow chart depicting a method for operating the system of the present invention; [0025] Fig. 3 is a flow chart depicting a method for obtaining analytical data from users of the system of the present invention;

[0026] Fig 4 is a flow chart depicting another method for operating the system of the present invention; and

[0027] Fig 5 is a system flow chart depicting the method of Fig 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

[0029] The system and method of the present invention will be described below in relation to its application for use in the interception and replacement of advertisements in web based traffic emanating from a predetermined region. It will be appreciated that the system and method of the present invention may be applicable across a variety of networks and across regions of variable size, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As will be described below, the system and method of the present invention in accordance with the first embodiment will only function in relation to HTTP sessions. However, it will be appreciated that the present system and method could be readily adapted to accommodate other sessions, such as HTTPS, streaming and the like, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, another embodiment of which is also disclosed in the following paragraphs

[0030] Referring to Figure 1, a simplified depiction of an embodiment of a system 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown. The system 10 generally functions across a region 12 having a plurality of users 13 contained therein. The region 12 may be a pre-defmed region or place, such as a sports stadium or airport lounge, or may be a retail shopping centre or similar location. Each region 12 comprises a region administrator 12 that determines the desired advertising content to be able to deliver to the users 13 present within that region 12, as well as any undesired advertising content that is to be targeted and replaced. Each user is able to access or browse the internet 18 whilst present within the region 12 by way of a smart phone or tablet having suitable connectivity with a wireless network, such as a Wi-Fi network or any other suitable telecommunications network that provides access to the internet 18.

[0031] An interception and insertion service 15 of the present invention is provided within the system 10 such that it is located within the path of the user 13 traffic, namely the requests emanating from the user devices to browse the internet. The service 15 generally comprises an Insertion Server (IS) 16 that functions as a proxy server to intercept a user’s browsing session and replace any advertisements that are considered undesirable by the region 12 administrator with a desired advertisement. The manner in which this is performed will be described in more detail below. The service 15 also includes a proxy Domain Name Server (DNS) 17 that works with the IS 16 to redirect the user’s internet browsing sessions to the IS 16 in a manner to be described in more detail below.

[0032] In a preferred form, the IS 16 may be configured to service up to 2000 HTTP sessions per second depending upon the speed of the internet connection. In this regard, the IS 16 generally comprises a dedicated VM or server that runs no other applications. The VM or server may comprise a 4 x Core multithread enterprise grade CPU, such as an Intel XEON E5 or equivalent, with a 16G RAM and a 10G bps network interface. A 200GB HDD or SSD and an operating system such as Linux Ubuntu is required. Should performance of the system 10 become limited, more VMs or servers can be simply added to the system. The proxy DNS 17 should have a similar construction. The proxy DNS 17 will typically perform utilisation checks on each of the ISs 16 during operation and distribute user sessions across all servers within the IS 16 cluster, where more than one IS 16 s provided within the system 10. In this regard, should there be more than one IS 16 within the system 10, the proxy DNS 17 is capable of providing a high level of load balancing and redundancy to balance user sessions across multiple ISs 16 to increase system performance and reliability.

[0033] The service 15 is able to access the internet 18 by way of a router 19 to provide a controlled gateway between the users 13 and the internet 18 in a manner as will be described in more detail below.

[0034] One embodiment depicting a method for conducting a typical HTTP browsing session will be described below in relation to the methods depicted in Fig. 2. The first method part 20 relates to the manner in which the system 10 retrieves and alters the IP addresses of the associated sites and the second method part 30 relates to the manner in which the content is intercepted and altered prior to receipt by the user.

[0035] Referring to method 20, the first step 21 of this method requires a user to initiate a browsing session by selecting a website that requires an address to be obtained by through a DNS. This may be achieved by the user merely entering a website address such as www.kakku.com into their browser.

[0036] In step 22, the proxy DNS 17 of the service 15 receives the lookup request. All DNS queries will initially be sent to the proxy DNS 17. This requires the network hosted by the venue or region 12 being set up such that the primary DNS IP addressed is configured to be directed to the proxy DNS 17 IP address rather than the primary DNS IP address. For example, the Proxy DNS IP address may be W.X.Y.Z which, for the network hosted by the region 12, will function as the primary DNS.

[0037] In step 23, the Proxy DNS 17 forwards the user’s request to an official primary DNS via the internet. The Primary DNS returns the correct IP address for the website being queried by the user to the Proxy DNS 17. The proxy DNS 17 then alters the IP address such that, when selected by the user at their device, they will be redirected to the redirected to the System IS 16. For example, if the Primary DNS indicated that the correct IP Address for www.kakku.com was E.F.G.H, the Proxy DNS 17 adds the System IS 16 address to this address to generate an IP Address of A.B.C.D, E.F.G.H (where A.B.C.D is the IP address of the System IS 17). This altered IP address is then returned to the user 12 device’s browser where it is associated with the search term.

[0038] In step 24, the user initiates the HTTP session by selecting the address from their device’s browser which is then directed to the System IS 16. The system IS 16 then downloads the content from the true IP address of the website (e.g. www.kakku.com) and assesses the content to determine that the content is HTML content.

[0039] In step 24, if the System IS 16 determines that the received content is HTML content, the System IS 16 injects script (referred to as starter script) and metadata tags to the HEAD section of the HTML page. The content is then delivered to the user’s device 12. [0040] In step 25, the user’s browser 12 will load the page and the injected script will then be caused to execute. The starter script with then send a request to the system API to determine what content will be shown as advertisement on the loaded page in accordance with the venue, network, location, user and device requirements.

[0041] As previously discussed, the system and method of the present invention is directed towards facilitating HTTP browsing sessions. As such, if the user is seeking to access a HTTPS or FTP website or content, the System IS 16 able to immediately reset and reject the connection and prompt the user’s browser to try alternative website IP addresses. This is generally done by the System IS 16 determining if the content being requested by the user’s browser is on TCP port 80. If the connection is not on TCP port 80 it is not HTTP content and as such, the connection is refused and the user’s browser will move on to the next available IP address from the list displayed.

[0042] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is provided a system 108 and method 100 which is directed towards facilitating (for example, using HTTPS protocol) encrypted browsing sessions according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, and in particular providing an interception and insertion service 1 15 within the system 108. This system 108, as illustrated in FIG. 5, has users 13, an Insertion Server (IS) 16, a Proxy DNS (Domain Name Service) 17 which works with the IS 16 to redirect the user’s browsing sessions to the Insertion Server 16 or original destination site 21 and a real-time database such as a REDIS 19 (remote dictionary server).

[0043] After resolution of domain name at step 101, users or browsers cannot accurately predict if a website URL such as www.cnn.com/abc/l23456 is using a HTTP or HTTPS protocol. To dictate the user of HTTP or HTTPS protocol when initiating the browsing session, the user indicates the protocol specifically by typing http://www.cnn.com or https://www.cnn.com. However typically the user does not know the underlying protocol and simply enters a URL address, for example www.cnn.com/abc/l23456, into their browser without specifying the protocol which will be initially interpreted by the browser as a URL using HTTP protocol, i.e. http://www.cnn.com/abc/l23456 at step 102.

[0044] By entering the URL www.cnn.com into the URL bar, the user initiates a query, this query reaches the proxy DNS 17 which responds to the query. This requires the network hosted by the venue or region 12 being set up such that the destination web server is configured to be directed to the Insertion Server IP address rather than the original destination IP address. In particular, the original destination server IP address has a lower priority while the IS IP address has a higher or top priority. For example, the Insertion Server 16 IP address may be 10.1 .1 .1 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, while an original destination server 21 may have an IP address of 54.1.1.1.

[0045] In step 102, if the web browser has not cached the URL being queried, and the URL site does not support HSTS (F1TTP Strict Transport Security), the web browser still does not know the underlying protocol and by default initiates a F1TTP session to http://www.cnn.com/abc/l23456 which is directed to the Insertion Server 16.

[0046] The Insertion Server 16 then queries a real-time database 19, such as REDIS (REmote Dictionary Server), which is configured to retrieve and store at least one value relating to URLs, address path and object, as well as values relating to the user 13, as identified by their source IP address.

[0047] More particularly, as illustrated in step 103a, the Insertion Server 16 queries the database 19 as to whether the user’s IP address has been presented with a pre-determined number of advertisements, i.e. a frequency cap limit, in a HTTPS browsing session. In step l03b, once the database 19 responds to indicate that the pre-determined number of advertisements has been reached, then the Insertion Server 16 intercepts the user’s browsing session and replaces any advertisements that are considered undesirable by the region 12 administrator with a desired advertisement in accordance with the method 20 as disclosed above.

[0048] In step 103 c, if the pre-determined number of advertisements has not been reached, then the Insertion Server 16 queries the database 19 to determine the URL, path and content type, which may have been stored as values in the database 19 if known. In particular, in step l03d, the Insertion Server 16 queries if a value has been stored in the database 19 which indicates if the URL address uses a HTTP or a HTTPS protocol or if it is unknown i.e. there is no match.

[0049] If a response from the database 19 is received which indicates that there is no match to the URL (T03e), then the insertion server 16 will initiate a session to the original destination server 21 at 54.1.1.1 at step 104. If the original destination server 21 returns with a response indicating that the website utilises HTTP code, i.e. by returning code 200, and then the Insertion Server 16 replaces any advertisements that are considered undesirable by the region 12 administrator with a desired advertisement in accordance with the method 20 as disclosed above during the user’s browsing session in step l 04a.

[0050] In step l03f, if a value is returned tfom the database 19 which indicates that the URL address uses a HTTP protocol, then the Insertion Server 16 intercepts the user’s browsing session and replaces any advertisements that are considered undesirable by the region 12 administrator with a desired advertisement in accordance with the method 20 as disclosed above.

[0051] However, in step l03c and l03d, if a value is returned is returned from the database 19 which indicates that the URL address is an HTTPS session, then the service 115 must determine if the URL address will be suitable for displaying at least one advertisement 1 10.

[0052] However, as shown in step l05c, if the Insertion Server 16 does not receive a match from any of the URL, path and object values from the database 19, then the Insertion Server 16 is configured to fetch the content type from the destination server 21 directly, and then write those content values into the database 16 matching the URL, path and object. In a preferred embodiment, the content values can have a pre-determined life span, commonly known as time to live to live (TTL), i.e. once that lifespan can elapsed, the content values are discarded. The Insertion Server 16 can then abort the session towards the destination server 21 at 54.1.1.1.

[0053] In the following paragraphs there is disclosed the particulars determining the suitability or non-suitability of the content values as retrieved from the database 19 which determines the ability of the Insertion server 16 to display the at least one advertisement 110.

[0054] The content values returned from the database 19 which indicates that the URL address is not suitable for displaying at least one advertisement 110 are as follows: a. The content type is not HTML text, or b. the URL address is whitelisted, or c. non-browser user agent, i.e. a hot or automated software which is not a browser, or d. the advertisement display frequency cap has been reached. [0055] If any of those content values a. to d. are returned as outlined above, the Insertion

Server 16 sends to the user a redirection to the URL address using HTTPS protocol, i.e https://www.cnn.com/abc/l23456. The redirection is directed to the altered higher priority IP address 10.1.1.1 , which is the first entry on the DNS response. A direction to a website which uses https at the beginning of the URL address, means that there is a connection established to port 443. At which point, Insertion Server 16 refuses the connection, and in particular returns a port unreachable message back to the user. The Insertion Server 16 is able to immediately reset and reject the connection and prompt the user’s browser to try alternative website IP addresses. In this scenario, the alternative IP address is the lower priority IP address at 54.1.1.1 , which is the second entry on the DNS response. The user 13 then establishes a direct session on HTTPS on the original destination server 21 at 54.1.1.1.1 and retrieves content which allows display of the desired website.

[0056] The content values returned from the database 19 which indicates that the URL address is suitable for displaying at least one advertisement 1 10 are as follows: e. The content type is HTML text, and

f. the URL address is not whitelisted, and

g. the URL address is blacklisted; and

h. browser user agent, i.e. the user is using a web browser and is not a bot or other automated software, and i. the advertisement display frequency cap has not been reached.

[0057] If all of the content values e. to i. are true, then the Insertion Server 16 is configured to display a HTML page 110 on HTTP to the end user containing advertising and/or content in step l05e before sending to the user a re-direct to https://www.cnn.com/abc/l23456. The Insertion server 16 is also configured to increment a counter stored on the database 19 which indicates the number of advertisements displayed to the user associated with an IP address. In a preferred embodiment, the Insertion Server 16 is configured to display the HTML page 110 after a pre-determined period of time, for example 3 seconds. Preferably, there is also a button which can be activated by the user which will allow the re-direction to https://www.cnn.com/abc/l23456 before the pre-determined period of time. [0058] After the Insertion Server 16 has determined whether the content values returned from the database 19 in step 105 are suitable or not suitable and before the step of inserting the advertisement 1 10 or redirecting the user on HTTPS to the original server l05f, 106, 107, the Insertion Server is configured to instruct the database 19 to extend the lifespan of the content values stored in relation to the URL, for example, the destination path, content type, advertising display frequency cap, blacklist, whitelist, and the like and/or the user’s IP address.

[0059] In the next step 106, similarly to step l05a, the Insertion Server 16 sends to the user a redirection to the URL address using HTTPS protocol, i.e https://www.cnn.com/abc/l23456. The redirection is directed to the altered higher priority IP address 10.1.1.1, which is the first entry on the DNS response. A direction to a website which uses https at the beginning of the URL address means that there is a connection established to port 443. At which point, Insertion Server 16 refuses the connection, and in particular returns a port unreachable message back to the user. The Insertion Server 16 is able to immediately reset and reject the connection and prompt the user’s browser to try alternative website IP addresses. In this scenario, the alternative IP address is the lower priority IP address at 54.1.1.1, which is the second entry on the DNS response. The user 13 then establishes a direct session on HTTPS on the original destination server 21 at 54.1.1.1.1 and retrieves content which allows display of the desired website.

[0060] It will be appreciated that this HTML page 110 comprising advertising and/or content is not an amendment or replacement of content as described in method 20 but a page 1 10 which is displayed to the user before they are re-directed to the original destination server 21 by the Insertion Server 16. Therefore, advantageously, methods 20 and 100 are directed towards facilitating browsing sessions, regardless of whether they are in encrypted form, for example using HTTPS protocol, and to display to a user content in accordance with the venue, network, location, user and device requirements, such as advertising and the like.

[0061] It will also be appreciated from the above description that the System and method of the present invention requires that the System IS 16 and the Proxy DNS 17 are hosted somewhere within the path of the user traffic. In this regard, there are a number of different modes of employment possible for the present invention to function. This include situation where: the venue owner hosts servers; service provider hosts servers (Wi-Fi); Service provider hosts servers in MVNO/4G environment; and the system employs System Cloud Hosted servers. [0062] For the venue owner hosted mode of operation, the System IS 16 and the Proxy DNS 17 servers are typically deployed within the datacentre or equipment room located on the venue site or network operator. It is possible that the venue may require different content/advertisements to be inserted into browsing results generated in different parts of the venue or network. To achieve this, different zones within the venue or network must be assigned their own IP subnet with a unique source IP range within the venue.

[0063] For a mode of operation whereby the service provider hosts servers (LTE and Wi- Fi), the System IS 16 and the Proxy DNS 17 servers are typically deployed within the datacentre of the service provider network. To enable content/advertisement insertion within a subnet, the Proxy DNS 17 is set as the PRIMARY DNS IP with address W.X.Y.Z, which may be configured into the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server or the LTE P-Gateway of the network. However, it is common for many venues to be assigned a single or limited number of public IP addresses per site. Hence, each unique venue/network segment is addressable based on the unique Public facing IP Address of the venue. Hence where multiple IP addresses are available, a service provider may assign multiple IP addresses to target multiple zones within the venue/network to provide different content to different venue zones/network segment.

[0064] It will be appreciated that through providing such a configuration whereby the System IS 16 and the Proxy DNS 17 are hosted somewhere within the path of the user traffic, the system is able to provide a number of enhanced functionalities in relation to user analytics and similar services. Fig. 3 depicts a method 30 by which this may be achieved.

[0065] In step 31, the starter script sent to the user’s personal device in step 25 above is loaded onto the user’s browser and executed in step 32. This may involve the user selecting the topmost entry in a search result downloaded to the user’s browser from the System IS 16. In step 33, the starter script reads the connection metadata inserted into the HEAD section of the html page downloaded by the System IS and sends a related message to the System API hosted by the interception and insertion service 15. The message sent by the user’s browser calls the System API to retrieve the advertisement contents to display.

[0066] In step 34, the System API determines whether the request from the user’s browser includes a cookie that stores the user id. If the user’s browser call does not include a valid cookie, the System API returns a message to the browser on the user device in step 35 indicating that a valid cookie was not found which causes the user’s browser to be redirected to the cookie setting page to alter the settings to enable valid cookies in step 36. A valid cookie enables the unique identification of the browser use on the device. This uniqueness is used to imply the unique identification of a user.

[0067] If, in step 34, the System API found a valid cookie with the request from the user’s browser, the System API will read the other parameters included in the request to determine the location of the user (venue and zone) in step 36. This is typically obtained from the source IP address sent with the request. With this knowledge, in step 37, the System API is able to select the advertisement to display based on whether the advertisement display system being operated by the interception and insertion service 15 is to be based on a schedule based system or a bid based system.

[0068] If the system being employed is a bid based system, the System API loads the user profile base on the unique identification of the user in step 38 and determines the scheduled content set by the interception and insertion service 15 in step 39, so as to match user interest, history and location with the appropriate advertiser material. The System API will then increment the display counter for content for that user in Step 40 such that the next time that user is assessed by the System API the next best matched advertisement in the list is selected rather than the same advertisement that they received previously.

[0069] However, if the advertisement selection system being employed by the interception and insertion service 15 is a Schedule based system, the System API will look up the advertisement schedule for that time in step 41 and select the next content in the list to display to the user, based on order settings and content capping in step 42. In step 43 the system API will increment the counter for the unique user to ensure that the next time the user is assessed they will receive the next incremented advertisement for display.

[0070] In step 44, the starter javascript checks if a valid cookie is present for the system to uniquely identify the device browser. If no valid cookie is found, the user is directed to a special page to set valid cookie for the browser.

[0071] In step 45 the starter script receives the content script from the System API and loads the content for display on the user’s browser in step 46. In step 47, any feedback determined in relation to the advertisement displayed is sent to the analytics system of the interception and insertion service 15 for storage and action.

[0072] In step 48, the browser may monitor the activity of the user and should the user interact with the advertisement displayed by the user, send such information to the analytics system of the interception and insertion service 15 for recordal and action.

[0073] It will be appreciated that merely by placing the interception and insertion service 15 within the path of user traffic, not only is it possible to control the advertisements being presented to the users using the system, but it is possible to closely monitor the browsing activity of the user’s in the vicinity and target advertising to those users and monitor their reaction. Such a system can simply and effectively control the process and gather analytics to better utilise the advertising service being offered.

[0074] The Analytics system of the interception and insertion service 15 may be located in the System IS and may consist of multiple micro-services responsible for intercepting data as it passes through the interception and insertion service 15. The Analytics system is able to perform a user profiling function when certain types of data is received, which may trigger a variety of events. This could include automatically translating content to the language of the user in accordance with the preferences of the user obtained through the profiling function.

[0075] As the system of the present invention is able to direct user’s to a cookie setting page when necessary, the system is able to use cross site user tracking. This enables venues/network to display ad content as well as prompt users to interact with action buttons on a page to further enhance the experience.

[0076] The system of the present invention also has a unique management hierarchical management structure where it is possible for distributing, reselling and telecommunication companies to manage their agents and for agents to manage their venues in accordance with their management structures. Venues and networks can be split into zones and segments which can each be managed by multiple managing users. Each zone or segment can be configured to have an advertising schedule and each zone can be mapped to multiple IP ranges and multiple Dynamic DNS domain names so as to dynamically update IP addresses mapped to a zone. The schedules for each zone may hold content that is to be displayed over a date range so as to ensure that the content is not out of date and relevant to the users. It will be appreciated that by having such a managerial hierarchy, any venue or region can be simply managed and controlled to ensure advertising penetration is maximised in accordance with venue owners.

[0077] The structure of the present system that is capable of serving advertisements to intercepted web browsing sessions also allows for the ability to offer an incentive point based web browser application system. In such a system, credit points or the like can be assigned to users for displaying advertisements in their web browser which are triggered when advertisements are displayed, viewed or interacted with. Advertisements are displayed in an interstitial manner, in-line with web browsing contents, in non-intrusive manner. Credits can be exchanged for cash back redemptions from the user’s mobile subscription plan as controlled by their telecommunications operator, as well as to redemption for other goods and services from other service providers, such as e-commerce. As the user’s web browser is able to collect information about the user, such as phone number, email, gender, age, interests and the like, profiling of the user is possible and can be used to enhance advertisement targeting. As the present system shares this information across the advertisement insertion platform, through using the browser each user can be rewarded which increases the usage of that user and the amount of information able to be gleaned from that user’s activities. This the system of the present invention can supply their own web browser application which may be downloaded by each user and the web browser may be configured such that there is an incentive for each user to use the web browser. This may be enhanced by the present interception and advertisement insertion system minimising the number of advertisements displayed on the system web browser, so as to make the browser more preferable to use. Advertisement displayed indicates a unique recognisable mark informing users to know such credit earning ad has been displayed. Through the web browser application, user is able to check in real-time points or credits earned that can be resulted into cash back incentives.

[0078] It will be appreciated that the system and method of the present invention provides a simple and effective method of monitoring and tracking the on-line activity of users on a mobile device. This is achieved through the delivery of on-line advertising that occurs through simple web browsing of individuals within a predetermined region. The system and method is able to intercept the browsing session and, depending upon the requirements of the host of the venue, alter the content of the browsing session to deliver advertising and specific content to the individual. This can differ depending upon which region of the venue the individual may be located and enables venue hosts the ability to take control of the information content being viewed by patrons of their venue.

[0079] Throughout the specification and claims the word“comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word“comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

[0080] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.