Systems and methods for managing multiple user accounts

• US 7,783,631 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fikes, Andrew, Zamir, Oren E., Korn, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): XUE, BIN
• Application Number:
  US11/097,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20060224624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,972 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/726
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9538 Presentation of query results

Abstract

A user'"'"'s prior searching and browsing activities are recorded for subsequent use. A user may examine the user'"'"'s prior searching and browsing activities in a number of different ways, including indications of the user'"'"'s prior activities related to advertisements. A set of search results may be modified in accordance with the user'"'"'s historical activities. The user'"'"'s activities may be examined to identify a set of preferred locations. The user'"'"'s set of activities may be shared with one or more other users. The set of preferred locations presented to the user may be enhanced to include the preferred locations of one or more other users. A user'"'"'s browsing activities may be monitored from one or more different client devices or client application. A user'"'"'s browsing volume may be graphically displayed.

Claims

1. A method of managing multiple sources of user browsing activity information on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, comprising:

while a user, having a user ID, performs browsing activities using a first client application having a first client ID, storing first browsing information from the first client application in a first memory area, wherein the first client ID is associated with the user ID;

while the user performs browsing activities using a second client application having a second client ID, storing second browsing information from the second client application in a second memory area, wherein the first browsing information and the second browsing information both include information identifying web pages browsed by the user while using the first client application and the second client application, respectively;

if the second client ID is not associated with the user ID, conditionally associating the second client ID with the user ID in accordance with an instruction received from the user; and

after the second client ID is associated with the user ID, conditionally merging the second browsing information with the first browsing information in accordance with one or more merging conditions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing browsing activities using the second client application having the second client ID comprises, establishing a browsing session at a log-in service in response to the user logging on to the service using the user ID.

3. The method of claim 2, including:

after the second client ID becomes associated with the user ID, associating subsequent browsing information from the second application with the user ID irrespective of whether the user has logged into the log-in service.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

if the instruction from the user is not to associate the second client ID with the user ID, associating the second browsing information generated while the user performs browsing activities using the second client application only with the user ID.

5. The method of claim 1, including:

after the second client ID is associated with the user ID, identifying whether merge conditions are satisfied;

selectively sending a merge offer to the user in accordance with whether the merge conditions are satisfied; and

selectively merging the second browsing information with the first browsing information in accordance with a merge response from the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the merge conditions are satisfied when the second browsing information associated with the second client ID has not been merged with the first browsing information within a period of time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the merge conditions are satisfied when the second browsing information associated with the second client ID includes additional browsing information not contained in the first memory area and associated with the user ID.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second browsing information includes information stored in the second memory area from the second client application prior to the second client ID being associated with the user ID.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the second browsing information remains available for merging if a predetermined amount of time passes since the second browsing information was last merged.

10. The method of claim 1, further including:

establishing a browsing session with the user from a third client application, the third client application having a third client ID;

identifying whether the third client ID is associated with the user ID;

sending to the user an offer to associate the third client ID with the user ID if the third client ID is not associated with the user ID; and

selectively associating the third client ID with the user ID in accordance with an associate response from the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first client application is at a first client device, the second client application is at a second client device, and the third client application is at a third client device.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the first client application is at a first client device and the second client application is at a second client device.

12. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of a computer system, the one or more programs comprising:

instructions for storing in a first memory area first browsing information from a first client application having a first client ID while a user, having a user ID, performs browsing activities using the first client application;

instructions for storing in a second memory area second browsing information from a second client application having a second client ID while the user performs browsing activities using the second client application, wherein the first browsing information and the second browsing information both include information identifying web pages browsed by the user while using the first client application and the second client application, respectively;

instructions for conditionally associating the second client ID with the user ID in accordance with an instruction received from the user if the second client ID is not associated with the user ID; and

instructions for conditionally merging the second browsing information with the first browsing information in accordance with one or more merging conditions after the second client ID is associated with the user ID.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further including instructions for:

establishing a browsing session at a log-in service in response to the user logging on to the service using the user ID.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further including instructions for:

associating subsequent browsing information from the second application with the user ID after the second client ID becomes associated with the user ID, irrespective of whether the user has logged into the log-in service.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further including instructions for:

associating the second browsing information generated while the user performs browsing activities using the second client application only with the user ID if the instruction from the user is not to associate the second client ID with the user ID.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further including instructions for:

identifying whether merge conditions are satisfied after the second client ID is associated with the user ID;

selectively sending a merge offer to the user in accordance with whether the merge conditions are satisfied; and

selectively merging the second browsing information with the first browsing information in accordance with a merge response from the user.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further including instructions for:

satisfying the merge conditions when the second browsing information associated with the second client ID has not been merged with the first browsing information within a period of time.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further including instructions for:

satisfying the merge conditions when the second browsing information associated with the second client ID includes additional browsing information not contained in the first memory area and associated with the user ID.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further including instructions for:

satisfying the merge conditions when the second browsing information includes information stored in the second memory area from the second client application prior to the second client ID being associated with the user ID.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, further including instructions for:

satisfying the merge conditions if a predetermined amount of time passes since the second browsing information was last merged.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, further including instructions for:

establishing a browsing session with the user from a third client application, the third client application having a third client ID;

identifying whether the third client ID is associated with the user ID;

sending to the user an offer to associate the third client ID with the user ID if the third client ID is not associated with the user ID; and

selectively associating the third client ID with the user ID in accordance with an associate response from the user.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the first client application is at a first client device and the second client application is at a second client device.

22. A computer system, comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

one or more programs, stored in the memory and executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including;

instructions for storing in a first memory area first browsing information from a first client application having a first client ID while a user, having a user ID, performs browsing activities using the first client application;

instructions for storing in a second memory area second browsing information from a second client application having a second client ID while the user performs browsing activities using the second client application, wherein the first browsing information and the second browsing information both include information identifying web pages browsed by the user while using the first client application and the second client application, respectively;

instructions for conditionally associating the second client ID with the user ID in accordance with an instruction received from the user if the second client ID is not associated with the user ID; and

instructions for conditionally merging the second browsing information with the first browsing information in accordance with one or more merging conditions after the second client ID is associated with the user ID.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the first client application is at a first client device and the second client application is at a second client device.