System and method for identifying individual users accessing a web site
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- storing one or more records in a database, wherein each record comprises an Internet address and a time value, and wherein each record corresponds to a different computer accessing a web site;
receiving a first request from a first computer to access the web site;
sending a request for information to said first computer, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer;
receiving said information;
determining whether a matching record for said first Internet address and said first time value exists in said database; and
identifying said first computer as a distinct user if said matching record does not exist in said database.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved method and system for identifying individual users accessing a web site. A web site server is able to identify distinct users by using a unique identifier associated with each client computer system requesting access to the web site. The unique identifier comprises an Internet address, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) address, and a time value associated with each client computer system requesting access to the web site. On starting up a web browser, an application program or browser plug-in may synchronize the internal clock included with the client computer system with a global time standard. The synchronized time value may be based on an event associated with the client computer system, such as the start of a web browser. A web site server may determine the uniqueness of the client computer system by comparing unique identifier records of users accessing the web site. A user may be identified as distinct if no matching record exists in the database. Multiple client computer systems having a common Internet address may be identified by using this method. Users privacy is also protected as the unique identifiers are erased when the client computer system'"'"'s user exits the web browser or powers down the computer.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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storing one or more records in a database, wherein each record comprises an Internet address and a time value, and wherein each record corresponds to a different computer accessing a web site; receiving a first request from a first computer to access the web site; sending a request for information to said first computer, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer; receiving said information; determining whether a matching record for said first Internet address and said first time value exists in said database; and identifying said first computer as a distinct user if said matching record does not exist in said database. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system comprising:
a web site server configured to allow a client computer system to access a web site in response to a request from one or more computer users operating the client computer system, wherein the web site server is operable to; store one or more records in a database, wherein each record comprises an Internet address and a time value, and wherein each record corresponds to a computer user accessing said web site; receive a first request from a first computer user to access the web site; send a request for information to said first computer user, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer user; receive said information; determine whether a matching record for said first Internet address and said first time value exists in said database; and identify said first computer user as a distinct computer user if said matching record does not exist in said database. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A system comprising:
a client computer system operated by a computer user and operable to connect with a web server computer system configured to provide web site access to said client computer system in response to a request from said computer user, wherein said client computer system is further operable to; launch a web browser software; execute a program to synchronize time; send a first request to said web server computer system to access the web site; receive a request for information from said web server computer system, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said client computer system; and send said information. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to:
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storing one or more records in a database, wherein each record comprises an Internet address and a time value, and wherein each record corresponds to a distinct computer access to a web site; receiving a first request from a first computer to access the web site; sending a request for information to said first computer, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer; receiving said information; determining whether a matching record for said first Internet address and said first time value exists in said database; identifying said first computer as a distinct computer user if said matching record does not exist in said database.
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16. A system comprising:
a web site server operable to connect with a client computer system operated by one or more computer users for gaining access to a web site in response to requests from said one or more computer users, wherein the web site server is operable to; store one or more identifiers, wherein each identifier corresponds to a computer user accessing said web site, wherein said each identifier comprises an Internet address and a time value, wherein the time value is associated with a launch of a web browser on the client computer system; receive a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises a first identifier corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site, wherein said first identifier comprises a first Internet address, and a first time value associated with a launch of a web browser on the client computer system; search for an identifier matching said first identifier among said one or more stored identifiers; and identify said first identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said searching for said first identifier did not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the first Internet address, and the Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers and a match between the first time value and the time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to:
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storing one or more identifiers, wherein each identifier corresponds to a computer user accessing a web site, wherein said each identifier comprises an Internet address and a time value, wherein the time value is associated with a launch of a web browser by a respective computer user; receiving a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises a first identifier corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site, wherein said first identifier comprises a first Internet address, and a first time value associated with a launch of a web browser by the first computer user; searching for an identifier matching said first identifier among said one or more stored identifiers; identifying said first identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said searching for said first identifier did not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the first Internet address and the Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the first time value and the time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers.
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20. A method comprising:
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receiving a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises a first identifier having a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site, and wherein the first time value reflects a time at which a computer used by the first computer user to access the web site was synchronized with a global time standard; and determining whether the first computer user is a distinct user by; comparing said first identifier with a database of one or more stored identifiers compiled from previous web site accesses, wherein time value information in each entry of said database is associated with a time at which a computer used by a computer user to access the web site was synchronized with a global time standard; and identifying said first identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said comparing does not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the first Internet address and an Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the first time value and a time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A system comprising:
a web site server computer system operable to connect with a client computer system operated by one or more computer users for providing access to a web site in response to requests from said one or more computer users, wherein the web site server computer system is operable to; receive a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises a first identifier having a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site, wherein a time value reflects the time at which the client computer system was synchronized with a global time standard; and determine whether the first computer user is a distinct user by; comparing said first identifier with a database of one or more stored identifiers compiled from previous web site accesses, wherein time value information in each entry of said database is associated with a time at which a computer used by a computer user to access the web site was synchronized with a global time standard; and identifying said first identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said comparing does not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the first Internet address and an Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the first time value and a time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to:
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receive a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises a first identifier having a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site, wherein a time value reflects the time at which the client computer system was synchronized with a global time standard; and determine whether the first computer user is a distinct user by; comparing said first identifier with a database of one or more stored identifiers compiled from previous web site accesses, wherein time value information in each entry of said database is associated with a time at which a computer used by a computer user to access the web site was synchronized with a global time standard; and identifying said first identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said comparing does not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the first Internet address and an Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the first time value and a time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers.
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28. A method comprising:
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receiving a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises an identifier having an Internet address and a time value corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site; and determining whether the first computer user is a distinct user by; comparing said identifier with a database of one or more stored identifiers compiled from previous web site accesses, wherein time value information in each entry of said database is associated with a launch of a web browser; and identifying said identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said comparing does not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the Internet address and an Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the time value and a time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. The method of 28, wherein said Internet address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address.
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31. A system comprising:
a web site server operable to connect with a client computer system operated by one or more computer users for providing access to a web site in response to requests from said one or more computer users, wherein the web site server is operable to; receive a request from a computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises an identifier having an Internet address and a time value corresponding to said computer user accessing said web site, wherein said time value is associated with a launch of a web browser on the client computer system; determine whether the computer user is counted as a unique hit by; comparing said identifier with a database of stored identifiers having time value information and Internet address information stored from previous web site accesses, wherein time value information in each entry of said database is associated with a launch of a web browser; and identifying said identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said comparing does not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the Internet address and an Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the first time value and a time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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34. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to cause the computer system to:
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receive a request from a computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises an identifier having an Internet address and a time value corresponding to said computer user accessing said web site, wherein said time value is associated with a launch of a web browser on a computer operated by said computer user; determine whether the computer user is counted as a unique hit by; comparing said identifier with a database of stored identifiers having time value information and Internet address information stored from previous web site accesses, wherein time value information in each entry of said database is associated with a launch of a web browser; and identifying said identifier as corresponding to a distinct computer user if said comparing does not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the Internet address and an Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the first time value and a time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers.
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Specification