Proxy Server Device ID Tracking for Virtualized Apps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for tracking device IDs for virtualized applications often attribute actions to the emulator device ID instead of the actual originating device, leading to lost revenue and inaccurate usage attribution due to the temporary validity of emulator device IDs.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method involving a proxy server or network message inspector that receives, inspects, and replaces the emulator device ID with the originating device ID in network messages, ensuring accurate attribution by transmitting the corrected messages to destination servers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If device ID tracking is performed using emulator device IDs, then device identification is achieved, but tracking accuracy and revenue attribution deteriorate because emulator device IDs are temporary and not linked to actual originating devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a device ID mapping service as an intermediary between the emulator device ID and the actual originating device ID. The mapping service stores the correspondence between emulator device IDs and real device IDs, allowing accurate attribution while maintaining the temporary nature of emulator IDs. This resolves the contradiction by preserving tracking accuracy without requiring permanent changes to the emulator ID system.
2Ease of manufacture
If emulator device IDs are used for tracking, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but long-term analytics and revenue attribution are compromised due to the temporary validity of emulator device IDs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing the mapping between emulator device IDs and actual device IDs before tracking occurs. The mapping service is set up in advance to store these correspondences, enabling long-term analytics without requiring complex real-time resolution mechanisms. This maintains implementation simplicity while extending the effective duration of tracking beyond the emulator ID's temporary validity.
3Productivity
If direct access to raw device ID data is provided to multiple parties, then data utilization is maximized, but user privacy and data security are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary tracking information (device ID mappings and attribution data) from the raw data set, leaving sensitive personal information behind. The mapping service provides extracted, anonymized data to multiple parties for analytics and attribution purposes, maximizing data utilization while removing harmful privacy exposure. This allows productive data sharing without compromising user security.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of tracking device IDs for virtualized applications includes receiving, at a proxy server, a network message originating from an emulated application, inspecting the network message to determine if a device ID is set for the network message, obtaining an originating device ID corresponding to the device ID in the network message, replacing the device ID in the network message with the originating device ID, and transmitting the network message to a specified destination server. Alternatively, the method may include intercepting the network message at a network message inspector. Alternatively, the method may include specifying the originating device ID by way of an application programming interface (API).