CONTENT-BASED ASSOCIATION OF DEVICE TO USER

• US 20160036782A1
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Gracenote, Inc. (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Jeffrey, Michael, Scherf, Steven D., Cremer, Markus K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,356,914 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• 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 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/75 Temporary identity

Abstract

Example methods and systems for content-based association of a device to a user are presented. In an example method, data corresponding to each of a plurality of items of content stored within a user device are accessed. A device identifier for the user device is generated based on the data. The device identifier is transmitted from the user device to a service device to associate the user device with a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing data corresponding to each of a plurality of items of content stored within a user device;

generating, using at least one hardware processor of the user device, a device identifier for the user device based on the data; and

transmitting, from the user device to a service device, the device identifier to associate the user device with a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the generating of the device identifier comprises hashing the data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the service device, a user identifier for the user based on the device identifier;

accessing, from within at least one application or system function executing on the user device, the user identifier; and

personalizing, within the at least one application or system function executing on the user device, at least one operation for the user based on the user identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the generating of the device identifier comprises generating a first device identifier having a first entropy level, and generating a second device identifier having a second entropy level; and

combining the first device identifier and the second device identifier to generate a single device identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, after the generating of the device identifier, second data corresponding to a second plurality of items of content stored within the user device;

generating a second device identifier for the user device based on the second data; and

transmitting, from the user device to the service device, the second device identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the first plurality of items of content are accessible via a first application or system function installed on the user device;

the second plurality of items of content are accessible via a second application or system function installed on the user device; and

the second application or system function is different from the first application or system function.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

generating a third device identifier based on the first device identifier and the second device identifier; and

transmitting, from the user device to the service device, the third device identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the first plurality of items from a second plurality of items stored within the user device, wherein the first plurality of items comprises a proper subset of the second plurality of items.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selecting of the first plurality of items from the second plurality of items is based on dates associated with each of the first plurality of items.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the selecting of the first plurality of items from the second plurality of items comprises selecting those of the second plurality of items having dates older than a predetermined date.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of items of content comprise audio files; and

the data comprise metadata specifying play counts of the audio files.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of items of content comprise image files; and

the data comprise metadata specifying at least one of sizes of the image files and capture dates of the image files.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of items of content comprise video files; and

the data comprise metadata specifying at least one of sizes of the video files and capture dates of the video files.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of items of content comprise contact information items; and

the data comprise metadata specifying contact names of the contact information items.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first user device, a device identifier for the first user device based on data corresponding to each of a plurality of items of content stored within the first user device;

assigning, in response to receiving the device identifier for the first user device, a user identifier for a user of the first user device to the device identifier for the first user device;

receiving, from a second user device, a device identifier for the second user device based on data corresponding to each of a plurality of items of content stored within the second user device;

comparing the device identifier for the first user device and the device identifier for the second user device;

determining whether the device identifier for the second user device corresponds to the user based on the comparing of the device identifier for the first user device and the device identifier for the second user device; and

assigning, based on a determination that the second user device corresponds to the user, the user identifier to the device identifier for the second user device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the second user device, after the assigning of the user identifier to the second user device, a second device identifier for the second user device based on data corresponding to each of a second plurality of items of content stored within the second user device; and

associating the second device identifier for the second user device with the first device identifier for the second user device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

comparing the first device identifier for the second user device and the second device identifier for the second user device to determine a difference therebetween;

detecting, based on the difference between the first device identifier for the second user device and the second device identifier for the second user device, a difference between the second plurality of items of content stored within the second user device and the first plurality of items of content stored within the second user device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting the user identifier to the second user device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein:

the comparing of the device identifier for the first user device and the device identifier for the second user device comprises executing a genetic sequencing algorithm on the device identifier for the first user device and the device identifier for the second user device.

20. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a user device, a first device identifier for the user device based on first data corresponding to each of a first plurality of items of content stored within the user device;

assigning, in response to receiving the first device identifier for the user device, a user identifier for a user of the user device to the user device;

receiving, from the user device, a second device identifier for the user device based on second data corresponding to each of a second plurality of items of content stored within the user device;

comparing the first device identifier and the second device identifier;

determining whether the first device identifier and the second device identifier correspond to a same user device based on the comparing of the first device identifier and the second device identifier; and

associating, based on a determination that the first device identifier and the second device identifier correspond to the same user device, the second device identifier with at least one of the first device identifier and the user identifier.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the first plurality of items of content reside within the user device at a first point in time; and

the second plurality of items of content reside within the user device at a second point in time after the first point in time.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein:

a reinstallation of an application or system function on the user device occurs after the first point in time and before the second point in time.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the first plurality of items of content are associated with a first application or system function installed on the user device;

the second plurality of items of content are associated with a second application or system function installed on the user device; and

the second application or system function is different from the first application or system function.