Reconciliation of disjoint user identifer spaces

Abstract

Two different user spaces can be mapped to each other based on one or more categories of information that are common to both. The mapping is based on hash values generated by applying the same hash function to the same information of the categories of information that identifies users in each user space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a reconciliation device, from a media device, a first set of user identifiers and a first set of information that identifies users associated with the first set of user identifiers according to one or more categories of information, wherein the one or more categories of information is common to a first user space associated with the media device and a second user space associated with a merchant device;   receiving, at the reconciliation device, from the merchant device, a second set of user identifiers and a second set of information that identifies users associated with the second set of user identifiers according to the one or more categories of information;   generating, at the reconciliation device, based on the first set of information and the second set of information, mapping information that includes an indication of a first user associated with both a first user identifier of the first set of user identifiers and a second user identifier of the second set of user identifiers;   receiving, at the media device from the merchant device, targeted content for display to the first user, the targeted content including an indication of the second user identifier;   transmitting, by the media device to the reconciliation device, a request for translating the second user identifier of the second user space into one of the first set of user identifiers of the first user space;   identifying, by the reconciliation device, based on the mapping information and based on the received request for translation of the second user identifier, the first user identifier;   transmitting, the by reconciliation device, the first user identifier to the media device; and   transmitting, by the media device to a user device associated with the first user, and based on the receiving the first user identifier from the reconciliation device as mapping to the second user identifier, the targeted content from the merchant device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeted content includes one or more of an advertisement, catalog, discount, coupon, or offer targeted at the first user identifier of the first user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second user space is associated with a loyalty program at the merchant device, and wherein the targeted content includes coupon information targeted at the first user identifier of the first user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more categories of information includes one or more of a telephone number category, an electronic-mail category, a mailing address category, or a birthdate category. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, to the merchant device and responsive to the transmitting the targeted content to the user device, an invoice for the transmitting the targeted content to the user device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the targeted content is first targeted content, further comprising:
 receiving, by the media device from the merchant device, second targeted content for display to users of the first user space who are not associated with the second user space;   transmitting, by the media device to the reconciliation device, a request for an indication of all users that are associated with the set of first user identifiers but are not associated with the set of second user identifiers;   receiving, by the media device from the reconciliation device, an indication of one or more second users that are associated with the set of first user identifiers but are not associated with the set of second user identifiers; and   transmitting, by the media device to one or more user devices associated with the one or more second users, the second targeted content from the merchant device.   
     
     
         7 . A system, comprising:
 a media device; and   a reconciliation device communicably coupled to the media device and configured for:
 receiving, from the media device, a first set of user identifiers and a first set of information that identifies users associated with the first set of user identifiers according to one or more categories of information, wherein the one or more categories of information is common to a first user space associated with the media device and a second user space associated with a merchant device; 
 receiving, from the merchant device, a second set of user identifiers and a second set of information that identifies users associated with the second set of user identifiers according to the one or more categories of information; 
 generating, based on the first set of information and the second set of information, mapping information that includes an indication of a first user associated with both a first user identifier of the first set of user identifiers and a second user identifier of the second set of user identifiers, wherein the media device is configured for: 
 receiving, from the merchant device, targeted content for display to the first user, the targeted content including an indication of the second user identifier; and 
 transmitting, to the reconciliation device, a request for translating the second user identifier of the second user space into one of the first set of user identifiers of the first user space, 
   wherein the reconciliation device is further configured for:   identifying, based on the mapping information and based on the received request for translation of the second user identifier, the first user identifier; and   transmitting the first user identifier to the media device, and   wherein the media device is further configured for transmitting, to a user device associated with the first user, and based on the receiving the first user identifier from the reconciliation device as mapping to the second user identifier, the targeted content from the merchant device.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the targeted content includes one or more of an advertisement, catalog, discount, coupon, or offer targeted at the first user identifier of the first user. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the second user space is associated with a loyalty program at the merchant device, and wherein the targeted content includes coupon information targeted at the first user identifier of the first user. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more categories of information includes one or more of a telephone number category, an electronic-mail category, a mailing address category, or a birthdate category. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the media device is further configured for:
 transmitting, to the merchant device and responsive to the transmitting the targeted content to the user device, an invoice for the transmitting the targeted content to the user device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the targeted content is first targeted content, and wherein the media device is further configured for:
 receiving, from the merchant device, second targeted content for display to users of the first user space who are not associated with the second user space;   transmitting, to the reconciliation device, a request for an indication of all users that are associated with the set of first user identifiers but are not associated with the set of second user identifiers;   receiving, from the reconciliation device, an indication of one or more second users that are associated with the set of first user identifiers but are not associated with the set of second user identifiers; and   transmitting, to one or more user devices associated with the one or more second users, the second targeted content from the merchant device.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the reconciliation device is further configured to generate the mapping information by:
 applying a hash function to the first set of information to generate a first set of hash values and to the second set of information to generate a second set of hash values; identifying a first hash value that is common to the first set of hash values and the second set of hash values; and   generating the mapping information based on the first hash value corresponding to both of the first user identifier and the second user identifier.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the reconciliation device is further configured to identify the one or more categories of information that is common to the first user space and the second user space. 
     
     
         15 . A method, comprising:
 transmitting, by a media device to a reconciliation device, a first set of user identifiers and a first set of information that identifies users associated with the first set of user identifiers according to one or more categories of information, wherein the one or more categories of information is common to a first user space associated with the media device and a second user space associated with a merchant device;   receiving, at the media device from the merchant device, targeted content for display to a first user, the targeted content including an indication of a second user identifier of a second user space associated with the merchant device;   transmitting, by the media device to the reconciliation device, a request for translating the second user identifier of the second user space into one of the first set of user identifiers of the first user space;   receiving, by the media device from the reconciliation device, responsive to the transmitting the request for the translating, based on mapping information of the reconciliation device that includes an indication of the first user associated with both a first user identifier of the first user space and the second user identifier of the second user space, and based on the received request for translation of the second user identifier, the first user identifier;   inserting the targeted content into a social media stream to be transmitted to the first user;   transmitting, by the media device to a user device associated with the first user, and based on the receiving the first user identifier from the reconciliation device as mapping to the second user identifier, the targeted content in the social media stream.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the targeted content is first targeted content, the method further comprising:
 receiving, from the merchant device, second targeted content for display to users of the first user space who are not associated with the second user space;   transmitting, to the reconciliation device, a request for an indication of all users that are associated with the set of first user identifiers but are not associated with the set of second user identifiers;   receiving, from the reconciliation device, an indication of one or more second users that are associated with the set of first user identifiers but are not associated with the set of second user identifiers; and   transmitting, to one or more user devices associated with the one or more second users, the second targeted content from the merchant device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the targeted content includes one or more of an advertisement, catalog, discount, coupon, or offer targeted at the first user identifier of the first user. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the second user space is associated with a loyalty program at the merchant device, and wherein the targeted content includes coupon information targeted at the first user identifier of the first user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more categories of information includes one or more of a telephone number category, an electronic-mail category, a mailing address category, or a birthdate category. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:
 transmit, to a reconciliation device, a first set of user identifiers and a first set of information that identifies users associated with the first set of user identifiers according to one or more categories of information, wherein the one or more categories of information is common to a first user space associated with the media device and a second user space associated with a merchant device;   receive, from the merchant device, targeted content for display to a first user, the targeted content including an indication of a second user identifier of a second user space associated with the merchant device;   transmit, to the reconciliation device, a request for translating the second user identifier of the second user space into one of the first set of user identifiers of the first user space;   receive, from the reconciliation device, responsive to the transmitting the request for the translating, based on mapping information of the reconciliation device that includes an indication of the first user associated with both a first user identifier of the first user space and the second user identifier of the second user space, and based on the received request for translation of the second user identifier, the first user identifier; and   insert the targeted content into a social media stream to be transmitted to the first user;   transmit, by the media device to a user device associated with the first user, and based on the receiving the first user identifier from the reconciliation device as mapping to the second user identifier, the targeted content in the social media stream.