MULTI-IDENTIFIER USER PROFILING SYSTEM

• US 20150006529A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gupta, Ajay, Kneen, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 10,459,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and methods for profiling a user include providing a user account to a user and, in response, storing a user account identifier in association with the user account in a database. First user data is then received that is associated with the user account identifier and that includes activity associated with the user account, and the first user data is association with the user account in the database. Subsequent user data is then received that includes information about the user and that is associated with additional user identifiers and the user account identifier and, in response, the additional user identifiers are association with the user account identifier and each other in the database, and the additional user data is associated with the user account in the database. A user profile may then be creating using the first user data, the second user data, and the third user data.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing a user account database;

one or more hardware processors coupled to the memory and operable to read instructions from the memory to perform the steps of;

communicating with a user device over a network to provide a user account to a user and, in response, storing a user account identifier in association with the user account in the user account database;

receiving first user data over the network that is associated with the user account identifier and that includes activity associated with the user account, and storing the first user data in the user account database in association with the user account;

receiving second user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a second user identifier and the user account identifier and, in response, storing the second user identifier in the user account database in association with the user account identifier, and storing the second user data in the user account database in association with the user account;

receiving third user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a third user identifier and at least one of the user account identifier and the second user identifier and, in response, storing the third user identifier in the user account database in association with the user account identifier and the second user identifier, and storing the third user data in the user account database in association with the user account; and

creating a user profile using the first user data, the second user data, and the third user data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more hardware processors are operable to read instructions from the memory to perform the steps of:

receiving, prior to providing the user account to the user, fourth user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a fourth user identifier, wherein the fourth user data is stored in the user account database in association with the user account in response to determining that the fourth user identifier matches one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the determining that the fourth user identifier matches one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier includes performing a hash operation on each of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier to provide a hashed user account identifier, a hashed second user identifier, and a hashed third user identifier, and determining that one of the hashed user account identifier, the hashed second user identifier, and the hashed third user identifier matches the fourth user identifier.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are operable to read instructions from the memory to perform the steps of:

receiving a query that includes one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier;

searching each of the first user data, the second user data, and the third user data that is associated with the user account in the user account database according to the query; and

returning a result based on the search.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the second user identifier and the third user identifier is a mobile user device identifier.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the second user identifier and the third user identifier is a user browser application identifier.

7. A method for profiling a user, comprising:

communicating with a user device over a network to provide a user account to a user and, in response, storing a user account identifier in association with the user account in a user account database;

receiving first user data over the network that is associated with the user account identifier and that includes activity associated with the user account, and storing the first user data in the user account database in association with the user account;

receiving second user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a second user identifier and the user account identifier and, in response, storing the second user identifier in the user account database in association with the user account identifier, and storing the second user data in the user account database in association with the user account;

receiving third user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a third user identifier and at least one of the user account identifier and the second user identifier and, in response, storing the third user identifier in the user account database in association with the user account identifier and the second user identifier, and storing the third user data in the user account database in association with the user account; and

creating a user profile using the first user data, the second user data, and the third user data.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, prior to providing the user account to the user, fourth user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a fourth user identifier, wherein the fourth user data is stored in the user account database in association with the user account in response to determining that the fourth user identifier matches one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining that the fourth user identifier matches one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier includes performing a hash operation on each of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier to provide a hashed user account identifier, a hashed second user identifier, and a hashed third user identifier, and determining that one of the hashed user account identifier, the hashed second user identifier, and the hashed third user identifier matches the fourth user identifier.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a query that includes one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier;

searching each of the first user data, the second user data, and the third user data that is associated with the user account in the user account database according to the query; and

returning a result based on the search.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the second user identifier and the third user identifier is a mobile user device identifier.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the second user identifier and the third user identifier is a user browser application identifier.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein one of the second user data that is associated with a second user identifier and the third user data that is associated with the third user identifier is received over the network from a third party device.

14. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

communicating with a user device over a network to provide a user account to a user and, in response, storing a user account identifier in association with the user account in a user account database;

receiving first user data over the network that is associated with the user account identifier and that includes activity associated with the user account, and storing the first user data in the user account database in association with the user account;

receiving second user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a second user identifier and the user account identifier and, in response, storing the second user identifier in the user account database in association with the user account identifier, and storing the second user data in the user account database in association with the user account;

receiving third user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a third user identifier and at least one of the user account identifier and the second user identifier and, in response, storing the third user identifier in the user account database in association with the user account identifier and the second user identifier, and storing the third user data in the user account database in association with the user account; and

creating a user profile using the first user data, the second user data, and the third user data.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, prior to providing the user account to the user, fourth user data over the network that includes information about the user and that is associated with a fourth user identifier, wherein the fourth user data is stored in the user account database in association with the user account in response to determining that the fourth user identifier matches one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determining that the fourth user identifier matches one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier includes performing a hash operation on each of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier to provide a hashed user account identifier, a hashed second user identifier, and a hashed third user identifier, and determining that one of the hashed user account identifier, the hashed second user identifier, and the hashed third user identifier matches the fourth user identifier.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a query that includes one of the user account identifier, the second user identifier, and the third user identifier;

searching each of the first user data, the second user data, and the third user data that is associated with the user account in the user account database according to the query; and

returning a result based on the search.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein one of the second user identifier and the third user identifier is a mobile user device identifier.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein one of the second user identifier and the third user identifier is a user browser application identifier.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein one of the second user data that is associated with a second user identifier and the third user data that is associated with the third user identifier is received over the network from a third party device.