WIRELESS NETWORK USER TRACKING
Requests for WAP-enabled content from mobile subscribers may be assigned to a particular subscriber based on a degree of match between hashed request attribute groupings. Targeted contend and/or advertising may be directed at the subscribers based on identifying common requests assigned to the same subscriber.
1 . A computer-implemented method for identifying associating requests for WAP-enabled content with mobile subscribers, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of mobile content requests from a mobile device, each request comprising one or more request attributes;
assigning each request attribute to one or more attribute groups;
applying a hash function to each attribute group; and
assigning two or more mobile content requests to one mobile subscriber based on a degree of match among corresponding hashed attribute groups of the two or more mobile content requests.
2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the request attributes comprise one or more of a device ID, a carrier ID, a telephone number, an account number, a MAC address, an IP address, a location, a SIM card ID, and a device model.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the request attributes is assigned to more than one attribute group.
4 . The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating a match confidence level for two or more mobile content requests based on the degree of match.
5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising sorting the mobile content requests based on the match confidence level and assigning k mobile content requests from the sorted mobile content requests to a single mobile subscriber, wherein k is an integer.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein k is determined by a minimum confidence level threshold.
7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the degree of match is less than 100%.
8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising saving the two or more mobile content requests in a database.
9 . The method of claim 8 further comprising:
receiving subsequent mobile content requests from a mobile subscriber;
querying the database for previously received mobile content requests based on a degree of match among corresponding hashed attribute groups of the subsequent mobile content requests and the stored mobile content requests;
assigning the subsequent mobile content requests to the same mobile subscriber as those resulting from the query; and
augmenting content returned in response to the subsequent mobile content requests with advertisements consistent with the previously received mobile content requests.
10 . A system for identifying associating requests for WAP-enabled content with mobile subscribers, the system comprising:
a domain server for receiving a plurality of mobile content requests from a mobile device, each request comprising one or more request attributes;
an ID processing module configured to:
assign each request attribute to one or more attribute groups;
apply a hash function to each attribute group; and
assign two or more mobile content requests to one mobile subscriber based on a degree of match among corresponding hashed attribute groups of the two or more mobile content requests.
11 . The system of claim 10 wherein the request attributes comprise one or more of a device ID, a carrier ID, a telephone number, an account number, a MAC address, an IP address, a location, a SIM card ID, and a device model.
12 . The system of claim 10 wherein the ID processing module is further configured to assign at least one of the request attributes to more than one attribute group.
13 . The system of claim 10 wherein the ID processing module is further configured to calculate a match confidence level for two or more mobile content requests based on the degree of match.
14 . The system of claim 13 wherein the ID processing module is further configured to sort the mobile content requests based on the match confidence level and attribute k mobile content requests from the sorted mobile content requests to a single mobile subscriber, wherein k is an integer and determined by a minimum confidence level threshold.
15 . The system of claim 14 further comprising a database for storing the two or more mobile content requests as associated with the mobile subscriber.
16 . The system of claim 15 wherein the domain server is further configured to:
receive subsequent mobile content requests from a mobile subscriber;
query the database for previously received mobile content requests based on a degree of match among corresponding hashed attribute groups of the subsequent mobile content requests and the stored mobile content requests;
assign the subsequent mobile content requests to the same mobile subscriber as those resulting from the query; and
augment content returned in response to the subsequent mobile content requests with advertisements consistent with the previously received mobile content requests.