User-transparent system for uniquely identifying network-distributed devices without explicitly provided device or user identifying information

• US 8,131,799 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Media Stamp
• Original Assignee: Media Stamp
• Inventors: Landsman, Rick, Walczak, JR., Robert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ENG, DAVID Y
• Application Number:
  US12/548,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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

Abstract

A technique for uniquely identifying devices without explicitly provided device or user identifying information in a networked client-server environment, e.g., the Mobile Internet. In one aspect, a system retrieves a profile of a client device, retrieves all device profiles existing in a profile database, and sequentially eliminates profiles not matching until a single profile is left or all profiles have been used.

Claims

1. A system for implementing in a networked client-server environment an anonymous and user-transparent technique for uniquely identifying network-distributed devices, comprising:

a content server connected to a client device via a global communication network and comprising a first software module and a content server processor, the first software module including instructions that when executed by the content server processor direct the content server processor to transmit from the content server to the client device a content page having a plurality of computer readable instructions representing page content and an embedded code for downloading and executing a script on the client device;

a script server connected to the client device via the global communication network and comprising a second software module and a script server processor, the second software module including instructions that when executed by the script server processor direct the script server processor to transmit the script to the client device, the script being configured for transparently inserting unique device identification requests into the content page;

a unique device identification management system in communication with the client device via the global communication network and comprising a third software module and a third processor, the third software module including instructions that when executed by the third processor direct the third processor to;

receive, from the client device, unique device identification data, wherein the unique device identification data does not comprise a browser side cookie,

select a globally unique identifier for association with the client device, and

save the globally unique identifier in a database of the unique device identification management system; and

a unique device profile management system in communication with the unique device identification management system and comprising a fourth software module and a fourth processor, the fourth software module including instructions that when executed by the third processor direct the fourth processor to retrieve device profiles existing in a profile database of the unique device profile management system for comparison with a profile of the client device,

wherein the unique device identification management system comprises a device capabilities database system which appends select device capabilities to an incoming Internet address URL received from a device browser of the client device and redirects the request to the unique device profile management system.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the device browser is a mobile device browser.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the script is dynamically generated by the script server.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unique device profile management system is a Microsoft'"'"'s .NET anonymous user profile system.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unique device profile management system retrieves a profile of the client device, retrieves all device profiles existing in a profile database, and sequentially eliminates profiles not matching until a single profile is left or all profiles have been used and if a single profile is left, that profile is identified as the current requesting client device and the profile is updated in the database from a previous request from the same client device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unique device profile management system retrieves a profile of the client device, retrieves all device profiles existing in a profile database, and sequentially eliminates profiles not matching until a single profile is left or all profiles have been used;

and if more than one profile is left, the current requesting device profile is compared against each remaining device profile using Tanimoto similarity correlation, and if a single remaining device profile matching all hierarchical list of a subset “

property=value”

triplets is below a predefined Tanimoto similarity coefficient threshold when compared with the current requesting profile, that profile is identified as the current requesting device profile updated in the database from a previous request from the same device; and

a response is sent to the originating device, with the globally unique identifier associated with the device in the device profile management database embedded in the response and returned to the device browser originating the unique device identification request.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unique device profile management system retrieves a profile of the client device, retrieves all device profiles existing in a profile database, and sequentially eliminates profiles not matching until a single profile is left or all profiles have been used;

and if no remaining device profiles is below a predefined Tanimoto similarity coefficient threshold when compared with the current requesting profile, the current profile is identified as a first time request from the unique device and is saved in the database as a new device profile, and a response is sent to the originating device, with the globally unique identifier associated with the device in the device profile management database embedded in the response and returned to the device browser originating the unique device identification request.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the unique device profile management system retrieves a profile of the client device, retrieves all device profiles existing in a profile database, and sequentially eliminates profiles not matching until a single profile is left or all profiles have been used, retrieves all device profiles existing in the database that match the current request profile, and sequentially eliminates profiles not matching until a single profile is left or all values have been used, and if zero remaining device profiles remain, the current profile is identified as a first time request from the unique device and is saved in the database as a new device profile, and a response is sent to the originating device, with the globally unique identifier associated with the device in the device profile management database embedded in the response and returned to the device browser originating the unique device identification request.

9. A method for implementing in a networked client-server environment an anonymous and user-transparent technique for uniquely identifying network-distributed client devices wherein the method comprises:

transmitting to a client device a content page having a plurality of computer readable instructions representing page content and an embedded code for downloading and executing a script on the client device;

transmitting the script to the client device, from a first server, the script being configured for transparently inserting unique device identification requests into the content page;

receiving, from the client device, non-cookie device discriminating information,

wherein the non-cookie device discriminating information does not comprise a browser side cookie;

determining, based on the non-cookie device discriminating information, whether an identifying matching profile of the client device already exists, wherein determining comprises;

retrieving a plurality of device profiles existing in a profile database, and

sequentially eliminating the device profiles not matching the non-cookie device discriminating information until either a single device profile is left or all of the plurality of device profiles have been eliminated; and

performing;

in the case where a single profile is left, identifying the single profile as the matching profile created by a previous request from the client device, retrieving a previously created globally unique identifier associated with the client device, and communicating the globally unique identifier to the client device, or

in the case where all device profiles have been eliminated, generating a new globally unique identifier for the client device, storing the globally unique identifier in a database and communicating the globally unique identifier to the client device.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the embedded code performs a request for the script from the first server and the first server is a networked script server.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the networked script server dynamically generates the script.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the script executes in a device browser of the client device and dynamically inserts unique device identification request tags into the first content page.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the dynamically inserted unique device identification request tag performs a unique device identification system request to a second server.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the second server is a unique device identification management system.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the unique device identification management system comprises a device capabilities database system which appends select device capabilities to an incoming Internet address URL received from the device browser of the client device and redirects the request to a unique device profile management system.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the unique device profile management system is a Microsoft .NET anonymous user profile system.

17. The method according to claim 9, further including the step of communicating the globally unique identifier to the client device.

18. The method according to claim 17, further including the step of communicating the globally unique identifier to a third server.