System and method for maintaining coherence of association across a network address change or reassignment
Network address date groups are defined that are associated with a group of electronic objects. Where network address date groups appear to relate to the same person or group, they are assigned an entity group identifier that allows tracking the electronic objects across network address changes. The entity group identifier may then be used by an advertiser or other service provider.
1. A non-transitory computer readable medium, on which are stored instructions that when executed cause a programmable device to:
analyze a plurality of network usage objects and a plurality of network addresses;
generate a plurality of network address date groups for a point in time, each associated with a network address of the plurality of network addresses and usage of the network address during overlapping periods of time, which covers the point in time, by one or more network usage objects of the plurality of network usage objects;
associate a first entity group identifier of a plurality of available entity group identifiers with a first network address date group of the plurality of network address date groups that best matches the first entity group identifier, wherein the plurality of available entity group identifiers are existing entity group identifiers that have been associated with prior network address date groups before the point in time;
remove the first entity group identifier from the plurality of available entity group identifiers; and
associate a new entity group identifier with an unassociated network address date group of the plurality of network address date groups that remains unassociated with any entity group identifier, wherein said new entity group identifier is different than each of the plurality of available entity group identifiers.
2. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first network address date group is different than the prior network address date group associated with the first entity group identifier.
3. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first network address date group is the prior network address date group associated with the first entity group identifier.
4. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the programmable device to: update the first entity group identifier to include an additional network address date group associated with a second point in time.
5. The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the programmable device to: create a new network address date group; and associate a second entity group identifier with the new network address date group.
6. The computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the second entity group identifier is the first entity group identifier.
7. The computer readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the second entity group identifier is the new entity group identifier.
8. A method for following a plurality of network usage objects over time, comprising:
analyzing the plurality of network usage objects and a plurality of network addresses;
generating a plurality of network address date groups, each associated with a network address of the plurality of network addresses and usage of the network address during overlapping periods of time by one or more network usage objects of the plurality of network usage objects;
associating a first entity group identifier of a plurality of available entity group identifiers with a first network address date group of the plurality of network address date groups that best matches the first entity group identifier, wherein associating the first entity group identifier comprises:
identifying the plurality of available entity group identifiers available for association with the first network address date group;
identifying the first entity group identifier of the plurality of available entity group identifiers that best matches the first network address date group, which comprises calculating a first minimum link rank partitioned by network address date groups, calculating a second minimum link rank partitioned by entity group identifiers, and determining the first entity group identifier responsive to the first minimum link rank and the second minimum link rank being equal; and associating the first entity group identifier with the first network address date group;
removing the first entity group identifier from the plurality of available entity group identifiers; and
associating a new entity group identifier with a network address date group of the plurality of network address date groups that remains unassociated with any entity group identifier.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of network address date groups with which the first entity group identifier is associated correspond to the plurality of network addresses.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: wherein the first network address date group extends over a first period of time; and extending the first network address date group over a second period of time overlapping the first period of time.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the new entity group identifier comprises: identifying a plurality of network address date groups unassigned to the any entity group identifier; ordering the plurality of network address date groups; and assigning the new entity group identifiers to the ordered plurality of network address date groups.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: eliminating the network addresses from consideration for associating with a network address date group based on a blacklist.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising: categorizing the plurality of network usage objects.
14. A programmable device, comprising:
a programmable control device; a memory, coupled to the programmable control device, on which are stored instruction that when executed cause the programmable control device to:
analyze a plurality of network usage objects and a plurality of network addresses;
generate a plurality of network address date groups for a point in time, each associated with a network address of the plurality of network addresses and usage of the network address during overlapping periods of time, which covers the point in time, by one or more network usage objects of the plurality of network usage objects;
associate a first entity group identifier of a plurality of available entity group identifiers with a first network address date group of the plurality of network address date groups that best matches the first entity group identifier, wherein the plurality of available entity group identifiers are existing entity group identifiers that have been associated with prior network address date groups before the point in time;
remove the first entity group identifier from the plurality of available entity group identifiers; and
associate a new entity group identifier with an unassociated network address date group of the plurality of network address date groups that remains unassociated with any entity group identifier, and said new entity group identifier is different than each of the plurality of available entity group identifiers.
15. The programmable device of claim 14 , wherein the first entity group identifier is associated with a second network address date group for an earlier point in time, and the first network address date group and the second network address date group are associated with different network addresses.
16. The programmable device of claim 14 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the programmable control device to:
update the first entity group identifier to include an additional network address date group.
17. The programmable device of claim 14 , wherein the instructions when executed further cause the programmable control device to:
create a new network address date group; and associate a second entity group identifier with the new network address date group.
18. The programmable device of claim 17 , wherein the second entity group identifier is the new entity group identifier.