User Persona Content Targeting

• US 20070239522A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hall, Martin, Zaner-Godsey, Melora, Kunz, Michael, O'Mahony, Allison
• Application Number:
  US11/278,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239522A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.660
• 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

User persona content targeting is described. In an embodiment, a targeted content system includes a client account that corresponds to a user of computing-based client device(s), and the client account is associated with multiple personas that are each a different on-line representation of the user. A persona system initiates content being targeted to the user via a computing-based client device when the user is represented on-line as a first persona, and then initiates different content being targeted to the user via the computing-based client device when the user is represented on-line as a second persona.

Claims

1. A targeted content system, comprising:

a client account corresponding to a user of a computing-based client device, the client account associated with multiple personas that are each a different on-line representation of the user;

a persona system configured to;

maintain the client account and the multiple personas associated with the client account;

initiate content targeted to the user via the computing-based client device when the user is represented on-line as a first persona; and

initiate different content targeted to the user via the computing-based client device when the user is represented on-line as a second persona.

2. A targeted content system as recited in claim 1, wherein the persona system is further configured to determine that the on-line representation of the user switched from the first persona to the second persona.

3. A targeted content system as recited in claim 1, wherein the persona system is further configured to switch the on-line representation of the user from the first persona to the second persona based on a time of day.

4. A targeted content system as recited in claim 1, wherein the persona system is further configured to determine the use of a first email account associated with the first persona, and switch the on-line representation of the user from the first persona to the second persona based on the use of an email account associated with the second persona.

5. A targeted content system as recited in claim 1, wherein the persona system is further configured to:

initiate the content targeted to the user as work-related content based on a work associated persona of the user; and

initiate the different content targeted to the user as activity-related content based on a non-work associated persona of the user.

6. A targeted content system as recited in claim 1, wherein the persona system is further configured to initiate the content targeted to the user based on the first persona and a profile of the user corresponding to the client account.

7. A targeted content system as recited in claim 1, wherein the persona system is further configured to initiate the content targeted to the user based on the first persona and the type of computing-based client device via which the user is represented on-line.

8. A targeted content system as recited in claim 1, wherein the persona system is further configured to:

monitor accessed content;

determine a persona of the user based on the accessed content; and

initiate the content targeted to the user based on the determined persona.

9. A method, comprising:

associating multiple personas with a client account that corresponds to a user of client devices, the multiple personas each being a different on-line representation of the user;

targeting content to the user when the user is represented on-line as a first persona; and

targeting different content to the user when the user is represented on-line as a second persona.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising determining that the on-line representation of the user switched from the first persona to the second persona.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising switching the on-line representation of the user from the first persona to the second persona based on a time of day.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising determining the use of a first email account associated with the first persona to target the content to the user, and determining the use of a second email account associated with the second persona to target the different content to the user.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein:

targeting the content to the user includes targeting work-related content to the user when represented on-line by a work associated persona; and

targeting the different content to the user includes targeting non-work related content to the user when represented on-line by at least one of an entertainment associated persona, a home associated persona, a family associated persona, a friends associated persona, an activity associated persona, or a student associated persona.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein targeting the content to the user includes targeting the content based on the first persona and a profile of the user corresponding to the client account.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein targeting the content to the user includes targeting the content based on the first persona and a type of computing-based client device via which the user is represented on-line.

16. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

monitoring accessed content which is accessed by the user via the computing-based client device;

determining a persona of the user based on the accessed content; and

wherein targeting the content to the user includes targeting the content based on the determined persona.

17. A method, comprising:

associating multiple personas with a client account, the multiple personas each being a different on-line representation of a user;

targeting content to the user via a first client device that corresponds to a first persona of the user; and

targeting different content to the user via a second client device that corresponds to a second persona of the user.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising switching targeting the content via the first client device to targeting the different content via the second client device based on a time of day.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising switching targeting the content via the first client device to targeting the different content via the second client device when determining a use associated with the second client device.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, further comprising determining the use of a first service-based account associated with the first persona to target the content to the user, and determining the use of a second service-based account associated with the second persona to target the different content to the user.