Linking Device IDs via Time Slot and Network Address Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to accurately identify physical devices used by single users across multiple devices, leading to fragmented user profiles and missed opportunities in Internet-based advertising, as different device IDs from web browsers and applications are not effectively linked.
Innovation Solution
A system that assesses and links device IDs of different types by associating them with the same network address and time slot, calculates scores based on their occurrences, and stores them in a database to confirm device ID groups, enabling the creation of aggregated user profiles and improved content serving.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If device IDs from different types (web browser and application) are used to identify users, then user identification coverage is improved, but device ID linking accuracy deteriorates because different device ID types cannot be reliably associated with the same physical device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary linking system that uses multiple correlating factors (device model, operating system, network address, geographic location, time slot) as mediators to connect different device ID types. This intermediary layer enables indirect association between web browser device IDs and application device IDs by finding commonalities across these multiple dimensions, thereby resolving the fundamental incompatibility between different ID types while maintaining identification coverage.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple device IDs are tracked separately, then comprehensive user activity data collection is improved, but user profile accuracy deteriorates due to creation of multiple unassociated profiles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple device ID types into unified user profiles by establishing links between them through the correlating factors. Instead of maintaining separate profiles for web browser activity and application activity, the system combines these data streams into single comprehensive profiles by identifying when different device IDs belong to the same physical device, thereby preserving data volume while improving profile accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If device identification relies on network addresses, then device identification simplicity is improved, but identification accuracy deteriorates because multiple devices may share the same network address
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the device identification process into multiple independent dimensions: network address matching, device model matching, operating system matching, geographic location matching, and time slot matching. By dividing the identification task into these separate segments and requiring concordance across multiple segments rather than relying on a single network address, the system maintains operational simplicity while significantly improving identification accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic system may be configured to determine if a first-type device ID and a second-type device ID both identify a same device. To do so, the electronic system may preliminarily group a particular first-type ID with a particular second-type ID based on matching time slots and network addresses. Individual scores for each of the preliminary groups may be determined based on cardinalities associated with the time slots. Combined scores may then be determined for groups having the same first-type device ID and second-type device ID. A final analysis may be performed to confirm, with a sufficient level of confidence, whether first-type device IDs and second-type device IDs included in the preliminary groups identify the same device.