Router Web Meter User Association via Preliminary Authorization
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging to associate web browsing activities with individual household members in a non-intrusive manner, especially when multiple members use different devices simultaneously, as existing systems struggle to accurately track and differentiate between users within a shared Internet connection.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that uses a router and a web traffic logging server to process data access requests from various devices, determining user identity and authorization to generate records that link web events with specific household members, allowing users to choose their personal information for association, even across devices with proprietary operating systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If web browsing activities are tracked across multiple devices in a household, then the quantity of data collected increases, but the ability to accurately associate activities with individual users deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having users provide personal information and authorization in advance through a software-based web meter before web browsing activities are tracked. This pre-configuration enables the router-based web meter to accurately associate subsequent web events with specific users without requiring real-time identification, thus maintaining measurement precision while tracking across multiple devices
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hybrid system comprising both a software-based web meter and a router-based web meter that work together as intermediaries. The software-based component handles user identification and authorization, while the router-based component captures web browsing activities. This intermediary architecture enables accurate user association across multiple devices by bridging the gap between device-level tracking and user-level identification
2Measurement precision
If user personal information is collected to associate web events with individuals, then user identification accuracy improves, but user privacy intrusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system obtains user personal information and authorization in advance through a software-based web meter before tracking begins. This preliminary collection, performed once per user, allows the router-based system to accurately associate web events with users without requiring continuous information gathering, thereby minimizing ongoing privacy intrusion while maintaining identification accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system empowers users to voluntarily provide their personal information and authorization through the software-based web meter interface. This self-service approach allows users to control what information is collected and how it is used, reducing the perceived intrusion while enabling accurate user association for those who choose to participate
3Ease of operation
If a router-based system is used to track web events, then ease of operation improves, but the ability to obtain user authorization deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the tracking functionality into two distinct components: a software-based web meter that handles user authorization and personal information collection, and a router-based web meter that handles web event capture. This segmentation allows the router to operate simply for tracking purposes while the software component manages the complex authorization process, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and authorization complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A method for associating a web event with a member of a group of users is implemented at a first computing device. The method includes: receiving a data access request from a second computing device; determining whether the user has previously provided personal information and authorization to the first computing device through the second computing device; if the user's personal information and authorization are found: generating a record for the data access request; if the user's personal information is found but the user's authorization is not found: generating a record for the data access request; and if neither of the user's personal information and authorization is found: identifying one or more user identifiers that are associated with the second computing device; and returning personal information associated with the one or more user identifiers to the second computing device.