Systems and methods for user identification, user demographic reporting and collecting usage data using biometrics

Abstract

Several ways of identifying users and collecting demographic information and market information are disclosed, including branding a browser with a unique identification in each user request, identifying a user by his key strokes or mouse clicks, gathering demographic information using multiple data sets and by monitoring network traffic. Additionally, user requested content is distinguished from other, non-user content, and the performance of a server can be monitor and analyzed from a client a client perspective. Further, an Internet user's Internet data is routed to a known domain on the Internet, from which it is routed on to the intended recipient. The domain includes proxy servers which proxy the user's data requests to the domain, and database servers, which filter and build a database of the user's Internet usage. Particular data concerning certain behaviors of interest, such as purchasing data, is filtered into the database, and can form the basis for numerous market measures.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . A method of monitoring the performance of at least one network server, the method comprising: 
 receiving, from a browser program, a request for content from the network server;    requesting the content requested by the browser program from a network server;    receiving a response to the request from the network server;    inserting script into the response, the script directing the browser program to report information about the request from the browser program and the response from the network server; and    sending the response to the browser program.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the information about the request and the response includes information related to an amount of time taken to render the requested content in the browser.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 the requested content includes a webpage, and    information about the request from the browser program and the response from the network server includes statistics about rendering the webpage.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the statistics about rendering the webpage include a time to render the webpage.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the statistics about rendering the webpage include a time to render one or more components included in the webpage.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 encapsulating server-side performance information in an outgoing message; and    combining client-side statistics with the server-side performance information for processing and storage.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the server-side performance information includes one or more of a time at which the request is received, a time at which the response is received, a type of content received in the response, a size of the request for content, a size of the response to the request, an indicator of system status, and an indicator of an optimization status of content associated with the response.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the requested content is a webpage and the client-side statistics include, a unique identifier f a user associated with the browser, a number of requests the user made to the webpage, a time at which the browser received HTML associated with the webpage, and a time at which the browser loaded the entire webpage.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15 , further-comprising: 
 accessing content associated with the response; and    optimizing the content before sending the response to the browser program.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein optimizing the content includes compressing the content.  
     
     
         25 . A computer-readable medium storing a computer program configured to monitor the performance of at least one network server, the medium comprising one or more code segments configured to: 
 receive, from a browser program, a request for content from the network server;    request the content requested by the browser program from a network server;    receive a response to the request from the network server;    insert script into the response, the script directing the browser program to report information about the request from the browser program and the response from the network server; and    send the response to the browser program.    
     
     
         26 . The medium of  claim 25 , wherein the information about the request and the response includes information related to an amount of time taken to render the requested content in the browser.  
     
     
         27 . The medium of  claim 26 , wherein: 
 the requested content includes a webpage, and    information about the request from the browser program and the response from the network server includes statistics about rendering the webpage.    
     
     
         28 . The medium of  claim 27 , wherein the statistics about rendering the webpage include a time to render the webpage.  
     
     
         29 . The medium of  claim 27 , wherein the statistics about rendering the webpage include a time to render one or more components included in the webpage.  
     
     
         30 . The medium of  claim 25 , further comprising one or more code segments configured to: 
 encapsulate server-side performance information in an outgoing message; and    combine client-side statistics with the server-side performance information for processing and storage.    
     
     
         31 . The medium of  claim 25 , further comprising one or more code segments configured to: 
 access content associated with the response; and    optimize the content before sending the response to the browser program.    
     
     
         32 . The medium of  claim 31 , wherein optimizing the content includes compressing the content.  
     
     
         33 . An apparatus for monitoring the performance of at least one network server, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for receiving, from a browser program, a request for content from the network server;    means for requesting the content requested by the browser program from a network server;    means for receiving a response to the request from the network server;    means for, inserting script into the response, the script directing the browser program to report information about the request from the browser program and the response from the network server; and    means for sending the response to the browser program.