A technique for uniquely identifying devices without explicitly provided device or user identifying information in a networked
client-
server environment, e.g., the
Mobile Internet, in which content is downloaded from a
server to a device browser executing at a
client device, and using static
XML markup tags embedded in the content in a manner transparent to a user situated at the device browser, derives a globally
unique device identifier. Device identifying information is captured and maintained in a device profile
database associated with a globally
unique device identifier. Specifically, mark up code embedded into a referring
content page effectively downloads
software from a distribution
server, and then instantiates the
software in the
client device browser. The
software transparently and dynamically inserts an
Internet address request to a device identification
management system. The device identification
management system selects a device profile associated with a previously detected request from the device and retrieves its
globally unique identifier from a
database of all profiles for all previous devices requesting unique device identifications. If a matching profile is not found in the
database, the device identifying information associated with the request is entered as a
new device profile along with a
globally unique identifier associated with that specific device in the database. The
globally unique identifier is delivered back to the device or external systems for their own use, e.g.,
mobile Internet advertising management systems.