On-Device Browsing History Analysis for Privacy-Preserving User Profiling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing user profiling systems face challenges in accessing and utilizing browsing data for advertising purposes while ensuring user privacy, as browsing data is often not visible to third-party stakeholders and privacy policies restrict the retention of user information on remote servers.
Innovation Solution
A method where a server monitors outgoing web resource requests from a user device and returns indications of these requests to the device, allowing an on-device software agent to accumulate browsing history without sharing personal information with remote servers, thus enabling personalized profiling while maintaining user privacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If browsing data is collected on remote servers for user profiling, then advertising personalization can be improved, but user privacy and data security deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of collecting browsing data from users and storing it on remote servers (traditional approach), the patent inverts the data flow by having the software agent send only processed profile information to third-party stakeholders. The raw browsing data remains exclusively on the user device, eliminating centralized data storage risks while still enabling personalized advertising.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a software agent as an intermediary component that runs on the user device. This agent acts as a mediator between the browsing software and third-party stakeholders, processing browsing data locally and transmitting only essential profile information without exposing raw personal data to external parties.
2Adaptability or versatility
If browsing history is made accessible to third-party stakeholders, then advertising targeting can be improved, but user privacy protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary profile information from the complete browsing history and transmits it to third-party stakeholders. The software agent analyzes browsing data locally and sends a condensed profile containing essential advertising targeting data without exposing the full browsing history, thus maintaining privacy while enabling targeted advertising.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local processing of browsing data on the user device through the software agent. Different parts of the system have different functions: the agent performs local analysis and profile creation, while third-party stakeholders receive only the resulting profile information. This local quality approach ensures sensitive data remains on-device while enabling remote advertising capabilities.
3Productivity
If user browsing data is centralized on remote servers, then data utilization for profiling can be improved, but security against data leaks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct components: the software agent on the user device that processes browsing data, and third-party stakeholders that receive only profile information. This segmentation prevents centralization of raw browsing data on remote servers, distributing data handling responsibilities while maintaining security through architectural separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the essential browsing information in the form of a user profile that is transmitted to third-party stakeholders. The original browsing data remains on the user device, while stakeholders receive a processed copy containing only advertising-relevant information, eliminating the need to store or transmit sensitive personal data.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and product to be implemented at a server, including receiving from a user device a request associated with obtaining a web resource; handling the request, wherein, based on the handling, the web resource is obtained and provided to the user device; and transmitting an indication of the request to a predetermined port of the user device. Another method, system and product to be implemented at a user device, includes transmitting from a software product a plurality of requests of web resources; receiving by a software agent a plurality of indications of the plurality of requests via a predetermined port of the user device; and performing by the software agent an analysis of the plurality of requests of web resources, thereby determining for a user of the user device one or more user parameters associated with a personalized profile of the user.