Methods and systems of generating a unique mobile device identifier

• US 9,319,379 B1
• Filed: 08/01/2013
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Burcham, Robert H., Holmes, Geoff A., Katzer, Robin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kim T
• Application Number:
  US13/956,367
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2596 Translation of addresses of the same type other than IP, e.g. translation from MAC to MAC addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support

Abstract

A method of generating a user identifier is disclosed. The method comprises identifying, by a client, that the client does not have a device identifier associated with the device, wherein the device identifier is a device system identifier unique to the device. The method also comprises requesting, by the client, the device identifier from the device in response to identifying that the client does not have the device identifier. The method further comprises receiving, by the client, the device identifier. The method also comprises masking, by the client, the device identifier with client logic. The method further comprises generating, by the client, the user identifier based on masking, wherein the user identifier is unique to the device, and wherein the user identifier is attached to one or more interactions with one or more applications used by the device.

Claims

1. A method of generating a user identifier, the method comprising:

identifying, by a client stored in a memory of a device and executable by a processor of the device, that the client does not have a device identifier associated with the device, wherein the device identifier is a device system identifier unique to the device;

requesting, by the client, the device identifier from the device in response to identifying that the client does not have the device identifier;

receiving, by the client, the device identifier;

masking, by the client, the device identifier with client logic; and

generating, by the client, the user identifier based on the masking, wherein the user identifier is unique to the device, and wherein the user identifier is attached to one or more interactions with one or more applications used by the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording, by the client, the one or more interactions with the one or more applications, wherein recording comprises associating the one or more interactions with the user identifier; and

transmitting, by the client, the recorded one or more interactions with the one or more client applications to a gateway associated with the client, wherein the gateway coordinates the one or more interactions from the device with interactions of at least one other device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client logic is based on a type of container the client is operating in on the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the type of container comprises a native scope, a virtual scope, or a web-browser scope.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client logic secures the user identifier and persists the user identifier after the user identifier is generated.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more applications is a client application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the user identifier with a network identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising caching the user identifier in the device so that when an interaction with a client application occurs, the client can retrieve the cached user identifier and attach the user identifier to the interaction.

9. A method of providing an identifier, the method comprising:

identifying, by a proxy comprising a processor and a memory, a record of one or more interactions with one or more applications used by a device, wherein a user identifier is attached to the record, and wherein the user identifier is a device system identifier unique to the device;

obtaining, by the proxy, the record of the one or more interactions with the one or more applications used by the device with the attached user identifier;

masking, by the proxy, the user identifier with a date to generate an information identifier; and

providing, by the proxy, the record of the one or more interactions with the one or more applications used by the device to one or more suppliers, wherein the information identifier is attached to the record replacing the user identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving, by the proxy, an information data package with the information identifier attached to the information data package, wherein the information data package comprises information related to the one or more interactions with the one or more applications used by the device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more suppliers comprise at least one of an advertiser, a marketer, a manufacturer, a service provider, a retailer, or a distributor.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein masking the user identifier with the date to generate the information identifier ensures that no two user identifier masked with dates are alike.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein masking comprises at least one of using a one-way secure hash function, encryption, or a look-up table.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more interactions with the one or more applications used by the device comprise an interaction between a device user and the device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein masking the user identifier with the date to generate the information identifier prevents exposure of the user identifier to the one or more suppliers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user identifier is derived by masking a device identifier with logic instructions so that only the proxy is exposed to the user identifier, wherein the device identifier is the device system identifier unique to the device.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the record of the one or more interactions with the one or more applications used by the device are categorized into one or more groups so that the record is provided to the one or more suppliers related to the one or more groups.

18. A method of classification a device user, the method comprising:

detecting, by a classification application stored in a memory of a classification server and executable by a processor of the classification server, a first set of one or more interactions with one or more applications on a device, wherein the first set of one or more interactions are detected by the classification application through a network interface;

identifying, by the classification application, a pattern of detecting one or more of the same interactions of the first set of one or more interactions with the one or more applications on the device;

generating, by the classification application, a token based on the pattern of detecting the one or more of the same interactions; and

attaching, by the classification application, the token to a record of a second set of one or more interactions with the one or more applications on the device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising attaching the record of the second set of one or more interactions with the attached token to a message and transmitting the message to a gateway.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising masking the record of the second set of one or more interactions with the attached token before providing the record to a supplier.