IP Library Granted Patent US 12,423,716
Granted Patent B2
US 12,423,716 · App. 17/900,148 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for consumer tracking

Inventors: Jiaqi Guo (Chicago, IL); Michael Elizarov (Sammamish, WA); Jim Breen (Chicago, IL); Selvam Velmurugan (Issaquah, WA)
Assignee: Bytedance Inc.
G06Q30/0201G06F16/2322G06Q30/0601H04L43/106H04L67/146H04L67/303H04L67/535
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,423,716
App. No.
17/900,148
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for consumer monitor and tracking. An example method may include receiving client device ID and client device profile data, comparing client device ID and client device profile data to a plurality of known client device versions, generating an updated known client device version in an instance in which the client device ID correlates to at least one of the plurality of known client device versions and the client device profile data does not correlate to the at least one of the plurality of known client device versions and generating a new known client device version in an instance in which the client device ID does not correlate to at least one of the plurality of known client device versions.

Claims (55)

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from a client device, a request comprising one or more tokens associated with the client device, wherein the request is based at least in part on electronic interactions performed by the client device with a user interface;

generate, based at least in part on the one or more tokens, a client device ID;

compare the client device ID to a plurality of known client device versions;

responsive to determining that the client device ID is not associated with any of the plurality of known client device versions, generate a new known client device version associated with the client device ID and client device profile data associated with the client device ID;

compare the client device ID to a plurality of known client device sessions;

responsive to determining that the client device ID is not associated with any of the plurality of known client device sessions, generate a new known client device session associated with the client device ID and the client device profile data associated with the client device ID;

assign the new known client device version as a latest known client device version for the client device ID; and

assign the new known client device session as a latest known client device session for the client device ID.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: receive the client device profile data.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each known client device version comprises a data entity generated by a host system that identifies a particular instance of a client device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein each known client device version comprises an associated client device ID and client device profile data unique to the known client device version.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each known client device session comprises a data entity generated by a host system that captures, identifies, or embodies an instance or a period of client device activity associated with a website or mobile application.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a consumer ID; and

associate the latest known client device session with a consumer session reference based at least in part on the consumer ID.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, with the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to:

receive session specific data; and

associate the session specific data with the latest known client device session.

8. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to:

receive, from a client device, a request comprising one or more tokens associated with the client device, wherein the request is based at least in part on electronic interactions performed by the client device with a user interface;

generate, based at least in part on the one or more tokens, a client device ID;

compare the client device ID to a plurality of known client device versions;

responsive to determining that the client device ID is not associated with any of the plurality of known client device versions, generate a new known client device version associated with the client device ID and client device profile data associated with the client device ID;

compare the client device ID to a plurality of known client device sessions;

responsive to determining that the client device ID is not associated with any of the plurality of known client device sessions, generate a new known client device session associated with the client device ID and the client device profile data associated with the client device ID;

assign the new known client device version as a latest known client device version for the client device ID; and

assign the new known client device session as a latest known client device session for the client device ID.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions comprises program code instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, further cause the apparatus to: receive the client device profile data.

10. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein each known client device version comprises a data entity generated by a host system that identifies a particular instance of a client device.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein each known client device version comprises an associated client device ID and client device profile data unique to the known client device version.

12. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein each known client device session comprises a data entity generated by a host system that captures, identifies, or embodies an instance or a period of client device activity associated with a website or mobile application.

13. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions comprises program code instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a consumer ID; and

associate the latest known client device session with a consumer session reference based at least in part on the consumer ID.

14. The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions comprises program code instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, further cause the apparatus to:

receive session specific data; and

associate the session specific data with the latest known client device session.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a request comprising one or more tokens associated with the client device, wherein the request is based at least in part on electronic interactions performed by the client device with a user interface;

generating, based at least in part on the one or more tokens, a client device ID;

comparing the client device ID to a plurality of known client device versions;

responsive to determining that the client device ID is not associated with any of the plurality of known client device versions, generating a new known client device version associated with the client device ID and client device profile data associated with the client device ID;

comparing the client device ID to a plurality of known client device sessions;

responsive to determining that the client device ID is not associated with any of the plurality of known client device sessions, generating a new known client device session associated with the client device ID and the client device profile data associated with the client device ID;

assigning the new known client device version as a latest known client device version for the client device ID; and

assigning the new known client device session as a latest known client device session for the client device ID.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving the client device profile data.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein each known client device version comprises a data entity generated by a host system that identifies a particular instance of a client device.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein each known client device version comprises an associated client device ID and client device profile data unique to the known client device version.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein each known client device session comprises a data entity generated by a host system that captures, identifies, or embodies an instance or a period of client device activity associated with a website or mobile application.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving session specific data; and

associating the session specific data with the latest known client device session.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2024
From: GROUPON, INC.
To: BYTEDANCE INC.
Reel/Frame 068538/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 31, 2022
From: GUO, JIAQI; ELIZAROV, MICHAEL; BREEN, JIM; VELMURUGAN, SELVAM
To: GROUPON, INC.
Reel/Frame 060954/0353 →