Online machine data collection and archiving process

• US 20020035622A1
• Filed: 06/05/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kount Incorporated (Equifax, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Timothy P. Barber
• Inventors: Barber, Timothy P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,330,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles

Abstract

An online machine data collection and archiving process generates a machine data profile of a customer computer accessing a transaction form of a merchant web site and links the machine data profile and a transaction record with customer identifying information using a unique transaction identification string. The process preferably captures parameters typically communicated as a part of web accesses, such as an IP address, an HTTP header, and cookie information. The process additionally causes the customer computer to process self-identification routines by processing coding within the merchant transaction form, the self-identification routines yielding further profile parameters. The process further includes a routine for bypassing an intervening proxy to the merchant web site to reveal the true IP address of the customer computer.

Claims

1. A process for collecting machine identifying information associated with a digital online access device used for substantially anonymously accessing a host computer system over a digital network, said host computer system generating an interaction record of an access therewith by said access device, and said process comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing a machine identifying profile parameter upon said access device accessing said host computer system;

(b) generating a unique interaction identification string upon said access device accessing said host computer system;

(c) associating said interaction identification string with said profile parameter; and

(d) associating said interaction identification string with said interaction record generated upon said access device accessing said host computer system.

2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capturing step includes the step of:

(a) capturing a digital address of said access device on said digital network.

3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said capturing step includes the step of:

(a) capturing a configuration setting of said access device.

4. A process as set forth in claim 1 and including the steps of:

(a) communicating a self-identification routine to said access device upon said access device accessing said host computer system;

(b) said access device executing said self-identification routine;

(c) said self-identification routine querying a configuration setting of said access device to derive said profile parameter; and

(d) said self-identification routine communicating said profile parameter to a remote location for association with said interaction identification string.

5. A process as set forth in claim 1 and including the steps of:

(a) said host system operating a host web site including an interaction page generated by interaction page code processed by said access device upon accessing said host web site; and

(b) coding, within said interaction page code, a self-identification routine which causes said access device to communicate said profile parameter when said access device processes said interaction page code.

6. A process as set forth in claim 3 and including the step of:

(a) coding said self-identification routine in such a manner that said profile parameter and said interaction identification string are communicated to a third party web site at which said profile parameter and said interaction identification string are stored.

7. A process for identifying a customer computer involved in an online transaction between a customer using a customer browser operating on said customer computer and a merchant operating a merchant web site, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) capturing a customer computer profile parameter upon said customer computer accessing said merchant web site;

(b) generating a transaction identification string and associating said string with said parameter;

(c) storing said parameter and said string in a machine data archive;

(d) upon said customer completing a transaction through said merchant web site, storing said transaction identification string with a transaction record formed during said transaction to thereby associate said parameter with said transaction record through said string.

8. A process as set forth in claim 7 wherein said capturing step includes the step of:

(a) capturing an IP address of said customer computer.

9. A process as set forth in claim 7 wherein said capturing step includes the step of:

(a) capturing a configuration setting of said customer computer.

10. A process as set forth in claim 7 and including the step of:

(a) communicating said profile parameter and said transaction identification string to a third party web site for storage.

11. A process as set forth in claim 7 and including the step of:

(a) causing said customer computer to communicate said profile parameter and said transaction identification string to a third party web site for storage.

12. A process as set forth in claim 7 and including the steps of:

(a) communicating a self-identification routine to said customer computer upon said customer computer accessing said merchant web site;

(b) said customer computer executing said self-identification routine;

(c) said self-identification routine querying a configuration setting of said customer computer to derive said profile parameter; and

(d) said self-identification routine communicating said profile parameter to a remote location for association with said interaction identification string.

13. A process as set forth in claim 12 and including the step of:

(a) coding said self-identification routine in such a manner that said profile parameter and said interaction identification string are communicated to a third party web site at which said profile parameter and said interaction identification string are stored.

14. A process as set forth in claim 12 wherein said querying step includes the steps of:

(a) querying said customer browser for a plurality of configuration settings;

(b) forming an attribute string from said plurality of configuration settings; and

(c) processing said attribute string to form said profile parameter of said customer computer.

15. A process as set forth in claim 12 wherein said customer computer potentially accesses said merchant web site by way of a proxy, and said communicating step includes the steps of:

(a) communicating said profile parameter and said transaction identification string to said remote web site using a protocol which bypasses said proxy.

17. A process as set forth in claim 16 and including the steps of:

(a) said script causing said computer browser to communicate said profile parameter and said transaction identification string along with a conventional hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) header; and

(b) said archiver service additionally storing said HTTP header in association with said machine data profile.

18. A process as set forth in claim 16 and including the step of:

(a) said script querying said customer browser for a configuration setting thereof.

19. A process as set forth in claim 16 and including the steps of:

(a) said script querying said customer browser for a plurality of configuration settings;

(b) said script forming an attribute string from said plurality of configuration settings; and

(c) said script processing said attribute string to form said profile parameter of said customer computer.

20. A process as set forth in claim 19 wherein said script processing step includes the step of:

(a) said script performing a hashing function on said attribute string to form said profile parameter.

21. A process as set forth in claim 16 wherein said customer computer potentially accesses said merchant web site by way of a proxy, and including the step of:

(a) said script communicating said profile parameter and said transaction identification string to said archiver service web site using a protocol which bypasses said proxy.

22. A process as set forth in claim 16 and including the step of:

(a) said script communicating said profile parameter to said archiver service web site using a protocol other than HTTP.

23. A process as set forth in claim 16 wherein said customer computer includes a digital clock, and including the steps of:

(a) said script causing said customer browser to query said clock for a time value; and

(b) said script causing said customer browser to send said time value to said archiver service web site along with said profile parameter.

25. A process as set forth in claim 24 wherein said customer computer potentially accesses said merchant web site by way of a proxy, and including the steps of:

(a) said script querying said customer computer for a second profile parameter; and

(b) said script communicating said second profile parameter and said transaction identification string to said archiver service web site using a protocol which bypasses said proxy.

26. A process as set forth in claim 25 and including the step of:

(a) said script communicating said second profile parameter to said archiver service web site using a protocol other than HTTP.

16. A process for identifying a customer computer involved in an online transaction through a merchant web site between a customer using a customer browser operating on said customer computer and a merchant who operates said web site, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) coding a script request within a transaction form of said merchant web site;

(b) processing said script request by said customer browser upon accessing said merchant web site to thereby communicate to an archiver web site of a machine data archiving service an electronic request for a machine data collection script;

(c) said archiver web site returning said script to said customer browser along with a unique transaction identification string;

(d) said customer browser processing said script to thereby cause said script to query said customer computer for a profile parameter of said customer computer;

(e) said script causing said customer browser to communicate said profile parameter and said transaction identification string to said archiver web site;

(f) said archiver web site storing said profile parameter and said transaction identification string in a machine data profile;

(g) said script causing said customer browser to write said transaction identification string into said transaction form; and

(h) upon said customer adding customer identification information to said transaction form and electronically submitting said transaction form to said merchant web site to thereby comprise a transaction record, said transaction identification string associating said transaction record with said machine data profile.

24. A process for identifying a customer computer involved in an online transaction through a merchant web site between a customer using a customer browser operating on said customer computer and a merchant who operates said web site, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) coding a script request within a transaction form of said merchant web site;

(b) processing said script request by said customer browser upon accessing said merchant web site to thereby communicate to an archiver web site of a machine data archiving service an electronic request for a machine data collection script;

(c) said archiver web site returning said script to said customer browser along with a unique transaction identification string;

(d) said customer browser processing said script to thereby cause said script to;

(1) query said customer browser for a plurality of configuration settings;

(2) form an attribute string from said plurality of configuration settings;

(3) perform a hashing function on said attribute string to form said profile parameter; and

(4) query an internal digital clock of said customer computer for a current time value;

(e) said script causing said customer browser to communicate said profile parameter, said time value, and said transaction identification string to said archiver web site along with a conventional HTTP header;

(f) said archiver web site storing said profile parameter, said time value, and said transaction identification string in a machine data profile;

(g) said script causing said customer browser to write said transaction identification string into said transaction form; and

(h) upon said customer adding customer identification information to said transaction form and electronically submitting said transaction form to said merchant web site to thereby comprise a transaction record, said transaction identification string associating said transaction record with said machine data profile.