Systems and methods for matching online users across devices

1. A method for associating a plurality of Internet-enabled devices with a common user profile, the method comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of Internet-enabled devices, a plurality of requests for electronic content;

extracting, from each of the plurality of requests, a source internet protocol (IP) address and a unique identifier associated with the respective Internet-enabled device;

for a first source IP address for which requests were received over a predetermined time period, identifying at least one pair of devices, comprising two Internet-enabled devices, from which requests were received;

calculating a confidence score based on a first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user, wherein the confidence score is further based at least in part on whether the pair of devices has been identified for the first source IP address and for a second source IP address over the predetermined time period; and

increasing the confidence score based on determining an increased likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by the common user, wherein determining the increased likelihood is based at least in part on a historic confidence score for the pair of devices, wherein the historic confidence score includes a lookback value that is configurable according to a division of prior time segments.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the confidence score is calculated at least in part by incorporating at least one second likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user determined over a second predetermined time period.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

normalizing the first likelihood and the second likelihood;

combining the first likelihood and the second likelihood to create a combined likelihood; and

determining an overall likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user based at least in part on the combined likelihood.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user further comprises: weighting web events that occur when users are statistically expected to be at home less heavily than web events that occur at time periods when users are statistically likely to be away from home.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user further comprises: weighting web events that occur when users are statistically expected to be at home more heavily than web events that occur at time periods when users are statistically likely to be away from home.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

inferring, from each of the plurality of requests, a device type and local time associated with each request; and

further determining the first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user based on the inferred device type and local time associated with the request of each device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing, in a database, demographic or browsing history information generated from the common user's use of a first device of the pair of devices, the demographic or browsing history information being stored in the database in relation to the unique identifier; and

identifying, based on the demographic or browsing history information, electronic content to display at a second device of the pair of devices, wherein the demographic or browsing history information is synchronized and associated with the common user's first device and the common user's second device.

8. A system for associating a plurality of Internet-enabled devices with a common user profile for targeting electronic content, the system including:

a data storage device storing instructions for associating a plurality of Internet-enabled devices with a common user profile for targeting electronic content; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including:

receiving, from a plurality of Internet-enabled devices, a plurality of requests for electronic content;

extracting, from each of the plurality of requests, a source internet protocol (IP) address and a unique identifier associated with the respective Internet-enabled device;

for a first source IP address for which requests were received over a predetermined time period, identifying at least one pair of devices, comprising two Internet-enabled devices, from which requests were received;

calculating a confidence scored based on determining a first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user, wherein the confidence score is further based at least in part on whether the pair of devices has been identified for the first source IP address and for a second source IP address over the predetermined time period; and

increasing the confidence score based on determining an increased likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by the common user, wherein determining the increased likelihood is based at least in part on a historic confidence score for the pair of devices, wherein the historic confidence score includes a lookback value that is configurable according to a division of prior time segments.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the confidence score is calculated at least in part by incorporating at least one second likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user determined over a second predetermined time period.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured for:

normalizing the first likelihood and the second likelihood;

combining the first likelihood and the second likelihood to create a combined likelihood; and

determining an overall likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user based at least in part on the combined likelihood.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining the first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user further comprises:

weighting web events that occur when users are statistically expected to be at home less heavily than web events that occur at time periods when users are statistically likely to be away from home.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining the first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user further comprises:

weighting web events that occur when users are statistically expected to be at home more heavily than web events that occur at time periods when users are statistically likely to be away from home.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured for:

accessing, in a database, demographic or browsing history information generated from the common user's use of a first device of the pair of devices, the demographic or browsing history information being stored in the database in relation to the unique identifier; and

identifying, based on the demographic or browsing history information, electronic content to display at a second device of the pair of devices, wherein the demographic or browsing history information is synchronized and associated with the common user's first device and the common user's second device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of associating a plurality of Internet-enabled devices with a common user profile for targeting electronic content, the method including:

receiving, from a plurality of Internet-enabled devices, a plurality of requests for electronic content;

extracting, from each of the plurality of requests, a source internet protocol (IP) address and a unique identifier associated with the respective Internet-enabled device;

for a first source IP address for which requests were received over a predetermined time period, identifying at least one pair of devices, comprising two Internet-enabled devices, from which requests were received;

calculating a confidence score based on determining a first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user, wherein the confidence score is further based at least in part on whether the pair of devices has been identified for the first source IP address and for the second source IP address over the predetermined time period; and

increasing the confidence score based on determining an increased likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by the common user, wherein determining the increased likelihood is based at least in part on a historic confidence score for the pair of devices, wherein the historic confidence score includes a lookback value that is configurable according to a division of prior time segments.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the confidence score is calculated at least in part by incorporating at least one second likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user determined over a second predetermined time period.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , the method further including:

normalizing the first likelihood and the second likelihood;

combining the first likelihood and the second likelihood to create a combined likelihood; and

determining an overall likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user based at least in part on the combined likelihood.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the method of determining the first likelihood that the pair of devices are owned or operated by a common user further includes:

weighting web events that occur when users are statistically expected to be at home less heavily than web events that occur at time periods when users are statistically likely to be away from home.