Methods and systems for enabling, tracking, and correlating anonymous user activity

• US 10,032,017 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Ravi, Rohith, Ghanekar, Joy, Carroll, Dorion
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tu
• Application Number:
  US14/810,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20150332042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 713171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication

Abstract

Methods are disclosed for identity key management in networked application execution. In one embodiment, an identifier request is transmitted from a client system to a server system, in which an identity key value in the identifier request is blank. Upon detecting the blank identity key value at the server system, the server system operates to generate a new identity key value and an identifier for the new identity key value. The new identity key value and the identifier for the new identity key value are transmitted from the server system to the client system. The new identity key value is stored in a local store of the client system. The local store of the client system is secured by a passcode and persists data through power cycling of the client system. The identifier is used to track execution of a networked application in an anonymous execution mode.

Claims

1. A method for identity key management in networked application execution, comprising:

transmitting an identifier request from a client system to a server system, wherein an identity key value in the identifier request is blank;

upon detecting the blank identity key value at the server system, operating the server system to generate a new identity key value and an identifier for the new identity key value;

transmitting the new identity key value and the identifier for the new identity key value from the server system to the client system;

storing the new identity key value in a local store of the client system, wherein the local store of the client system is secured by a passcode, and wherein the new identity key value remains stored in the local store of the client system through power cycling of the client system; and

using the identifier to track execution of a networked application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identity key value is a string value.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifier is a hash of the identity key value and a network identifier.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new identity key value is generated as a random string value.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the passcode of the local store is a seed identifier issued by a manufacturer of the client system to a developer of the networked application.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the networked application is an on-line game application, and wherein the server system is a game server.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the client system is a mobile electronic device.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein operating the server system to generate the new identity key value and the identifier for the new identity key value includes operating the server system to request a direct application programming interface to return the identifier for the new identity key value.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the direct application programming interface performs a lookup for the new identity key value in an identifier database.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the direct application programming interface does not find an identifier for the new identity key value in the identifier database, and wherein upon not finding the identifier for the new identity key value in the identifier database, the new identity key value is associated with an anonymous social network.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the identifier for the new identity key value is a function of the new identity key value and an identifier of the anonymous social network.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the identifier for the new identity key value is a hash of the new identity key value and an identifier of the anonymous social network.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the new identity key value associated with the identifier of the anonymous social network is made available for general use by applications installed on the client system.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the new identity key value associated with the identifier of the anonymous social network is used to obtain a saved application state from the server system.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the server system is a game server, and the saved application state is a saved game state.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the new identity key value associated with the identifier of the anonymous social network is used to make tracking calls.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identity key value is for a global identity key.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the identity key value in the identifier request is blank because there is no global identity key available in the local store of the client system.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new identity key value is stored in a developer portion of the local store of the client system.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the new identity key value is not publicly accessible on the client system.