Method and apparatus for selecting an advertiser

• US 10,402,862 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikan, Jeffrey, Basso, Andrea, Hines, Tara, Ivanov, Aleksey, Morris, Nadia
• Primary Examiner(s): Refai, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Busch, Christopher C
• Application Number:
  US13/208,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20130041758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a method for receiving a first radio frequency signal from a radio frequency identifier tag carried by a first item, retrieving from the first radio frequency signal information about the first item, and identifying at least one replacement item according to the retrieved information. The method can further include selecting at least one advertiser that promotes at least one product that is at least similar to the at least one replacement item, and selecting a presentation arrangement for the identified at least one advertiser to present the at least one product at a device of a user of the first item. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first transceiver;

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

accessing consumption information associated with a user;

generating a behavior pattern model associated with the user based on regression analysis of the consumption information associated with the user;

directing the first transceiver to transmit a first radio frequency signal to a first item;

directing the first transceiver to receive a second radio frequency signal from the first item, wherein the second radio frequency signal is generated by a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag carried by the first item responsive to the first item receiving the first radio frequency signal from the first transceiver, wherein the RFID tag comprises an RFID memory;

accessing usage information from the second radio frequency signal that is received from the first item, wherein the usage information is generated according to;

a usage quantity that is sensed periodically by a first sensor at the first item, a usage condition that is sensed periodically by a second sensor at the first item, wherein the usage information is recorded within the RFID memory, and point of sale information that had been recorded in the RFID memory at a time of purchasing of the first item responsive to receipt of data by the RFID tag via a third radio frequency signal from a second transceiver of a point of sale terminal of a merchant;

comparing the usage quantity to a threshold to obtain a comparison result;

detecting a need to replace the first item according to the usage information based on the comparison result;

accessing, via a social media network, a message associated with a social media group of the user, wherein the user has used the first item and wherein the user is a member of the social media group;

determining, from the message associated with the social media group, an interest in a type of replacement item for the first item, wherein the interest is associated with the social media group;

determining a search scheme to replace the first item according to the interest in the type of replacement item responsive to detecting the need to replace the first item, wherein the search scheme is based on a prediction, determined from the interest in the type of replacement item and the behavior pattern model, of a desire of the user to replace the first item with the type of replacement item;

searching a plurality of replacement items according to the search scheme;

identifying one replacement item from results of the search;

determining whether to bypass an auctioning process for one of a plurality of advertisers based on a preferred status, wherein the preferred status comprises a preference of the user for the one of the plurality of advertisers, purchases made by the user of a product from the one of the plurality of advertisers, a sale price for the product from the one of the plurality of advertisers, or any combinations thereof;

responsive to determining that preferred status exists, selecting the one of the plurality of advertisers;

initiating the auctioning process for a remainder of the plurality of advertisers for a proposal for replacing the first item with a replacement item of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers;

selecting a subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers based on a selection criteria of the user;

selecting, based on arrangement criteria, a presentation arrangement for a notice for replacing the first item with replacement items from the one of the plurality of advertisers and the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers;

generating the notice, wherein the notice includes the presentation arrangement for the one of the plurality of advertisers and the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers; and

causing transmission of the notice to a communication device of the user.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a plurality of bids from each of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers; and

selecting the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers according to the plurality of bids received.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers according to a ranking order of the plurality of bids received.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the presentation arrangement is determined from one of the plurality of bids received, a sale price of each product of each advertiser, a degree of a match in similarity between the product of each advertiser and the one replacement item, or any combination thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise presenting an auction of the presentation arrangement in the notice to the remainder of the plurality of advertisers.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the operations further comprise presenting the auction to a subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers according to one of a history of products purchased by the user from the subset of a plurality of advertiser systems, a first list of advertisers blocked to participate in the auction, a second list of advertisers authorized to participate in the auction, or any combination thereof.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at the time of purchasing of the first item a point of sale terminal of a merchant transmits to the RFID tag, via the second transceiver, a third radio frequency signal comprising the point of sale information for recording in a memory of the RFID tag.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first item further comprises the first sensor coupled to the RFID tag, and wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting the first radio frequency signal directed to the RFID tag, wherein the transmitting results in a transmitted first radio frequency signal; and

receiving the usage quantity from the first sensor responsive to the transmitted first radio frequency signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise monitoring media consumption by the user of the first item, wherein the interest in the type of replacement item for the first item is further determined from the media consumption that is monitored.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing a commercial value of the user to a plurality of advertisers for promoting products to the user; and

determining a fee to charge an advertiser of the plurality of advertisers according to the commercial value.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting a charge to an advertiser system of the advertiser upon transmission of the notice to the device of the user.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise determining a behavior pattern of the user according to one of psychographic data, demographic data, or any combination thereof.

13. A method, comprising:

generating, by a processing system including a processor, a behavior pattern model associated with a user based on regression analysis of consumption information associated with the user;

transmitting, by the processing system, a first radio frequency signal to a first item;

receiving, by the processing system, a second radio frequency signal from a radio frequency identifier tag carried by the first item responsive to the first radio frequency signal, wherein the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag comprises an RFID memory;

retrieving, by the processing system, from the first radio frequency signal, usage information about the first item, wherein the usage information is generated according to a usage quantity that is sensed by a first sensor at the first item, a usage condition that is sensed by a second sensor at the first item, and point of sale information that had been recorded within the RFID memory, at a time of buying of the first item, responsive to receipt of data by the RFID tag via a third radio signal from a transceiver of a point of sale terminal of a merchant;

accessing, by the processing system, a message associated with a social media group of the user, wherein the user has used the first item and wherein the user is a member of the social media group;

determining, by the processing system, from the message associated with the social media group, an interest in a type of replacement item for the first item, wherein the interest is associated with the social media group;

determining, by the processing system, a strategy to replace the first item according to the interest in the type of replacement item and the behavior pattern model;

determining, by the processing system, a search scheme to replace the first item responsive to the usage information according to the interest in the type of replacement item, wherein the search scheme is based on a prediction, determined from the interest in the type of replacement item and the behavior pattern model, of a desire of the user to replace the first item with the type of replacement item;

searching, by the processing system, a plurality of replacement items according to the search scheme;

identifying, by the processing system, one replacement item according to results of the search;

determining, by the processing system, whether to bypass an auctioning process for one of a plurality of advertisers based on a preferred status, wherein the preferred status comprises a preference of the user for the one of the plurality of advertisers, purchases made by the user of a product from the one of the plurality of advertisers, a sale price for the product from the one of the plurality of advertisers, or any combinations thereof;

responsive to determining that preferred status exists, selecting, by the processing system, the one of the plurality of advertisers;

initiating, by the processing system, the auctioning process for a remainder of the plurality of advertisers for a proposal for replacing the first item with a replacement item of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers;

selecting, by the processing system, a subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers based on a selection criteria of the user;

selecting, by the processing system based on arrangement criteria, a presentation arrangement for a notice for replacing the first item with replacement items from the one of the plurality of advertisers and the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers;

generating, by the processing system, the notice, wherein the notice includes the presentation arrangement for the one of the plurality of advertisers and the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers; and

causing transmission of the notice, by the processing system, to a device of the user.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the RFID tag is one of a passive RFID tag or an active RFID tag, and wherein the method further comprises causing, by the processing system, a notice to be transmitted to the device of the user, wherein the notice is configured according to the presentation arrangement.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

auctioning, by the processing system, to a plurality of advertiser systems an offer to present at the device of the user a product according to the one replacement item; and

selecting, by the processing system, the advertiser according to a bid received from one of the plurality of advertiser systems during the auction.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein at the time of buying of the first item a point of sale terminal of a merchant transmits to the RFID tag, via the transceiver, a third radio frequency signal comprising the point of sale information for recording in a memory of the RFID tag.

16. A method, comprising:

generating, by a processing system including a processor, a behavior pattern model associated with a user based on regression analysis of consumption information associated with the user;

transmitting, by the processing system, a first radio frequency signal to a first consumer item;

receiving, by the processing system, a second radio frequency signal from a radio frequency identifier tag carried by the first consumer item responsive to the first radio frequency signal, wherein the radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag comprises an RFID memory;

accessing, by the processing system, usage information from the second radio frequency signal of the first consumer item;

determining, by the processing system, a measure of usage of the first consumer item according to the usage information, wherein the usage information is generated according to a usage quantity that is sensed periodically by a first sensor at the first consumer item, a usage condition that is sensed periodically by a second sensor at the first consumer item, wherein the usage information is recorded within the RFID memory, and point of sale information that had been recorded in the RFID memory, at a time of selling of the first consumer item, responsive to receipt of data by the radio frequency identifier tag via a third radio frequency signal from a transceiver of a point of sale terminal of a merchant;

accessing, by the processing system, a message associated with a social media group of the user, wherein the user has used the first consumer item and wherein the user is a member of the social media group;

determining, by the processing system, from the message associated with the social media group, an interest in a type of replacement item for the first consumer item, wherein the interest is associated with the social media group;

determining, by the processing system, a strategy to replace the first consumer item according to the interest in the type of replacement item and the behavior pattern model;

determining, by the processing system, a search scheme for replacing the first consumer item according to the interest in the type of replacement item, wherein the search scheme is based on a prediction, determined from the interest in the type of replacement item of a desire of the user to replace the first consumer item with the type of replacement item and the behavior pattern model;

identifying, by the processing system, according to the search scheme a second consumer item for replacing the first consumer item;

determining, by the processing system, whether to bypass an auctioning process for one of a plurality of advertisers based on a preferred status, wherein the preferred status comprises a preference of the user for the one of the plurality of advertisers, purchases made by the user of a product from the one of the plurality of advertisers, a sale price for the product from the one of the plurality of advertisers, or any combinations thereof;

responsive to determining that preferred status exists, selecting, by the processing system, the one of the plurality of advertisers;

initiating, by the processing system, the auctioning process for a remainder of the plurality of advertisers for a proposal for replacing the first consumer item with the second consumer item of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers;

selecting, by the processing system, a subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers based on a selection criteria of the user;

selecting, by the processing system based on arrangement criteria, a presentation arrangement for a notice for replacing the first consumer item with replacement items from the one of the plurality of advertisers and the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers;

generating, by the processing system, the notice, wherein the notice includes the presentation arrangement for the one of the plurality of advertisers and the subset of the remainder of the plurality of advertisers; and

causing transmission of the notice, by the processing system, to a device of the user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining, by the processing system, an order of presentation for the second consumer item from a bid received from a plurality of advertiser systems, a sale price of the second consumer item, or a degree of a match in similarity between the second consumer item and the first consumer item.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at the time of selling of the first consumer item a point of sale terminal of a merchant transmits to the RFID tag, via the transceiver, a third radio frequency signal comprising the point of sale information for recording in a memory of the RFID tag.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a charge to an advertiser system of the advertiser upon transmission of the notice to the device of the user.