US 2017/0286558 A1Published application

Tracking Internet Sharing Using Augmented URLs

AssigneeBuzzfeed, Inc.

InventorAndrew Keats Kelleher

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Abstract

A tracking system receives indications of requests for webpages from browsers associated with users' client devices. Upon receiving an indication of a request for a webpage from a client device the tracking system identifies a client ID representing a sharing user associated with the client device. The tracking system hashes the client ID and appends it to the URL of the webpage creating an augmented URL. The browser of the sharing user is redirected to the augmented URL. When a receiving user represented by a different client ID uses the augmented URL to request the webpage, the tracking system determines that the sharing user must have shared the augmented URL with the receiving user and generates a user edge recording the sharing event. The tracking system organizes user edges from sharing events into tree structures and provides visualization functionality to webpage administrators interested in sharing patterns.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method for tracking content diffusion over a network, the method comprising:

receiving a first indication that a browser on a client device associated with a sharing user has requested a webpage having a URL, the first indication including a client ID of the sharing user and a content ID;
augmenting the URL of the webpage by appending a hash of the client ID of the sharing user to the URL of the webpage to create a first augmented URL;
transmitting the augmented URL to the browser on the client device;
providing the webpage to the browser of the client device associated with the sharing user;
receiving a second indication that a browser on a client device associated with a receiving user has requested the webpage using the augmented URL, the second indication including a client ID of the receiving user, the hash of the client ID of the sharing user, and the content ID;
creating a second augmented URL of the webpage by removing the hash of the client ID of the sharing user from the first augmented URL of the webpage and appending a hash of the client ID of the receiving user to the URL of the webpage;
generating a user edge based on the hash of the client ID of the sharing user, the client ID of the receiving user, the content ID, and a timestamp;
providing the webpage to the browser of the client device associated with the receiving user;
comparing, based on edge logic, the generated user edge to one or more trees, the one or more trees including a plurality of stored user edges, each stored user edge having a content ID matching the content ID of the generated user edge;
in response to the comparison of the generated user edge to the one or more trees:
modifying the one or more trees;
and
generating a visualization of the modified one or more trees.

10 more elements

A system for tracking content diffusion over a network, the system comprising:

a computer processor for executing computer program instructions;
and
a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable to perform steps comprising:
receiving a first indication that a browser on a client device associated with a sharing user has requested a webpage having a URL, the first indication including a client ID of the sharing user and a content ID;
augmenting the URL of the webpage by appending a hash of the client ID of the sharing user to the URL of the webpage to create a first augmented URL;
transmitting the augmented URL to the browser on the client device;
providing the webpage to the browser of the client device associated with the sharing user;
receiving a second indication that a browser on a client device associated with a receiving user has requested the webpage using the augmented URL, the second indication including a client ID of the receiving user, the hash of the client ID of the sharing user, and the content ID;
creating a second augmented URL of the webpage by removing the hash of the client ID of the sharing user from the first augmented URL of the webpage and appending a hash of the client ID of the receiving user to the URL of the webpage;
generating a user edge based on the hash of the client ID of the sharing user, the client ID of the receiving user, the content ID, and a timestamp;
providing the webpage to the browser of the client device associated with the receiving user;
comparing, based on edge logic, the generated user edge to one or more trees, the one or more trees including a plurality of stored user edges, each stored user edge having a content ID matching the content ID of the generated user edge;
in response to the comparison of the generated user edge to the one or more trees:
modifying the one or more trees;
and
generating a visualization of the modified one or more trees.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/089,150Filed 1 Apr 2016
Published: 5 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G06F 16/9566
Using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]: uRL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
G06F 11/323
With visual or acoustical indication of the functioning of the machine: visualisation of programs or trace data
G06F 11/3438
Recording or statistical evaluation of computer activity, e.g. of down time, of input/output operation ; Recording or statistical evaluation of…:…
G06F 11/3495
Performance evaluation by tracing or monitoring: for systems