Offer matching for a user segment

• US 10,078,853 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Chang, Walter Wei-Tuh, Baum, Geoffrey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Loc
• Application Number:
  US14/925,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048885A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

User data and a plurality of micro-segment definitions are received. Each micro-segment definition in the plurality of micro-segment definitions corresponds to one or more offers in an offer provider campaign. Further, a each micro-segment definition from the plurality of micro-segment definitions is parsed into a plurality of parsed expression segments that indicate a plurality of micro-segment condition rules. The plurality of parsed expression segments are compiled into an executable object that indicates a plurality of instructions to determine if the user data matches the plurality of micro-segment definitions. Each micro-segment definition is processed to apply the plurality of micro-segment condition rules to the user data to determine a match of a user belonging to a micro-segment. Further, a score is assigned to indicate the strength of each match. In addition, each match is ranked according to the score for each match.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

at least one storage device storing a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program is executable by the one or more processors to cause the system to perform operations including;

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple selectable segments that each define a respective set of segment attributes;

receiving input to the GUI selecting a particular segment of the multiple selectable segments;

parsing the respective set of segment attributes for the particular segment into a plurality of segment condition rules;

generating a segment object that indicates a plurality of instructions for matching user data to the segment condition rules for the particular segment, the segment object executable to enable application of the plurality of instructions to the user data without revealing the respective set of segment attributes for the particular segment;

communicating the segment object to a remote system;

receiving a segment definition that includes user statistics for a group of users in relation to the particular segment and that does not include personal identification information for the group of users; and

communicating an offer to be forwarded by the remote system to the group of users.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the segment attributes include one or more of a gender identifier, an age range, or an income range for one or more of the segments.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the segment object is not specific to the offer.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the segment condition rules include predicates for user classification in the segment.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the segment condition rules include a minimum matching score for a user to be included in the particular segment.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the segment condition rules include a minimum matching score that specifies a minimum number of user attributes that are to match segment attributes of the particular segment for a user to be included in the particular segment.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the segment condition rules include a minimum matching score that specifies a minimum number of user attributes that are to match segment attributes of the particular segment for a user to be included in the particular segment, the minimum matching score specifying less than all of the segment attributes.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the segment condition rules specify a weighting for a particular consumer attribute of the particular segment, and wherein the weighting is to be applied for matching a user to the particular segment.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further include receiving offer performance statistics that indicate a response of at least some users of the group of users to the offer.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple selectable segments that each define a respective set of segment attributes;

receiving input to the GUI selecting a particular segment of the multiple selectable segments;

parsing the respective set of segment attributes for the particular segment into a plurality of segment condition rules;

generating a segment object that indicates a plurality of instructions for matching user data to the segment condition rules for the particular segment, the segment object executable to enable application of the plurality of instructions to the user data without revealing the respective set of segment attributes for the particular segment;

communicating the segment object to a remote system;

receiving a segment definition that includes user statistics for a group of users in relation to the particular segment and that does not include personal identification information for the group of users; and

communicating an offer to be forwarded by the remote system to the group of users.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the segment condition rules include predicates for user classification in the particular segment.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the segment condition rules include a minimum matching score for a user to be included in the particular segment.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the segment condition rules include a minimum matching score that specifies a minimum number of user attributes that are to match segment attributes of the particular segment for a user to be included in the particular segment.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the segment condition rules specify a weighting for a particular consumer attribute of the particular segment, wherein the weighting is to be applied for matching a user to the segment.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising receiving offer performance statistics that indicate a response of at least some users of the group of users to the offer.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a segment object that indicates a plurality of instructions for comparing user data to segment rules for a segment, the segment object executable to enable application of the plurality of instructions to the user data without indicating a particular set of segment attributes that define the segment;

comparing, using the segment object, user attributes of a group of users to the segment rules for the segment to determine a match of the group of users to the segment;

assigning a score to each user of the group of users based on a strength of a match of each user to the segment;

placing the group of users into the segment based on the score for each user of the group of users exceeding a threshold score for the segment;

communicating a set of segment statistics for the group of users associated with the segment to an offer provider without personal identity information for the group of users;

receiving an offer from the offer provider; and

communicating the offer to the group of users.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the segment statistics specify a number of users that are placed in the segment.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the threshold score is based on a number of segment rules included in the segment object, and wherein the threshold score specifies a number of segment rules that is less than all segment rules included in the segment object.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

determining performance statistics that indicate a response of at least some users of the group of users to the offer; and

communicating the performance statistics to the offer provider.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the segment object does not indicate a marketing campaign associated with the segment.