Methods for determining advertisement usage by proxy log data

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to determine click-through rates for advertisements are disclosed. The apparatus includes an application identifier to identify a first application associated with a first request received at a proxy server; a record searcher to search records in a data store within a first threshold of the first request to detect a second request; and a response detector to detect a response to the second request. The application identifier further to identify a parent advertiser based on content of the response to the second request. The record searcher is further to search the data store to identify records within a second threshold of the second request to determine if the second request is directed to the parent advertiser. The apparatus further includes a reporter to record a click-through event or a non-click-through event as a result of the searching.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus to credit advertisement click-through and non-click through events, the apparatus comprising:
 memory;   instructions in the apparatus;   at least one processor to execute the instructions to:
 identify a first network communication protocol request and a second network communication protocol request; 
 detect a response to the second network communication protocol request; 
 identify a parent advertiser based on content of the response to the second network communication protocol request, 
 determine if the second network communication protocol request is directed to the parent advertiser; and 
 credit a click-through event or a non-click-through event as a result of the determination. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first network communication protocol request is associated with a first computing application and is received at a proxy server for Internet communications. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is to execute the instructions to filter requests received by the proxy server to prevent filtered requests from being processed. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein to detect a second network communication protocol request, the at least one processor is to execute the instructions to search records in a data store storing requests received at the proxy server within a first threshold of the first network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein to determine if the second network communication protocol request is directed to the parent advertiser, wherein the at least one processor is to execute the instructions to search the data store to identify records within a second threshold of the second network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is to execute the instructions to identify a user associated with the first network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is to execute the instructions to identify a device associated with the first network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         8 . At least one non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:
 identify a first network communication protocol request and a second network communication protocol request;   detect a response to the second network communication protocol request;   identify a parent advertiser based on content of the response to the second network communication protocol request;   determine if the second network communication protocol request is directed to the parent advertiser; and   credit a click-through event or a non-click-through event as a result of the determining, wherein at least one of the identification, detection, and determination are implemented by a logic circuit.   
     
     
         9 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the first network communication protocol request is associated with a first computing application, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to receive the first network communication protocol request at a proxy server for Internet communications. 
     
     
         10 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to filter requests received by the proxy server to prevent filtered requests from being identified and determined. 
     
     
         11 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein to detect a second network communication protocol request, the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to further search records in a data store storing requests received at the proxy server within a first threshold of the first network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         12 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein to determine if the second network communication protocol request is directed to the parent advertiser, the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to further to further search the data store to identify records within a second threshold of the second network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         13 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to identify a user associated with the first network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         14 . The at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to identify a device associated with the first network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus to credit advertisement click-through and non-click through events, the apparatus comprising:
 means for identifying a first network communication protocol request and a second network communication protocol request;   means for detecting a response to the second network communication protocol request;   the means for identifying to further identify a parent advertiser based on content of the response to the second network communication protocol request;   means for determining if the second network communication protocol request is directed to the parent advertiser; and   means for crediting a click-through event or a non-click-through event as a result of the determining, wherein at least one of the identification, detection, and determination are implemented by a logic circuit.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first network communication protocol request is associated with a first computing application, further including means for receiving the first network communication protocol request at a proxy server for Internet communications. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further including means for filtering requests received by the proxy server to prevent filtered requests from identifying and determining. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further including means for searching records in a data store storing requests received at the proxy server within a first threshold of the first network communication protocol request to detect a second network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein to determine if the second network communication protocol request is directed to the parent advertiser, the means for searching is further to search the data store to identify records within a second threshold of the second network communication protocol request. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the means for identifying is further to identify a user associated with the first network communication protocol request.