WO2003042831A1 - Automatic system for inferring data relating to items of information visible on navigation screens which are accessed from communication terminals - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a system that can be used to deduce items of information which are visible to users accessing navigation screens. The inventive system involves the identification of: the files sent; the recipients of said files; and at least one property of said navigation screens. In one version of the invention, the system transforms the content of the log files of files sent into files in which the items of information visible on said navigation screens are logged. More specifically, the system comprises at least: first computer means which are used to identify the computer files sent; second computer means which are used to identify the data associated with the aforementioned sent computer files; third computer means which are used to identify at least one property of the navigation screens; and fourth computer means which are used to infer items of information visible on the navigation screens of each communication terminal.

Description

 AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON NAVIGATION SCREENS ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS

Background of the Invention

In view of the increasing use of the Internet and of the "Web Sites" (or Web sites) as a means of business, information, knowledge, leisure and entertainment, an analysis tool of these "Web Sites" is necessary.

The "Web Servers" (or servers of Web pages) record in "Log" files (or log files) all the accesses of the "Web pages" users to the resources of the "Web Site" that are hosted in the " Web server" . To respond to this need, there are many programs on the market that analyze the "Log" files generated on the "Web Server". These programs perform statistical analyzes, such as the visits received by each "Web Archive" of the "Website" (or archive of a "Website"), based on the records of the "Log" file.

What is understood by "Web Page" in the Internet world, does not have to be constituted by a single "Web Archive", but can be composed of several "Web Files" nested each within a "Framework", which It would be like several "Web Pages" within another. Existing "Web Servers" generate the "Logs" according to a standard format as established by the Consortium "W3C"("The World Wide Web Consortium"). At present, there are many computer programs, which analyze the "Logs" files generated in the "Web Servers" of the Internet, to count the number of "Web Pages" visited, the number of "Web Users" (or users who visit pages Web) and perform various statistical analyzes based on the data recorded in the "Log" files. This type of information is very useful, but it is lacking because:

- the accounting of the "Web Files", such as "Web Pages" is not correct, since the parts that make up a "Web Page" are counted, as if each of these parts were a "Web Page";

- Once the "Web File" has been downloaded, it can be "cached" (or stored) in the "Web User" computer memory, and new records are not subsequently generated in the "Log" file, in the case of being again requested by said "Web User" by not having to be sent again;

- the "Links" navigation of a "Web File" can change one or more parts ("Components") of those that make up a "Web Page", remaining the rest of "Components"; or they can also open a new navigation window in which to load the new "Web File".

All these shortcomings distort the information obtained by the "Logs" file analysis programs regarding what the "Web User" is actually seeing at all times and also distort the time of what is being viewed. These distortions are due to the fact that each "Web File" is treated as if it were a "Web Page", which is incorrect.

If you want to study what a "Web User" sees at every moment (what you have on your computer monitor) it is not enough to perform a "Web Files" counter downloaded in the "Log" file of the "Web Server", as it is being done at present, since a treatment of these characteristics produces errors and important deviations from what actually occurs on the "Web User" side, since each "Web Archive" is considered individually, independently of the rest, as if it were the only thing seen at that time, not reflecting the reality by simply being a part of the total "Screen" which is updated, or by not modifying said screen by appearing the new component in a new window ^' of the browser, so you do not really control what you see, or How long is he watching?

The origin of this problem, in general, is that the function or initial purpose of the "Log" files is to show and record the performance and activity of the server machine (or "Server") of the "Web Site". But when these "Logs" files are reused to directly analyze the activity of the "Web Users", there is a distortion between the registered activity and the information seen by said "Web Users", based on the wrong assumption that the activity of the "Web Users" Web Server "is the same as the information that" Web Users "see. However, the problem that has been described does not occur in exactly the same way with all "Web Sites", nor does it occur exactly in all of them equally; logically it will depend on the technology and the form of programming used in each case.

Among the background to the present invention, it is worth mentioning document US-6,182,097, which describes a system for displaying information pertaining to the use of Web pages. Said system comprises first and second websites. The first Web site comprises a plurality of Web component files, each having a name in a directory of Web sites. The second Web site comprises a plurality of statistical files, each containing information about a corresponding Web component file or a subdirectory of Web component files. The system also comprises a computing device that has a display screen operable by a user and in communication the first and second Web sites. The computing device is operated under the control of a web browser computer application that displays the web components of the respective websites on the screen. In addition, the computing device has the capacity to request and obtain, from each of the Web sites, data corresponding to Web components designated by the user; , and is effective for requesting data from each of the Web sites in response to Web components designated by the user from another Web site. It is also worth mentioning documents US-5,870,559 and US-6,237,006, which deal with visual website analysis programs, implemented as a collection of application components that provide a variety of possibilities to facilitate the analysis and management of sites Web and Web site content. A mapping component scans a website from a network and builds a map of websites that graphically represents remote locations (or "URLs") and links to the website. Web site maps are generated using a single template and presentation methodology that allows the user to visualize the entire architecture of the Web site. There are several possibilities for browsing and filtering "URLs" to facilitate the task of identifying and repairing common problems of websites, such as links to non-existent "URLs". A dynamic page scanning feature allows the user to include dynamically generated Web pages within the website map.

Object of the Invention The object of the invention is to correct and expand

(enrich, in short) the "Logs" files to convert them into what we will call "MetaLogs" files that represent the activity of the "Web User", what the "Web User" really sees. Because the intuitive term of "Website" is already widely used in the world of "Logs" analysis software with an equivocal meaning, we have to define another name or concept: "Screen", which includes everything that really appears in the browser window as a set of " Web Files ".

The purpose of the invention is to convert the "Log" file into one or more "MetaLog" files that record what the "Web User" truly displays after each mouse "Click", so that the subsequent ones are correct results of the standard "Logs" analysis programs.

From this new model, all relevant statistical analyzes can be performed with greater rigor and precision, many of them, similar to those currently performed by the "Logs" analysis programs, but always from a new perspective more real than which actually occurs in the navigation of each "Web User" of the "Web Site", and not in the activity of the "Web Server". Optionally, based on the information generated with the "Screen" concept as defined above, different and / or additional statistical analyzes can be obtained from those obtained by "Logs" or "Data Mining" analyzers. The present invention has many advantageous effects:

- allows you to control what "Web Users" do on an Internet "Web Site", thus allowing you to optimize the design and structure of the "Web Site";

- raises the new concept of "Screen", more complete than that of mere pages downloaded as it is currently done, allowing a more accurate assessment of the "Web Sites";

- Correct values of times, session numbers and connection numbers of a "Web User" are also obtained; - it is independent of the platform used as "Web Server" (both hardware and operating system and server software);

- provides more precise information regarding the activity of the "Web User" (and not the "Web Server" as it is currently done);

- This process is useful for all "Web Sites" that present their information in an encoded format

(such as HTML, ASP, XML, PHP, JavaScript, ...) and can be applied to different media: PC, WAP Phone, UMTS, PDAs, ... that generate some type of record of the objects sent from the machine of the server;

- a new type of information appears based on the concept of "Screen", described above; - it does not require any modification or adaptation by the "Web Site" (although it is possible to guide the programming of the "Web Archive");

- optimizes, improves and maximizes the profitability of the investments made in the applications of analysis of files "Log";

- by contemplating the concept of "Screen" as a set of "Web Files", it allows compressing the information contained in the current "Log" files with the consequent advantage of saving hard disk space.

Description of the Invention The present invention consists of an Automatic Data Inference System relating to Information Elements that are Visible on Navigation Screens accessed from communication terminals when navigating a computer file access network containing said information elements, wherein said automatic inference system comprises, at least: first computer means of identification of the computer files sent to the terminals of communication from at least one server providing computer files, as well as second computer means for identifying at least one data associated with the computer files sent, selected from: target communication terminals, delivery times and combinations thereof; the automatic inference system being characterized in that it additionally comprises: third-party computer means for identifying at least one property of the navigation screens, selected from: structural properties of each navigation screen, determined from at least one code relating to at least one of the computer files that integrate said navigation screen, said file being selected from: first computer files containing minimum integral navigation pages of each navigation screen, written in a navigation-oriented programming language that allows file references to be included computer files present in the same navigation screen, selected from: second computer files, third computer files and combinations thereof, second computer files containing navigation components integral to a navigation window, referral from at least one computer file selected from: first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof, said second computer files being written in a navigation-oriented programming language that allows file references to be included software present on the same navigation screen, selected from: second computer files, third computer files and combinations thereof, third computer files of attached objects whose content is not a navigation-oriented programming language, referenced from at least one file computer selected from: first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof, and combinations of said computer files; formatting properties of each navigation screen, selected at least among: location, size, overlapping, temporality, typeface, font size, font color, background color and combinations thereof, said formatting properties being determined to from at least one code relating to at least one computer file selected from: first computer files, second computer files, third computer files and combinations thereof; content properties of each navigation screen, determined from at least one code relating to at least one computer file selected from: first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof; said content properties being selected among: navigation links existing in said navigation screens, whereby access to selected computer files between first and second computer files is allowed which, when accessed by the communications terminal, are incorporated into the minus a navigation page selected from navigation pages present in the communications terminal and pages of navigation of new appearance; existing text on these navigation screens; and combinations of said content properties; and combinations of said properties of the navigation screens; also comprising: fourth computer means of inference of information elements visible on the navigation screens of each communication terminal which, based on identifications: of at least one sequence of sending information elements contained in the sent computer files, identified by means of first computer media; of at least one data associated with the computer files sent to each communication terminal, identified by the second computer means; and of at least one property of the navigation pages, identified by the third computer means; the fourth computer means transform said sequences of sending information elements, into sets of information elements that are visible on each navigation screen each time there is a modification in said navigation screen, as the information elements sent do not necessarily coincide at every moment with the information elements that are visible in said instants, since the visibility of said information elements depends additionally on the properties of the navigation screens; inferring said fourth computer means at least one data on the visible information elements, selected from: identification of the visible information elements, identification of the computer files containing said visible information elements, and combinations thereof; and where at least one of said information elements is selected from: navigation screens, navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations thereof. The third computer means of said automatic inference system, can obtain the codes related to computer files that determine the properties of the navigation screens, by at least one procedure selected from: analysis of the programming language oriented to navigation contained in said computer files ; analysis of at least one element selected among labels, headers, fields and combinations thereof, contained in said computer files; analysis of the name of said computer files; analysis of the data associated with computer files identified by the second computer means which, based on consecutive delivery times of said computer files to the same communications terminal, allow the detection of the information elements integral to the same navigation screen; and combinations of said procedures.

At least one of the first, second, third and fourth computer means of the automatic inference system can operate in at least one operating mode selected from: online operating mode, real-time monitoring of information related to computer files sent in every moment; offline mode of operation, collecting subsequent information regarding the computer files sent from at least a fourth computer file for the registration of computer files sent, said information having been obtained by means of the first and second computer means from at least one location selected from: computer file provider servers, computer terminals communications, intermediate points of the computer file access network, and combinations of said locations; and combinations of said modes of operation. The automatic inference system may optionally be provided with fifth computer means of inference of visibility data relating to at least one element of information selected from: navigation screens, navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations of the same as, from at least one identification of: at least one of the computer files sent to each communications terminal, identified by the first computer means; at least one data associated to the computer files sent to each communications terminal, identified by the second computer means and selected from at least: target communication terminals, delivery times, size of the computer files sent, request orders from communication terminals, type of communication terminals, information about user preferences of communication terminals, requests about the computer files sent, questions to communication terminals about information elements visible on the screens of the communication terminals, identification information of the communication terminals, status of computer media involved, status of requested computer files and combinations thereof; at least one property of the navigation pages, identified by the third computer means; and of combinations of said identifications; said fifth computer means infers at least one visibility data selected from: total time of visible permanence of the information element, average time of visible permanence of the information element per communication terminal session, average degree of overlap of the information element by another information element, information element visible at first sight, readability index of the information element, usability index of the information element, accessibility index of the information element, interactivity index of the information element, optimization index of the information element information, effectiveness index of the information element, viewing index of the information element, average reading index of an information element assuming an arbitrary time per word read, percentage view of an information element according to its properties, classification of usu Aryans of communication terminals based on a graduation of average viewing speed in combination with a coverage and reading index, classification of communication terminal users based on concurrent visits to connection initiation information element, profile classification of terminal users of communication according to at least one type of navigation behavior selected from: faithful, leaking, abandonment, recall and combinations thereof, number of users of communication terminals that browse concurrently, number of users of communication terminals that browse non-concurrently, percentage of readable text size in an information element in relation to its total size, percentage of image size in an information element in relation to its total size, ratio between text size and image size in an information element, characteristics of third computer files depending on whether said third computer files are: text, image, sound, executables, multimedia and combinations thereof, characteristics of third computer files depending on the said third parties computer files are referenced from at least one computer file sele between: first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof, physical situation of at least one element selected from: navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations thereof, in the terminal navigation screens of communication, predominant color in an information element, predominant font style in an information element, list of reference words contained in at least one information element, list of more redundant words contained in at least one information element, list of most searched words contained in at least one element of information, text density based on a ratio between number of words per paragraph and reading time, number of users of communication terminals by type of navigation defined according to the degree of overlap, total reading percentage per communication terminal session, total reading percentage per communication terminal connection, total reading percentage per communication terminal user, total reading percentage per information element, total viewing percentage per session of communication terminal, total percentage of viewing by connection of communication terminal, total percentage of viewing by user of communication terminal, total percentage of viewing by information element, number of users by coverage, relationship between connection times and maximum number of overlaps, relationship between time s connection and average number of overlaps, most read information element with recurring visits, most read information element without recurring visits, quality of the information element based on a ratio between visibility time and download time, reading rate of the information element, classification of the information element according to its speed of download, classification by type of information element that is visited repeatedly, origin of recurring visits to information elements, comparison of times of recurring visits in relation to the time of first visits to information elements, reiteration of each origin of recurring visits to information elements, percentage of recurring visits to each information element, ratio between frequency of recurring visits and frequency of non-recurring visits to information elements, classification of users' most frequent paths in the communication terminal connections on the information elements, relationship between information elements and the paths that point to said information elements, classification of the most concurrent paths associated with a termination of a communication terminal connection, classification of the most concurrent paths associated with the termination of a communication terminal session, classification of the most concurrent associated to a start of a communications terminal session, passive time as a comparison of time between mouse clicks on a communication terminal connection and time between mouse presses in a communications terminal session, average number of mouse clicks per communication terminal session, quality of the information element as a relationship between usability times and download times for each communication terminal user, quality of the information element as a relationship between usability times and download file sizes for each communication terminal user, degree of navigation-oriented programming language optimization, weekly day classification according to communication terminal user connection activity, time slot classification according to communication terminal user connection activity, classification level of activity of users of communication terminals depending on the duration of the connection and in the time slot where said connection occurs, classification of users of communication terminals according to geographical references, classification according to platforms most used in connections, error reporting produced, statistical reports of the information elements of a website in relation to other websites of the same grouping in a hierarchical classification according to the content of the information elements, related word more read, related image more visible a, mouse click frequency per information element, words downloaded per communication terminal session, words downloaded per communication terminal connection, images downloaded per communication terminal session, images downloaded per communication terminal connection, classification of communications terminals by size of downloaded data, first visible information element at the beginning of a communication terminal connection, first visible information element at the beginning of a communication terminal session, last visible information element at the end of a communication terminal connection, last visible information element at the end of a communications terminal session, importance of each object of an information element based on a percentage of mouse clicks in relation to a total of mouse clicks, word cloud close to a mouse click, most viewed information element, and combinations thereof. Additionally, said automatic inference system can also incorporate at least one relational database where at least one operation selected is performed between: storing properties of the navigation screens identified by the third computer means; storage of associations between information elements that are part of the same navigation screen, selected from: navigation screens, navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations thereof, identified by the third computer means; storage of at least one data identified by the first and second computer means; grouping by recipient communication terminal, of at least one data identified by the first and second computer means; storage of at least one of the data inferred by the fourth computer means; storage of at least one of the data inferred by the fifth computer means, - recovery of previously stored data; and combinations of said operations. The automatic inference system may also incorporate at least one additional computer medium selected from: sixth computer means for recording inferred data that, from the information stored in the relational database, generates fifth computer files for recording inferred data, where said inferred data are related to at least one type of grouping of visible information elements, selected from: grouping by navigation screens, grouping by navigation components, grouping by attached objects, and grouping by combinations of clusters, without grouping, where each information element is registered each time there is a modification in the navigation screen and said information element is visible; Seventh computer means of statistical analysis that, from the information stored in the relational database, generate sixth computer files with statistical information on data inferred by computer means selected from: third computer media, fourth computer media, fifth computer media, sixth computer means, and combinations thereof; eighth computer media interface, parameterization and governance of at least one computer medium selected from: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh computer media and combinations thereof; and combinations of said computer means. As an example of a practical application of the automatic inference system, the access network to the computer files where said automatic inference system operates is the Internet network, at least one of the following correspondences being verified: at least one of the communication terminals It is a terminal equipped with Internet access selected from: computers, telephones, electronic agendas, televisions and electronic equipment; at least one means of identification of the destination communication terminals consists of an identification of their IP address; at least one of the servers providing computer files, is a server of Web pages and files attached to said Web pages; at least one means of identifying request orders from communication terminals, consists of an identification of "Get"commands; at least one means of identifying displayed information elements consists of an identification of queries made; at least one means of identifying states of computer media involved consists of an identification of "Referer"resources; At least one means of identifying the requested file delivery states consists of an identification of accessed resources; the navigation pages contained in the first computer files are Web pages; the navigation components contained in the second computer files are with Web components integrating Web pages; at least one of the third computer files of attached objects, is a file attached to Web pages selected from: text, image, sound, executable, multimedia files and combinations thereof; Information elements are elements selected from Web pages, Web components and files attached to Web pages; navigation screens are navigation screens of

Internet integrated by all the information elements visible from a terminal with Internet access; the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth computer means, are implemented through computer applications running on at least one computer; At least one of the navigation-oriented programming languages is selected from: HTML, DHTML, XML,

JAVA, JAVASCRIPT, ASP, PHP and FLASH; and at least one of the fourth computer files is a "Log" file for registering computer files sent by at least one Internet server.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure 1: represents a navigation "Screen" (PT1) seen by a "Web User". Said "Screen" (PT1) is composed of a "Web Page" (PG1) that contains an "Attachment Object" (PG1-01) and two Frames in which two "Web Components" (PG1-C1) and ( PG1-C2). The "Web Component" (PG1-C2) contains two "Attachments" (PG1-C2-01) and (PG1-C2-02).

Figure 2: represents the new navigation "Screen"

(PT2) that the "Web User" sees as a result of having accessed one of the "Web Component" navigation links (PG1-C1). In said "Screen" (PT2) remain: the "Page Web "(PG1), the" Attachment Object "(PG1-01) and the" Web Component "(PG1-C1) of the previous" Screen "; while: the" Web Component "(PG1-C2) and the" Attached Objects "(PG1-C2-01) and (PG1-C2-02) have been replaced by: the

"Web Component" (PG1-C3) and the "Attached Object" (PG1-C3-01).

Description of an Invention Embodiment A computer application performs an initial analysis of the "Web Site" (or "Website") using software that analyzes the "HTML" programming language (or any "Web" navigation-oriented language used to display the Navigation Screens as ASP, XML, PHP, JavaScript, ...), whose objective is to obtain the "Structure" of the "Web Navigation Screens": all links to other "Web Navigation Screens", the possible relations between the "Web Pages", including all references to Navigation Components (this is called the "Web Pages" contained in "Web Page Frames") and all the information that affects the correction of a log file "Log".

All this information is stored in a Database where its content reflects the reality of the "Website" from the perspective of a possible viewing, that is, what is identified are all the "Web Navigation Screens" potentially visible and " Web Browsing Pages "," Web Browsing Components "and" Objects "attached to those Pages and Components. A second computer application is used to perform the reconstruction of the activities of the "Web Users" using as a basis the treatment on "Log" files and the "Structure" of the "Web Site" stored in a Database. The "Log" file (which is usually a text file with Standard format, as established by the consortium "W3C"), contains everything that the computer sends: each computer file sent "Web Navigation Pages", "Web Navigation Components" and "Objects" attached to these Pages and Components, and also containing who sends it and at what instant of time. In this process, the records of the "Log" file of each "Web User" are first identified, the computer files sent and the download and viewing times. Then it intersects with the information of the "Structure", regarding "Screens" and "Components" of "Web" Navigation of the "Web Site", in order to establish the correct link between what has actually been seen at each moment and associate the "Web" computer files sent with the "Web Navigation Screen" to which they belong. In this way, a new type of information is generated: "Web Navigation Screen Vista", that is: a record that saves each "Web Navigation Screen" or the Information Elements that comprise it: "Web Navigation Pages", " Web Navigation Components "and

Attached "Objects", which each "Web User" was seeing, (along with additional data of interest such as how much time in total, where it came from, where it went after, etc.). The "Browsers" of the Internet have an optimization system called "Cache" where they store the computer files sent so that, for example, it is enough to make a single request for a photograph to be downloaded to the "User's" computer Web ", so even if it is then presented in all" Web Pages ", it will only have been downloaded once.

Another aspect, which is empty in the "Log" log file, occurs when a "Link" calls another "Navigation Component"; then there are several possibilities: you can display a new "Web Navigation Page", you can update any of the "Frames" of the same "Web Navigation Page" or you can open another "Web Navigation Screen". Precisely, in the "Log" file for sending files sent, the only thing that tells us is that a new computer file was sent, but it is no longer known if the "Web User" stops seeing the "Navigation Screen" it had before, or if only part of said "Navigation Screen" was updated, or if a new "Web Navigation Screen" (window) has appeared. In addition, there is an inconsistency in the viewing times recorded in said "Log" log file, as clearly seen in cases where a "Web Page" is partially updated.

Each computer file sent is tracked and contrasted with the Database where all possible "Navigation Screens" have been stored, including the Information Elements that comprise them: "Web Navigation Pages", "Navigation Components Web "and" Objects "attached, as well as all references and links contained in these" Navigation Screens ", in order to know what Information Elements were in it, even if these Information Elements have not been downloaded again . Once the "Navigation Screen" is located, records are generated in the Database with at least the "Navigation Screens" seen by a "Web User", along with other information such as: time viewed, download time, "Link" of origin and output. Information about the downloaded "Information Elements"("NavigationScreen" visited) is also saved, but the rest of the Information Elements that were in said "Navigation Screen" are also updated. This process can be done in advance and store that information or it can be done online, at the precise moment in which it is required by the Process of Reconstruction of the "Web User"Activity; this However, only sent computer files that are strictly necessary would be analyzed, saving space in the Database, although it may be slower. This approach is practical for those "Web Browsing Pages" that are generated dynamically and / or that are specific to each "Web User", and it may be the case that all of them are different. The actual activity of the "Web User" during his visit to the "Web Site" is reconstructed through the information contained in the "Log" log file, completing the lack of information in the "Log" log file with the information obtained from the "Structure" and content provided by the Database due to the previous process, and a subsequent integrated treatment. This is done through a "Web User Activity Reconstruction Process". This process is translated into software that performs the study of the "Log" file of the "Website" record, to transform it into a more correct and complete log file that we will call file

"MetaLog" registration.

These new log files: "MetaLogs" are generated from the information accumulated in the Database by the two programs mentioned above (the program to identify the structure of the "Web Screens" and the reconstruction program of the screens viewed by each "Web User"), preserving the format and fields of the standard "Log" log file (according to the "W3C" Consortium), so that they can later be analyzed without problems by commercial programs of analysis of log files.

In order to use the potential of statistical reports of existing programs in the market, a transformation of the log file "Log" is performed of the "Web Server" in different types of "MetaLog" files that can be:

"MetaLog" log files with the "Web Navigation Screens" seen by the "Web Users". - "MetaLog" log files with the "Web Navigation Screens" and the "Web Navigation Components" visited by the "Web Users"; that is, the "Web" computer files that the user has visited (which should not be confused with the downloaded "Web" computer files).

"MetaLog" log files with all the Information Elements that integrate the "Web Navigation Screens": ("Web Navigation Pages", "Web Navigation Components" and "Objects" attached) visited by the "Web User" at maximum detail

Log files "Log +" or log files "Log Expanded": these files are the result of the transformation of log files "Log" (which only reflect which computer files have been sent to the "Web User"), in new "Log" files expanded with all the elements of the original "Log" log file, but corrected and completed according to what the "Web User" really sees (which as explained above does not have to match the computer files sent to said "Web User"). These "Extended Log" log files follow the same standard format, but all the objects and components that the "Web User" is displaying are registered again (even if it has not been registered in the "Log" file, after having already downloaded a the first time) . An example would be that of a "Web Navigation Screen" with two "Frames" in which only one of these Frames is updated, the other Framework remaining visible. A log file "Log" extended would re-register the Framework that remains visible, since the first update

Marco would not affect the visibility of the second.

There may be other types of information generated, combinations or groupings of these using these concepts. As well as a new log file format "Log", in which new Fields appear for each record, and which can be activated to suit the

"User Application". In order to correctly interpret the information that the ^' Log "log" file analyzers show to the "Application User", correspondence tables are constructed between: "Web Navigation Screens", "Web Navigation Components", "Attached Objects" and data on "Structure" of the "Website" (from the point of view of "Web Navigation Screen", what we call as "MetaSite"), as well as a manual for the correct interpretation of the analysis program reports log files "Log". Below is an example to clarify the difference between the current analyzes of the "Log" files, and what they provide (from the "Web Navigation Screen" concept) both the "Extended Log" log file, as well as the log files "MetaLog". Figures 1 and 2 show two "Navigation Screens

Web "successive, as they would be seen by a" Web User. "The" Web User ", first see the" Web Navigation Screen "(PT1) of Figure 1 and, when clicking on" Link 2 " of the element (PG1-C1), access the "Web Navigation Screen" (PT2) of Figure 2.

- In Figure 1: it is appreciated that the "Screen of

Web Navigation "(PT1) is composed of a" Page of

Web Navigation "(PG1) containing an" Attachment Object "

(PG1-01) and two frames in which two "Web Components" (PG1-C1) and (PG1-C2) are located. The "Component of Web Navigation "(PG1-C2) contains two attached" Objects "(PG1-C2-01) and (PG1-C2-02).

- In Figure 2: the new "Screen of

Web Navigation "navigation (PT2) that the" Web User "sees as a result of accessing one of the" Web Navigation Component "navigation links

(PG1-C1). In this "Web Navigation Screen" (PT2) it can be seen that they have disappeared (and therefore are no longer visible): the "Web Navigation Component" (PG1-C2) and the attached "Objects" (PG1-C2- 01) and (PG1-C2-02) as they have been replaced by: the "Navigation Component

Web "(PG1-C3) and the attached" Object "(PG1-C3-01), which are now visible BUT they are not the only visible elements, since they remain visible from the" Web Navigation Screen "above: the" Page of

Web Navigation "(PG1), the attached" Object "(PG1-01) and the

"Web Navigation Component" (PG1-C1).

The traditional "Log" log file of the "Server

Web ", the following records would be generated: (PG1)

(PG1-C1)

(PG1-C2) (and, when accessing "Link 2"):

(PG1-C3) ^•

(Elements (PG1), (PG1-C1) and (PG1-C2) are not downloaded again, since it previously resided in the "Web User" computer memory).

What an "Log" log file analysis program would interpret would be that the "Web User" has seen: 1 time the element (PG1), 1 time the element (PG1-C1),

1 time the element (PG1-C2), and 1 time the element (PG1-C3); obviously, said "Log" log file would not reflect reality, as the "Web User" has seen: 2 times the element (PG1), 2 times the element (PG1-C1),

1 time the element (PG1-C2), and

1 time the element (PG1-C3).

From this moment on, all the information offered by the "Log" log file analysis programs would be distorted, since the current "Log" files only reflect the last computer file that has been loaded.

Therefore, the viewing times of the "Web Files" will be distorted, in which we can find very important content for the "Web Site" business, such as the "Banner" of the "Framework" above.

In accordance with the present invention, the following records would be generated in the "Extended Log" log file:

(PG1)

(PG1-C1)

(PG1-C2) (and, when accessing "Link 2"):

(PG1) (PG1-C1)

(PG1-C3) which would fit reality.

In accordance with the present invention, the following records would be generated in the "MetaLog" log file of "Screens, Web Navigation":

(PT1) (and, when accessing "Link 2"):

(PT2), having been stored in a table of a database that: (PT1) contains: (PG1), (PG1-C1) and (PG1-C2);

(PT2) contains: (PG1), (PG1-C1) and (PG1-C3); which would also fit reality, in addition to assuming considerable space savings compared to traditional "Log" log files (since not all components of a "Display Screen" are registered Web Browsing "every time it is accessed, but these components are stored only once in the database, while what is recorded in the log file" MetaLog ") are" Web Browsing Screens "complete.

Similarly, other types of "MetaLog" log files containing "Web Navigation Screens" and "Web Navigation Components" levels, or even containing all the Information Elements that make up the "Navigation Screens" could also be generated. Web ", occupying that yes, more space. The present invention is not reduced to the specific embodiment described above, but there are other alternative embodiments. Any process that needs to know the real behavior in the "Web Site", requires an analysis of the code and its content to reference that information in its treatment, or the inclusion of some pre-established element in the code and such analysis can be Do it manually or automatically.

An embodiment of the invention would be feasible involving the developers of the "Web Site", causing the name of the computer files containing the "Web Navigation Pages" to be encoded according to the content of said "Web Navigation Pages" . In this way, the part of the process of obtaining the "Structure" would not be necessary. For example: the names of the computer files containing the "Web Navigation Pages" can be of the type "1 (2,3,4) .htm", indicating that the "Web Navigation Screen" 1 is integrated by 3 " Web Navigation Components ": 2,3 and 4. In turn, the" Component "" 4 (5, 8) .htm "would indicate that 4 is composed of components 5 and 8. If a software is designed to analyze these "tags" while counting data Statistics of the log file "Log", I would know what "Web Pages" should take into account, which not, what viewing time they add, etc. Actually the part of analysis that performs the process of obtaining the "Structure", would be integrated by the "Web" programmer in the names.

Another embodiment of the invention would consist of "Objects" downloaded invisibly to the user, neutral but explaining what information is downloading and generating a record in the "Log" log file. By processing those specific records in the log file "Log" that refer to this type of information can be obtained. Again, in this case, it is necessary to encode or include "Objects" in the pages so that they leave a trace in the registry and then be counted in the "Log" log file or on a dedicated server.

Another alternative may be to make approximations in the analysis of the "Log" file, based on assumptions, for example, downloading 3 "Web Pages" immediately and immediately would mean that they can be "Components" of the same page. The analysis of the "Referer" field of the "Log" file could also be used to establish links. Another possible embodiment of the present invention would be that the "Web Server" software itself incorporates the structure analysis and reconstruction functionality of the information elements displayed by each "Web User", since said "Web Servers" they have the web hosting

Site ", and they are the generators of" Log "log files themselves. Through a process similar to the invention," MetaLog "files and" Extended Log "files could be generated in real time. Finally, it should be noted that the benefits of the present invention are multiple and are not reduced to the "final" product (consisting of the reconstruction of the information elements displayed by users during navigation), nor to statistical reports on said reconstruction. of visualized information elements, but can be extended to the use of "semi-elaborated" products such as the identification of the properties of navigation screens (structural, format, content, ...), which would allow statistical analysis on the effectiveness achieved by means of said properties based on a multitude of parameters such as number of connections obtained, connection times, ...

Claims

1. AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON NAVIGATION SCREENS ^' ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS when navigating through a network of access to computer files containing said information elements, where said automatic inference system comprises at least: first computer means of identification of the computer files sent to the communication terminals from at least one server providing computer files, as well as second computer means of identification of at least one data associated with the computer files sent, selected from : recipient communication terminals, shipping times and combinations thereof; the automatic inference system being characterized in that it additionally comprises: third-party computer means for identifying at least one property of the navigation screens, selected from: structural properties of each navigation screen, determined from at least one code relating to at least one of the computer files that integrate said navigation screen, said file being selected from: first computer files containing minimum integral navigation pages of each navigation screen, written in a navigation-oriented programming language that allows file references to be included informatics present in the same navigation screen, selected from: second computer files, third computer files and combinations thereof, second computer files containing navigation components integral to a navigation window, referenced from at least one computer file selected from: first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof, said second computer files being written in an oriented programming language to the navigation that allows to include references to computer files present in the same navigation screen, selected from: second computer files, third computer files and combinations thereof, third computer files of attached objects whose content is not a programming language oriented to navigation, referenced from at least one computer file selected from: first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof, and combinations of said computer files; formatting properties of each navigation screen, selected at least among: location, size, overlapping, temporality, typeface, font size, font color, background color and combinations thereof, said formatting properties being determined to from at least one code relating to at least one computer file selected from: first computer files, second computer files, third computer files and combinations thereof; content properties of each navigation screen, determined from at least one code relating to at least one computer file selected from: first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof; being selected said properties of content between: navigation links existing in said navigation screens, whereby access to selected computer files between first and second computer files is allowed, which, when accessed by the communications terminal, are incorporated into at least a navigation page selected from navigation pages present in the communications terminal and newly appeared navigation pages; existing text on these navigation screens; and combinations of said content properties; and combinations of said properties of the navigation screens; also comprising: fourth computer means of inference of information elements visible on the navigation screens of each communication terminal which, based on identifications: of at least one sequence of sending information elements contained in the sent computer files, identified by means of first computer media; of at least one data associated with the computer files sent to each communication terminal, identified by the second computer means; and of at least one property of the navigation pages, identified by the third computer means; the fourth computer means transform said sequences of sending information elements, into sets of information elements that are visible on each navigation screen each time there is a modification in said navigation screen, by not the information elements sent at each moment necessarily coincide with the information elements that are visible in said instants, since the visibility of said information elements depends additionally on the properties of the navigation screens; inferring said fourth computer means at least one data on the visible information elements, selected from: identification of the visible information elements, identification of the computer files containing said visible information elements, and combinations thereof; and where at least one of said information elements is selected from: navigation screens, navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations thereof.

2. AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO

INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON NAVIGATION SCREENS ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS, according to claim 1, characterized in that the third computer means of the automatic inference system, obtain the codes relating to computer files that determine the properties of the navigation screens, by at least one procedure selected from: analysis of the programming language oriented to the navigation of said computer files; analysis of at least one element selected among labels, headers, fields and combinations thereof, contained in said computer files; analysis of the name of said computer files; analysis of the data associated to computer files identified by the second computer means that, based on consecutive delivery times of said computer files to the same session of a communications terminal, allow to detect the information elements that are part of the same navigation screen; and combinations of said procedures.

3. AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON NAVIGATION SCREENS ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the first, second, third and fourth computer means of the automatic inference system, they operate in at least one mode of operation selected from: online mode of operation, monitoring in real time information related to computer files sent at any time; off-line mode of operation, subsequently collecting information related to the computer files sent from at least a fourth computer file for the registration of computer files sent, said information having been obtained through the first and second computer means from at least one location selected from : computer file provider servers, communications terminals, intermediate points of the computer file access network, and combinations of said locations; and combinations of said modes of operation.

4. AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON SCREENS

OF NAVIGATION ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS, according to claim 1, characterized in that said automatic inference system additionally comprises fifth computer means of inference of visibility data relating to at least one element of information selected from: navigation screens, navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations thereof, based on at least one identification of: at least one of the computer files sent to each communications terminal, identified by the first computer means; at least one data associated to the computer files sent to each communications terminal, identified by the second computer means and selected from at least: target communication terminals, delivery times, size of the computer files sent, request orders from communication terminals, type of communication terminals, information about preferences of users of communication terminals, requests about the computer files sent, questions to communication terminals about information elements visible on the screens of the communication materials, identification information of the communication terminals, status of computer media involved, status of requested computer files and combinations thereof; at least one property of the navigation pages, identified by the third computer means; and of combinations of said identifications; said fifth computer means infers at least one visibility data selected from: total time of visible permanence of the information element, average time of visible permanence of the information element per communication terminal session, average degree of overlap of the information element by another information element, information element visible at first sight, readability index of the information element, usability index of the information element, accessibility index of the information element, interactivity index of the information element, optimization index of the information element information element, effectiveness index of the information element, viewing index of the information element, average reading index of an information element assuming arbitrary time per word read, percentage view of an information element based on its properties, classification of users of communication terminals based on a graduation of average viewing speed in combination with a coverage and reading index, classification of users of communication terminals based on concurrent visits to connection initiation information element, classification Profile is of users of communication terminals according to at least one type of navigation behavior selected from: faithful, leaking, abandonment, recall and combinations thereof, number of users of communication terminals that browse concurrently, number of users of communication terminals that browse non-concurrently, percentage of readable text size in an information element in relation to its total size, percentage of image size in an information element in relation to its total size, relationship between size in text and size in images in an information element, characteristics of third-party computer files in function that said third computer files are: text, image, sound, executable, multimedia and combinations thereof, characteristics of third computer files depending on whether said third computer files are referenced from at least one computer file selected from : first computer files, second computer files and combinations thereof, physical situation of at least one element selected from: navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations thereof, on the navigation screens of the communication terminals , predominant color in an information element, predominant font style in an information element, list of reference words contained in at least one information element, list of more redundant words contained in at least one information element, list of words most searched contained in at least one element of information, text density based on a ratio between number of words per paragraph and reading time, number of users of communication terminals per type of navigation defined according to the degree of overlap, total percentage of reading per communications terminal session, total reading percentage per communication terminal connection, total reading percentage per communications terminal user, total reading percentage per information element, Total viewing percentage per communication terminal session, total viewing percentage per communication terminal connection, total viewing percentage per communication terminal user, total viewing percentage per information element, number of users per coverage, relationship between connection times and maximum number of overlaps, relationship between connection times and average number of overlaps, most read information element with recurring visits, most read information element without recurring visits, quality of the information element based on a ratio between time of visibility and download time, reading ratio of the information element, classification of the information element according to its speed of download, classification by type of information element that is visited repeatedly, origin of recurring visits to information elements, comparative of visiting times as recurring in relation to the time of first visits to information elements, reiteration of each origin of recurring visits to information elements, percentage of recurring visits on each element of information, ratio between frequency of recurring visits and frequency of non-recurring visits to information elements, classification of the most frequent trajectories of the users in the connections of the communication terminal on the information elements, relationship between information elements and the trajectories which point to said information elements, classification of more concurrent paths associated with an end of a communication terminal connection, classification of the most concurrent paths associated with the termination of a session of the communications terminal, classification of the associated more concurrent paths at the beginning of a communication terminal session, passive time as a comparison of time between mouse clicks on a communication terminal connection and time between mouse presses in a communications terminal session, average number of mouse clicks per session of communication terminal, quality of the information element as a relationship between usability times and download times for each user of communications terminal, quality of the information element as a relationship between usability times and download file sizes for each user of ter communications minal, degree of optimization of navigation-oriented programming language, weekly day classification according to connection activity of communication terminal users, time slot classification according to connection activity of communication terminal users, activity level classification of users of communication terminals depending on the duration of the connection and in the time slot where said connection occurs, classification of users of communication terminals according to geographical references, classification according to most used platforms in the connections, report of errors produced, statistical reports of the information elements of a website in relation to other websites of the same grouping in a sectorially ranked classification according to the contents of the information elements, related word more read, related image more view , mouse click frequency per information element, words downloaded per communication terminal session, words downloaded per communication terminal connection, images downloaded per communication terminal session, images downloaded per communication terminal connection, terminal classification of communications by size of downloaded data, first visible information element at the beginning of a communication terminal connection, first visible information element at the beginning of a communications terminal session, last visible information element at the end of a communication terminal connection, last element of information visible at the end of a session of the communications terminal, importance of each object of an information element based on a percentage of mouse clicks in relation to a total of mouse clicks, cloud of words close to a mouse click, most viewed information element, and combinations thereof.

5. AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON NAVIGATION SCREENS ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said automatic inference system additionally comprises at least one relational database where at least one operation selected is performed between: storing properties of the navigation screens identified by the third computer means; storage of associations between information elements that are part of the same navigation screen, selected from: navigation screens, navigation pages, navigation components, attached objects and combinations thereof, identified by the third computer means; storage of at least one data identified by the first and second computer means; grouping by recipient communication terminal, of at least one data identified by the first and second computer means; storage of at least one of the data inferred by the fourth computer means; storage of at least one of the data inferred by the fifth computer means; recovery of previously stored data; and combinations of said operations.

6. AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON NAVIGATION SCREENS ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said automatic inference system comprises at least one computer medium additional selected from: sixth computer means of recording inferred data that, from the information stored in the relational database, generates fifth computer files of inferred data record, where said inferred data are related to at least one type of grouping of visible information elements, selected from: grouping by navigation screens, grouping by navigation components, grouping by attached objects, and grouping by combinations of groupings, without grouping, where each information element is registered every time a modification occurs on the navigation screen and that information element is visible; Seventh computer means of statistical analysis that, from the information stored in the relational database, generate sixth computer files with statistical information on data inferred by computer means selected from: third computer media, fourth computer media, fifth computer media, sixth computer means, and combinations thereof; eighth computer media interface, parameterization and governance of at least one computer medium selected from: first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh computer media and combinations thereof; and combinations of said computer means.

7. AUTOMATIC DATA INFERENCE SYSTEM RELATING TO INFORMATION ELEMENTS THAT ARE VISIBLE ON NAVIGATION SCREENS ACCESSED FROM COMMUNICATION TERMINALS, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the file access network computer systems where said automatic inference system operates is the Internet network, at least one of the following correspondences being verified: at least one of the communications terminals is a terminal equipped with Internet access selected from: computers, telephones, electronic agendas, televisions and electronic equipment; at least one means of identification of the destination communication terminals consists of an identification of their IP address; at least one of the servers providing computer files, is a server of Web pages and files attached to said Web pages; at least one means of identifying request orders from communication terminals, consists of an identification of "Get"commands; at least one means of identifying displayed information elements consists of an identification of queries made; at least one means of identifying states of computer media involved consists of an identification of "Referer"resources; At least one means of identifying the requested file delivery states consists of an identification of accessed resources; the navigation pages contained in the first computer files are Web pages; the navigation components contained in the second computer files are with Web components integrating Web pages; at least one of the third computer files of attached objects, is a file attached to Web pages selected from: text, image, sound, executable, multimedia files and combinations thereof; Information elements are elements selected from Web pages, Web components and files attached to Web pages; the navigation screens are Internet navigation screens integrated by all the information elements visible from a terminal with access to

Internet; the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth computer means, are implemented through computer applications running on at least one computer; At least one of the navigation-oriented programming languages is selected from: HTML, DHTML, XML,

JAVA, JAVASCRIPT, ASP, PHP and FLASH; and at least one of the fourth computer files is a "Log" file for registering computer files sent by at least one Internet server.