Repackaging demographic data with anonymous identifier

• US 9,674,151 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2016
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Turner, William Bedford, Remahl, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kunwar, Binod J
• Application Number:
  US15/150,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 709217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6263 during internet communication, e.g. revealing personal data from cookies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 50/14 Marketing, i.e. market research and analysis, surveying, promotions, advertising, buyer profiling, customer management or rewards

Abstract

Using uniquely generated identifiers in a network-based ecosystem in which a plurality of client devices request media content and software applications from online distribution system and additionally request invitational content from invitational content providers. Separating users'"'"' demographic data from a device-specific identifier in favor of uniquely generated identifiers and using the client device to enforce the substation of uniquely generated identifiers in favor of a device identifier, thereby using the client device to serve as a proxy in creating a firewall to exclude system partners from access to a device identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending, by a computing device to a server, a user account identifier associated with a user of the computing device and a device identifier associated with the computing device;

receiving, at the computing device from the server, demographic data associated with the user account identifier;

generating, at the computing device, a first random identifier and a second random identifier, wherein;

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier;

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both different from both the device identifier and the user account identifier; and

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both anonymous identifiers;

sending, by the computing device to a first entity, a portion of the demographic data along with the first random identifier, the first random identifier providing the first entity a first anonymous identity to associate with the portion of the demographic data, wherein the first anonymous identity corresponds to at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier and does not reveal the user account identifier or the device identifier to the first entity;

sending, by the computing device to a second entity, the portion of the demographic data along with the second random identifier, the second random identifier providing the second entity a second anonymous identity to associate with the portion of the demographic data, wherein the second anonymous identity corresponds to at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier without revealing the user account identifier or the device identifier to the second entity; and

receiving, by the computing device, at least one of;

a first media content item selected by the first entity based on the portion of the demographic data;

or

a second media content item selected by the second entity based on the portion of the demographic data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the demographic data comprises segmented demographic data, wherein sending the portion of the data to the first and second entities comprises sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities, and wherein sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities comprises:

associating the segmented demographic data with the first random identifier to yield a first package of segmented data;

associating the segmented demographic data with the second random identifier to yield a second package of segmented data; and

sending the first package of segmented data to the first entity and the second package of segmented data to the second entity.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising prior to sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities, generalizing the segmented demographic data by converting specific demographic values into a range of values.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the server comprises a media distribution system, wherein the first entity and the second entity comprise a first provider and a second provider, and wherein the first random identifier is persistently used in subsequent interactions between the device and the first entity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion of the demographic data comprises anonymous demographic data which does not specifically identify the user, the user account identifier, or the device identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending user profile data to the server, the user profile data including past purchase information and user interests associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier, wherein at least part of the demographic data is inferred from the past purchase information and the user interests.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first random identifier and the portion of the demographic data comprises sending user preferences for media content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first entity is associated with a first application downloaded by the computing device for obtaining a particular service associated with the first application, and wherein the second entity is associated with a second application downloaded by the computing device, the second application being different than the first application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second random identifiers correspond to a same user account associated with the device identifier.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

sending, to a server, a user account identifier associated with a user of the system and a device identifier associated with the system;

receiving, from the server, demographic data associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier;

generating a first random identifier and a second random identifier, wherein;

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier;

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both different from both the device identifier and the user account identifier; and

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both anonymous identifiers;

sending, to a first entity, a portion of the demographic data along with the first random identifier, the first random identifier providing the first entity a first anonymous identity to associate with the portion of the demographic data, wherein the first anonymous identity;

corresponds to at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier; and

does not reveal the user account identifier or the device identifier to the first entity;

sending, to a second entity, the portion of the demographic data along with the second random identifier, the second random identifier providing the second entity a second anonymous identity to associate with the portion of the demographic data, wherein the second anonymous identity;

corresponds to at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier; and

does not reveal the user account identifier or the device identifier to the second entity; and

receiving at least one of a first media content item selected by the first entity based on the portion of the demographic data or a second media content item selected by the second entity based on the portion of the demographic data.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the demographic data comprises segmented demographic data, wherein sending the portion of the data to the first and second entities comprises sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities, and wherein sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities comprises:

associating the segmented demographic data with the first random identifier to yield a first package of segmented data;

associating the segmented demographic data with the second random identifier to yield a second package of segmented data; and

sending the first package of segmented data to the first entity and the second package of segmented data to the second entity.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the demographic data comprises segmented demographic data, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

prior to sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities, generalizing the segmented demographic data by converting specific demographic values into a range of values.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

sending user profile data to the server, the user profile data including past purchase information and user interests associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier, wherein at least part of the demographic data is inferred from the past purchase information and the user interests.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the first entity is associated with a first application downloaded by the system for obtaining a particular service associated with the first application, and wherein the second entity is associated with a second application downloaded by the system, the second application being different than the first application.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the portion of the demographic data comprises anonymous demographic data which does not specifically identify the user, the user account identifier, or the device identifier, and wherein sending the first random identifier and the portion of the demographic data comprises sending user preferences for media content.

16. A computer-readable storage device having stored therein instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a user account identifier associated with a user, and a device identifier of a computing device associated with the user;

based on at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier, obtaining demographic data associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier;

generating a first random identifier and a second random identifier, wherein;

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier;

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both different from both the device identifier and the user account identifier; and

the first random identifier and the second random identifier are both anonymous identifiers;

sending, to a first entity, a portion of the demographic data along with the first random identifier, the first random identifier providing the first entity a first anonymous identity to associate with the portion of the demographic data, wherein the first anonymous identity corresponds to at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier but does not reveal the user account identifier or the device identifier to the first entity; and

sending, to a second entity, the portion of the demographic data along with the second random identifier, the second random identifier providing the second entity a second anonymous identity to associate with the portion of the demographic data, wherein the second anonymous identity corresponds to at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier but does not reveal the user account identifier or the device identifier to the second entity.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the demographic data comprises segmented demographic data, wherein sending the portion of the data to the first and second entities comprises sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities, and wherein sending the segmented demographic data to the first and second entities comprises:

associating the segmented demographic data with the first random identifier to yield a first package of segmented data;

associating the segmented demographic data with the second random identifier to yield a second package of segmented data; and

sending the first package of segmented data to the first entity and the second package of segmented data to the second entity.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the first package and the second package do not specifically identify the user, the user account identifier, or the device identifier.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, storing additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

receiving at least one of a first media content item selected by the first entity based on the portion of the demographic data, or a second media content item selected by the second entity based on the portion of the demographic data.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, storing additional instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations further comprising:

obtaining user profile data associated with at least one of the user account identifier or the device identifier, the user profile data including past purchase information and user interests, wherein at least part of the demographic data is inferred from the past purchase information and the user interests.