Stateless cookie operations server

• US 9,219,787 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CHEQ AI Technologies (2018) Ltd. (Cheq Technologies Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Ensighten, Inc. (Cheq Technologies Ltd.)
• Inventors: Manion, Joshua R., Goodwin, Joshua C., Jackson, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US14/555,550
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• Field of Search: 709/246, 709/223, 709/224, 709/203, 707/756
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding

Abstract

A stateless cookie operations server machine can provide real-time, actionable, user-specific tracking abilities in the collection of impressions and user interactions with a company'"'"'s digital properties. The client-side code (e.g., in a web browser) may load an image element configured with parameters and a hyperlink (e.g., URL) that causes name-value pairs to be sent as parameters, along with a cookie data file, to a remote server. The remote server may process the parameters and perform operations based on both the value and the name of the name-value pairs. Mathematical and/or other operations may be performed on the parameters and the results saved into the appropriate cookie data file. The server sends the update cookie data file and any requested content (e.g., a transparent image pixel, or other information) back to the client-side device. As a result, the client-side application may use the information in the updated cookie data file to perform one or more web analytics and personalization functions on a real-time, user-specific, actionable basis.

Claims

1. A stateless cookie operations server machine, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server machine to;

receive name-value pairs as input parameters in a HTTP GET message;

receive a cookie data file in a header of the HTTP GET message;

parse the input parameters to identify the name of the name-value pairs;

parse the name to identify a cookie name;

parse the name to identify an operation;

compare the operation to a list of predefined operations involving the cookie data file to identify a selected operation;

perform the selected operation on data stored in the cookie data file corresponding to the cookie name;

update the cookie data file with an output of the selected operation;

transmit a HTTP request message; and

transmit the updated cookie data file.

2. The server machine of claim 1, wherein the selected operation is to increment the data stored in the cookie data file.

3. The server machine of claim 1, wherein the selected operation is to append a character to the data stored in the cookie data file.

4. The stateless cookie operations server machine of claim 1, wherein the HTTP GET message comprises a request for an image.

5. The stateless cookie operations server machine of claim 1, wherein the HTTP GET message comprises a request for a tracking pixel.

6. The stateless cookie operations server machine of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the server machine to perform the selected operation on the data comprise instructions that cause the server machine to perform the selected operation on the data based on a value of the name-value pairs.

7. The stateless cookie operations server machine of claim 1, wherein a value of the name-value pairs comprises an instruction to execute code on the stateless cookie operations server machine.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium of a stateless cookie operations server storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of stateless cookie operations server, cause the stateless cookie operations server to:

receive name-value pairs as input parameters in an incoming message;

receive a persistent data file in the incoming message;

parse the input parameters to identify the name of the name-value pairs;

parse the name to identify a persistent data file name;

parse the name to identify an operation;

compare the operation to a list of predefined operations involving the persistent data file to identify a selected operation;

perform the selected operation on data stored in the persistent data file corresponding to the persistent data file name;

update the persistent data file with an output of the selected operation;

transmit an outgoing request message; and

transmit the updated persistent data file.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the selected operation is to increment the data stored in the persistent data file.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the selected operation is to append a character to the data stored in the persistent data file.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the incoming message comprises a request for an image.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the incoming message comprises a request for a tracking pixel.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer-executable instructions that cause the server to perform the selected operation on the data comprise instructions that cause the server to perform the selected operation on the data based on a value of the name-value pairs.

14. A method comprising:

receiving name-value pairs as input parameters in an incoming message;

receiving a persistent data file in the incoming message;

parsing the input parameters to identify the name of the name-value pairs;

parsing the name to identify a persistent data file name;

parsing the name to identify an operation;

comparing the operation to a list of predefined operations involving the persistent data file to identify a selected operation;

performing the selected operation on data stored in the persistent data file corresponding to the persistent data file name;

updating the persistent data file with an output of the selected operation;

transmitting an outgoing request message; and

transmitting the updated persistent data file.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the selected operation is to increment the data stored in the persistent data file.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the selected operation is to append a character to the data stored in the persistent data file.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the incoming message comprises a request for an image.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the incoming message comprises a request for a tracking pixel.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein performing the selected operation on the data comprises performing the selected operation on the data based on a value of the name-value pairs.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the selected operation is to increment the data stored in the persistent data file by a number in the value of the name-value pair.