METHODS AND APPARATUS TO TRACK WEB BROWSING SESSIONS
Methods and apparatus to tracker web browsing sessions are disclosed. An example method includes determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, if web pages accessed by browsers are associated with a known browsing session by matching numbers received in association with accesses to the web pages with a plurality of random numbers generated based on a known seed value, wherein the numbers are generated by random number generators of the browsers. The method further includes determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a subset of the web pages corresponding to the known browsing session and to storing the association of the subset and the known browsing session in a browsing session database.
1 . A tracker comprising:
an analyzer to determine if web pages accessed by browsers are associated with a known browsing session by matching numbers received in association with accesses to the web pages with a plurality of random numbers generated based on a known seed value, wherein the numbers are generated by random number generators of the browsers; and
a grouper to determine a subset of the web pages corresponding to the known browsing session and to store the association of the subset and the known browsing session in a browsing session database.
2 . The tracker as defined in claim 1 , wherein the analyzer is to determine that a first web page is associated with the known browsing session by querying a lookup table having the plurality of random numbers based on the known seed value.
3 . The tracker as defined in claim 2 , further including a calculator to generate one or more sequences of numbers when given particular seed values, wherein the one or more sequences of numbers are stored in the lookup table.
4 . The tracker as defined in claim 3 , wherein the grouper is to sort the first web page as visited before a second web page when a first random number received in connection with the first web page occurs in an entry in a sequence in the lookup table before a second random number received in connection with the second web page.
5 . The tracker as defined in claim 1 , further including a generator to generate instructions to be embedded in a network resource, the instructions to cause the browsers to seed the random number generators with a plurality of known seed values.
6 . The tracker as defined in claim 1 , wherein the numbers generated by the random number generators of the browsers are received in response to instructions included in the web pages accessed by the browsers.
7 . A method, comprising:
determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, if web pages accessed by browsers are associated with a known browsing session by matching numbers received in association with accesses to the web pages with a plurality of random numbers generated based on a known seed value, wherein the numbers are generated by random number generators of the browsers; and
determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a subset of the web pages corresponding to the known browsing session and to store the association of the subset and the known browsing session in a browsing session database.
8 . The method as defined in claim 7 , further including determining that a first web page is associated with the known browsing session by querying a lookup table having the plurality of random numbers based on the known seed value.
9 . The method as defined in claim 8 , further including generating one or more sequences of numbers when given particular seed values, wherein the one or more sequences of numbers are stored in the lookup table.
10 . The method as defined in claim 9 , further including sorting the first web page as visited before a second web page when a first random number received in connection with the first web page occurs in an entry in a sequence in the lookup table before a second random number received in connection with the second web page.
11 . The method as defined in claim 7 , further including generating instructions to be embedded in a network resource, the instructions to cause the browsers to seed the random number generators with a plurality of known seed values.
12 . The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein the numbers generated by the random number generators of the browsers are received in response to instructions included in the web pages accessed by the browsers.
13 . A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
determine if web pages accessed by browsers are associated with a known browsing session by matching numbers received in association with accesses to the web pages with a plurality of random numbers generated based on a known seed value, wherein the numbers are generated by random number generators of the browsers; and
determine a subset of the web pages corresponding to the known browsing session and to store the association of the subset and the known browsing session in a browsing session database.
14 . The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 13 , the instructions to cause the machine to determine that a first web page is associated with the known browsing session by querying a lookup table including the plurality of random numbers based on the known seed value.
15 . The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 14 , the instructions to cause the machine to generate one or more sequences of numbers when given particular seed values, wherein the one or more sequences of numbers are stored in the lookup table.
16 . The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 15 , the instructions to cause the machine to sort the first web page as visited before a second web page when a first random number received in connection with the first web page occurs in an entry in a sequence in the lookup table before a second random number received in connection with the second web page.
17 . The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 13 , the instructions to cause the machine to generate code to be embedded in a network resource, the code to cause the browsers to seed the random number generators with a plurality of known seed values.
18 . The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the numbers generated by the random number generators of the browsers are received in response to instructions included in the web pages accessed by the browsers.