Granted Patent B2

US 7,730,120 · App. 11/923,609 · Granted Jun 1, 2010

Abstract

Claims (54)

1. A method of processing data at a host computer, comprising:

receiving a data file containing records of a plurality of HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) transactions of a plurality of users, each of the HTTP transactions including at least one URL (Uniform Resource Locator);

converting the data file into a common file format;

cleansing the data file in the common file format by applying a plurality of URL rules to remove session identifiers while accounting for the use of proxies, thereby producing a cleansed data file containing at least one modified URL;

performing a panel selection process, comprising:

conducting a periodic survey of a subset of Internet users to determine characteristics of an Internet community that includes the subset of Internet users, the characteristics including demographic characteristics;

selecting a panel of users from the subset of Internet users, the panel of users having a targeted combination of the demographic characteristics;

retaining the data file only when it contains a user identifier of a user in the panel of users;

using a computer, performing a transformation process, comprising:

removing from the data file those URLs that do not contain the user identifier;

determining which URLs in the data file belong to a session of the user in the panel of users;

assigning a session identifier to the session;

creating a plurality of session data files, each of which contain the user identifier, a time stamp, the URLs in the data file that belong to the session, and the session identifier;

decomposing the URLs in each of the plurality of session data files so that the URLs in each of the plurality of session data files are decomposed URLs; and

hashing the decomposed URLs so that the decomposed URLs are hashed, decomposed URLs;

calculating a metric of user behavior based upon the hashed, decomposed URLs;

merging the metric of user behavior into a file containing a plurality of metrics of user behavior; and

transmitting to a remote machine the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior, wherein the metric of user behavior is a consumer preferred order of viewing a good or service type.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to modify a placement of a good or service to promote viewing of a good or service type in a particular order based on the consumer preferred order.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to select and present messages, promotions, and branding based on a position of a vendor in the consumer preferred order.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the placement is an offline product placement.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the offline product placement is based on a product price.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein the placement is an online placement.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to forecast offline demand for a good or service based on the metric of user behavior.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to determine both a related product for product placement and an arrangement of the related product in a retail facility to enhance revenue from a purchase of the related product.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to use the metric of user behavior to determine a cross promotion of a second good or service.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to use the metric of user behavior to select an offering for automobile sales by sales region or geography.

11. A host computer, comprising:

a data collection facility comprising one or more computers, the data collection facility configured to receive a data file containing records of a plurality of HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) transactions of a plurality of users, each of the HTTP transactions including at least one URL (Uniform Resource Locator); checks for integrity of the data file and the records; and converts the data file into a common file format;

a pre-calculation facility that performs a cleansing method, a panel selection process, and a transformation process, wherein

the cleansing method comprises:

cleansing the data file in the common file format by applying a plurality of URL rules to remove session identifiers while accounting for the use of proxies, thereby producing a cleansed data file containing at least one modified URL;

the panel selection process comprises:

conducting a periodic survey of a subset of Internet users to determine characteristics of an Internet community that includes the subset of Internet users, the characteristics including demographic characteristics;

selecting a panel of users from the subset of Internet users, the panel of users having a targeted combination of the demographic characteristics;

retaining the data file only when it contains a user identifier of a user in the panel of users;

the transformation process comprises:

removing from the data file those URLs that do not contain the user identifier;

determining which URLs in the data file belong to a session of the user in the panel of users;

assigning a session identifier to the session;

creating a plurality of session data files, each of which contain the user identifier, a time stamp, the URLs in the data file that belong to the session, and the session identifier;

decomposing the URLs in each of the plurality of session data files so that the URLs in each of the plurality of session data files are decomposed URLs; and

hashing the decomposed URLs so that the decomposed URLs are hashed, decomposed URLs; and

a calculation facility that calculates a metric of user behavior based upon the hashed, decomposed URLs, performs a post-calculation method, and transmits to a remote machine a file containing a plurality of metrics of user behavior, wherein the metric of user behavior is a consumer preferred order of viewing a good or service type, and wherein

the post-calculation method comprises:

merging the metric of user behavior into a file containing a plurality of metrics of user behavior.

12. The host computer of claim 11 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to modify a placement of a good or service to promote viewing of a good or service type in a particular order based on the consumer preferred order.

13. The host computer of claim 11 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to select and present messages, promotions, and branding based on a position of a vendor in the consumer preferred order.

14. The host computer of claim 12 , wherein the placement is an offline product placement.

15. The host computer of claim 14 , wherein the offline product placement is based on a product price.

16. The host computer of claim 12 , wherein the placement is an online placement.

17. The host computer of claim 11 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to forecast offline demand for a good or service based on the metric of user behavior.

18. The host computer of claim 11 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to determine both a related product for product placement and an arrangement of the related product in a retail facility to enhance revenue from a purchase of the related product.

19. The host computer of claim 11 , wherein the file containing the plurality of metrics of user behavior enables a third party to use the metric of user behavior to track and analyze competitive product pricing.

Assignments (9)