Determining a number of users behind a set of one or more internet protocol (IP) addresses
First Claim
1. A storage device having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
- a) accepting IP address usage information associating various IP addresses with various client identifiers; and
b) generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses using the IP address usage information,wherein the client identifiers include cookies, and wherein the act of generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses comprises;
i) determining a number of cookies for the at least one IP address for a given period of time producing a first ratio, andii) multiplying the first ratio by a second, predetermined, ratio of a number of users per cookie for the given time period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
IP address-user number estimates may be determined by accepting IP address usage information associating various IP addresses with various client identifiers, and generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses using the IP address usage information. If the client identifiers include cookies, the estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP address can be generated by determining a number of cookies for the at least one IP address for a given period of time, and multiplying the number by a second, predetermined, ratio of a number of users per cookie for the given time period. Other user identifying information includes user-agent parameters, browser parameters, and uncookied network traffic. The estimate of a number of users per IP address can be generated by determining a ratio of unique sets of user agent, browser parameters, and/or uncookied network traffic.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A storage device having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
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a) accepting IP address usage information associating various IP addresses with various client identifiers; and b) generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses using the IP address usage information, wherein the client identifiers include cookies, and wherein the act of generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses comprises; i) determining a number of cookies for the at least one IP address for a given period of time producing a first ratio, and ii) multiplying the first ratio by a second, predetermined, ratio of a number of users per cookie for the given time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A storage device having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform operations comprising:
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a) accepting IP address usage information associating various IP addresses with various client identifiers; and b) generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses using the IP address usage information, wherein the client identifiers include both (1) cookies and (2) user agent parameters and/or browser parameters, and wherein the act of generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one IP addresses comprises; i) determining a first ratio of a number of cookies for the at least one IP address for a given period of time, ii) multiplying the first ratio by a second, predetermined, ratio of a number of users per cookie for the given time period to generate a cookie-based estimate, iii) determining a ratio of unique sets of user agent and/or browser parameters for the at least one IP address to generate a non-cookie-based estimate, and iv) determining a final estimate of a number of users per IP address using (1) the cookie-based estimate, (2) the non-cookie-based estimate, and (3) heuristics. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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a) accepting IP address usage information associating various IP addresses with various uncookied network traffic; and b) generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses using the IP address usage information, wherein the uncookied network traffic includes user selection of search results or other content, and wherein the act of generating an estimate of a number of users for at least one of the IP addresses comprises; i) determining a first ratio of an amount of uncookied network traffic, over a giver period of time, per the at least one IP address, and ii) multiplying the first ratio by a second, predetermined, ratio of a number of users per the amount of uncookied network traffic for the given time period. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification