System and method for identifying individual users accessing a web site

A system for identifying a distinct computer user accessing a web site, the system comprising:

• a client computer system operated by one or more computer users;
• a web site server computer system;
• wherein the client computer system is operable to connect with the web site server for gaining access to said web site in response to requests from said one or more computer users;
• and
• wherein the web site server is operable to:
• store one or more records in a database, wherein each record comprises an Internet address and a time value, and wherein each record corresponds to a computer user accessing said web site;
• receive a first request from a first computer user to access the web site;
• send a request for information to said first computer user, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer user;
• receive said information;
• determine whether a matching record for said first Internet address and said first time value exists in said database;
• identify said first computer user as a distinct computer user if said matching record does not exist in said database.

A system for identifying a distinct computer user accessing a web site, the system comprising:

• a client computer system operated by a computer user;
• and
• a web site server, wherein the web site server is operable to connect with the client computer system for providing web site access to said client computer system in response to a request from said computer user,
• wherein the client computer system is operable to:
• launch a web browser software;
• execute a program to synchronize time;
• send a first request to said web site server to access the web site;
• receive a request for information from said web site server, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said client computer system;
• and
• send said information.

A memory medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to implement a method of:

• storing one or more records in a database, wherein each record comprises an Internet address and a time value, and wherein each record corresponds to a distinct computer access to a web site;
• receiving a first request from a first computer to access the web site;
• sending a request for information to said first computer, wherein said information comprises a first Internet address and a first time value corresponding to said first computer;
• receiving said information;
• determining whether a matching record for said first Internet address and said first time value exists in said database;
• identifying said first computer as a distinct computer user if said matching record does not exist in said database.

A system for identifying a distinct computer user accessing a web site, the system comprising:

• a client computer system operated by one or more computer users;
• a web site server computer system;
• wherein the client computer system is operable to connect with the web site server for gaining access to said web site in response to requests from said one or more computer users;
• and
• wherein the web site server is operable to:
• store one or more identifiers, wherein each identifier corresponds to a computer user accessing said web site, wherein said each identifier comprises an Internet address and a time value, wherein the time value is associated with a launch of a web browser on the client computer system;
• receive a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises a first identifier corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site, wherein said first identifier comprises a first Internet address, and a first time value associated with a launch of a web browser on the client computer system;
• search for an identifier matching said first identifier among said one or more stored identifiers;
• identify said first identifier as a distinct computer user if said searching for said first identifier did not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the first Internet address, and the Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers and a match between the first time value and the time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers.

A memory medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable by a computer system to implement a method of:

• storing one or more identifiers, wherein each identifier corresponds to a computer user accessing a web site, wherein said each identifier comprises an Internet address and a time value, wherein the time value is associated with a launch of a web browser by a respective computer user;
• receiving a request from a first computer user to access the web site, wherein said request comprises a first identifier corresponding to said first computer user accessing said web site, wherein said first identifier comprises a first Internet address, and a first time value associated with a launch of a web browser by the first computer user;
• searching for an identifier matching said first identifier among said one or more stored identifiers;
• identifying said first identifier as a distinct computer user if said searching for said first identifier did not result in a match, wherein a match comprises a match between the first Internet address and the Internet address in one of said one or more stored identifiers, and a match between the first time value and the time value in the one of said one or more stored identifiers.