Methods and apparatus to identify session users with cookie information
First Claim
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1. A method to identify a current user of a computing device, comprising:
- accessing a first cookie storage location of a first browser and a second cookie storage location of a second browser;
locating a most recently used cookie from cookies stored in the first and the second cookie storage locations to identify a current usage activity associated with the computing device;
parsing the most recently used cookie for an identifier;
comparing the identifier to a cookie table, the cookie table associating cookies with panelists;
when the identifier of the most recently used cookie is associated with one of the panelists, associating the current usage activity of the computing device with a corresponding panelist; and
when the identifier of the most recently used cookie is not associated with any of the panelists, associating the current usage activity of the computing device with a guest.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to identify session users with cookie information. An example method includes identifying activity associated with a first cookie having a first type, in response to identifying the first, parsing the first cookie to identify a first panelist, when the first cookie includes an identifier associated with a first panelist, associating current usage activity of the computing device with the first panelist, and when the first cookie includes an identifier unassociated with the first panelist, associating current usage activity of the computing device with a guest.
182 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method to identify a current user of a computing device, comprising:
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accessing a first cookie storage location of a first browser and a second cookie storage location of a second browser; locating a most recently used cookie from cookies stored in the first and the second cookie storage locations to identify a current usage activity associated with the computing device; parsing the most recently used cookie for an identifier; comparing the identifier to a cookie table, the cookie table associating cookies with panelists; when the identifier of the most recently used cookie is associated with one of the panelists, associating the current usage activity of the computing device with a corresponding panelist; and when the identifier of the most recently used cookie is not associated with any of the panelists, associating the current usage activity of the computing device with a guest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A tangible machine accessible medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:
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access a first cookie storage location of a first browser; access a second cookie storage location of a second browser; locate a most recently used cookie from a plurality of cookies stored in at least one of the first cookie storage location and the second cookie storage location, the most recently used cookie to identify a current usage activity associated with the computing device; parse the most recently used cookie to identify an identifier; compare the identifier to a cookie table, the cookie table mapping cookies to panelists; when the identifier of the most recently used cookie is associated with a corresponding panelist in the cookie table, associate the current usage activity of the computing device with the corresponding panelist; and when the identifier of the most recently used cookie is not associated with any of the panelists in the cookie table, associate the current usage activity of the computing device with a guest. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus to identify a current user of a computing device, comprising:
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an activity associator to identify current usage activity associated with a most recently used cookie; and a cookie manager to; access a first cookie storage location of a first browser; access a second cookie storage location of a second browser; locate the most recently used cookie from a plurality of cookies stored in the first and the second cookie storage locations; parse the most recently used cookie for an identifier; and compare the identifier to a cookie table, the cookie table mapping cookies to respective ones of a plurality of panelists, the activity associator to associate the current usage activity of the computing device with a corresponding one of the panelists when an identifier of the most recently used cookie is in the cookie table, and the activity associator to associate the current usage activity of the computing device with a guest when the identifier of the most recently used cookie is not in the cookie table. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification