Aggregating user web browsing data

• US 9,654,541 B1
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Kapczynski, Mark Joseph, Dean, Michael John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khurshid, Zia
• Application Number:
  US14/077,090
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system for aggregating a user'"'"'s web browsing data which may include cookies placed on a user'"'"'s computing device from various websites. The system receives authorization from a user to retrieve cookie and other data associated with the user. The system then accesses cookie data and personal data associated with the user. In some embodiments, the aggregation system communicates with websites that placed the cookie data on the user'"'"'s computer to determine one or more characteristics of the user based on the cookie data (which may be understandable only by the placing website). The system may then provide the user'"'"'s aggregated data or a portion thereof to requesting entities. The user may have access to a user interface which provides information about the user'"'"'s aggregated data and allows the user to determine how much information to share with requesting entities.

Claims

1. A computing system comprising:

one or more hardware computer processors;

one or more storage devices configured to store software instructions executable by the one or more hardware computer processors to cause the computing system to;

receive authorization from a user to retrieve a plurality of cookie data associated with the user;

retrieve the plurality of cookie data stored on one or more computing devices associated with the user, wherein respective cookie data of the plurality of the cookie data are associated with a corresponding plurality of websites visited by the user;

for each of the plurality of cookie data retrieved;

identify encoded information in the cookie data;

parse the cookie data to identify a website of the corresponding plurality of websites that initiated storage of the cookie data;

communicate with the website to obtain decoding instructions associated with website cookie data from the particular website;

decode, based on the decoding instructions, the encoded information in the cookie data;

determine one or more characteristics of the user based on the decoded information in the website cookie data; and

associate the one or more characteristics of the user with an identity of the user;

in response to requests for information regarding the user, provide at least some of the one or more characteristics of the user or the plurality of cookie data to a requesting entity.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to:

access personal information of the user; and

generate a supercookie comprising;

the personal information of the user;

at least two characteristics of the user determined based on cookie data associated with a corresponding at least two websites; and

website cookie data associated with each of the corresponding at least two websites.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the requesting entity is a website or a business entity.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein one of the requests for information regarding the user is triggered by the user requesting access to a website of the requesting entity.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to charge a fee to the requesting entity.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to track computing devices associated with a user.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to track cookies associated with a user to retrieve new or updated cookies and the website cookie data.

8. The computing system of claim 1, wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to:

provide a user interface displaying information regarding a user'"'"'s cookie data and cookie data usage;

wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to change cookie data sharing settings.

9. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to apply a behavioral model to data stored in the supercookie.

10. The computing system of claim 8 wherein the software instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to provide the user with an option to select different cookie data sharing setting for different devices associated with the user.

11. The computing system of claim 8 wherein the user interface is configured to be displayed on a mobile computing device.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the website cookie data is encoded.

13. A method for compiling cookie data associated with a user, the method comprising:

receiving authorization from the user to retrieve a plurality of cookie data associated with the user;

retrieving the plurality of cookie data stored on one or more computing devices associated with the user, wherein respective cookie data of the plurality of the cookie data are associated with a corresponding plurality one or more of websites visited by the user;

for each cookie data in a subgroup of the plurality of cookie data retrieved;

parsing the cookie data to identify a website associated with storing the cookie data on one or more computing devices of the user;

determining if the parsed cookie data includes encoded information;

if the parsed cookie data includes encoded information;

communicating with the website to obtain decoded website cookie data;

or

communicating with the website to obtain decoding instructions for decoding encoded website cookie data associated with the web site, and decoding the encoded website cookie data based at least partly on the decoding instructions;

determining one or more characteristics of the user based on at least one of the cookie data or the decoded website cookie data; and

generating a supercookie including one or more characteristics of the user determined from at least one of the cookie data or the decoded website cookie data;

in response to requests for information regarding the user, providing at least some of the one or more characteristics of the user from the supercookie.