System and method for profiling different users having a common computer identifier

• US 20030083938A1
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Browning, James L., Smith, Tucker L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• 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: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4663 involving probabilistic networks, e.g. Bayesian networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method profiles different users having a common terminal identifier in communication system. The system comprises a user activity data analyzer for extracting profile data from user terminal activity data, a user identifier for determining whether the profile data corresponds to a profile data history associated with the user terminal, and a user profile generator for generating a profile data history from the profile data for another user to be associated with the terminal in response to the profile data not corresponding to the profile data history associated with the user terminal. The user activity data analyzer extracts site addresses, URLs, click event data, metadata and other user activity from a session log to compile information useful for assessing a user'"'"'s interests. This extracted profile data may then be compared to a profile history previously generated and associated with the terminal identifier. A low level of correspondence between the extracted profile data and the profile history associated with the terminal identifier indicates that a different user is generating the user activity data. The user profile generator then builds a profile history from the extracted profile data and associates it with the terminal identifier. The profile histories are provided different user identifiers. Upon subsequent detection of the terminal identifier, the profile data extracted from the user activity is compared to both profile histories to determine which user is navigating the site. Once sufficient profile data has been extracted to determine which profile history corresponds to the extracted data, advertising content that corresponds to the identified user may be selected and included in the content requested by the current user.

Claims

1. A system for profiling different users having a common terminal identifier comprising:

a user activity data analyzer for extracting profile data from user terminal activity data;

a user identifier for determining whether the profile data corresponds to a profile data history associated with the user terminal; and

a user profile generator for generating a profile data history from the profile data for another user to be associated with the terminal in response to the profile data not corresponding to the profile data history associated with the user terminal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user terminal activity data is session data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user terminal activity data is browse period data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the profile data includes a site identifier, a resource identifier, and a terminal identifier.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the user profile generator generates a profile history for another user to be associated with the terminal identifier in response to a low level of correspondence between the site identifier and the resource identifier of the profile data and any site identifiers and resource identifiers in said profile history associated with said terminal.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the profile data includes metadata associated with the site identifier and the resource identifier.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the user identifier identifiers a user at the terminal by determining which one of at least two profile histories associated with the terminal corresponds with the profile data;

and the system further includes;

an advertising selector for selecting an advertising file for transmission to the terminal, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the terminal identifier is a cookie.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the terminal identifier is an Internet protocol (IP) address.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the terminal identifier is a subscriber identifier.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the subscriber identifier identifies a cable television network subscriber, the session data identifies a tuned channel, and the metadata identifies program content on the tuned channel.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user identifier identifiers a user at the terminal by determining which one of at least two profile histories associated with the terminal corresponds with the profile data;

and the system further includes;

an advertising selector for selecting an advertising file for transmission to the terminal, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.

13. A method for profiling different users having a common terminal identifier comprising:

extracting profile data from user terminal activity data;

determining whether the profile data corresponds to a profile data history associated with the user terminal; and

generating a profile data history from the profile data for another user to be associated with the terminal in response to the profile data not corresponding to the profile data history associated with the user terminal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the profile data is extracted from session data.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the profile data is extracted from browse period data.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the profile data determination includes comparison of a site identifier, a resource identifier associated with a terminal identifier in the profile data with any site identifiers, resource identifiers in the profile data history associated with the terminal identifier.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

generating a profile history for another user to be associated with the terminal identifier in response to a low level of correspondence between the site identifier and the resource identifier of the profile data and any site identifiers and resource identifiers in said profile history associated with said terminal.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the profile data extraction extracts metadata associated with the site identifier and the resource identifier.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

identifying a user at the terminal by determining which one of at least two profile histories associated with the terminal corresponds with the profile data; and

selecting an advertising file for transmission to the terminal, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the comparison of terminal identifiers in the profile data and the profile data history compares cookies.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the comparison of terminal identifiers in the profile data and the profile data history compares Internet protocol (IP) addresses.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the profile data extraction extracts a subscriber identifier that identifies a subscriber site on a cable television network.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the profile data extraction extracts a tuned channel identifier and metadata, the tuned channel identifier identifying a transmission channel to which a receiver is turned at the identified subscriber site and the metadata identifies program content on the tuned channel.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

identifying a user at the subscriber site by determining which one of at least two profile histories associated with the subscriber site corresponds with the profile data; and

selecting an advertising file for transmission to the subscriber site, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.