Tracking user conversions across mobile applications and browsers
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- presenting an ad within a user interface of a mobile application of a mobile device, wherein the mobile application is distinct from a browser that is installed on the mobile device, wherein the browser includes a browser cookie space that is not shared with the mobile application;
receiving a user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application;
in response to receiving the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application;
(a) generating, by the mobile application, a request URL that encodes (i) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile device as a device at which the user interaction with the ad occurred and (ii) context information that indicates a context of the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; and
(b) invoking, by the mobile application, the browser on the mobile device, including causing, by the mobile application, the browser to submit to a server system the request URL that encodes the device identifier and the context information;
receiving, by the mobile device and from the server system, an ad cookie that was generated responsive to the request URL that encoded the device identifier and the context information;
storing, by the mobile device, the ad cookie in the browser cookie space rather than in a storage space of the mobile application, even though the user interaction with the ad occurred in the mobile application;
after storing the ad cookie in the browser cookie space;
initiating, by the browser, a browsing session at a website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application;
performing, by the browser, a conversion event during the browsing session at the website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application; and
providing, by the browser and to the server system, the ad cookie and an indication of the conversion event that was performed by the browser during the browsing session; and
wherein the server system links the conversion event that was performed in the browser with the user interaction with the ad that was performed in the mobile application before the ad cookie was stored in the browser cookie space, including using the ad cookie that the browser provided to the server system to identify particular information about the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application, the particular information derived at least in part from the context information that was encoded in the request URL submitted by the browser.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In general, this specification relates to content presentation. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of presenting an ad within a mobile application interface of a mobile device; receiving a user selection of the ad; determining that a browser session is to be initiated in response to the user selection of the ad; generating a request URL, using one or more processors, where the request URL includes a device identifier for the mobile device; and submitting the URL request using the browser including: determining whether an ad cookie associated with the ad exists on the browser, and if the cookie associated with the ad exists, sending an ad cookie identifier along with the request. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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presenting an ad within a user interface of a mobile application of a mobile device, wherein the mobile application is distinct from a browser that is installed on the mobile device, wherein the browser includes a browser cookie space that is not shared with the mobile application; receiving a user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; in response to receiving the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; (a) generating, by the mobile application, a request URL that encodes (i) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile device as a device at which the user interaction with the ad occurred and (ii) context information that indicates a context of the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; and (b) invoking, by the mobile application, the browser on the mobile device, including causing, by the mobile application, the browser to submit to a server system the request URL that encodes the device identifier and the context information; receiving, by the mobile device and from the server system, an ad cookie that was generated responsive to the request URL that encoded the device identifier and the context information; storing, by the mobile device, the ad cookie in the browser cookie space rather than in a storage space of the mobile application, even though the user interaction with the ad occurred in the mobile application; after storing the ad cookie in the browser cookie space; initiating, by the browser, a browsing session at a website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application; performing, by the browser, a conversion event during the browsing session at the website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application; and providing, by the browser and to the server system, the ad cookie and an indication of the conversion event that was performed by the browser during the browsing session; and wherein the server system links the conversion event that was performed in the browser with the user interaction with the ad that was performed in the mobile application before the ad cookie was stored in the browser cookie space, including using the ad cookie that the browser provided to the server system to identify particular information about the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application, the particular information derived at least in part from the context information that was encoded in the request URL submitted by the browser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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7. A system comprising:
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one or more processors configured to interact with a storage medium in order to perform operation comprising; presenting an ad within a user interface of a mobile application of a mobile device, wherein the mobile application is distinct from a browser that is installed on the mobile device, wherein the browser includes a browser cookie space that is not shared with the mobile application; receiving a user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; in response to receiving the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; (a) generating, by the mobile application, a request URL that encodes (i) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile device as a device at which the user interaction with the ad occurred and (ii) context information that indicates a context of the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; and (b) invoking, by the mobile application, the browser on the mobile device, including causing, by the mobile application, the browser to submit to a server system the request URL that encodes the device identifier and the context information; receiving, by the mobile device and from the server system, an ad cookie that was generated responsive to the request URL that encoded the device identifier and the context information; storing, by the mobile device, the ad cookie in the browser cookie space rather than in a storage space of the mobile application, even though the user interaction with the ad occurred in the mobile application; after storing the ad cookie in the browser cookie space; initiating, by the browser, a browsing session at a website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application; performing, by the browser, a conversion event during the browsing session at the website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application; and providing, by the browser and to the server system, the ad cookie and an indication of the conversion event that was performed by the browser during the browsing session; and wherein the server system links the conversion event that was performed in the browser with the user interaction with the ad that was performed in the mobile application before the ad cookie was stored in the browser cookie space, including using the ad cookie that the browser provided to the server system to identify particular information about the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application, the particular information derived at least in part from the context information that was encoded in the request URL submitted by the browser. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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13. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
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presenting an ad within a user interface of a mobile application of a mobile device, wherein the mobile application is distinct from a browser that is installed on the mobile device, wherein the browser includes a browser cookie space that is not shared with the mobile application; receiving a user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; in response to receiving the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; (a) generating, by the mobile application, a request URL that encodes (i) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile device as a device at which the user interaction with the ad occurred and (ii) context information that indicates a context of the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application; and (b) invoking, by the mobile application, the browser on the mobile device, including causing, by the mobile application, the browser to submit to a server system the request URL that encodes the device identifier and the context information; receiving, by the mobile device and from the server system, an ad cookie that was generated responsive to the request URL that encoded the device identifier and the context information; storing, by the mobile device, the ad cookie in the browser cookie space rather than in a storage space of the mobile application, even though the user interaction with the ad occurred in the mobile application; after storing the ad cookie in the browser cookie space; initiating, by the browser, a browsing session at a website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application; performing, by the browser, a conversion event during the browsing session at the website that corresponds to the ad with which the user interaction occurred in the mobile application; and providing, by the browser and to the server system, the ad cookie and an indication of the conversion event that was performed by the browser during the browsing session; and wherein the server system links the conversion event that was performed in the browser with the user interaction with the ad that was performed in the mobile application before the ad cookie was stored in the browser cookie space, including using the ad cookie that the browser provided to the server system to identify particular information about the user interaction with the ad within the user interface of the mobile application, the particular information derived at least in part from the context information that was encoded in the request URL submitted by the browser.
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Specification