System and method for tracking unique visitors to a website

• US 8,683,056 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Muret, Paul N., Moon, Hui Sok, Vance, Jonathon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US13/356,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20120124131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709223-229, 709/250
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• 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 67/535 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

Abstract

A system and method for analyzing traffic to a website is provided that is based on log files and that uses both server-side and client-side information channeled through one source to create a more complete picture of activity to a website. In one preferred embodiment, a sensor code is embedded in a requested web page, and sends information back to the web server where the website resides. This additional information is logged along with normal requests.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing, by a first server, access to a web page of a website, wherein the web page includes a script and is received by a client in response to a first request for the web page from the client; and

receiving, at the first server, a second request from the client, the second request generated by the script received by the client, the second request including information from at least one of a plurality of related cookies for the website stored at the client, the plurality of related cookies for determining a visitor session to the website and including;

a first cookie having a first expiration time and storing data defining two or more client sessions times with the website; and

a second cookie having a second expiration time that occurs before the first expiration time and that defines a client session with the website.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first server hosts the website.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the web page is received by the client in response to the first request from a proxy server, the proxy server being different from the first server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more client sessions times include a previous client session time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of related cookies are set at the client.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the client has previously requested the web page;

in response to determining that the client has previously requested the web page;

identifying the client as a prior web page requestor; and

generating a log file entry specifying that the client is a prior web page requester.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the client has previously requested the web page; and

in response to determining that the client has not previously requested the web page, identifying the client as a first time web page requestor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the second request from the client is from a current visitor session or a previous visitor session based on the plurality of related cookies; and

generating a log file entry in a log file data store specifying the second request as being from a current visitor session or a previous visitor session based on the determination that the second request is from a current visitor session or a previous visitor session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second request comprises a query.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the query comprises:

a random number;

data collected from a client browser of the client; and

data collected from at least one of the plurality of related cookies.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of related cookies comprise a third cookie having an expiration time less than the expiration time of the second cookie and that defines a client session with the website.

12. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storage in data communication with the one or more processors and storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

providing, by a first server, access to a web page of a website, wherein the web page includes a script and is received by a client in response to a first request for the web page from the client; and

receiving, at the first server, a second request from the client, the second request generated by the script received by the client, the second request including information from at least one of a plurality of related cookies for the website stored at the client, the plurality of related cookies for determining a visitor session to the website and including;

a first cookie having a first expiration time and storing data defining two or more client sessions times with the website; and

a second cookie having a second expiration time that occurs before the first expiration time and that defines a client session with the website.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first server hosts the website.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the web page is received by the client in response to the first request from a proxy server, the proxy server being different from the first server.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of related cookies are set at the client.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the client has previously requested the web page;

in response to determining that the client has previously requested the web page;

identifying the client as a prior web page requestor; and

generating a log file entry specifying that the client is a prior web page requester.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the client has previously requested the web page;

in response to determining that the client has not previously requested the web page;

identifying the client as a first-time web page requestor; and

generating a log file entry specifying that the client is a first-time web page requester.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:

sending, by a client, a first request for a web page of a website;

receiving, from a server, the web page and a script in response to the first request; and

executing, by the client, the script, and in response to executing the script;

setting a first cookie having a first expiration time and storing data defining two or more client session times with the website; and

setting a second cookie having a second expiration time that occurs before the first expiration time and that defines a client session with the website;

generating, by the client, an additional request including information from at least one of a plurality of related cookies for the website; and

sending, by the client, the additional request to a server hosting the website.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving, from a server, the web page and a script in response to the first request comprises:

receiving, from a proxy server, the web page and a script in response to the first request.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein sending, by the client, the additional request to a server hosting the website comprises:

sending the additional request to a first server different from the proxy server.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

setting a third cookie having an expiration time less than the expiration time of the second cookie and that defines a client session with the website.

22. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storage in data communication with the one or more processors and storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

sending, by a client, a first request for a web page of a website;

receiving, from a server, the web page and a script in response to the first request; and

executing, by the client, the script, and in response to executing the script;

setting a first cookie having a first expiration time and storing data defining two or more client session times with the website; and

setting a second cookie having a second expiration time that occurs before the first expiration time and that defines a client session with the website;

generating, by the client, an additional request including information from at least one of a plurality of related cookies for the website; and

sending, by the client, the additional request to a server hosting the website.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein receiving, from a server, the web page and a script in response to the first request comprises:

receiving, from a proxy server, the web page and a script in response to the first request.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein sending, by the client, the additional request to a server hosting the website comprises:

sending the additional request to a first server different from the proxy server.