Providing content to a user across multiple devices

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and including a method for providing content. The method comprises receiving a first login request from a first device used by a user, the request being associated with a first anonymous identifier associated with the first device, and determining a user tag for the user, that does not include any personally identifiable information associated with the user. The method further comprises receiving a second login request from a second different device used by the user, the request being associated with a second different anonymous identifier associated with the second different device, and storing an association between the user tag, the first anonymous identifier and the second different anonymous identifier. The method further comprises receiving a request for content from either the first or second different device and providing content in response to the request using the association.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, a first login request from a first device used by a user for logging into a service; 
 after logging in the user based on the received first login request, identifying, by the one or more processors, a first anonymous identifier that is associated with the user wherein identifying includes either receiving the first anonymous identifier during a session while the user is logged in or locating the first anonymous identifier that is associated with the user and was received prior to the login; 
 determining, using by the one or more processors and,using personal information associated with the user that is unique to the user, a user tag for the user including constructing the user tag by obfuscating at least a portion of the personal information, wherein the user tag does not include any personally identifiable information associated with the user; 
 receiving, by the one or more processors, a second login request from a second different device used by the user; 
 after logging in the user based on the received second login request, identifying, by the one or more processors, a second anonymous identifier that is associated with the user, wherein identifying includes either receiving the second anonymous identifier during a session while the user is logged in or locating the second anonymous identifier that is associated with the user and was received prior to the login, wherein the second anonymous identifier is different from the first anonymous identifier; 
 after identifying the second anonymous identifier, storing, by the one or more processors, an association between the user tag, the first anonymous identifier and the second different anonymous identifier, the association anonymously linking the user with the first device and the second different device; 
 receiving, by the one or more processors, a request for content from either:
 the first device wherein the request for content includes the first anonymous identifier; or 
 the second different device wherein the request for content includes the second different anonymous identifier; 
 
 using, by the one or more processors, the received first anonymous identifier or the second anonymous identifier received in the request for content to locate identify a plurality of different devices that are mapped linked to the user including locating identifying another of the first or second different device; 
 determining, using by the one or more processors, session history information associated with each of the user's use of the first and second different device; 
 creating, using by the one or more processors, in response to the request for content, aggregated session history using the determined session history information; and 
 providing, using by the one or more processors, content in response to the request for content using the association and the aggregated session history. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and second different anonymous identifiers are associated with different browsers. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the login request includes receiving a request to log into a social service. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a user tag for the user further includes determining a random or pseudo-random number based at least in part on the personal information and providing the random or pseudo-random number as the user tag. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein determining a user tag for the user further includes applying a one-way function to at least a portion of the personal information producing a result and using the result as the user tag. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5  wherein the one-way function is a hash function. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5  wherein the portion of information is a login identifier associated with the user. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5  wherein the portion of information is an email address of the user. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein storing the association includes storing the user tag, the first anonymous identifier, and the second different anonymous identifier as an entry entries in a table. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1  wherein storing the association includes mapping the user tag to both the first and the second different anonymous identifiers. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1  wherein storing the association includes removing the user tag after expiration of a first time period. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11  wherein storing the association includes removing the second different anonymous identifier after expiration of a second time period. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12  wherein the first and the second time periods are the same. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11  wherein the first and the second time periods expire at logout by the user from the service. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11  wherein the first and the second time periods expire after an amount of time has passed since login that would enable a user to have logged in from multiple different devices. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1  wherein the first and second different anonymous identifiers are selected from a group comprising include at least one of a browser cookie and a device identifier. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a login request from a third device used by the user, the login request being associated with a third different anonymous identifier associated with the third device, the third anonymous identifier different from the first and second anonymous identifiers; 
 storing an association between the user tag, the first anonymous identifier, the second different anonymous identifier and the third different anonymous identifier; 
 receiving a request for content from either:
 the first device including the first anonymous identifier; 
 the second different device including the second different anonymous identifier; or 
 the third different device including the third different anonymous identifier; and 
 
 providing content, in response to the request and for content, using the association. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving a request for content includes receiving a request for advertising content. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving a request for content includes receiving a request from the first device including the first anonymous identifier, where the first anonymous identifier is a cookie. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1  wherein providing content in response to the request further includes using information about the user to provide content to the user. 
     
     
       21. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more processors, a first login request from a first device used by a user; 
 after logging in the user based on the received first login request, identifying, by the one or more processors, a first anonymous identifier that is associated with the user wherein identifying includes either receiving the first anonymous identifier during a session while the user is logged in or locating the first anonymous identifier that is associated with the user and was received prior to the login; 
 determining, using by the one or more processors and, using personal information associated with the user that is unique to the user, a user tag for the user, including constructing the user tag by obfuscating at least a portion of the personal information, and providing the user tag to the first device, wherein the user tag does not include any personally identifiable information associated with the user; 
 receiving, by the one or more processors, a second login request from a second different device used by the user; 
 after logging in the user based on the received second login request, identifying, by the one or more processors, a second anonymous identifier that is associated with the user wherein identifying includes either receiving the second anonymous identifier during a session while the user is logged in or locating the second anonymous identifier that is associated with the user and was received prior to the login, wherein the second anonymous identifier is different from the first anonymous identifier; 
 determining, by the one or more processors, that the user has logged into the second different device; 
 after identifying the second anonymous identifier, storing, by the one or more processors, an association between the user tag, the first anonymous identifier and the second different anonymous identifier, the association anonymously linking the user with the first device and the second different device; 
 receiving, by the one or more processors, a request for content from either:
 the first device wherein the request for content includes the first anonymous identifier; or 
 the second different device using wherein the request for content includes the second different anonymous identifier; 
 using, by the one or more processors, the received first anonymous identifier or the second anonymous identifier received in the request for content to locate identify a plurality of different devices that are mapped linked to the user including locating identifying another of the first or second different device; 
 
 determining, using by the one or more processors, session history information associated with each of the user's use of the first and second different device; 
 creating, using by the one or more processors, in response to the request for content, aggregated session history using the determined session history information; and 
 providing, using by the one or more processors, content in response to the request for content using either the first anonymous identifier or the second different anonymous identifier and based on the association and the aggregated session history. 
 
     
     
       22. A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer-readable storage device and comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a first login request from a first device used by a user for logging into a service; 
 after logging in the user based on the received first login request, identify a first anonymous identifier that is associated with the user wherein identifying includes either receiving the first anonymous identifier during a session while the user is logged in or locating the first anonymous identifier that is associated with the user and was received prior to the login; 
 determine, using personal information associated with the user that is unique to the user, a user tag for the user including constructing the user tag by obfuscating at least a portion of the personal information, wherein the user tag does not include any personally identifiable information associated with the user; 
 receive a second login request from a second different device used by the user; 
 after logging in the user based on the received second login request, identify a second anonymous identifier that is associated with the user wherein identifying includes either receiving the second anonymous identifier during a session while the user is logged in or locating the second anonymous identifier that is associated with the user and was received prior to the login, wherein the second anonymous identifier is different from the first anonymous identifier; 
 after identifying the second anonymous identifier, store an association between the user tag, the first anonymous identifier and the second different anonymous identifier, the association anonymously linking the user with the first device and the second different device; 
 receive a request for content from either:
 the first device including wherein the request for content includes the first anonymous identifier; or 
 the second different device wherein the request for content includes the second different anonymous identifier; 
 
 use the received first anonymous identifier or the second anonymous identifier received in the request for content to locate identify a plurality of different devices that are mapped linked to the user including locating identifying another of the first or second different device; 
 determine, using the one or more processors, session history information associated with each of the user's use of the first and second different device; 
 create, using the one or more processors  in response to the request for content, aggregated session history using the determined session history information; and 
 provide content in response to the request for content using the association and the aggregated session history.