METHODS AND APPARATUS TO TRACK WEB BROWSING SESSIONS

• US 20130246609A1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Topchy, Alexander, Besehanic, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 9,659,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to tracker web browsing sessions are disclosed. An example method includes computing a sequence of numbers to be generated by a random number generator during a first browsing session associated with a browser given a first seed value; and determining whether a web site visit is associated with the first browsing session based on a received number.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

computing a sequence of numbers to be generated by a random number generator during a first browsing session associated with a browser given a first seed value; and

determining whether a web site visit is associated with the first browsing session based on a received number.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising providing instructions to the browser that cause the browser to seed the random number generator with the first seed value and to convey an output of the random number generator to a server.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein providing the instructions to the browser comprises embedding the instructions in a network resource accessible to the browser.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the output of the random number generator is the received number.

5. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the instructions cause the browser to convey identifying information associated the web site visit to a server in connection with the number, the number being an output of the random number generator.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating a lookup table having the first seed value associated with the computed sequence of numbers.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein determining whether the web site visit is associated with the first browsing session comprises querying the lookup table to determine whether the number is one of the computed sequence of numbers.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising storing a first address identifier associated with the web visit in connection with the first seed value in a database when the number is one of the computed sequence of numbers.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second number and a second address identifier; and

querying the lookup table to determine whether the second number is one of the computed sequence of numbers; and

when the second number is one of the computed sequence of numbers, storing the second address identifier in connection with the first seed value in the database, wherein an entry of the database including the first and second address identifiers indicates that the first and second network addresses were accessed during the first browsing session.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

determining that the first network address was accessed before the second network address during the first browsing session based on occurrence of the number in the computed sequence of numbers before the occurrence of the second number in the computed sequence of numbers, wherein the database includes an indication of the first network address being accessed before the second network address.

11. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

compute a sequence of numbers to be generated by a random number generator during a first browsing session associated with a browser given a first seed value; and

determine whether a web site visit is associated with the first browsing session based on a received number.

12. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the machine to provide code to the browser that causes the browser to seed the random number generator with the first seed value and to convey an output of the random number generator to a server.

13. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein providing the code to the browser comprises embedding the code in a network resource accessible to the browser.

14. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the output of the random number generator is the received number.

15. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the code causes the browser to convey identifying information associated a network address to a server in connection with the number, the number being an output of the random number generator.

16. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions cause the machine to generate a lookup table having the first seed value associated with the computed sequence of numbers.

17. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein determining whether the web site visit is associated with the first browsing session comprises querying the lookup table to determine whether the number is one of the computed sequence of numbers.

18. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 17, the instructions to cause the machine to store a first address identifier associated with the web visit in connection with the first seed value in a database when the number is one of the computed sequence of numbers.

19. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 18, the instructions to cause the machine to:

receive a second number and a second address identifier; and

query the lookup table to determine whether the second number is one of the computed sequence of numbers; and

when the second number is one of the computed sequence of numbers, store the second address identifier in connection with the first seed value in the database, wherein an entry of the database including the first and second address identifiers indicates that the first and second network addresses were accessed during the first browsing session.

20. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, the instructions to cause the machine to determine that the first network address was accessed before the second network address during the first browsing session based on occurrence of the number in the computed sequence of numbers before occurrence of the second number in the computed sequence of numbers, wherein the database includes an indication of the first network address being accessed before the second network address.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

a calculator to compute a number sequence to be generated by a random number generator associated with a browser given a first seed value; and

an analyzer to determine whether a web site visit is associated with the first browsing session based on a received number.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising an instruction generator to generate instructions that cause the browser to seed the random number generator with the first seed value and to convey an output of the random number generator to a server.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the instruction generator is to provide the instructions to the browser by embedding the instructions in a network resource accessible to the browser.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the output of the random number generator is the received number.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the instructions cause the browser to convey identifying information associated the web site visit to a server in connection with the number, the number being an output of the random number generator.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising a lookup table having the first seed value associated with the computed sequence of numbers.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the analyzer is to determine whether the web site visit is associated with the first browsing session by querying the lookup table to determine whether the number is one of the computed sequence of numbers.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 27, further comprising memory to store a first address identifier associated with the web visit in connection with the first seed value in a database when the number is one of the computed sequence of numbers.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 28, wherein the analyzer is to:

in response to receiving a second number band a second address identifier, query the lookup table to determine whether the second number is one of the computed sequence of numbers; and

when the second number is one of the computed sequence of numbers, store the second address identifier in connection with the first seed value in the database, wherein an entry of the database including the first and second address identifiers indicates that the first and second network addresses were accessed during the first browsing session.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 29, wherein the analyzer is to determine that the first network address was accessed before the second network address during the first browsing session based on occurrence of the number in the computed sequence of numbers before the occurrence of the second number in the computed sequence of numbers, wherein the database includes an indication of the first network address being accessed before the second network address.

31-76. -76. (canceled)