Automated multi-user system detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10187262-B2
Application number	US-201615219721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2016
Priority date	Nov 23, 2011
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for automated detection of multi-user computing devices such as kiosks, public terminals, and so on. Network resource requests are obtained from a client computing device. It is determined whether the client computing device is a multi-user system based at least in part on whether the network resource requests embody characteristics associated with multi-user systems. The resulting classification is stored and may be used to customize generation of requested network resources.

First claim

Therefore, the following is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
at least one computing device; and
a public multi-user system detection application executable in the at least one computing device, wherein when executed the public multi-user system detection application causes the at least one computing device to at least:
generate a public multi-user system confidence score by calculating a weighted combination of a plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users, the plurality of characteristics being embodied in at least one network resource request received from a client computing device;
classify the client computing device as a public multi-user computing device used by different users in response to determining that the public multi-user system confidence score meets a public multi-user-system classification threshold; and
disable first functionality of a network resource in response to the client computing device being classified as the public multi-user computing device used by different users, wherein the first functionality is not disabled when the client computing device is not classified as the public multi-user computing device used by different users; or enable second functionality of the network resource in response to the client computing device being classified as the public multi-user computing device used by different users, wherein the second functionality is not enabled when the client computing device is not classified as the public multi-user computing device used by different users.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users is an indicator in the at least one network resource request that designates the client computing device as a particular type of multi-user computing device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the indicator is customized by a supplier of the multi-user computing device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein when executed the public multi-user system detection application further causes the at least one computing device to at least:
generate a non-multi-user system confidence score based at least in part on whether the at least one network resource request embodies at least one of a plurality of characteristics associated with non-multi-user systems; and
classify the client computing device as a non-multi-user system in response to determining that the non-multi-user system confidence score meets a non-multi-user-system classification threshold.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users is a particular browser configuration.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users is an another indicator in the at least one network resource request that indicates that the client computing device executes a particular version of a software application.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein when executed the public multi-user system detection application further causes the at least one computing device to at least:
determine whether the client computing device employs a content filter; and
wherein the public multi-user system confidence score is based at least in part on whether the client computing device employs the content filter.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users is a source network address in a network address range that is associated with a network access provider for public multi-user systems.

9. A method, comprising:
receiving, via at least one of one or more computing devices, a plurality of network resource requests from a client computing device;
determining, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, whether the client computing device is a public multi-user system used by different users by calculating a score from a weighted combination of a plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users, the plurality of network resource requests embodying the plurality of characteristics;
initiating, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, storing of a result of determining whether the client computing device is a public multi-user system used by different users; and
disabling, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, first functionality of a network resource in response to the client computing device being classified as the public multi-user system used by different users, wherein the first functionality is not disabled when the client computing device is not classified as the public multi-user system used different users; or enabling, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, second functionality of the network resource in response to the client computing device being classified as the public multi-user system used by different users, wherein the second functionality is not enabled when the client computing device is not classified as the public multi-user system used by different users.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a plurality of users are associated with the plurality of network resource requests, and one of the plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users is an infrequency of use of a location associated with the client computing device as a shipping address by the plurality of users.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising determining, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, the location based at least in part on a respective source network address associated with individual ones of the plurality of network resource requests.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein one of the plurality of characteristics associated with public multi-user systems used by different users is a static source network address associated with the plurality of network resource requests.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of network resource requests include a single browser identifier and a plurality of user identifiers, and one of the plurality of characteristics relates to a frequency of repeat user sessions corresponding to the plurality of user identifiers.

14. A method, comprising:
generating, via at least one of one or more computing devices, a non-multi-user system confidence score by calculating a weighted combination of a plurality of characteristics associated with non-public non-multi-user systems that are not used by different users, the at least one network resource request embodying the plurality of characteristics is received from a client computing device;
classifying, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, the client computing device as a non-multi-user computing device in response to determining that the non-multi-user system confidence score meets a non-multi-user-system classification threshold; and
disabling, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, first functionality of a network resource in response to the client computing device being classified as the non-multi-user computing device, wherein the first functionality is not disabled when the client computing device is not classified as the non-multi-user computing device; or enabling, via at least one of the one or more computing devices, second functionality of the network resource in response to the client computing device being classified as the non-multi-user computing device, wherein the second f

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Johansson Jesper M
• Hanson Robert
• Hitchcock Daniel W
• Canavor Darren E

Classifications

• H04L41/08

  Configuration management of networks or network elements (address allocation H04L61/50) · CPC title

• H04L41/12 Primary

  Discovery or management of network topologies · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• H04L67/42

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/303

  Terminal profiles · CPC title