Tracking and analyses of data consumption

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9853951-B2
Application number	US-201414552991-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 25, 2014
Priority date	Oct 8, 2012
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing services are disclosed. One aspect comprises authenticating a user associated with a first service, receiving a selection of a second service, generating an opaque identifier associated with the user and the first service, wherein the opaque identifier facilitates the anonymous collection of data relating to the second service. Another aspect can comprise transmitting the opaque identifier to the second service, and receiving data relating to the second service.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a content consumption data collection service from one or more mobile devices, data associated with consumption of content and an identifier associated with the data and a unique consumer of content, wherein the identifier is:
a. anonymous to the content consumption data collection service because the content consumption data collection service cannot determine an identity of the unique consumer of content associated with the identifier and
b. transparent to a demographic data collection service because the demographic data collection service can determine the identity of the unique consumer of content associated with the identifier;

encrypting, by the content consumption data collection service, at least a portion of the data associated with the consumption of the content using the identifier;
providing, by the content consumption data collection service, at least a portion of the encrypted data and the identifier to the demographic data collection service;
receiving, by the content consumption data collection service from the demographic data collection service, processed data, wherein the processed data comprises demographic data based on the at least a portion of the encrypted data, and wherein the demographic data is related to the identity of the unique consumer of content associated with the identifier;
analyzing, by the consumption data collection service, the received processed data and the data associated with the consumption of the content; and
outputting, by the consumption data collection service, a result of the analyzing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is generated by the demographic data collection service or by a content provider.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein encrypting, by the content consumption data collection service, the at least a portion of the data associated with consumption of the content using the identifier comprises performing a hash.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing, by the content consumption data collection service, the at least a portion of the encrypted data and the identifier to the demographic data collection service comprises performing a hypertext transfer protocol operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier is used by the demographic data collection service to determine demographic data of a consumer of the content.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analyzing comprises performing a statistical analysis.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the result of the analysis comprises ratings for content consumed.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the data associated with the consumption of the content comprises performing a ratings analysis.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the data associated with the consumption of the content comprises generating ratings data based on analyzing one or more of:
user rights data that comprises information relating to a content permission or a content entitlement associated with one or more of the unique consumer of content or a source of the content consumed by the unique consumer of content;
services data that comprises information relating to a content provider of the content consumed; or
user data that comprises information relating to one or more of a user experience setting, a user viewing habit, or a preference for the unique consumer of content.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the data associated with the consumption of the content comprises mapping the identifier to a user profile containing the demographic data.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the data associated with the consumption of the content comprises decrypting the at least a portion of the encrypted data using the identifier.

12. A method comprising:
receiving, by a content consumption data collection service from a demographic data collection service, a plurality of identifiers, wherein each of the plurality of identifiers corresponds to one of each of a plurality of unique consumers of content, and wherein each of the plurality of identifiers is:
a. anonymous to the content consumption data collection service because the content consumption data collection service cannot determine identities of the plurality of unique consumers of content and
b. transparent to the demographic data collection service because the demographic data collection service can determine the identities of the plurality of unique consumers of content;
assigning, by the content consumption data collection service, one of each of the plurality of identifiers to one of each of a plurality of mobile devices;
receiving, by the content consumption data collection service, content consumption data, wherein the content consumption data comprises data indicative of content consumed on each of the plurality of mobile devices and a corresponding one of the plurality of identifiers representing one or more of the plurality of mobile devices;
providing, by the content consumption data collection service, the content consumption data and the plurality of identifiers to the demographic data collection service;
receiving, by the content consumption data collection service from the demographic data collection service, processed data, wherein the processed data comprises demographic data for each of the plurality of unique consumers of content represented by each of the plurality of identifiers;
analyzing, by the consumption data collection service, the received processed data and the content consumption data; and
outputting, by the consumption data collection service, a result of the analyzing.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing, by the content consumption data collection service, the content consumption data and the plurality of identifiers to the demographic data collection service comprises performing a hypertext transfer protocol operation.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the content consumption data comprises performing a statistical analysis.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the content consumption data comprises:
determining the demographic data of each of the plurality of unique consumers of content represented by each of the plurality of identifiers contained in the content consumption data; and
associating the demographic data with each of the plurality of identifiers contained in the received processed data.

16. The method of claim 12 , the result of the analysis comprises ratings for content consumed.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the content consumption data comprises performing a ratings analysis.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein analyzing the received processed data and the content consumption data comprises generating ratings data based on analyzing one or more of:
user rights data that comprises information relating to a content permission or a content entitlement associated with one or more of the unique consumer of content or a source of the content consumed by the unique consumer of content;
services data that comprises information relating to a content provider of the content consumed; or
user data that comprises information relating to one or more of a user experience setting, a user viewing habit, or a preference for the unique consumer of content.

19. Th

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Mays David
• Press Jason

Classifications

• H04L63/0421

  Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer · CPC title

• H04L63/0428 Primary

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• H04L2209/42

  Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms · CPC title

• H04N21/2407

  Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads (arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14) · CPC title

• H04N21/25891

  being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18) · CPC title