Web Session Mining for Navigation Tracking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for obtaining information on user navigation behavior across web pages, such as the HTTP referrer header, are becoming unreliable due to concerns over user privacy, leading to a need for an independent and efficient means to analyze navigation patterns.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that involve correlating information from multiple web page sessions to extract link data and infer navigation behavior, using deep packet inspection and web session mining to reconstruct referrer information, even when the HTTP referrer header is incomplete or filtered.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the HTTP referrer header is used to obtain navigation information, then the implementation is simple and direct, but the reliability deteriorates due to privacy concerns leading to filtering and incomplete data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of implementationVSAvoidreliability of navigation data

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of web beacons and session correlation mechanisms that mediate between the user's navigation actions and the data collection goal. Instead of directly relying on the HTTP referrer header, the system uses beacon images embedded in web pages that are automatically requested by the user's browser, carrying session identifiers that enable reliable navigation tracking without depending on referrer header integrity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical/header-based HTTP referrer system with an image-based beacon system. The beacon image approach uses graphical resource requests that carry encoded navigation information, substituting the text-based referrer header mechanism with a more reliable image-based tracking mechanism that is harder to filter while maintaining the same functional goal

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If deep packet inspection and session correlation methods are used to obtain reliable navigation data, then the reliability improves, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of navigation dataVSAvoidcomplexity of data processing system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by embedding beacon images in advance within web pages during the page creation and deployment phase. These beacons are pre-positioned to automatically execute when users visit the pages, capturing navigation data at the source before any potential filtering or privacy protection measures can interfere. This preliminary setup simplifies the overall system complexity by shifting processing requirements to the initial page deployment rather than requiring complex real-time inspection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The beacon-based system enables self-service data collection where the user's own browser automatically requests the beacon images as part of normal page loading, carrying session identifiers and navigation information without requiring external inspection or intervention. The system leverages the user's existing browser functionality to perform the data collection service, eliminating the need for complex external packet inspection infrastructure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of information

If navigation data is collected through traditional methods, then user privacy may be compromised, but the quantity and quality of available navigation information decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailability of navigation informationVSAvoiduser privacy risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential navigation information needed for analysis by embedding compact beacon images that carry minimal but sufficient data (session identifiers, page identifiers). This extraction approach separates the critical navigation tracking function from the potentially privacy-invasive detailed user profiling, obtaining reliable navigation data while minimizing the capture of personal information that could compromise user privacy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS10027774B2Information on navigation behavior of web page users

Publication Date: 2018.07.17 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A method of obtaining information on navigation behavior of users accessing web pages, includes obtaining information on web page sessions and correlating the information of at least two web page sessions for one user based on the obtained information on web page sessions. The method further includes extracting information on links from the correlated information of the at least two web page sessions, and inferring information on navigation behavior of the user based on the extracted information on links and the correlated information of the at least two web page sessions for one user.