Sessionization of visitor activity

• US 9,203,905 B1
• Filed: 08/27/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hong, Jerry, Nandy, Sagnik, Mehta, Avi, Ben-Ayoun, Naomi, Townsend, Bradley David, Muret, Paul Nicolas, Wogulis, James Lee, Vasu, Madhu Kallazhi, Huang, Evan S., Rhodes, Neil Campbell
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US13/595,714
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• 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 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method for sessionization of visitor activity includes receiving a first activity of a first client and a first client identifier from the first activity of the first client; the first client identifier stored at the first client; creating a first session from the first activity and the first client identifier; receiving a session link associated with the first activity; and creating a visitor-identified session based on the first client identifier, the first activity, and the session link.

Claims

1. A method of combining a plurality of device sessions, comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a server, first network activity data of a first device corresponding to a first network activity session having a first timestamp;

generating, by a resource provided by the server responsive to the first network activity data, an anonymous identifier for the first network activity data;

providing, by the server, the anonymous identifier to the first device for storing in memory of the first device;

providing, by the server for display via the first device, a session login interface;

receiving, by the server from the first device, login credentials from the first device, the login credentials including a predetermined identifier;

establishing, by the server responsive to authenticating the login credentials, a second network activity session for the first device, the second network activity session having a second timestamp and associated with both the predetermined identifier and the anonymous identifier;

determining, by the server, a time interval between the first timestamp of the first network activity session and the second timestamp of the second network activity session;

generating, by the server responsive to the time interval satisfying a threshold, a session link between the first network activity session and the second network activity session based on the second network activity session having both the anonymous identifier and the predetermined identifier; and

stitching, by the server using the session link, the first network activity session together with the second network activity session.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a third network activity session created from a visit by the first device to a resource provided by the server, the visit having the anonymous identifier; and

stitching together the first session, the second session, and the third session based on the session link and the anonymous identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the resource is an Internet Web site and the first device comprises an Internet browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the anonymous identifier is a random identifier created by the resource.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the session link comprises a visitor identification created by the server, and wherein the first device does not store the visitor identification.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the server creates the visitor identification based on information submitted via the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the login credentials include a user name and password.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server, that at least some of the first network activity data is associated with a first attributable event.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the server, that at least some of the first network activity data is associated with a first attributable event; and

attributing the second network activity session to the first attributable event.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the server, a third network activity session created based on third network activity data of a second device, the second device having a second anonymous identifier and the third session having the second anonymous identifier and the session link;

associating the third network activity session with the stitched together first and second network activity sessions; and

propagating an attributable event to the third network activity session.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first activity data includes an operation of an application.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first activity data includes an off-line operation.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a second device, third network activity data and an identifier from the third network activity data of the second device;

receiving the session link associated with the first network activity session and the second network activity session;

creating a third network activity session based on the identifier, the third network activity data, and the session link; and

relating the third network activity session and the second network activity session using the session link.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second network activity data is associated with a first attributable event, the method further comprising:

propagating the first attributable event to the third network activity session.

15. A system for combining a plurality of device sessions, comprising:

a processor; and

a program of machine instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive first network activity data of a first device corresponding to a first network activity session having a first timestamp;

generate, by a resource provided by the server responsive to the first network activity data, an anonymous identifier for the first network activity data;

provide the anonymous identifier to the first device for storing in memory of the first device;

provide, for display via the first device, a session login interface;

receive, from the first device, login credentials from the first device, the login credentials including a predetermined identifier;

establish, responsive to authenticating the login credentials, a second network activity session for the first device, the second network activity session having a second timestamp and associated with both the predetermined identifier and the anonymous identifier;

determine a time interval between the first timestamp of the first network activity session and the second timestamp of the second network activity session;

generate, responsive to the time interval satisfying a threshold, a session link between the first network activity session and the second network activity session based on the second network activity session having both the anonymous identifier and the predetermined identifier; and

stitch, using the session link, the first network activity session together with the second network activity session.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the anonymous identifier is a random identifier created by the server.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor provides an Internet Web site and the first device includes an Internet browser.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the anonymous identifier is stored with the first device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the session link is a visitor identification created by the server, and wherein the first device does not store the visitor identification.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor propagates campaign information from the first network activity session to the second network activity session.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor:

identifies a third network activity session created from a visit by the first device to a resource provided by the server, the visit having the anonymous identifier; and

stitches together the first session, the second session, and the third session based on the session link and the anonymous identifier.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor:

creates the visitor identification based on information submitted via the first device.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the login credentials include a user name and password.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor:

determines that at least some of the first network activity data is associated with a first attributable event.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor:

determines that at least some of the first network activity data is associated with a first attributable event; and

attributes the second network activity session to the first attributable event.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor:

identifies a third network activity session created based on third network activity data of a second device, the second device having a second anonymous identifier and the third session having the second anonymous identifier and the session link;

associates the third network activity session with the stitched together first and second network activity sessions; and

propagates an attributable event to the third network activity session.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the first activity data includes an operation of an application.

28. The system of claim 15, wherein the first activity data includes an off-line operation.

29. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor:

receives, from a second device, third network activity data and an identifier from the third network activity data of the second device;

receives the session link associated with the first network activity session and the second network activity session;

creates a third network activity session based on the identifier, the third network activity data, and the session link; and

relates the third network activity session and the second network activity session using the session link.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the second network activity data is associated with a first attributable event, and wherein the processor:

propagates the first attributable event to the third network activity session.