System and method for profiling different users having a common computer identifier

• US 7,818,206 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2001
• Issued: 10/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Teradata US, Inc. (Teradata Corporation)
• Inventors: Smith, Tucker L., Browning, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastra; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/008,259
• Publication Number:
  US 20030083938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,277 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4663 involving probabilistic networks, e.g. Bayesian networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system and method profiles different users having a common terminal identifier in communication system. The system comprises a user activity data analyzer for extracting profile data from user terminal activity data, a user identifier for determining whether the profile data corresponds to a profile data history associated with the user terminal, and a user profile generator for generating a profile data history from the profile data for another user to be associated with the terminal in response to the profile data not corresponding to the profile data history associated with the user terminal. The user activity data analyzer extracts site addresses, URLs, click event data, metadata and other user activity from a session log to compile information useful for assessing a user'"'"'s interests. This extracted profile data may then be compared to a profile history previously generated and associated with the terminal identifier. A low level of correspondence between the extracted profile data and the profile history associated with the terminal identifier indicates that a different user is generating the user activity data. The user profile generator then builds a profile history from the extracted profile data and associates it with the terminal identifier. The profile histories are provided different user identifiers. Upon subsequent detection of the terminal identifier, the profile data extracted from the user activity is compared to both profile histories to determine which user is navigating the site. Once sufficient profile data has been extracted to determine which profile history corresponds to the extracted data, advertising content that corresponds to the identified user may be selected and included in the content requested by the current user.

Claims

1. A system for profiling different users having a common terminal identifier comprising:

memory for storing user profile histories, each user profile history being stored in association with a key;

a server for receiving user activity data from clients over a computer network;

a user activity data analyzer for receiving the user activity data from the server and for extracting profile data from the user activity data;

a user identifier for searching the user activity data for key data that identifies one of a user terminal and a user account and for determining whether the key data located in the user activity data corresponds to a key stored in the memory; and

a user profile generator for generating a user profile history from the extracted profile data and a user identifier key from the key data in response to the key data corresponding to a key stored in the memory and the extracted profile data not corresponding to the user profile history stored in the memory in association with the key that corresponds to the key data, the generated user identifier key indicating the generated user profile history is associated with a user that is different than a user associated with the key stored in the memory.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user activity data is session data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user activity data is browse period data.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the extracted profile data includes a site identifier, a resource identifier, and a terminal identifier.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the user profile generator generates the user profile history and the user identifier key in response to the key data corresponding to a key stored in the memory and to a low level of correlation existing between the site identifier and the resource identifier of the extracted profile data and site identifiers and resource identifiers in the user profile history stored in the memory in association with the key that corresponds to the key data.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the extracted profile data includes metadata associated with the site identifier and the resource identifier.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the user identifier identifies a user at a terminal identified by a computer identifier that generated the user activity data received by the server by determining which one of at least two user profile histories, each of which is stored in the memory in association with a key, each key being associated with the computer identifier that corresponds with the extracted profile data;

and the system further includes;

an advertising selector for selecting an advertising file for transmission to the terminal, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the terminal identifier is a cookie.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the terminal identifier is an Internet protocol (IP) address.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the terminal identifier is a subscriber identifier.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the subscriber identifier identifies a cable television network subscriber, the session data identifies a tuned channel, and the metadata identifies program content on the tuned channel.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the user identifier identifies a user at a terminal identified by a terminal identifier that generated the user activity data received by the server by determining which one of at least two user profile histories, each of which is stored in the memory in association with a key, each key being associated with the terminal identifier, corresponds with the extracted profile data;

and the system further includes;

an advertising selector for selecting an advertising file for transmission to the terminal, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.

13. A method for profiling different users having a common terminal identifier comprising:

storing user profile histories in a memory, each user profile history being stored in the memory in association with a key;

receiving user activity data at a server from clients over a computer network;

receiving the user activity data from the server;

extracting profile data from the user activity data;

searching the user activity data for key data that identifies one of a user terminal and a user account;

determining whether the key data located in the user activity data corresponds to a key stored in the memory;

generating a user identifier key from the key data and a user profile history from the extracted profile data in response to the key data corresponding to a key stored in the memory and the extracted profile data failing to correlate to the user profile history stored in the memory in association with the key stored in the memory;

storing the generated user identifier key in the memory; and

storing the generated user profile history in the memory in association with the generated user identifier key and the key to which the key data corresponded so the generated user profile history is associated with a user that is different than a user associated with the user profile history stored in association with the key stored in memory to which the key data corresponded, but both the generated user profile history and the user profile history stored in the memory are associated with the key that corresponded to the key data.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the profile data is extracted from session data.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the profile data is extracted from browse period data.

16. The method of claim 13, the determination that the key data corresponds to a key stored in the memory includes:

comparing a site identifier and a resource identifier in the extracted profile data with site identifiers and resource identifiers in user profile histories stored in the memory.

17. The method of claim 16, the comparison of the site identifier and the resource identifier in the extracted profile data to site identifiers and resource identifiers in user profile histories further comprising:

detecting a low level of correspondence between the site identifier and the resource identifier of the extracted profile data and the site identifiers and resource identifiers in a user profile history stored in the memory.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the profile data extraction extracts metadata associated with the site identifier and the resource identifier in the extracted profile data.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

identifying a user at a terminal identified by a computer identifier that generated the user activity data received by the server by determining which one of at least two user profile histories, each of which is stored in the memory in association with a key, each key being associated with the computer identifier, corresponds with the extracted profile data; and

selecting an advertising file for transmission to the terminal, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the comparison of site identifiers in the extracted profile data and the user profile histories stored in the memory compares cookies.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the comparison of site identifiers in the extracted profile data and the user profile histories stored in the memory compares Internet protocol (IP) addresses.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the profile data extraction extracts a subscriber identifier that identifies a subscriber site on a cable television network.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the profile data extraction extracts a tuned channel identifier and metadata, the tuned channel identifier identifying a transmission channel to which a receiver is tuned at the identified subscriber site and the metadata identifies program content on the tuned channel.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

identifying a user at the subscriber site identified by the subscriber identifier by determining which one of at least two user profile histories, each of which is stored in the memory in association with a key, each key being associated with the subscriber identifier for the subscriber site at which the user tuned the channel, corresponds with the extracted profile data; and

selecting an advertising file for transmission to the subscriber site, the selected advertising file corresponding to the identified user.