Identification of consumers based on a unique device ID

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9514469-B2
Application number	US-201313867082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2013
Priority date	Apr 21, 2013
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

Machines, systems and methods for identification of a consumer are provided. The method comprises capturing a unique identifier (ID) associated with a computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to access content stored on one or more content servers; and associating the unique ID with tracking data associated with the computing device, wherein when the computing device submits a request to a content server to access content, wherein in response to retrieving at least one of the unique ID or the tracking data of the computing device, the computing device is identified and content pages accessed by the computing device are tracked by a machine that is aware of the association between the unique ID and the tracking data for the computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
for each computing device of a plurality of computing devices located in a first area, capturing a unique identifier associated with the respective computing device, wherein the computing device is configured to access content stored on one or more content servers;
receiving cookie data from a first computing device;
associating the received cookie data from the first computing device with the first computing device's respective unique identifier in a first record of a database located on a remote server;
receiving cookie data from a second computing device; and
associating the received cookie data from the second computing device with the second computing device's respective unique identifier in a second record of the database located on the remote server,
wherein when the first or second computing device submits a request to a content server to access content, and in response to retrieving at least one of the unique identifier or the cookie data of the respective computing device, the respective computing device is identified and content pages accessed by the computing device are tracked by a machine that is aware of the association between the unique identifier and the cookie data for the respective computing device, wherein the tracking of the respective computing device includes storing, in a respective log file, the respective computing device's cookie data, and further includes tracking time spent by the respective computing device in various locations in the first area and storing the time spent by the respective computing device in various locations in the first area in the respective log file,
wherein an application installed on the first or second computing device in response to the respective computing device scanning a code in a first location captures the unique identifier and causes the cookie data and the unique identifier to be stored on the remote server,
wherein the code includes location information about the first location, and
wherein the location information is communicated to a location tracker, such that the location tracker identifies the respective computing device from among the plurality of computing devices located in the first area based on the location information.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is captured and reported without requiring a registration process or login event being initiated by a user of the computing device.

3. A method for identifying a computing device, the method comprising:
for each computing device of a plurality of computing devices located in a first area, capturing a unique communication identifier broadcasted by the respective computing device, wherein the unique communication identifier is one of a MAC ID, a Bluetooth ID, a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) or an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMSI) associated with the respective computing device;
tracking location of the plurality of computing devices in the first area, using a tracking mechanism, based on measuring a number of frames transmitted by each computing device of the plurality;
receiving location information about a first computing device, in response to the first computing device scanning a first code at a first location in the first area, wherein the scanned first code includes the location information about the first computing device;
receiving cookie data stored on the first computing device as a result of scanning the code;
determining which computing device of the plurality is the first computing device based on matching the location information received from scanning the code and the tracked location of the plurality of computing devices;
upon determining which computing device of the plurality is the first computing device, associating the received cookie data stored on the first computing device with the unique communication identifier of the first computing device in a first record of a database located on a remote server;
receiving location information about a second computing device of the plurality, in response to the second computing device scanning a second code at a second location in the first area, wherein the scanned second code includes the location information about the second computing device;
receiving cookie data stored on the second computing device as a result of scanning the second code;
determining which computing device of the plurality is the second computing device based on matching the location information received from scanning the second code and the tracked location of the plurality of computing devices;
upon determining which computing device of the plurality is the second computing device, associating the received cookie data with the unique communication identifier of the second computing device in a second record of the database located on the remote server; and
tracking behavior of a first user associated with the first computing device and a second user associated with the second computing device based on the associations of their respective cookie data with their respective unique communication identifiers in their respective records of the database located on the remote server, wherein tracking behavior of the first user and the second user includes storing, in a respective log file for each user, the respective user's cookie data, and wherein tracking behavior of the first user and the second user further includes tracking time spent by each user in various locations in the first area and storing the time spent by each user in various locations in the first area in the respective log file for each user.

4. A system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
a computer readable storage device; and
program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors to cause the one or more computer processors to:
for each computing device of a plurality of computing devices located in a first area, capture a unique communication identifier broadcasted by the respective computing device, wherein the unique communication identifier is one of a MAC ID, a Bluetooth ID, a Radio-frequency identification (RFID) or an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMSI) associated with the respective computing device;
track location of the plurality of computing devices in the first area, using a tracking mechanism, based on measuring a number of frames transmitted by each computing device of the plurality;
receive location information about a first computing device, in response to the first computing device scanning a first code at a first location in the first area, wherein the scanned first code includes the location information about the first computing device;
receive cookie data stored on the first computing device as a result of scanning the code;
determine which computing device of the plurality is the first computing device based on matching the location information received from scanning the code and the tracked location of the plurality of computing devices;
upon determining which computing device of the plurality is the first computing device, associate the received cookie data stored on the first computing device with the unique communication identifier of the first computing device in a first record of a database located on a remote server;
receive location information about a second computing device of the plurality, in response to the second computing device scanning a second code at a second location in the first area, wherein the scanned second code includes the location information about the second computing device;
receive cookie data stored on the second computing device as a result of scanning the second code;
determine which computing device of the plurality is the second c

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Fuchs Omri
• Nadler Sima
• Sandbank Tommy

Classifications

• G06F16/9554

  by using bar codes · CPC title

• G06F16/23

  Updating · CPC title

• G06Q30/02 Primary

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• G06F17/30002

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/30879

  Physics · mapped topic