METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IDENTIFYING NEW COMPUTERS AND PROVIDING MATCHING SERVICES

• US 20130317905A1
• Filed: 05/23/2012
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Warner, Craig, O'Connor, Timothy, Ross, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 10,152,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method of providing services to computing devices includes establishing a connection over the Internet with a computing device; receiving data from the computing device during the connection; extracting a signal from the data received from the computing device; estimating a relative age of the computing device based on the extracted signal; selecting a service from a plurality of services based on the estimated relative age of the computing device; and providing the selected service to the computing device.

Claims

1. A method of providing services to computing devices, the method comprising:

establishing a connection over the Internet with a computing device;

receiving data from the computing device during the connection;

extracting a signal from the data received from the computing device;

estimating a relative age of the computing device based on the extracted signal;

selecting a service from a plurality of services based on the estimated relative age of the computing device; and

providing the selected service to the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the extracted signal comprises a unique identifier of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the estimating comprises:

analyzing the unique identifier of the computing device for a pattern;

wherein the relative age of the computing device is estimated based on the pattern.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated relative age of the computing device comprises an estimated relative age range of the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative age of the computing device is estimated based on an amount of certain information provided in the extracted signal.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein the estimated relative age is a first relative age if the amount of the certain information provided in the extracted signal is less than a specified threshold;

and

wherein the estimated relative age is a second relative age if the amount of the certain information provided in the extracted signal is or exceeds a specified threshold.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative age of the computing device is estimated based on presence or absence of certain information provided in the extracted signal.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein the estimated relative age is a first relative age if the certain information is present in the extracted signal;

and

wherein the estimated relative age is a second relative age if the certain information is absent in the extracted signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the relative age of the computing device is estimated based on order of certain information provided in the extracted signal.

12. The method of claim 11,

wherein the estimated relative age is a first relative age if the order of the certain information is in a predetermined order;

and

wherein the estimated relative age is a second relative age if the order of the certain information is not in the predetermined order.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a query or command to the computing device;

wherein the data is received from the computing device in response to the query or command.

14. The method of claim 13,

wherein the extracted signal provides information relating to latency of performance of the computing device in response to the query or command;

and

wherein the relative age is estimated based on the latency of the computing device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the service comprises an advertisement.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises:

selecting an advertisement campaign from a plurality of advertisement campaigns based on the estimated relative age of the computing device.

17. The method of claim 1,

wherein the selecting comprises:

selecting an advertisement, provided on a server, from a plurality of advertisements based on the estimated relative age of the computing device; and

wherein the providing comprises;

delivering the selected advertisement to the computing device.

18. The method of claim 1,

wherein a first service is selected from the plurality of services if the estimated relative age of the computing device is less than a specified threshold;

and

wherein a second service is selected from the plurality of services if the estimated relative age of the computing device is or exceeds the specified threshold.

19. The method of claim 1,

wherein the service comprises an offer;

wherein the selecting comprises;

selecting an offer from a plurality of offers based on the estimated relative age of the computing device; and

wherein the providing comprises;

delivering the offer to the computing device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the offer comprises providing a benefit to a user in response to the user performing a predetermined action.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the predetermined action comprises changing a default configuration of the computing device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the default configuration of the computing device comprises a default search engine for the computing device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the default configuration of the computing device comprises a default browser for the computing device.

4. The method of claim 4, wherein the estimating further comprises:

comparing the pattern with a database of known patterns for corresponding respective relative ages to estimate the relative age of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 6, wherein the estimated relative age of the computing device comprises a probability that the relative age of the computing device is in the estimated relative age range of the computing device.

24. An apparatus for providing services, the apparatus comprising:

means for establishing a connection over the Internet with a computing device;

means for receiving data from the computing device during the connection;

means for extracting a signal from the data received from the computing device;

means for estimating a relative age of the computing device based on the extracted signal;

means for selecting a service from a plurality of services based on the estimated relative age of the computing device; and

means for providing the selected service to the computing device.

25. An apparatus for providing services, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured for;

establishing a connection over the Internet with a computing device;

receiving data from the computing device during the connection;

extracting a signal from the data received from the computing device;

estimating a relative age of the computing device based on the extracted signal;

selecting a service from a plurality of services based on the estimated relative age of the computing device; and

providing the selected service to the computing device.

26. A computer program product for providing services, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code for;

establishing a connection over the Internet with a computing device;

receiving data from the computing device during the connection;

extracting a signal from the data received from the computing device;

estimating a relative age of the computing device based on the extracted signal;

selecting a service from a plurality of services based on the estimated relative age of the computing device; and

providing the selected service to the computing device.