De-anonymization of website visitor identity
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for de-anonymization of online user identity, user tracking techniques, user behavior and preference analysis, customization of user interfaces, and combinations thereof. Fingerprinting attributes may be collected from a client device during anonymous browsing to identify the user, and based on tracked activities from the browsing session, a user profile for that user may be created and/or updated. When a user using the client device with the same fingerprinting attributes initiates a login session, the information from the stored user profile may be used to create a customized user interface.
1. An analytics server, comprising:
a computer memory storing instructions and user profiles;
a processor executing the stored instructions in the computer memory, and performing steps including:
receiving collected client device fingerprinting attributes from a website server over a network when a client device browses a website without entering user credentials;
comparing the client device fingerprinting attributes to stored user profiles;
if the client device fingerprinting attributes match one of the stored user profiles, then associating a current browsing session with the matched user profile;
if the client device fingerprinting attributes do not match one of the stored user profiles, then creating a new user profile and associating the current browsing session with the new user profile;
tracking user activity in the current browsing session;
deriving user preferences from the tracking user activity;
storing the user preferences in the associated user profile to be used to create a customized user interface for a user login session, wherein the login session is initiated by a first user inputting user login credentials; and
upon a user login with the user login credentials, associating the client device fingerprinting attributes with the user login credentials, wherein when the client device subsequently browses the website without the first user entering the user login credentials, the subsequent browsing session is still associated with the user login credentials,
wherein the associated user profile includes information derived from another user profile that corresponds to a second user who was identified as using the client device, the derived information including information that relates to an interpersonal relationship between the first user and the second user.
2. The analytics server of claim 1 , further including the step of extracting user preferences from the matched user profile, wherein the extracted user preferences are used to create the customized user interface for the first user.
3. The analytics server of claim 1 , wherein a script library embedded in the website collects the client device fingerprinting attributes.
4. The analytics server of claim 3 , wherein the client device fingerprinting attributes include information regarding a User Agent.
5. The analytics server of claim 3 , wherein the client device fingerprinting attributes include information regarding user settings on the client device.
6. The analytics server of claim 3 , wherein the client device fingerprinting attributes include geo-location information.
7. A method comprising:
receiving collected client device fingerprinting attributes from a website server over a network when a client device browses a website without entering user credentials;
comparing the client device fingerprinting attributes to stored user profiles;
if the client device fingerprinting attributes match one of the stored user profiles, then associating a current browsing session with the matched user profile;
if the client device fingerprinting attributes do not match one of the stored user profiles, then creating a new user profile and associating the current browsing session with the new user profile;
tracking user activity in the current browsing session;
deriving user preferences from the tracked user activities;
storing the user preferences in the associated user profile to be used to create a customized user interface for a user login session, wherein the login session is initiated by a first user inputting user login credentials; and
upon a user login with the user login credentials, associating the client device fingerprinting attributes with the user login credentials, wherein when the client device subsequently browses the website without the user entering the user login credentials, the subsequent browsing session is still associated with the user login credentials,
wherein the associated user profile includes information derived from another user profile that corresponds to a second user who was identified as using the client device, the derived information including information that relates to an interpersonal relationship between the first user and the second user.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
extracting user preferences from the matched user profile, wherein the extracted user preferences are used to create the customized user interface for the first user.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein a script library embedded in the website collects the client device fingerprinting attributes.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the client device fingerprinting attributes include information regarding a User Agent.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the client device fingerprinting attributes include information regarding user settings on the client device.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the client device fingerprinting attributes include geo-location information.
13. A device, comprising:
an input device to enter a first request for browsing a website without entering user credentials;
a processor, in a browsing session related to the first request, to transmit fingerprinting attributes of the device over a network, wherein transmitted fingerprinting attributes are stored in a user profile;
a second request for browsing the website with entering user credentials, wherein the fingerprinting attributes of the first request are associated with the user credentials provided in the second request, such that when the device subsequently browses the website without a first user entering the user login credentials, the subsequent browsing session is still associated with the user login credentials, and
a display, in a browsing session related to the second request, to display a customized user interface based on the user profile,
wherein the associated user profile includes information derived from another user profile that corresponds to a second user who was identified as using the device, the derived information including information that relates to an interpersonal relationship between the first user and the second user.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein a script library embedded in the website collects the fingerprinting attributes.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the device fingerprinting attributes include information regarding a User Agent.
16. The device of claim 14 , wherein the device fingerprinting attributes include information regarding user settings on the device.
17. The device of claim 14 , wherein the device fingerprinting attributes include geo-location information.