Cross-Device Visitor Correlation via Cloud Mediator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in tracking users across multiple devices without login credentials or email addresses, leading to inaccurate visitor tracking and campaign attribution, as cookies are not shared across devices or browser applications.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cross-device visitor correlation system that uses visitor identifiers to associate users across different devices, even when they are not logged in, by including these identifiers in application data transferred between devices and stored in cloud data storage, allowing for correlation of user activities across various devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If browser application cookies are used to identify returning visitors, then visitor identification on a single device is improved, but cross-device visitor tracking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based service as an intermediary that receives visitor identifiers from multiple devices and correlates them to identify the same user across devices. This mediator enables cross-device tracking while maintaining the simplicity of cookie-based identification on individual devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension of data storage and processing by moving from device-local cookie storage to cloud-based visitor identifier correlation. This dimensional shift enables the system to track users across devices by correlating identifiers in the cloud rather than relying on device-specific cookies.
2Measurement precision
If users log-in to be recognized as the same individual across devices, then visitor correlation is improved, but user convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables automatic visitor identification and correlation without requiring user action. The system automatically captures visitor identifiers from devices, correlates them in the cloud, and identifies users across devices without requiring login or user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The cloud-based service acts as an intermediary that performs the correlation function automatically, eliminating the need for users to manually log in. The intermediary system handles the complex correlation logic while users simply need to visit websites or use applications.
3Adaptability or versatility
If visitor identifiers are collected and correlated across devices, then cross-device tracking is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex correlation logic from individual devices and places it in a dedicated cloud-based service. This extraction simplifies device-side implementation while enabling sophisticated cross-device tracking through the centralized service that handles identifier correlation.
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments of cross device visitor correlation, application data is generated by an application executing on a computing device, and a visitor identifier is included in the application data. The visitor identifier is associated with the computing device for a user who is not identified at the computing device from a user-provided log-in credential or email address. The application data can be communicated to a cloud data storage that maintains the application data to update instances of the application on one or more additional computing devices when the application data is requested. An additional computing device can receive the application data along with the visitor identifier, and then return the visitor identifier back to the cloud storage along with updated application data. A user of the computing device and the additional computing device is correlated as the same visitor by a visitor profile server based on the visitor identifier.