Data fusion using behavioral factors

{
  "publication_number": "US10303703B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Data fusion using behavioral factors",
  "abstract": "A first data set associated with a first group of users is accessed. The first data set includes demographic data, online behavior data, and additional user data associated with the users in the first group. A second data set associated with a second group of users is accessed. The second data set includes demographic data and online behavior data but not additional user data associated with the users in the second group. One or more sets of matched users are determined based on the demographic data and online behavior data included in the first data set and the demographic data and online behavior data included in the second data set. Each set includes a user from the first group matched with a user from the second group. Based on the one or more sets of matched users, an augmented second data set that includes additional user data associated with the users in the second group is generated. One or more reports are generated based on the augmented second data set.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system, comprising: one or more processing devices; and one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to: access a first data set associated with a first group of users, the first data set including demographic data, user behavior data, and additional user data associated with the users in the first group, the additional user data including data received from a survey presented on a user device by a beacon code, the user behavior data of the first data set including data received from monitoring applications executing on a first set of client systems associated with the first group of users; access a second data set associated with a second group of users, the second data set including demographic data and user behavior data but not additional user data associated with the users in the second group, the user behavior data of the second data set including data received from monitoring applications executing on a second set of client system associated with the second group of users; group users in the first group and users in the second group into one or more subsets based on the demographic data included in the first data set and the demographic data included in the second data set; create a multivariate data structure of user behavior data for each user from the first group grouped in a first subset and for each user from the second group grouped into the first subset; match a first user in the first group with a second user in the second group by: determining a similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and each of the multivariate data structures created for the users from the first group grouped in the first subset, determining that the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the first user and the multivariate data structure created for the second user indicates a greater similarity than the similarity measurements between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and the multivariate data structures created for the other users from the first group grouped in the first subset, and matching the first user with the second user in response to determining that the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the first user and the multivariate data structure created for the second user indicates a greater similarity than the similarity measurements between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and the other users from the first group grouped in the first subset; generate, based on matching the first user in the first group with the second user in the second group, an augmented second data set that includes additional user data associated with the second user in the second group; and generate one or more reports based on the augmented second data set.",
    "2. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to generate the one or more reports include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to generate one or more reports based on the first data set and the augmented second data set.",
    "3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to group users in the first group and users in the second group into one or more subsets include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to: compare demographic data included in the first data set and demographic data included in the second data set; determine, based on the comparison between the demographic data included in the first data set and the demographic data included in the second data set, that demographic data associated with a first user in the first group matches demographic data associated with a second user in the second group; and group the user in the first group and the user in the second group into a subset.",
    "4. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to determine a similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and each of the multivariate data structures created for the users from the first group grouped in the first subset include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to determine a Mahalanobis distance between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and each of the multivariate data structures created for the users from the first group grouped in the first subset.",
    "5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more storage devices store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to further determine whether user behavior data included in the second data set associated with a user in the second group of users represents a threshold level of data for a reporting period necessary for inclusion of the user behavior data in the one or more generated reports.",
    "6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring applications executing on the first set of client systems and the monitoring applications executing on the second set of client systems are configured to monitor client system activity associated with web resource accesses by a client system.",
    "7. The system of claim 6, wherein the monitoring applications executing on the first set of client systems and the monitoring applications executing on the second set of client systems are further configured to monitor at least one of: outgoing network traffic from a client system and associated with a web resource access, incoming network traffic to a client system and associated with a web resource access, a network location of an accessed web resource, or cookie data sent from a client system and associated with a web resource access.",
    "8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data received from the survey presented on a user device by a beacon code is received via a beacon message caused by the beacon code.",
    "9. A computer-implemented method, comprising: accessing a first data set associated with a first group of users, the first data set including demographic data, user behavior data, and additional user data associated with the users in the first group, the additional user data including data received from a survey presented on a user device by a beacon code, the user behavior data of the first data set including data received from monitoring applications executing on a first set of client systems associated with the first group of users; accessing a second data set associated with a second group of users, the second data set including demographic data and user behavior data but not additional user data associated with the users in the second group, the user behavior data of the second data set including data received from monitoring applications executing on a second set of client systems associated with the second group of users; grouping users in the first group and users in the second group into one or more subsets based on the demographic data included in the first data set and the demographic data included in the second data set; creating a multivariate data structure of user behavior data for each user from the first group grouped in a first subset and for each user from the second group grouped into the first subset; matching a first user in the first group with a second user in the second group by: determining a similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and each of the multivariate data structures created for the users from the first group grouped in the first subset, determining that the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the first user and the multivariate data structure created for the second user indicates a greater similarity than the similarity measurements between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and the multivariate data structures created for the other users from the first group grouped in the first subset, and matching the first user with the second user in response to determining that the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the first user and the multivariate data structure created for the second user indicates a greater similarity than the similarity measurements between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and the other users from the first group grouped in the first subset; generating, based on matching the first user in the first group with the second user in the second group, an augmented second data set that includes additional user data associated with the second user in the second group; and generating one or more reports based on the augmented second data set.",
    "10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the one or more reports includes generating one or more reports based on the first data set and the augmented second data set.",
    "11. The method of claim 9, wherein grouping users in the first group and users in the second group into one or more subsets includes: comparing demographic data included in the first data set and the demographic data included in the second data set; determining, based on the comparison between the demographic data included in the first data set and the demographic data included in the second data set, that demographic data associated with a first user in the first group matches demographic data associated with a second user in the second group; and grouping the user in the first group and the user in the second group into a subset.",
    "12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining a similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and each of the multivariate data structures created for the users from the first group grouped in the first subset includes determining a Mahalanobis distance between the multivariate data structure created for the second user and each of the multivariate data structures created for the users from the first group grouped in the first subset.",
    "13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether user behavior data included in the second data set associated with a user in the second group of users represents a threshold level of data for a reporting period necessary for inclusion of the user behavior data in the one or more generated reports.",
    "14. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring applications executing on the first set of client systems and the monitoring applications executing on the second set of client systems are configured to monitor client system activity associated with web resource accesses by a client system.",
    "15. The method of claim 9, wherein the data received from the survey presented on a user device by a beacon code is received via a beacon message caused by the beacon code.",
    "16. A system, comprising: one or more processing devices; and one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to: access a first set of demographic data for a first group of client systems, the first set of demographic data being determined based on survey data collected from each member of the first group of client systems, the survey data being received from a survey presented on a user device by a beacon code; access a second set of demographic data for a second group of client systems, the second set of demographic data being determined based on profile data associated with each member of the second group of client systems; compare the first set of demographic data with the second set of demographic data; based on the comparison of the first set of demographic data with the second set of demographic data, group, into subsets, one or more members of the first group of client systems with one or more members of the second group of client systems such that members of each subset share matching demographic data; access user behavior data for each member of a subset, the user behavior data including data received from monitoring applications executing on client systems associated with members of a subset; compare user behavior data of each member of the subset with user behavior data of other members of the subset by: creating a multivariate data structure of user behavior data for each client system from the first group grouped in a first subset and for each client system from the second group grouped into the first subset, the first group grouped in the first subset including a first client system and the second group grouped in the first subset including a second client system, determining a similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the second client system and each of the multivariate data structures created for the client systems from the first group grouped in the first subset, and determining that the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the first client system and the multivariate data structure created for the second client system indicates a greater similarity than the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the second client system and the other client systems from the first group grouped in the first subset; based on the comparison of the user behavior data of each member of the first subset with user behavior data of the other members of the first subset, associate, within the first subset, each member of the second group of client systems with a member of the first group of client systems, wherein associating each member of the second group of client systems with a member of the first group of client systems includes matching the first client system with the second client system in response to determining that the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the first client system and the multivariate data structure created for the second client system indicates a greater similarity than the similarity measurements between the multivariate data structure created for the second client system and the other client systems from the first group grouped in the first subset; for each member of the second group of client systems within the first subset, associate survey data collected from the member of the first group of client systems with the member of the second group of client systems with whom the member of the first group of client systems has been associated; and generate one or more reports based on the association of survey data.",
    "17. The system of claim 16, wherein: the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to compare the first set of demographic data with the second set of demographic data include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to determine that the first client system from the first group of client systems share one or more of the following demographic variables with the second client system from the second group of client systems: age, gender, zip code, income, race, ethnicity, whether there are children present in a household associated with the client system, and the size of the household associated with the client system; and the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to group, into subsets, one or more members of the first group of client systems with one or more members of the second group of client systems such that members of each subset share matching demographic data include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to group the first client system from the first group of client systems and the second client system from the second group of client systems into one of the subsets.",
    "18. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to generate one or more reports based on the association of survey data include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to: receive one or more target audience variables that are based on the survey data; search data associated with the first group of client systems and the second group of client systems for the one or more target audience variables; and generate a report that includes the user behavior data associated with the members of the first group of client systems and the members of the second group of client systems that are associated with survey data that matches the one or more target audience variables.",
    "19. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to associate, within the first subset, each member of the second group of client systems with a member of the first group of client systems include instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to: determine the similarity measurements between each of the multivariate data structures created for the client systems from the second group grouped in the first subset and each of the multivariate data structures created for the client systems from the first group grouped in the first subset, determine that the multivariate data structure created for a third client system from the first group grouped in the first subset is less similar than a multivariate data structure created for at least one other client system from the first group grouped in the first subset to each of the client systems from the second group grouped in the first subset, determine a similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the third client system and each of the multivariate data structures created for the client systems from the second group grouped in the first subset, and determine that the similarity between the multivariate data structure created for the third client system and a multivariate data structure created for a fourth client system from the second group grouped in the first subset indicates a greater similarity than the similarity measurements between the multivariate data structure created for the third client system and the other client systems from the second group grouped in the first subset; and the instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to associate, within the first subset, each member of the second group of client systems with a member of the first group of client systems includes instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to match the third client system with the fourth client system in response to determining that the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the third client system and the multivariate data structure created for the fourth client system indicates greater similarity than the similarity measurement between the multivariate data structure created for the third client system and the other client systems from the second group grouped in the first subset.",
    "20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more storage devices store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to further determine whether user behavior data included in the second data set associated with a user in the second group of client systems represents a threshold level of data for a reporting period necessary for inclusion of the user behavior data in the one or more generated reports."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Internet audience measurement may be useful for a number of reasons. For example, some organizations may want to be able to make claims about the size and growth of their audiences or technologies. Similarly, understanding consumer behavior, such as how consumers interact with a particular web site or group of web sites, may help organizations make decisions that improve their traffic flow or the objective of their site. In addition, understanding Internet audience visitation and habits may be useful in supporting advertising planning, buying, and selling.\n\nIn one aspect, a system includes one or more processing devices and one or more storage devices storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to access a first data set associated with a first group of users. The first data set includes demographic data, online behavior data, and additional user data associated with the users in the first group. The instructions also cause the one or more processing devices to access a second data set associated with a second group of users. The second data set including demographic data and online behavior data but not additional user data associated with the users in the second group. Further, the instructions cause the one or more processing devices to determine one or more sets of matched users based on the demographic data and online behavior data included in the first data set and the demographic data and online behavior data included in the second data set.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06F 16/284",
    "G06F 16/00",
    "G06Q 30/0203",
    "G06Q 30/0241",
    "H04L 67/10"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 17/30",
    "H04L 29/08",
    "G06F 16/00",
    "G06F 16/28",
    "G06F 7/00",
    "G06Q 30/02"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Comscore Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Cameron S. Meierhoefer",
    "David Pham Kapar",
    "Patrick James Kemp",
    "Alan Vaughn"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-09-15",
  "publication_date": "2019-05-28",
  "grant_date": "2019-05-28",
  "priority_date": "2011-08-31",
  "application_number": "US-201414485898-A",
  "family_id": "47745164",
  "cited_by_count": 4,
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}