URI Modification for Referral Source Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Central hub systems face challenges in tracking internet traffic to accurately determine which users access provider systems directly and which are referred through referral sources, hindering effective fee allocation and cost-sharing arrangements among operators.
Innovation Solution
A hub system that modifies uniform resource identifiers (URIs) by adding identifiers to track referral sources, allowing the system to differentiate between direct and referral-source-led traffic, facilitating accurate fee sharing and cost allocation by associating users with referral sources through modified URIs displayed on user interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the central hub system uses standard URIs without modification, then the system structure remains simple and easy to implement, but the system cannot track referral sources accurately, leading to inability to allocate revenue properly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the URI into distinct components: the original provider identifier and the referral source identifier. By modifying the URI to include separate tracking parameters (e.g., appending referral source codes to the original URI), the system can independently identify both the provider and the referral source, enabling accurate tracking without disrupting the overall system structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The modified URI acts as an intermediary carrier that bridges the referral source and the provider system. By embedding referral source identifiers within the URI structure, the system creates a mediating mechanism that automatically transmits tracking information from the referral source through the central hub to the provider, eliminating the need for separate tracking systems.
2Measurement precision
If the system modifies all URIs with referral identifiers, then the system can accurately track all referral sources, but the URIs become longer and more complex, potentially affecting system performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively modifying URIs based on their specific context and requirements. Different URI formats are used for different providers or referral sources, optimizing the tracking mechanism for each specific case rather than applying a uniform approach to all URIs, thereby maintaining efficiency while achieving accurate tracking.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system implements comprehensive referral tracking, then the system can enable fair fee sharing among multiple parties, but the system requires more complex infrastructure and processing capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal tracking mechanism that can handle multiple referral sources, providers, and fee allocation scenarios through a single standardized URI modification approach. The system is designed to be multi-functional, accommodating different business models and partnership arrangements without requiring separate tracking infrastructure for each case, thus enabling fee allocation flexibility while controlling infrastructure complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A hub system, including a memory containing instructions that cause a processor to host a website, interact with a user via the website, select providers, including a first provider associated with a first URI and a second provider associated with a second URI, and based on determining the user is associated with a referral source, modify the first and second URIs. Modifying includes: determining, based on the first URI, a first modification, modifying the first URI according to the first modification to create a modified first URI containing a first identifier, determining, based on the second URI, a second modification, and modifying the second URI according to the second medication to create a modified second URI containing a second identifier. The instructions cause a user interface to display a hyperlink associated with the modified first URI so the user is directed to a provider system upon selecting the hyperlink.