Tracking Request Quality Evaluation for Web Analytics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional techniques fail to detect errors in tracking requests from client devices interacting with external websites, leading to inaccurate data being reported to online systems, which results in incorrect inferences and actions.

Innovation Solution

An online system evaluates the quality of tracking instructions provided by websites by analyzing tracking requests from client devices, predicting accurate labels, and generating reports to improve data quality, including determining a score based on factors like the count of web pages with tracking instructions and accuracy of labels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional techniques are used to process tracking requests, then the system can handle a high volume of tracking requests, but the accuracy of the data reported to the online system deteriorates due to undetected errors in tracking instructions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevolume of tracking requests processedVSAvoidaccuracy of reported data

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary quality evaluation system that sits between the tracking request generation and the online system processing. This intermediary analyzes tracking requests against known quality metrics and website characteristics to identify and flag inaccurate data before it reaches the online system, thereby maintaining both high processing volume and data accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms where the quality evaluation results are used to improve future tracking request processing. By continuously learning from identified errors and patterns in inaccurate tracking instructions, the system refines its detection capabilities while maintaining efficient processing of large volumes of requests.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If the online system implements comprehensive quality evaluation of tracking instructions, then the accuracy of data reporting improves, but the system complexity increases due to additional analysis requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of tracking dataVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing quality evaluation criteria, website profiles, and detection rules before tracking requests are processed. This preparation work is done offline or in advance, allowing the actual quality evaluation during request processing to be relatively simple and efficient, thus improving accuracy without proportionally increasing real-time system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts evaluation parameters and thresholds based on website characteristics and historical data. By changing parameters adaptively rather than using fixed complex rules, the system achieves high accuracy with more manageable complexity. The evaluation depth and criteria can be modified based on the specific context of each website or tracking request type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If the online system analyzes every tracking request in detail to ensure accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of label verificationVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements partial action by applying detailed analysis only to tracking requests that exhibit specific risk indicators or anomalies, while accepting simpler verification for high-confidence requests. This selective approach ensures accurate label verification where needed without unnecessarily extending processing time for all requests, thus balancing precision and speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses periodic sampling and threshold-based triggering for detailed analysis rather than continuous exhaustive verification. Tracking requests are subjected to comprehensive checks at periodic intervals or when specific conditions are met, allowing the system to maintain high accuracy for critical cases while processing routine requests more quickly.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS10455034B2Analyzing tracking requests generated by client devices interacting with a website

Publication Date: 2019.10.22 META PLATFORMS INC

AI summary

An online system receives tracking requests from client devices interacting with a website to analyze user interactions with the website. The website provides instructions with web pages sent to a client device that cause the client device to send tracking instructions to the online system. The online system sends requests for web pages to the website, receives a plurality of web pages from the website, and determines a count of distinct web pages provided by the website. The online system determines a score for the website indicating a quality of tracking instructions of the website based on various factors, including an aggregate value based on the distinct webpages of the website that include tracking instructions and the count of distinct web pages provided by the website. Based on this score, the online system generates a report describing a quality of the tracking instructions of the website.