Personally identifiable information independent utilization of analytics data

• US 8,898,290 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Siemsgluess, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Mejia, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Linh T
• Application Number:
  US13/105,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 705/14.49, 705/7.29, 370/200
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

An analytics system receives segment definitions, each associated with an account identifier. The account identifier identifies an analytics tracking account for a publisher. Each segment definition defines a segment of visitors to a network property and, for each visitor in the first segment, includes a visitor identifier identifying a device used by a visitor to visit the network property and which is issued by the analytics system. The publisher selects the visitor identifiers based on customer identifiers that are issued by the publisher, and neither the customer identifiers, nor any personally identifiable information, is provided to the analytics system. The analytics system determines whether the segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors, and processes the segment definitions only in response to determining that the segment definitions do not present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by an analytics system and from a publisher, a first segment definition and a second segment definition, each associated with an account identifier identifying a tracking account for a network property of the publisher, and the tracking account being maintained by the analytics system, wherein;

the first segment definition defines a first segment of visitors to the network property, each visitor in the first segment being a visitor that exhibited a first behavior at the network property of the publisher, and, for each visitor in the first segment, includes a visitor identifier identifying a device used by the visitor to visit the network property, the visitor identifier being issued by the analytics system; and

the second segment definition defines a second segment of visitors to the network property, each visitor in the second segment being a visitor that exhibited a second behavior at the network property of the publisher, the second behavior being different form the first behavior, the second segment of visitors being different from the first segment of visitors, and wherein the second segment definition includes, for each visitor in the second segment, a visitor identifier identifying a device used by the visitor to visit the network property, the visitor identifier being issued by the analytics system;

determining, by the analytics system, whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors;

only in response to determining that the segment definitions do not present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors;

accessing, by the analytics system, tracking data communications for the network property associated with the account identifier, each tracking data communication including a visitor identifier and one or more event statistics describing one or more events related to a visitor interaction of a visitor with the network property;

determining, by the analytics system, one or more segment signals from the tracking data communications that include the visitor identifiers of the first and second segments, each of the one or more segment signals positively correlated with only one of the first segment or the second segment and characterizing a respective behavior indicative of the segment with which it positively correlates, and wherein each respective behavior is different from the first behavior and the second behavior; and

generating, by the analytics system, reporting data describing the segment signals and the correlation of the segment signals with the respective first and second segments.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors comprises:

determining that the first and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk when a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the first segment is not at least a minimum quantity or a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the second segment is not at least the minimum quantity.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors comprises:

determining that the first and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk when a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the first segment that are different from the visitor identifiers included in the second segment is not at least a minimum quantity.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors comprises:

determining that the first and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk when a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the first segment and segments that are different from visitor identifiers included in previously received first and second segments is not at least a minimum quantity.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the visitor identifiers of at least one of the segment definitions have corresponding customer identifiers issued by an entity that manages the network property, each customer identifier identifying a visitor, and wherein the segment definitions do not include the customer identifiers.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing to a computer device associated with the entity an application program interface configured to enable an application program executing on the computer device to interface with the analytics system, the application program operable to process one or more segment queries based on the customer identifiers and, for each segment query, identify customer identifiers belonging to a segment, and wherein the application program interface identifies the visitor identifiers from the customer identifiers and provides only the visitor identifiers to the analytics system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a segment signal includes a keyword used in advertising targeting for an entity that manages the network property.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a segment signal includes an identification of a referring network property from which a visitor navigated to the network property.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a segment signal includes a frequency of visits to the network property by the devices identified by the visitor identifiers.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the analytics system, one or more segment signals from the tracking data communications that include the visitor identifiers of the first and second segments comprises determining the one or more segment signals from only tracking data communications that each include a visitor identifier from the first segment and tracking data communications that each include a visitor identifier from the second segment.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving at a computer device associated with an entity that manages a network property, wherein the network property is associated with an account identifier for a tracking account maintained by an analytics system, an application program interface configured to enable an application program executing on the computer device to interface with the analytics system, the application program operable to process one or more segment queries based on the customer identifier issued by the entity and, for each segment query, identify customer identifiers belonging to the segment;

processing, at the computer device, a first segment query to select customer identifiers that belong to a first segment defined by the first segment query, each customer identifier in the first segment specifying a visitor that exhibited a first behavior at the network property of the entity;

processing, at the computer device, a second segment query to select customer identifiers that belong to a second segment defined by the second segment query, wherein each customer identifier that belongs to the second segment is different from each customer identifier that belongs to the first segment, each customer identifier in the second segment specifying a visitor that exhibited a second behavior at the network property of the entity, the second behavior being different from the first behavior;

identifying, by the application program interface, visitor identifiers that correspond to the customer identifiers, wherein each visitor identifier i) identifies a computer device used by a visitor to visit the network property ii) is issued by the analytics system, and iii) is included in tracking data communications from the computer devices that visit the network property, and wherein each tracking data communication includes one or more event statistics describing one or more events related to a visitor interaction of a visitor with the network property;

providing, by the application program interface and to the analytics system, a first segment definition that defines the first segment of visitors to the network property and a second segment definition that defines the second segment of visitors to the network property, wherein each segment definition includes the visitor identifiers identifying the computer devices used by visitors to visit the network property and does not include the customer identifiers of the visitors; and

receiving, in response to providing the segment definitions, reporting data describing a segment signal that is positively correlated with the first segment, the segment signal derived by the analytics system from the tracking data communications that include the visitor identifiers of the first segment and characterizing a respective behavior indicative of the first segment with which it positively correlates, and wherein the respective behavior is different from the first behavior and the second behavior.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the segment signal is a keyword used in advertising targeting for the entity that manages the network property.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the segment signal is an identification of a referring network property from which a visitor navigated to the network property.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the segment signal is a frequency of visits to the network property by the devices identified by the visitor identifiers.

15. An analytics system, comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a memory storage device storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and that upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a publisher, a first segment definition and a second segment definition, each associated with an account identifier identifying a tracking account for a network property of the publisher, and the tracking account being maintained by the analytics system, wherein;

the first segment definition defines a first segment of visitors to the network property, each visitor in the first segment being a visitor that exhibited a first behavior at the network property of the publisher and, for each visitor in the first segment, includes a visitor identifier identifying a device used by the visitor to visit the network property, the visitor identifier being issued by the analytics system; and

the second segment definition defines a second segment of visitors to the network property, each visitor in the second segment being a visitor that exhibited a second behavior at the network property of the publisher, the second behavior being different form the first behavior, the second segment of visitors being different from the first segment of visitors, and wherein the second segment definition includes, for each visitor in the second segment, a visitor identifier identifying a device used by the visitor to visit the network property, the visitor identifier being issued by the analytics system;

determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors;

only in response to determining that the segment definitions do not present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors;

accessing tracking data communications for the network property associated with the account identifier, each tracking data communication including a visitor identifier and one or more event statistics describing one or more events related to a visitor interaction of a visitor with the network property;

determining one or more segment signals from the tracking data communications that include the visitor identifiers of the first and second segments, each of the one or more segment signals positively correlated with only one of the first segment or the second segment and characterizing a respective behavior indicative of the segment with which it positively correlates, and wherein each respective behavior is different from the first behavior and the second behavior; and

generating reporting data describing the segment signals and the correlation of the segment signals with the respective first and second segments.

16. The analytics system of claim 15, wherein determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors comprises:

determining that the first and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk when a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the first segment is not at least a minimum quantity or a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the second segment is not at least the minimum quantity.

17. The analytics system of claim 15, wherein determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors comprises:

determining that the first and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk when a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the first segment that are different from the visitor identifiers included in the second segment is not at least a minimum quantity.

18. The analytics system of claim 15, wherein determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors comprises:

determining that the first and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk when a quantity of visitor identifiers included in the first segment and segments that are different from visitor identifiers included in previously received first and second segments is not at least a minimum quantity.

19. The analytics system of claim 15, wherein the visitor identifiers of at least one of the segment definitions have corresponding customer identifiers issued by an entity that manages the network property, each customer identifier identifying a visitor, and wherein the segment definitions do not include the customer identifiers.

20. The analytics system of claim 15, further comprising:

providing to a computer device associated with the entity an application program interface configured to enable an application program executing on the computer device to interface with the analytics system, the application program operable to process one or more segment queries based on the customer identifiers and, for each segment query, identify customer identifiers belonging to a segment, and wherein the application program interface identifies the visitor identifiers from the customer identifiers and provides only the visitor identifiers to the system.

21. The analytics system of claim 15, wherein determining one or more segment signals from the tracking data communications that include the visitor identifiers of the first and second segments comprises determining the one or more segment signals from only tracking data communications that each include a visitor identifier from the first segment and tracking data communications that each include a visitor identifier from the second segment.

22. A computer readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a data processing apparatus, cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a publisher, a first segment definition and a second segment definition, each associated with an account identifier identifying a tracking account for a network property of the publisher, and the tracking account being maintained by the analytics system, wherein;

the first segment definition defines a first segment of visitors to the network property and, each visitor in the first segment being a visitor that exhibited a first behavior at the network property of the publisher, for each visitor in the first segment, includes a visitor identifier identifying a device used by the visitor to visit the network property, the visitor identifier being issued by the analytics system; and

the second segment definition defines a second segment of visitors to the network property, each visitor in the second segment being a visitor that exhibited a second behavior at the network property of the publisher, the second behavior being different form the first behavior, the second segment of visitors being different from the first segment of visitors, and wherein the second segment definition includes, for each visitor in the second segment, a visitor identifier identifying a device used by the visitor to visit the network property, the visitor identifier being issued by the analytics system;

determining whether the first segment and second segment definitions present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors;

only in response to determining that the segment definitions do not present a personal information exposure risk for one or more of the visitors;

accessing tracking data communications for the network property associated with the account identifier, each tracking data communication including a visitor identifier and one or more event statistics describing one or more events related to a visitor interaction of a visitor with the network property;

determining one or more segment signals from the tracking data communications that include the visitor identifiers of the first and second segments, each of the one or more segment signals positively correlated with only one of the first segment or the second segment and characterizing a respective behavior indicative of the segment with which it positively correlates, and wherein each respective behavior is different from the first behavior and the second behavior; and

generating reporting data describing the segment signals and the correlation of the segment signals with the respective first and second segments.

23. The computer readable storage device of claim 22, wherein determining one or more segment signals from the tracking data communications that include the visitor identifiers of the first and second segments comprises determining the one or more segment signals from only tracking data communications that each include a visitor identifier from the first segment and tracking data communications that each include a visitor identifier from the second segment.