System and method for demographic profiling of mobile terminal users based on network-centric estimation of installed mobile applications and their usage patterns

Abstract

Methods and systems for creating demographic profiles of mobile communication network users. A demographic classification system analyzes network traffic, so as to estimate the specific combination of application classes installed on a given terminal, and usage patterns of the applications over time. This combination of application classes and their respective usage patterns are a highly personalized choice made by the user, and is therefore used by the system to deduce the user's demographic profile. The demographic classification system operates on monitored network traffic, as opposed to obtaining explicit and accurate information regarding the installed applications from the terminal. The system then deduces the demographic profile of the user from the list of estimated application classes.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A system, comprising:
 an interface, which is configured to receive traffic from a mobile network; and   a processor, which is configured to:   analyze network traffic of a communication terminal of a user to determine a plurality of characteristics of the network traffic;   estimate, from the network traffic, a plurality of classes of the unrecognized applications that are installed on the communication terminal;   create a subset of the plurality of classes which comprises the plurality of classes with at least one of applications that are most commonly used or applications that are least-used removed;   create a combination of applications that are indicative of demographic attributes using the subset of the plurality of classes;
 determine a respective usage pattern of each of the subset of the plurality of classes over time; and 
   dynamically deduce and update, by tracking added or removed applications or classes over time, a demographic profile of the user of the communication terminal from the combination of applications and the respective usage pattern of each of the subset of the plurality of classes.   
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to estimate the classes of the applications and deduce the demographic profile irrespective of content of the traffic. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to analyze the traffic passively, without communicating with the given communication terminal. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein at least part of the traffic is encrypted. 
     
     
         21 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain metadata of a recognized application from an application store, to assess a similarity between the metadata and attributes of an unrecognized application installed on the given communication terminal, and to classify the unrecognized application based on the similarity. 
     
     
         22 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to exclude one or more predefined classes of the applications prior to deducing the demographic profile. 
     
     
         23 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the demographic profile comprises one or more demographic attributes, and wherein the processor is configured to assign a confidence score to at least one of the demographic attributes. 
     
     
         24 . The system according to  claim 17 , wherein the demographic profile comprises at least one demographic attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of age, gender, ethnic origin, mother tongue, marital status, education, occupation, employment, income level, number of people in household and residence type. 
     
     
         25 . A method, comprising:
 receiving traffic from a mobile network;   analyzing network traffic of a communication terminal of a user to determine a plurality of characteristics of the network traffic;   estimating, from the network traffic, a plurality of classes of the unrecognized applications that are installed on the communication terminal;   creating a subset of the plurality of classes which comprises the plurality of classes with at least one of applications that are most commonly used or applications that are least-used removed;   creating a combination of applications that are indicative of demographic attributes using the subset of the plurality of classes;   determining a respective usage pattern of each of the subset of the plurality of classes over time; and   dynamically deducing and updating, by tracking added or removed applications or classes over time, a demographic profile of the user of the communication terminal from the combination of applications and the respective usage pattern of each of the subset of the plurality of classes.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein analyzing the traffic, estimating the classes of the applications and deducing the demographic profile are performed irrespective of content of the traffic. 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein analyzing the traffic is performed passively, without communicating with the given communication terminal. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein at least part of the traffic is encrypted. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein analyzing the traffic comprises obtaining metadata of a recognized application from an application store, assessing a similarity between the metadata and attributes of an unrecognized application installed on the given communication terminal, and classifying the unrecognized application based on the similarity. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein analyzing the traffic comprises excluding one or more predefined classes of the applications prior to deducing the demographic profile. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the demographic profile comprises one or more demographic attributes, and wherein deducing the demographic profile comprises assigning a confidence score to at least one of the demographic attributes. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the demographic profile comprises at least one demographic attribute selected from a group of attributes consisting of age, gender, ethnic origin, mother tongue, marital status, education, occupation, employment, income level, number of people in household and residence type.