Systems and methods for selecting content based on linked devices

• US 10,585,962 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2017
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Qiu, Jianjun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh
• Application Number:
  US15/422,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20170140294A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/211 Schema design and management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 : Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to associating computing devices with each other based on computer network activity for selection of content items as part of an online content item placement campaign. A first linking factor is identified based on a connection between a first device and the computer network via a first IP address during a first time period, and based on a connection between a second device and the computer network via the first IP address during the first time period. A number of devices that connect with the computer network via the first IP address is determined. A positive match probability is generated. A second and third linking factors are monitored. A negative match probability is determined based on the second and third linking factors. The first device is linked with the second device based on the positive and negative match probabilities.

Claims

1. A system to associate computing devices with each other based on computer network activity, comprising:

a data processing system having a matching engine and a connector executed by one or more processors, the data processing to;

identify a first linking factor based on a connection between a first computing device and the computer network at a first location during a first time period, and based on a connection between a second computing device and the computer network at the first location during the first time period;

generate a data structure indicating a preliminary link between the first computing device and the second computing device based on the first linking factor;

monitor for a second linking factor based on input activity at the first computing device in a second time period, and based on input activity at the second computing device in the second time period responsive to the generation of the data structure;

monitor for a third linking factor based on activity at the first computing device at the first location during a third time period, and based on activity at the second computing device at a second location during the third time period responsive to the generation of the data structure;

determine a negative match probability based on the second linking factor and based on the third linking factor; and

remove, from the data structure, the preliminary link between the first computing device and the second computing device based on the negative match probability to indicate a non-link.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising the data processing system to:

remove, from the data structure, a previous link to indicate the non-link between the first computing device and the second computing device.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising the data processing system to:

determine a number of computing devices other than the first computing device that connect with the computer network at the first location during the first time period;

generate a positive match probability based on the first linking factor and based on the number of computing devices; and

determine to generate the non-link based on the positive match probability, the negative match probability, and a threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, comprising the data processing system to:

determine a link between the first computing device and the second computing device in a time period prior to the second time period and the third time period; and

determine to remove the link based on the negative match probability.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system comprises a geographic location module, the data processing system to:

receive geo-location data points from the first computing device to determine the first computing device is at the first location; and

receive geo-location data points from the second computing device to determine the second computing device is at the first location.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data processing system comprises a geographic location module, the data processing system to:

receive geo-location data points from the first computing device, the geo-location data points comprising at least one of Global Positioning System information, Wi-Fi information, an IP address, Bluetooth information or cell tower triangulation information.

7. The system of claim 1, comprising the data processing system to:

determine the first location based on a first IP address;

determine the second location based on a second IP address.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising the data processing system to:

determine a number of computing devices other than the first computing device that connect with the computer network at the first location during the first time period;

generate a positive match probability based on the first linking factor and based on the number of computing devices;

increase the positive match probability based on an identification, by the data processing system, of activity from the first computing device corresponding to a cessation of activity at the second computing device at a fourth time period;

determine to link the first computing device with the second computing device based on the positive match probability and the negative match probability at or subsequent to the fourth time period; and

generate a link between the first computing device and the second computing device at or subsequent to the fourth time period.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising the data processing system to:

select, at or subsequent to the fourth time period, a content item for placement with an online document on the second computing device based on the link and based on computer network activity of the first computing device.

10. The system of claim 8, comprising the data processing system to:

link the first computing device with the second computing device based on an overall match probability based on a weight for positive match probability, a weight for negative match probability, the positive match probability, and the negative match probability.

11. The system of claim 8, comprising the data processing system to:

calibrate the weight for positive match probability and the weight for negative match probability based on known links and known non-links.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising the data processing system to:

monitor for a fourth linking factor of a third computing device and a fourth computing device based on input activity at the third computing device during a fourth time period, and based on input activity at the fourth computing device during the fourth time period;

monitor for a fifth linking factor of the third computing device and the fourth computing device based on activity at the third computing device at a third location during a fifth time period, and based on activity at the fourth computing device at a fourth location during the fifth time period;

generate a positive match probability based on the fourth linking factor of the third computing device and the fourth computing device and based on the fifth linking factor of the third computing device and the fourth computing device;

determine a link between the third computing device and the fourth computing device based on the positive match probability; and

indicate, in a data structure, a link between the third computing device and the fourth computing device.

13. A method of associating computing devices with each other based on computer network activity, comprising:

identifying, by a data processing system comprising a matching engine and a connector executed by at least one processor, a first linking factor based on a connection between a first computing device and the computer network at a first location during a first time period, and based on a connection between a second computing device and the computer network at the first location during the first time period;

generating, by the data processing system, a data structure indicating a preliminary link between the first computing device and the second computing device based on the first linking factor;

monitoring, by the data processing system, for a second linking factor based on input activity at the first computing device in a second time period, and based on input activity at the second computing device in the second time period responsive to the generation of the data structure;

monitoring, by the data processing system, for a third linking factor based on activity at the first computing device at the first location during a third time period, and based on activity at the second computing device at a second location during the third time period responsive to the generation of the data structure;

determining, by the data processing system, a negative match probability based on the second linking factor and based on the third linking factor; and

removing, by the data processing system, the preliminary link between the first computing device and the second computing device based on the negative match probability to indicate a non-link.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

creating, by the data processing system, a data structure to indicate the non-link between the first computing device and the second computing device.

15. The method of claim 13, comprising:

determining a number of computing devices other than the first computing device that connect with the computer network at the first location during the first time period;

generating a positive match probability based on the first linking factor and based on the number of computing devices; and

determining to generate the non-link based on the positive match probability, the negative match probability, and a threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, comprising:

determining a link between the first computing device and the second computing device in a time period prior to the second time period and the third time period; and

determining to remove the link based on the negative match probability.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receive geo-location data points from the first computing device, the geo-location data points comprising at least one of Global Positioning System information, Wi-Fi information, an IP address, Bluetooth information or cell tower triangulation information.

18. The method of claim 13, comprising:

determining a number of computing devices other than the first computing device that connect with the computer network at the first location during the first time period;

generating a positive match probability based on the first linking factor and based on the number of computing devices;

increasing the positive match probability based on an identification, by the data processing system, of activity from the first computing device corresponding to a cessation of activity at the second computing device at a fourth time period;

linking the first computing device with the second computing device based on the positive match probability and the negative match probability at or subsequent to the fourth time period; and

generating a link between the first computing device and the second computing device at or subsequent to the fourth time period.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising:

selecting, at or subsequent to the fourth time period, a content item for placement with an online document on the second computing device based on the link and based on computer network activity of the first computing device.

20. The method of claim 13, comprising:

monitoring for a fourth linking factor of a third computing device and a fourth computing device based on input activity at the third computing device during a fourth time period, and based on input activity at the fourth computing device during the fourth time period;

monitoring for a fifth linking factor of the third computing device and the fourth computing device based on activity at the third computing device at a third location during a fifth time period, and based on activity at the fourth computing device at a fourth location during the fifth time period;

generating a positive match probability based on the fourth linking factor of the third computing device and the fourth computing device and based on the fifth linking factor of the third computing device and the fourth computing device;

determining a link between the third computing device and the fourth computing device based on the positive match probability; and

indicating, in a data structure, a link between the third computing device and the fourth computing device.