# US 2018/0025380 A1 · Using Fingerprinting to Identify a Node in a Social Graph of Sharing Activity of Users of the Open Web as Representing a Particular Person

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- Number: US 2018/0025380 A1
- Document ID: US20180025380A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/724,199
- Filed: 2017-10-03
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-16
- Applicants: RadiumOne, Inc.
- Inventors: Dimitri Vaynblat; Gurbaksh Chahal
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025380A1

## CPC

- H04W 4/12: Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
- G06F 16/22: Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
- G06F 16/23: Updating
- G06F 16/24575: {using context}
- G06F 16/2465: {Query processing support for facilitating data mining operations in structured databases}
- G06F 16/248: Presentation of query results
- G06F 16/25: Integrating or interfacing systems involving database management systems
- G06F 16/285: {Clustering or classification}
- G06F 16/35: Clustering; Classification
- G06F 16/9024: {Graphs; Linked lists (G06F16/9027 takes precedence)}
- G06F 16/951: Indexing; Web crawling techniques
- G06F 16/955: using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
- G06Q 10/42: Determination of affinities or common interests between users
- G06Q 10/48: using social graphs
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements
- G06Q 30/0244: {Optimization}
- G06Q 30/0255: {based on user history}
- G06Q 30/0261: {based on user location}
- G06Q 30/0269: {based on user profile or attribute}
- G06Q 30/0271: {Personalized advertisement}
- G06Q 30/0273: Determination of fees for advertising
- G06Q 30/0275: {Auctions}
- G06Q 30/0277: {Online advertisement}
- G06Q 30/0641: {utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping}
- H04L 12/1813: {for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms (instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15)}
- H04L 43/045: for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
- H04L 43/06: Generation of reports
- H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
- H04L 51/046: Interoperability with other network applications or services
- H04L 51/10: Multimedia information
- H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services
- H04L 51/56: Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
- H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
- H04L 67/51: Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
- H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)}
- H04L 67/565: Conversion or adaptation of application format or content (adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Personally identifiable information is not collected. The sharing activity can include receiving first activity information for a sender of a message to a recipient by a collection resource at a Web site, the collection resource adding a link to the message, and receiving second activity information when the recipient accesses the link. The first or second activity information can include a cookie, which can be used to identify a node in a social graph as being representative of a particular person or user. When a match is not found, a fingerprinting approach can be performed using attributes, such as device identifiers: IP addresses; operating systems; browsers types; browser versions; or user navigational, geo-temporal, or behavioral patterns.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving first activity information for a sender of a message sent to at least one recipient by a collection resource at a Web site, wherein the message comprises text associated with the Web site, the collection resource adds a first link to the message, and no personally identifiable information of the sender is collected in collecting the first activity information;
storing the first activity information at a storage server;
receiving second activity information when a first recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender corresponding to the first activity information stored at the storage server, wherein no personally identifiable information of the first recipient is collected in the second activity information;
using at least one processor, using the first activity information to identify a first node in a social graph as being representative of the sender,
wherein the using the first activity information to identify a first node in a social graph as being representative of the sender comprises:
extracting a user identifier from a cookie received with the first activity data; and
if a match for the user identifier is not found in the social graph, performing a fingerprinting approach using attributes comprising at least one of device identifiers; IP addresses; operating systems; browsers types; browser versions; or user navigational, geo-temporal, or behavioral patterns; or any combination of these;
using the second activity information to identify a second node in the social graph as being representative of the first recipient;
determining a category for the first link as a first category type; and
in the social graph, creating a first edge between the first and second nodes, wherein the first edge is representative of the first category type.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 comprising:
assigning to the first edge a first weighting for the first category type.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 comprising:
receiving third activity information for the sender of a second link to the recipient collected by a collection resource at a Web site; and
receiving fourth activity information when the recipient accesses the second link sent by the sender corresponding to the third activity information stored at the storage server.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 comprising:
determining a category for the second link is the first category type; and
in the social graph, increasing a value of the first weighting for the first edge between the first and second nodes

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 comprising:
determining a category for the second link is the second category type, different from the first category type; and
in the social graph, creating a second edge between the first and second nodes, wherein the second edge is representative of the second category type

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 comprising:
assigning to the second edge a second weighting for the second category type.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 comprising:
in the social graph, reducing a value of the first weighting when a time for the fourth activity information is more recent than a time for the second activity information.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 comprising:
based on the social graph including the first and second nodes, making a bid to an ad exchange for an ad associated with at least one of the first node or second node.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises a sharing widget.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) shortening.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the collection resource at a Web site used to collect first activity information comprises an instant messenger application.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the text is copied from the Web site.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the message comprises an image.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the message comprises a video.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the first recipient is represented as a node in the social graph.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating the first link based on the message, wherein the first link is associated with the text and the first link comprises a reference to information accessible over the Internet.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 wherein the first link comprises a reference to a first information accessible over the Internet, different than a second link the sender accessed to the Web site.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the first link is generated in response to the message.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the fingerprinting approach comprises a probabilistic fingerprinting approach.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the fingerprinting approach comprises a deterministic fingerprinting approach.