METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR PROVIDING TARGETED ADVERTISING TO COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES

• US 20070208619A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 09/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pirani, Akbar, Branam, Michael, Glasgow, Jay, Siegel, Laurence, Yaussy, Ledley
• Application Number:
  US11/537,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20070208619A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.450
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/814 comprising emergency warnings arrangements specially adapted for emergency or urgency in broadcast systems H04H20/59; arrangements for providing alarms, notifications, alerts to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8146 involving graphical data, e.g. 3D object, 2D graphics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product for providing targeted advertising services are provided. The method includes gathering profile data, behavior data, and external data for users of communications devices accessing content over a network. The method also includes creating a database of demographic profiles based on the gathered data, receiving a request from an advertising entity to present an advertisement to a population of the communications devices based upon a set of business parameters, and identifying a demographic profile in the database that satisfies criteria set forth in the business parameters. The method further includes transmitting the advertisement to the communications devices associated with the demographic profile that satisfies the criteria set forth in the business parameters.

Claims

1. A method for providing targeted advertising services, comprising:

gathering profile data, behavior data, and external data for users of communications devices accessing content over a network;

creating a database of demographic profiles based on the gathered data;

receiving a request from an advertising entity to present an advertisement to a population of the communications devices based upon a set of business parameters;

identifying a demographic profile in the database that satisfies criteria set forth in the business parameters; and

transmitting the advertisement to the communications devices associated with the demographic profile that satisfy the criteria set forth in the business parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile data includes user-selected preferences with respect to programming content sources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the behavior data includes a historical collection of activities conducted via the communications devices, comprising at least one of:

program content viewed;

a time that the program content was viewed;

an amount of time a user spent viewing the program content; and

purchasing activities conducted via the communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the external data includes at least one of:

income range of users of the communications devices;

family structure including marital status and number of dependents;

residential location of the users;

gender of the users;

age range of the users; and

credit worthiness of the users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria of the business parameters include at least one of:

a number of times the advertisement is presented;

a time frame for presenting the advertisement;

a program during which the advertisement is presented;

a target audience to which the advertisement is presented; and

a geographic area in which the advertisement is presented.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the users of the communications devices to which the advertisement was transmitted have perceived the advertisement by sampling a content data stream distributed to the communications devices of the users during presentation of the advertisement to the users.

7. A system for providing targeted advertising services, comprising:

a computer processing device; and

an advertising services application executing on the computer processing device, the advertising services application implementing a method, comprising;

gathering profile data, behavior data, and external data for users of communications devices accessing content over a network;

creating a database of demographic profiles based on the gathered data;

receiving a request from an advertising entity to present an advertisement to a population of the communications devices based upon a set of business parameters;

identifying a demographic profile in the database that satisfies criteria set forth in the business parameters; and

transmitting the advertisement to the communications devices associated with the demographic profile that satisfy the criteria set forth in the business parameters.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the profile data includes user-selected preferences with respect to programming content sources.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the behavior data includes a historical collection of activities conducted via the communications devices, comprising at least one of:

program content viewed;

a time that the program content was viewed;

an amount of time a user spent viewing the program content; and

purchasing activities conducted via the communications device.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the external data includes at least one of:

income range of users of the communications devices;

family structure including marital status and number of dependents;

residential location of the users;

gender of the users;

age range of the users; and

credit worthiness of the users.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the criteria of the business parameters include at least one of:

a number of times the advertisement is presented;

a time frame for presenting the advertisement;

a program during which the advertisement is presented;

a target audience to which the advertisement is presented; and

a geographic area in which the advertisement is presented.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the advertising services application further performs:

determining whether the users of the communications devices to which the advertisement was transmitted have perceived the advertisement by sampling a content data stream distributed to the communications devices of the users during presentation of the advertisement to the users.

13. A computer program product for providing targeted advertising services, the computer program product including instructions for implementing a method, comprising:

gathering profile data, behavior data, and external data for users of communications devices accessing content over a network;

creating a database of demographic profiles based on the gathered data;

receiving a request from an advertising entity to present an advertisement to a population of the communications devices based upon a set of business parameters;

identifying a demographic profile in the database that satisfies criteria set forth in the business parameters; and

transmitting the advertisement to the communications devices associated with the demographic profile that satisfy the criteria set forth in the business parameters.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the profile data includes user-selected preferences with respect to programming content sources.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the behavior data includes a historical collection of activities conducted via the communications devices, comprising at least one of:

program content viewed;

a time that the program content was viewed;

an amount of time a user spent viewing the program content; and

purchasing activities conducted via the communications device.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the external data includes at least one of:

income range of users of the communications devices;

family structure including marital status and number of dependents;

residential location of the users;

gender of the users;

age range of the users; and

credit worthiness of the users.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the criteria of the business parameters include at least one of:

a number of times the advertisement is presented;

a time frame for presenting the advertisement;

a program during which the advertisement is presented;

a target audience to which the advertisement is presented; and

a geographic area in which the advertisement is presented.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions for performing:

determining whether the users of the communications devices to which the advertisement was transmitted have perceived the advertisement by sampling a content data stream distributed to the communications devices of the users during presentation of the advertisement to the users.