Demographic information acquisition system

• US 20040249930A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Joslin, Jeff, Mousavi, Kianoosh
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Methods and systems for acquiring demographic information are disclosed. Demographic information is acquired from monitoring internet traffic. The demographic information is stored in a management server and analyzed to generate a demographic profile. Various business decisions, such as advertising, can be based on the demographic profile.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring demographic information comprising:

monitoring internet traffic;

storing information related to the internet traffic; and

analyzing the information to generate a demographic profile.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring internet traffic comprises monitoring internet traffic from at least one location node.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each location node comprises at least one communication device for communicating with the internet.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the communication devices communicate with the internet via a wired or wireless connection.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein each location node comprises a static location node, a dynamic location node or a hybrid location node.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein each location node comprises at least one communication device for communicating with the internet.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the communication devices communicate with the internet via a wired or wireless connection.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein monitoring internet traffic comprises monitoring internet traffic from location nodes.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each location node comprises at least one communication device for communicating with the internet.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the communication devices communicate with the internet via a wired or wireless connection.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein each location node comprises a static location node, a dynamic location node or a hybrid location node.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein each location node comprises at least one communication device for communicating with the internet.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the communication devices communicate with the internet via a wired or wireless connection.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing the information generates demographic profiles for the location nodes.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprises forming business decisions based on the information.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the business decisions comprises adaptive static advertising, adaptive dynamic advertising, direct advertising, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprises forming business decisions based on the information.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the business decisions comprises adaptive static advertising, adaptive dynamic advertising, direct advertising, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

acquiring user information of users to generate a user profile; and

correlating the user information with information from monitoring internet traffic to generate a demographic profile.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the analyzing the information generates demographic profiles for the location nodes.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprises forming business decisions based on the information.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the business decisions comprises adaptive static advertising, adaptive dynamic advertising, direct advertising, or a combination thereof.

23. The method of claim 19 further comprises forming business decisions based on the information.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the business decisions comprises adaptive static advertising, adaptive dynamic advertising, direct advertising, or a combination thereof.

25. A demographic acquisition system having a management server comprising:

processor for monitoring internet traffic; and

memory for storing information related to the internet traffic for analysis.

26. A method of generating a demographic profile comprising:

monitoring internet traffic;

storing information related to the internet traffic; and

analyzing the information to generate the demographic profile.

27. A method for advertising comprising:

monitoring internet traffic;

storing information related to the internet traffic;

developing a demographic profile from the information; and

basing advertising decisions on the demographic profile.