Targeting Of Advertisements To Users Of An Online Service

• US 20070022010A1
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kannan, Namakal, Ng, Paul, Agnew, Sean, Blaser, Shane
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.540
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

There is disclosed a server and local device that interface for selecting advertisements to be viewed by users of an online service based upon user activity. The local device preferably maintains a targeted activity list of activity identifiers and associated advertisements. The local device monitors the activity on the local device and compares the activity to the identifiers in the targeted activity list. If the activity matches one of the identifiers, the local device plays one or more advertisements.

Claims

1. A method of configuring advertisements to a user of an online service comprising:

maintaining a master activity identifier list comprising at least one match object having a targeted activity identifier and an ad object for each of a plurality of advertisements;

receiving a request from a local device to initiate an online session, wherein the request includes a targeted activity list comprised of one or more activity identifiers and one or more ad objects associated with each activity identifier;

reviewing the targeted activity list to determine whether any of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list is an invalid activity identifier;

causing the local device to take at least one action by notifying the local device of the invalid activity identifiers in the targeted activity list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing comprises:

causing the local device to remove the invalid activity identifiers from the targeted activity list.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the causing further comprises:

causing the local device to create a modified targeted activity list.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the causing further comprises:

causing the local device to store the modified targeted activity list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity identifiers comprise uniform resource locators.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity identifiers comprise keywords.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reviewing comprises:

comparing each activity identifier in the targeted activity list to the activity identifiers in the master activity identifier list.

identifying a non-present activity identifier as invalid if an activity identifier in the targeted activity list is not present in the master activity identifier list.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a list of prohibited activity identifiers

determining whether the targeted activity list contains any prohibited activity identifiers.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein activity identifiers that relate to pornographic material are considered prohibited activity identifiers.

10. A server having software which when executed causes the server to perform operations comprising:

maintaining a master activity identifier list comprising at least one match object comprising a targeted activity identifier and an object for each of a plurality of advertisements;

receiving a request from a local device to initiate an online session, wherein the request includes a targeted activity list comprised of one or more activity identifiers and one or more ad objects associated with each activity identifier;

reviewing the targeted activity list to determine whether any of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list is an invalid activity identifier;

causing the local device to remove the invalid activity identifiers from the targeted activity list maintained by the local device by notifying the local device of the invalid activity identifiers in the targeted activity list.

11. The server of claim 10, wherein the causing further comprises:

causing the local device to store a modified targeted activity list.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the activity identifiers comprise uniform resource locators.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein the activity identifiers comprise keywords.

14. The server of claim 10, wherein the reviewing comprises:

comparing each activity identifier in the targeted activity list to the activity identifiers in the master activity identifier list;

identifying a nonpresent activity identifier as invalid when an activity identifier in the targeted activity list is not present in the master activity identifier list.

15. The server of claim 10, having further software which when executed causes the server to perform further operations comprising:

maintaining a list of prohibited activity identifiers;

wherein the reviewing comprises evaluating whether the targeted activity list contains any prohibited activity identifiers.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein activity identifiers that relate to pornographic material are considered prohibited activity identifiers.

17. A method of selecting advertisements to be presented to a user of a local device comprising:

receiving from an advertiser at least one advertiser activity object and a corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier, the advertiser activity object corresponding to an advertiser related online activity;

storing the at least one advertiser activity object and the corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier as an advertiser match list;

receiving a user online activity identifier when the user has performed an online activity;

evaluating whether the user online activity identifier matches one of the advertiser activity objects in the advertiser match list;

sending the corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier to the local device if the user online activity identifier matches one of the advertiser activity objects in the advertiser match list, precluding a competitor advertisement identifier from being sent to the user, the sending causing an advertisement associated with the corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier to be displayed on the local device of the user.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein

the online activity comprises performing an Internet key word search, and

the advertiser activity object comprises at least one of a product name of an advertiser product, a service name of an advertiser provided service, a product description of the advertiser product, and a service description of an advertiser provided service.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein

the online activity comprises requesting a uniform resource locator, and

the advertiser activity object comprises an advertiser uniform resource locator.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the advertiser advertisement identifier comprises an advertiser uniform resource locator.

21. A server having software which when executed causes the server to perform operations comprising:

receiving from an advertiser at least one advertiser activity object and a corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier, the advertiser activity object corresponding to an advertiser related online activity;

storing the at least one advertiser activity object and the corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier as an advertiser match list;

receiving a user online activity identifier when the user has performed an online activity;

evaluating whether the user online activity identifier matches one of the advertiser activity objects in the advertiser match list;

precluding a competitor advertisement identifier from being sent to the user by sending the corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier to the local device if the user online activity identifier matches one of the advertiser activity objects in the advertiser match list, the sending causing an advertisement associated with the corresponding advertiser advertisement identifier to be displayed on the local device of the user.

22. The server of claim 21 wherein:

the online activity comprises performing an Internet key word search; and

the advertiser activity object comprises at least one of a product name of an advertiser product, a service name of an advertiser provided service, a product description of the advertiser product, and a service description of an advertiser provided service.

23. The server of claim 21 wherein:

the online activity comprises requesting a uniform resource locator; and

the advertiser activity object comprises an advertiser uniform resource locator.

24. The server of claim 21 wherein the advertiser advertisement identifier comprises an advertiser uniform resource locator.