Patent ID: 8521735

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for anonymously recommending public entities, the method comprising: receiving, at a client of a user from a server, a predetermined number of select server fingerprints selected from server fingerprints based on predetermined metrics, the server fingerprints corresponding to a plurality of public entities, wherein the select server fingerprints are received in response to the user opening an application or accessing a particular web page and the predetermined metrics comprise at least one of: popularity of a corresponding public entity, a category of public entities requested by the user, a geographic location associated with the user, and a language requested by the user, each server fingerprint comprising encoded information about a corresponding public entity, wherein the encoded information comprises information for identifying the corresponding public entity and information for determining whether to recommend the public entity to a user, and wherein the encoded information is encoded to compress a size of the each server finger print; generating, at the client, a user fingerprint based on user information associated with a user, the user fingerprint comprising encoded user information, wherein the user information comprises information representative of the user's interests and wherein the user fingerprint is not transmitted outside the client; comparing, at the client, the user fingerprint with the select server fingerprints to select at least one server fingerprint for recommendation; generating, at the client, at least one recommendation of a public entity corresponding to the at least one server fingerprint for recommendation; and displaying the at least one recommendation.