Systems and methods for user identification, user demographic reporting and collecting usage data usage biometrics

• US 7,260,837 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2003
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: comScore Networks, Inc. (comScore, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Michael, Abraham, Magid, Heyman, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US10/358,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Several ways of identifying users and collecting demographic information and market information are disclosed, including branding a browser with a unique identification in each user request, identifying a user by his key strokes or mouse clicks, gathering demographic information using multiple data sets and by monitoring network traffic. Additionally, user requested content is distinguished from other, non-user content, and the performance of a server can be monitor and analyzed from a client a client perspective. Further, an Internet user'"'"'s Internet data is routed to a known domain on the Internet, from which it is routed on to the intended recipient. The domain includes proxy servers which proxy the user'"'"'s data requests to the domain, and database servers, which filter and build a database of the user'"'"'s Internet usage. Particular data concerning certain behaviors of interest, such as purchasing data, is filtered into the database, and can form the basis for numerous market measures.

Claims

1. A method of collecting data relating to a user'"'"'s usage over a network, the user utilizing a computing device to send and receive data over the network, the computing device having an address on the network, the method comprising:

identifying a user of the computing device, wherein the computing device has at least one input device, and identifying the user further includes;

monitoring, during an ongoing online session of the user, the at least one input device to collect data on at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device;

accumulating, during the ongoing online session of the user, the data on the at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device to provide accumulated mannerism data for the ongoing online session;

comparing the accumulated mannerism data to a mannerisms database that associates at least one mannerism with at least one user; and

providing an indication of an identity of the user of the at least one input device based on the comparison;

readdressing requests for data received from the computing device to indicate that the requests for data originated in an intermediary domain;

recording information related to the requests for data together with the identity of the user; and

sending the readdressed requests for data onto the network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring software running on the computing device to address all requests for data to a known proxy server in the intermediary domain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recording information related to the requests for data includes building a database, wherein the database includes information regarding at least one of user age, user income level, user education level, household size, time of transmission of at least one of the requests for data, location of the computing device, date of transmission of at least one of the requests for data, currency paid, type of product purchased, type of service purchased, network address of the intended recipient of at least one of the requests for data, click-through address, banner advertisement impression, and permission e-mail received.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

negotiating a first encryption key with the computing device; and

negotiating a second encryption key with an intended recipient of at least one of the requests for data sent by the computing device.

5. The method in of claim 4, further comprising:

decoding an encrypted request for data from the computing device with the first encryption key;

encrypting the decoded request for data with the second encryption key; and

transmitting the request for data encrypted with the second encryption key to the intended recipient via the network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring includes measuring time between successive, predefined input device entries.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring includes measuring dwell time on individual input device entries.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplementing the mannerisms database with the data accumulated during the ongoing online session of the user.

9. A method of identifying a user of a computing device having at least one input device, the method comprising:

monitoring, during an ongoing online session of the user, the at least one input device collect data on at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device;

accumulating, during the ongoing online session of the user, the data on the at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device to provide accumulated mannerism data for the ongoing online session;

comparing the accumulated mannerism data to a mannerisms database that associates at least one mannerism with at least one user; and

providing an indication of an identity of the user of the input device based on the comparison.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein monitoring includes measuring time between successive, predefined input device entries.

11. The method claim 9, wherein monitoring includes measuring dwell time on individual input device entries.

12. The method claim 9, further comprising supplementing the mannerisms database with the data accumulated during the ongoing online session of the user.

13. A method of monitoring of the performance of at least one network server, the method comprising:

receiving, from a browser program, a request for content from the network server;

logging information about the request received from the browser program;

requesting the content requested by the browser program from a network server;

receiving a response to the request from the network server;

inserting script into the response from the network server, the script directing the browser program to report information about the request from the browser program and the response from the network server; and

sending the response from the network server to the browser program.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

encapsulating server-side performance information in an outgoing message; and

combining client-side statistics with the server-side data for processing and storage.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the information about the request and the response includes information related to an amount of time taken to render the requested content in the browser.

16. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program configured to collect data relating to a user'"'"'s usage over a network, the user utilizing a computing device to send and receive data over the network, the computing device having an address on the network, the program comprising one or more code segments configured to:

identify a user of the computing device, wherein the computing device has at least one input device, and identifying the user further includes;

monitoring, during an ongoing online session of the user, the at least one input device to collect data on at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device;

accumulating, during the ongoing online session of the user, the data on the at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device to provide accumulated mannerism data for the ongoing online session;

comparing the accumulated mannerism data to a mannerisms database that associates at least one mannerism with at least one user; and

providing an indication of an identity of the user of the at least one input device based on the comparison;

readdress requests for data received from the computing device to indicate that the requests for data originated in an intermediary domain;

record information related to the requests for data together with the identity of the user; and

send the readdressed requests for data onto the network.

17. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program configured to identify a user of a computing device having at least one input device, the program comprising one or more code segments configured to:

monitor, during an ongoing online session of the user, the at least one input device to collect data on at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device;

accumulate, during the ongoing online session of the user, the data on the at least one mannerism of the user in operating the at least one input device to provide accumulated mannerism data for the ongoing online session;

compare the accumulated mannerism data to a mannerisms database that associates at least one mannerism with at least one user; and

provide an indication of an identity of the user of the input device based on the comparison.

18. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program configured to monitor the performance of at least one network server, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to:

receive, from a browser program, a request for content from the network server;

log information about the request received from the browser program;

request the content requested by the browser program from a network server;

receive a response to the request from the network server;

insert script into the response from the network server, the script directing the browser program to report information about the request from the browser program and the response from the network server; and

send the response from the network server to the browser program.