SERVER SIDE MOBILE AUDIENCE INTELLIGENCE CREATION

• US 20130080498A1
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opera Software ASA
• Original Assignee: Opera Software ASA
• Inventors: DESILVA, Mahi, MOORES, Lawrence W., MERCHANT, Sameer
• Granted Patent: US 9,106,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• 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 67/30 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 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a method and system for tracking webpage requests from web browsers without invading the privacy of the corresponding users. A server receives the webpage requests, and extracts from each of them a user-neutral identifier and URL. The server creates records of these webpage requests, and these records are used to create and update profiles for the corresponding user-neutral identifiers. Since the user-neutral identifiers are not tied to user-specific information, the profiles are made anonymous and user privacy can be protected. However, since each user-neutral identifier is tied to a particular web browser, useful information regarding individual browsing behavior can be obtained. Furthermore, the requested URL'"'"'s can be categorized before being used to update the profiles, thus eliminating concerns that a user'"'"'s browsing activity might be tracked from website to website.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

registering by a server, user-neutral identifiers for a plurality of web browsers installed on respective electronic devices;

receiving at the server, webpage requests transmitted by the plurality of web browsers via a network, each of said webpage requests including a URL and the user-neutral identifier of the corresponding web browser;

creating by said server, records of said webpage requests; and

processing the records to create or update profiles corresponding to the user-neutral identifiers,

wherein each user-neutral identifier is registered without requiring the corresponding web browser to visit any webpage, and

wherein the user-neutral identifiers are registered in such manner as to ensure that they uniquely identify the web browser issuing each of said webpage requests from others of said plurality of web browsers without providing user-specific information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said server is a proxy server, said method further comprising:

retrieving by said proxy server, in response to at least one of said webpage requests, a webpage from another server on said network corresponding to the URL in said webpage request; and

transmitting by said proxy server, the retrieved webpage to the web browser issuing said webpage request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

categorizing one or more data elements in each of said records; and

aggregating the categorized data elements from each of said records within defined categories of the profile corresponding to the same user-neutral identifier.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more data elements include the URL of the corresponding webpage request.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said one or more data elements include at least one of the following:

type of electronic device,

when the corresponding webpage request was transmitted, and

identity of service provider.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

analyzing data elements in said records to derive metrics for said profiles;

storing information from said profiles as a dataset within a relational database; and

providing an interface for said relational database for querying said dataset according to any or a combination of said defined categories and/or said metrics.

7. A system comprising:

a server including at least one processing device programmed to;

register user-neutral identifiers for a plurality of web browsers installed on respective electronic devices

receive webpage requests transmitted by the plurality of web browsers via a network, each of said webpage requests including a URL and the user-neutral identifier of the corresponding web browser, and

create records of said webpage requests; and

a database storing profiles corresponding to the user-neutral identifiers, each of said profiles being created or updated according to the record that corresponds to the same user-neutral identifier,

wherein each user-neutral identifier is registered with requiring the corresponding web browser to visit any webpage, and

wherein said user-neutral identifiers are registered in such manner as to ensure that they uniquely identify the web browser issuing each of said webpage requests from others of said plurality of web browsers without providing user-specific information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said server is a proxy server is further programmed to:

retrieve, in response to at least one of said webpage requests, a webpage from another server on said network corresponding to the URL in said webpage request; and

transmit the retrieved webpage to the web browser issuing said webpage request.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said server is further programmed to:

categorize one or more data elements in each of said records; and

aggregate the categorized data elements from each of said records within defined categories of the profile corresponding to the same user-neutral identifier.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising a computing device communicatively connected to receive said records from said server, said computing device including a processing device programmed to:

categorize one or more data elements in each of said records; and

aggregate the categorized data elements from each of said records within defined categories of the profile corresponding to the same user-neutral identifier.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said one or more data elements include the URL of the corresponding webpage request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said one or more data elements further includes at least one of the following:

type of electronic device,

when the corresponding webpage request was transmitted, and

identity of service provider.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein

said processing device of said computing device is further programmed to analyze data elements in said records to derive metrics for said profile, and

said database is configured as a relational database, and includes an interface for querying information from said profiles according to any or a combination of said defined categories and/or said metrics.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions executable by a processor to perform a process comprising:

registering by a server, user-neutral identifiers for a plurality of web browsers installed on respective electronic devices;

receiving webpage requests transmitted by the plurality of web browsers via a network, each of said webpage requests including a URL and the user-neutral identifier of the corresponding web browser;

creating records of said webpage requests; and

processing the records to create or update profiles corresponding to the user-neutral identifiers,

wherein each user-neutral identifier is registered without requiring the corresponding web browser to visit any webpage, and

wherein the user-neutral identifiers are registered in such manner as to ensure that they uniquely identify the web browser issuing each of said webpage requests from others of said plurality of web browsers without providing user-specific information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said process further comprises:

retrieving, in response to at least one of said webpage requests, a webpage from another server on said network corresponding to the URL in said webpage request; and

transmitting, the retrieved webpage to the web browser issuing said webpage request.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said process further comprising:

categorizing one or more data elements in each of said records; and

aggregating the categorized data elements from each of said records within defined categories of the profile corresponding to the same user-neutral identifier.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein said one or more data elements include the URL of the corresponding webpage request.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said one or more data elements include at least one of the following:

type of electronic device,

when the corresponding webpage request was transmitted, and

identity of service provider.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said process further comprises:

analyzing data elements in said records to derive metrics for said profiles;

storing information from said profiles as a dataset within a relational database; and

providing an interface for said relational database for querying said dataset according to any or a combination of said defined categories and/or said metrics.