Generating anonymous log entries

Abstract

Assigning session identifications to log entries and generating anonymous log entries are provided. In order to balance users' privacy concerns with the need for analysis of the log entries to provide high quality search results, non-user-specific data fields, such as a user's location (e.g., city, state, and latitude/longitude) and connection speed, are inserted into the log entries, and user-specific data fields, such as the IP address and cookie identifications, are deleted from the log entries. In addition or alternatively, prior to anonymization of the log entries, session identifications are assigned to identified groups of log entries. The groups are identified based on factors such as the user's identification, the IP address, the time of search, and differences between the search terms used in the search queries.

1 . A computing device having stored thereon computer-useable instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to perform a method of generating anonymous log entries, the method comprising:
 providing a log entry that is a web server's record of a user's past browsing activity corresponding to an online search query;   inserting at least one new data field and a corresponding value into the log entry, wherein the at least one new data field and the corresponding value cannot be used to track the log entry to a specific user, and wherein the at least one new data field is one or more of a user location or a connection speed; and   deleting all data fields and corresponding values that can be used to track the log entry to the specific user from the log entry to generate an anonymous log entry.   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether the log entry is older than a pre-selected period of time.   
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the log entry is a copy log entry of an original log entry. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 validating the integrity of the anonymous log entry by comparing the anonymous log entry to the original log entry.   
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 deleting the original log entry that corresponds to the anonymous log entry.   
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more of the user location or the connection speed are retrieved from an IP lookup database using an IP address associated with the log entry. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein deleting all data fields and corresponding values that can be used to track the log entry to a specific user comprises deleting an IP address and each of a plurality of cookie identifications associated with the log entry. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 deleting a plurality of user-identifying information from the search query.   
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of user-identifying information comprises the user's social security number, the user's name, the user's address, and the user's credit card number. 
     
     
         10 . One or more computer storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing an efficient method of generating anonymous log entries, the method comprising:
 providing a log entry that is a web server's record of a user's past browsing activity corresponding to an online search query;   inserting at least one new data field and a corresponding value into the log entry, wherein the at least one new data field and the corresponding value cannot be used to track the log entry to a specific user, and wherein the at least one new data field is one or more of a user location or a connection speed; and   deleting all data fields and corresponding values that can be used to track the log entry to the specific user from the log entry to generate an anonymous log entry.   
     
     
         11 . The media of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining whether the log entry is older than a pre-selected period of time.   
     
     
         12 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the log entry is a copy log entry of an original log entry. 
     
     
         13 . The media of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 validating the integrity of the anonymous log entry by comparing the anonymous log entry to the original log entry.   
     
     
         14 . The media of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 deleting the original log entry that corresponds to the anonymous log entry.   
     
     
         15 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more of the user location or the connection speed are retrieved from an IP lookup database using an IP address associated with the log entry. 
     
     
         16 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein deleting all data fields and corresponding values that can be used to track the log entry to a specific user comprises deleting an IP address and each of a plurality of cookie identifications associated with the log entry. 
     
     
         17 . The media of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 deleting a plurality of user-identifying information from the search query.   
     
     
         18 . The media of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of user-identifying information comprises the user's social security number, the user's name, the user's address, and the user's credit card number. 
     
     
         19 . A system for performing an efficient method of generating anonymous log entries, the system comprising:
 a computing device having a processor and a memory, the computing device being configured to perform a method of:
 providing a log entry that is a web server's record of a user's past browsing activity corresponding to an online search query, 
 inserting at least one new data field and a corresponding value into the log entry, wherein the at least one new data field and the corresponding value cannot be used to track the log entry to a specific user, and wherein the at least one new data field is one or more of a user location or a connection speed, and 
 deleting all data fields and corresponding values that can be used to track the log entry to the specific user from the log entry to generate an anonymous log entry.