Browser Fingerprinting via BUID Vector Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for understanding user behavior and interests across multiple websites are limited by the reliance on cookies and login accounts, as users can evade tracking by declining cookies, browsing in incognito mode, or accessing sites without sharing account information.
Innovation Solution
A network environment method that associates website visits with user identifiers using browser data, such as device and browser information, even in the absence of cookies or login data, by creating a Browser User Identifier (BUID) vector and comparing it to User Identifier (UID) records, adjusting probabilities based on consistency, and selecting the most likely candidate records for user behavior analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If cookies and login accounts are used for user identification, then user behavior tracking accuracy is improved, but user privacy protection deteriorates and users can easily evade tracking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fingerprinting module as an intermediary that creates browser fingerprints from available browser data (user agent, screen resolution, installed fonts, etc.) to identify users without requiring cookies or login accounts. This mediator enables continuous tracking while respecting user privacy preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of user identification through browser fingerprinting - instead of relying on explicit user-provided identifiers like cookies, it generates a fingerprint profile that replicates the user identification function using passive browser characteristics.
2Loss of information
If cookies are used for user identification, then user behavior aggregation across sites is improved, but user control over tracking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service tracking by automatically gathering browser fingerprint data without requiring user action. The fingerprinting module continuously collects and updates browser characteristics to maintain user identification, eliminating the need for users to manage cookies or login credentials.
3Reliability
If traditional cookie-based tracking is used, then user identification reliability is improved, but system complexity and user burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts user identification capability from the cookie mechanism and implements it through browser fingerprinting. By removing the dependency on cookies and login accounts, the system simplifies the tracking architecture while maintaining identification reliability through passive collection of browser characteristics.
Data Source
AI summary
Browser requests are received and data included in it is added to a vector. If explicit identification information (username, cookie data, etc.) is present, the vector is associated with a pre-existing user record, which is then updated. If not, candidate user records may be identified according to correspondence with values in the vector. This may include comparing hashes of one or more values to identify similarities. Candidate vectors may be eliminated by identifying inconsistency in OS, device, and browser information. Probability assigned to each candidate vector may be adjusted, e.g., reduced, in response to inconsistency in other data relating to a browser, device, or of a more global nature, e.g. time zone, user attributes, etc. Records associated with different devices may be associated with one another by evaluating hashes of data values submitted by a user on the different devices. Where the hash values of two records intersect, they may be merged with one another.