EP1807778A1

EP1807778A1 - Method and system using a cookie code for distributing information related to internet users

Info

Publication number: EP1807778A1
Application number: EP05784556A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sunny Paris
Original assignee: Weborama
Current assignee: Weborama
Priority date: 2004-09-20
Filing date: 2005-09-20
Publication date: 2007-07-18
Also published as: FR2875616B1; FR2875616A1; US20080177762A1; WO2006032671A1

Abstract

The invention relates, according to a first aspect, to a method for storing navigation information of a set of users (500) of a communication network (200) on a set on internet sites (301-303) accessible through the network in storage means (100) connected thereto consisting, for each site of the set of internet sites, in transmitting navigation information of a user connecting to said site by means of the storage means (100), wherein said navigation information comprises a single user's identifier consisting of a plurality of characters which are recorded in a cookie installed in the user's navigation station. The inventive method is characterised in that it consists in storing the navigation information of said user in a data base of a set, in forming said storage means of the data bases (101-103; 111-113) distinctive from each other and in selecting the data base according to the value of a given character of said user identifier.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM OPERATING COOKIE ENCODING TO DISTRIBUTE INFORMATION RELATING TO INTERNET

The invention relates to a method and a system for efficiently storing, particularly with a view to subsequent access or processing, information relating to the navigation of a large number of users of a communication network.

The invention is of particular interest for the development of behavioral profiles of Internet users or any other communication network, as well as for the display of digital advertising messages based in particular on the history of messages already viewed.

The Internet is an open network on which a large number of users circulate. In order to display the right message to the right person at a given time, it is very important to be able to access in a very short time information about this user.

This information can be a pre-calculated profile, a complete browsing history on a set of sites of interest or a list of advertising messages already viewed by the user. The present invention provides a solution for simply managing a very large number of users (several billion for example).

When the user connects successively to a series of sites

Web of interest, or when it is exposed to an advertising message, it triggers the successive sending of requests to a system such as for example a behavioral profiling system, a system of audience measurement, or a system of advertising broadcast.

These queries are then interpreted by the system as a supply of navigation information. This browsing information typically includes the user's identifier, the site identifier or the advertising message, the date, the time and the browser language, the part of the site actually visited.

The identifier of the user is usually a unique identifier stored in a cookie (or cookie) installed on the browser of the user.

This cookie is for example installed on the navigation station of the user (a unique identifier is then assigned to the user) during the first visit of it on one of the sites of interest. The navigation information is typically recorded by the profiling system in storage means and constitute the browsing history of the user to be identified.

It is notably from this history that the profiling system can determine a statistical profile of the user. The flow of data collected by the profiling or advertising distribution system (i.e. browsing information of Internet users) is particularly important. For example, when approximately 20,000 French sites of interest are audited, over 10 Giga Bytes of navigation information are collected each day. Moreover, the mass of information is constantly increasing.

A profiling or dissemination system of the type presented above must be able to respond to a certain number of constraints. In particular, it must be able to cover a large audience of Internet users, to be able to react in real time to send a user's profile to an applicant's site and to be very stable.

This implies that the computer means used (including storage means and browsing information processing servers) are able to access the stored information, process it and send it back in a minimum of time, and this while ensuring the continuity of service provided by the profiling or dissemination system. It is conceivable that such a system is inoperative if the profile of a user is returned to a web server in too much time.

It is also understood that any technical failure must be avoided. Service interruption (that is, when a user profile is not returned to a web server as a result of a request from the web server) provided by the profiling system is actually harmful to the provider service that hosts the website. The latter can not effectively dynamically adapt the digital content it offers according to the profile of each user, and thus optimize its effectiveness. There is therefore a need for a solution for managing the navigation information of a number of different users of a particularly important communication network, which meets the constraints mentioned above.

For this purpose, the invention proposes, according to a first aspect, a method for storing navigation information of a set of users of a communication network on a set of sites of interest accessible by the network, in storage means connected to the network, comprising the step of, for each site of the set of sites of interest, to transmit to the storage means the navigation information of a user connecting to said site, said navigation information comprising a unique identifier of the user consisting of a plurality of characters, stored in a cookie installed on the user's navigation station, the method being characterized in that it comprises the step of storing the information of navigation of said user in a database of a set, forming said storage means, databases separate from each other, the choice of the database being r Alisé depending on the value of a given character of the identifier of said user.

Preferred but not limiting aspects of the method according to the first aspect of the invention are the following: the choice of the database can be made according to a given character of the identifier such that the distribution of the users is homogeneous over all the values that this character can take;

the storage step may furthermore comprise, for each database, storing the navigation information of said user in a data table of a set, forming said database, of data tables distinct from one another the choice of the data table being made according to the value of a given second character of the identifier of said user; the choice of the data table can be made according to a given second character of the identifier such that the distribution of the users is homogeneous over all the values that this character can take;

the storage step can further consist in storing the navigation information of a user in at least one computer equipment, each equipment hosting a set of databases forming storage means, the choice of a device being made in depending on the value of a given third character of the user's identifier;

the choice of the equipment can be made according to a character of the identifier such that the distribution of the users is homogeneous over all the values that this character can take;

the navigation information of the user can be stored in a data table of a database hosted by a device, the choice of said equipment, base and table being made according to the first three characters of the identifier said identifier having twelve characters according to a base number system 64.

According to a second aspect, the invention proposes a navigation information storage system of a set of users of a communication network on a set of sites of interest accessible by the network, said system comprising means for storage connected to the network for storing the navigation information transmitted by each site of the set of sites of interest, when a user connects to said site, said navigation information comprising a unique identifier of the user consisting of a plurality of characters, stored in a cookie installed on the navigation station of the user, the system being characterized in that said storage means consist of a set of databases distinct from each other, the selection of a database for storing the navigation information relating to a user being made according to the value of a given character of the identifier of said user.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will emerge from the following description of a possible embodiment of the invention, this description being purely illustrative and not limiting and to be read with reference to the single appended figure. . This Figure 1 is a representative diagram of a navigation information storage system according to a possible embodiment of the invention. In the figure, a profile determination system 400 is connected to a communication network 200 (such as the Internet) to which is connected a set 300 of web servers of interest 301, 302, 303.

Each web server hosts a site or digital content made available to the users 500 of the network 200 (the net surfers) by a service provider.

The profile generation system 400 comprises storage means 100, 110 connected to the network 200, and adapted to list information relating to the browsing of the Internet users 500 on the sites hosted by the web servers 301, 302, 303. As such previously mentioned, this navigation information is transmitted during a profile request sent by a Web server of interest 301 to the profiling system when a user visits the site.

This navigation information typically includes the user's identifier, the site identifier, the date, the time and the language of the browser, the part of the site actually visited. The identifier of the user is usually a unique identifier stored in a cookie (or cookie) installed on the browser of the user.

This cookie is for example installed on the navigation station of the user (a unique identifier is then assigned to the user) during the first visit of it on one of the sites of interest.

The unique identifier associated with a user consists of a plurality of characters. Each character can take a number of different values, and this depending on the base of the selected numeral system.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the identifier comprises twelve characters, for example according to a base number system 64. Each character can thus take 64 different values.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the navigation information is distributed in a set, forming the storage means 100, 101-103 databases separate from each other, each database 101-103 storing the data. navigation information relating to users having an identifier having, among the plurality of characters, an identical given character or a given character taking a value from a set of values.

In other words, are stored in a single database

Bk that browsing information relating to Internet users whose i-th character (ie said given character) of the identifier has the same value C _k or whose i-th character has a value from a set {C} k of values . Preferably, this character is a character such that the distribution of Internet users is homogeneous (for example due to a random draw) on all the values that can take this character. The probability that this given character of the identifier of a user has a particular value is thus the same whatever the value. For this purpose, the manner in which the identifier assigned to a user is developed is advantageously exploited. In the context of an identifier comprising twelve characters, it is possible to develop a homogeneous distribution of users on certain characters, for example on the first and second characters.

The other characters of the identifier contain, as is customary, the elements necessary to ensure, preferably on their own, the uniqueness of the identifier. This is for example the date and time in seconds, the IP address of the server establishing the identifier, the PID (the English expression Process Identification Number for process identification number) of the process establishing the identifier, an incremental number, etc.

In the case of a homogeneous distribution, and considering an N-based numbering system, the netizens are thus distributed, according to the value taken by said given character of their identifier, in N groups of identical size. The navigation information is thus stored in a homogeneous and particularly simple manner in N separate databases.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, each of the databases 101-103; 111-113 consists of a set of data tables that are distinct from one another.

The navigation information is then distributed in such a way that each data table stores the navigation information relating to the users having an identifier having, among the plurality of characters, a second identical given character or a second given character having a value among a set of values.

In other words, are only stored in a single data table

Tp, belonging to a database B _k , the browsing information relating to Internet users whose i-th character (ie the first given character) of the identifier has the same value C _k (or at least takes a value among a set of values {C} _k ) and whose j-th character (ie the second given character) has the same value C _p (or at least takes one of a set of values {C} _p ).

In a preferential manner, this second given character is here also a character such that the distribution of Internet users is homogeneous (for example due to a compulsory draw) on all the values that can take this character. In such a case, and considering a system of numeration in base N, the Net surfers are thus distributed, according to the value taken by said first and second given characters of their identifier, in N * N groups of identical size. The navigation information is thus stored in a homogeneous and particularly simple manner in N * N separate data tables.

As mentioned above, in the case of an identifier comprising twelve characters, there is a homogeneous distribution of users on the first and second characters of the identifier. According to a possible embodiment of the invention, said given first and second characters (associated respectively with the distribution in bases and the distribution in data tables) are respectively the first and the second characters of the identifier.

According to an alternative embodiment of the invention, the storage system comprises a plurality of storage means 100, 110 of the type presented above.

For this purpose, the databases are hosted by a plurality of separate computer equipment, each computer equipment comprising means adapted to house a set of storage means in the sense of the present invention.

In other words, each piece of equipment accommodates a set of databases that are distinct from one another, each database storing the navigation information relating to the users having an identifier having, among the plurality of characters, an identical given character ( or a given character taking a value from a set of values). Referring to Figure 1, a computer equipment 500 hosts the storage means 100 constituted by the 101-103 databases, while a device 510 hosts the storage means 110 constituted by the databases 111-113. In such a case, the navigation information is then distributed in such a way that each equipment stores the navigation information relating to the users having an identifier having, among the plurality of characters, a third identical given character (or a third given character having one of a set of values).

Internet users are then distributed in the databases according to said given first character of their identifier (for example the second character of the identifier), as well as, if applicable, in the data tables constituting a database according to said second identifier. given character of their identifier (for example the third character of the identifier).

According to a possible embodiment, said given third character (for a distribution between equipments) is a character of the identifier, for example a character in the header of said identifier. Thus in the case mentioned above of an identifier having twelve characters, a thirteenth character can be added in the header of the other twelve to allow the distribution between the different computer equipment.

As an illustrative example, the information concerning the user with the identifier SuNXXXXXXXXXX can thus be stored on the equipment S, in the base u in the table N.

Considering a system of counting in base N, if one distributes the Net surfers on different hosting devices, one can thus finally distribute them until N * N * N groups.

By using a single piece of computer equipment, and as part of a base 64 numbering system, the browsing information relating to the internet users visiting one of the sites of interest is thus divided into 64 separate databases, each of these databases containing 64 data tables

In this case, the navigation information is distributed in 4096 different data tables, according to the values taken by said first and second given characters of the user's identifier.

As already mentioned above, the navigation information available to a given user is for example intended to be processed by a profiling system, in order to determine and update the profile of said user. The profile thus determined is stored in the storage means according to the user distribution presented above.

The architecture presented here means of distributing the distribution of Internet users in structures (computer equipment, bases, tables) of separate data is therefore particularly interesting. In particular, it makes it possible to quickly access navigation information and profile data, to perform a parallel processing of the different data structures.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments which have just been described, but extends to any variant within its spirit. It will be understood in particular that the use of the invention is not limited to the framework of a method and profiling system. The invention finds effect when information relating to users of a communication network having an identifier comprising a plurality of characters are to be stored and processed. In particular, the invention can also be used for systems comprising Internet content content servers for which access to the profile and / or history of the user is very important. Similarly, the distribution of Internet users proposed by the invention makes it possible to perform a very simple and effective sampling for the purposes of provisional calculation or simulations. By extension, the invention is also applicable in any system to process data of a very large number of identifiable objects, independently of each other. The distribution of navigation information made by the invention also makes it possible to recover very quickly information on an object identified among a very large number of objects, and this without the need to make a request, necessarily long , in a "mega-database" of data.

Claims

A method of storing navigation information of a set of users (500) of a communication network (200) over a set of sites of interest (301-303) accessible by the network, in means storage system (100) connected to the network, comprising the step of, for each site of the set of sites of interest, transmitting to the storage means (100; 110) the navigation information of a user connecting to the audit site, said navigation information comprising a unique identifier of the user consisting of a plurality of characters, stored in a cookie installed on the navigation station of the user, the method being characterized in that it comprises the step storing the navigation information of said user in a database of a set, forming said storage means, databases (101-103; 11 1-1 13) separate from each other, the choice of the database being performed according to the value of a given character of the identifier of said user.

2. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the choice of the database is made according to a given character of the identifier such that the distribution of users is homogeneous over all the values that can take this character .

3. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the storage step further comprises, for each database, storing the navigation information of said user in a data table of a set, forming said database, data tables separate from each other, the choice of the data table being made according to the value of a given second character of the identifier of said user.

4. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the choice of the data table is made according to a given second character of the identifier such that the distribution of users is homogeneous over all the values that can take this character.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the storage step further comprises storing the navigation information of a user in at least one computer equipment (500, 510), each equipment hosting a set. storage means databases (100, 1 10), the choice of equipment being made according to the value of a given third character of the user's identifier.

6. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the choice of the equipment is made according to a character of the identifier such that the distribution of users is homogeneous over all the values that can take this character.

7. Method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the navigation information of the user is stored in a data table of a database hosted by a device, the choice of said equipment, base and table being made according to the first three characters of the identifier, said identifier comprising twelve characters according to a base number system 64.

8. A navigation information storage system of a set of users (500) of a communication network (200) on a set of sites of interest (301-303) accessible by the network, said system comprising storage means (100; 1 10) connected to the network for storing the transmitted navigation information by each site of the set of sites of interest, when a user connects to said site, said navigation information comprising a unique identifier of the user consisting of a plurality of characters, stored in a cookie installed on the navigation station of the user, the system being characterized in that said storage means

(100; 110) consist of a set of databases (101-103; 111-113) which are distinct from one another, the selection of a database for storing navigation information relating to a user being performed according to the value of a given character of the identifier of said user.

9. System according to the preceding claim, characterized in that each of the databases consists of a set of data tables, the choice of a data table for storing the navigation information relating to a user being made in according to the value of a given second character of the identifier of said user.

10. System according to one of the two preceding claims, comprises at least one computer equipment (500, 510) hosting a set of databases forming means (100, 110) of storage, the choice of a device being made according to the value of a given third character of the user's identifier.