# US 10,504,192 B2 · Systems and methods for influence of a user on content shared via an encoded uniform resource locator (URL) link

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- Number: US 10,504,192 B2
- Document ID: US10504192B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/483,627
- Filed: 2017-04-10
- Published: 2017-07-27
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20
- Assignees: Bitly, Inc.
- Applicants: Bitly, Inc
- Inventors: Hilary Mason; Peter Stern
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504192B2

## CPC

- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- G06F 16/90335: {Query processing}
- G06Q 10/10: Office automation; Time management
- G06Q 10/44: Identification of trends within social networks, e.g. identification of trending topics
- G06Q 10/46: Determination of level of influence of users within social networking services
- G06F 16/00: Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
- G06Q 50/00: Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism (healthcare informatics G16H)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a method for tracking influence of a user on content shared via encoded uniform resource locator (URL) links. Measuring influence of a user may identify what level of engagement the user drives to content when the user shares content with other users, such as via encoded links. A high influencer may be a user who drives a high level of engagement with content when the user shares content. A low influencer may be a user who does not drive a high level of engagement, or otherwise drives a low level of engagement with content when the user shares content. The method may include receiving, by a server, identification of a user for each of a plurality of encoded uniform resource locator (URL) links. The server may identify a plurality of keywords from content identified by each encoded URL link. The server may determine a number of actions via a plurality of users that decoded each encoded URL link of the plurality of encoded URL links of the user. The server may store, in a profile of the user, information on the one or more keywords and the number of actions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for tracking influence of users on content shared via encoded uniform resource locator (URL) links, the method comprising:
(a) receiving, by one or more servers of a linking system, identification of a user profile for each of a plurality of encoded uniform resource locator (URL) links linked to a respective web page and generated by the linking system responsive to one or more requests to generate the plurality of encoded URL links that are requested by a user associated with the user profile;
(b) associating, by the one or more servers, the generated encoded URL links to the user profile responsive to the requests to generate the encoded URL links;
(c) identifying, by the one or more servers, a plurality of keywords from content identified by each encoded URL link requested by the user associated with the user profile;
(d) determining, by the one or more servers, a number of actions performed by a plurality of user devices on the plurality of encoded URL links requested by user associated with the user profile; and
(e) storing, by the one or more servers, in the user profile, a data structure identifying, for each keyword of the plurality of keywords from the content identified by the encoded URL links, the number of actions performed on the encoded URL links requested to be generated by the user associated with the user profile.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises receiving, by the one or more servers, one or more requests from the user to encode one or more the plurality of encoded URL links.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) further comprises identifying, by the one or more servers, the user profile via one of a cookie or a user account with the server.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises identifying, by the one or more servers, the plurality of keywords from the content identified by the decoded URL links based on one or more of the following: text, phrases and meta-data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises determining, by the one or more servers, the plurality of actions of the plurality of user devices on the encoded URLs links from one or more cookies associated with each of the plurality of user devices.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises receiving, by the one or more servers, identification of the plurality of actions of the plurality of user devices comprising forwarding by each of the plurality of the user devices an encoded URL link.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises receiving, by the one or more servers, identification of the plurality of actions of the plurality of users comprising sharing by each of the plurality of the user devices an encoded URL link in one or more social networking sites.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) further comprises receiving, by the one or more servers, a request for a relevance score for the user profile and a keyword.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising generating, by the one or more servers, the relevance score responsive to the request and adjusting a weight of the relevance score based on the user profile.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising generating, by the one or more servers, the relevance score responsive to the request and generating the relevance score based on the user profile and the profiles of users associated with user devices that decoded the encoded URL links of the user profile.

### Claim 11

A system for tracking influence of users on content shared via encoded uniform resource locator (URL) links, the system comprising:
a server having one or more processors, configured to:
receive identification of a user profile for each of a plurality of encoded uniform resource locator (URL) links linked to a respective web page and generated by the linking system responsive to one or more requests to generate the plurality of encoded URL links requested by a user associated with the user profile;
associate the generated encoded URL links to the user profile responsive to the requests to generate the encoded URL links;
identify a plurality of keywords from content identified by each encoded URL link requested by the user associated with the user profile;
determine a number of actions performed by a plurality of user devices on the plurality of encoded URL links requested by the user associated with the user profile; and
store in the user profile, a data structure identifying, for each keyword of the plurality of keywords from the content identified by the encoded URL links, the number of actions performed on the encoded URL links requested to be generated by the user associated with the user profile.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to receive one or more requests from the user profile to encode one or more of the plurality of encoded URL links.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to identify the user profile via one of a cookie or a user account with the server.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to identify the plurality of keywords from the content identified by the decoded URL links based on one or more of the following: text, phrases and meta-data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to determine the plurality of actions of the plurality of user devices on the encoded URLs links from one or more cookies associated with each of the plurality of user devices.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of actions of the plurality of user devices comprising forwarding by each of the plurality of the user devices an encoded URL link.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of actions of the plurality of user devices comprises sharing by each of the plurality of the user devices an encoded URL link in one or more social networking sites.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the server is further configured to receive a request for a relevance score for the user profile and a keyword.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein a relevance score generates the relevance score responsive to the request and adjusts a weight of the relevance score based on the profile of the user.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The system of claim 18, wherein a relevance score generates, responsive to the request, the relevance score based on the user profile and the profiles of users associated with user devices that decoded the encoded URL links of the user profile.