HTTP Header Session Matching for Encrypted Audience Measurement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audience measurement systems face challenges in accurately identifying and retrieving session identifiers from secure network messages, such as HTTPS requests, which are encrypted, making it difficult to match panel and census identifiers for comprehensive audience measurement.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating session identifiers into non-encrypted header properties of network messages, specifically using the HTTPS header, allows for the extraction of these identifiers without decrypting the payload, enabling efficient matching with panel identifiers through a proxy server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If session identifiers are placed in encrypted payload of HTTPS requests, then security is improved, but ability to retrieve identifiers without decrypting is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network message into header properties and payload, placing the session identifier in the non-encrypted header portion while keeping the payload encrypted. This allows the identifier to be retrieved without decrypting the entire payload, resolving the contradiction between security and identifier accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The proxy server acts as an intermediary that can access header properties of HTTPS requests without needing to decrypt the payload. This intermediary approach enables identifier retrieval while maintaining the security benefits of encrypted transmission.
2Measurement precision
If additional network messages are used to extract identifiers, then measurement accuracy is improved, but processing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The session identifier is prepared and placed in the header property beforehand, so that when the proxy server receives the network message, the identifier is already available for extraction without requiring additional round trips or complex processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the session identifier from the network message header properties, separating it from the encrypted payload. This extraction enables accurate identifier matching while avoiding the complexity of decrypting and processing the entire payload or sending additional messages.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If payload encryption is used, then data security is improved, but ability to access identifier information is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the data transmission into two parts: the payload which remains encrypted for security, and the header properties which contain the session identifier in an unencrypted form. This segmentation allows identifier accessibility while maintaining payload encryption for data security.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for census and panel matching using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) headers. An example apparatus includes memory, instructions in the apparatus, and processor circuitry to execute the instructions transmit a first session identifier in an HTTPS header property of a network message to a proxy server, the proxy server to parse the first session identifier from the HTTPS header property, and transmit a second session identifier in the HTTPS header property when the second session identifier is different from the first session identifier, wherein the first session identifier or the second session identifier is transmitted to a monitoring entity, the monitoring entity associating the first session identifier or the second session identifier with at least a panel identifier.