TARGETED ADVERTISING IN MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20080281694A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KRETZ, Martin, GAJDOS, Rudolf George Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices

Abstract

A system may identify selected device users of multiple device users as members of a virtual group. The system may identify attributes, characteristics or actions that a sub-set of members of the virtual group may have in common that may be related to goods and/or services for sale. The system may send advertisements related to the goods or services to devices associated with other members of the group not included in the sub-set of members.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying selected device users of a plurality of device users as members of a virtual group;

identifying attributes, characteristics or actions that a sub-set of members of the virtual group have in common that may be related to goods and/or services for sale; and

sending advertisements related to the goods or services to devices associated with other members of the group not included in the sub-set of members.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the users use mobile devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the actions include a common purchase made by the sub-set of members of the virtual group.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group comprises:

obtaining an email list from an email address book stored at a device associated with one of the selected device users; and

identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group based on the email list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group includes:

identifying an email being sent between a first one of the plurality of device users and other ones of the plurality of device users; and

identifying the selected device users based on the email.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group includes:

identifying an instant message being sent between a first one of the plurality of device users and other ones of the plurality of device users; and

identifying the selected device users based on the instant message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group includes:

identifying when a first device associated with a first one of the plurality of device users is located within a same geographic vicinity as second devices associated with one or more other ones of the plurality of device users; and

identifying the selected device users based on the first device being located within a same geographic vicinity as the second devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group includes:

identifying a short messaging service (SMS) message or a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message being sent between a first one of the plurality of device users and one or more other ones of the plurality of device users; and

identifying the selected device users based on the message.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group includes:

identifying a call being placed between a first one of the plurality of device users and one or more second ones of the plurality of device users; and

identifying the selected device users based on the call.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the selected device users as members of the virtual group includes:

identifying a first one of the selected device users using a network chat service to communicate with one or more second ones of the selected device users; and

identifying the selected devices based on the use of the network chat service.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the attributes, characteristics or actions that the sub-set of members have in common include at least one of purchasing a same product or service, downloading a same music or video, sharing files among one or more of the sub-set of members, rating a same music or video highly, donating money to a same benefit, having a similar browser history (e.g., similar history of visited web pages), having a similar television show or channel watching history, being in a same geographic location, traversing a same geographic area, shopping in a same store, driving a same route, being a same age, being a same gender, being in a same or similar income group or being related to one another by family.

12. A method, comprising:

selecting first mobile device users as targets of advertisements based on the actions of a second mobile device user,

wherein the second mobile device user is different than the first mobile device users and wherein the actions of the second mobile device user include bringing a mobile device associated with the second mobile device user to a same geographic location as the mobile devices associated with the first mobile device users within a given time period or placing one or more calls to the mobile devices associated with the first mobile device users; and

sending advertisements to mobile devices associated with the first mobile device users.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a server sends the advertisements to the mobile devices associated with the first mobile device users via a network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the actions of the second mobile device user further include sending one or more emails to the first mobile device users.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the actions of the second mobile device user further include sending one or more instant messages to the first mobile device users.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the actions of the second mobile device user further include sending short messaging service (SMS) messages or multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the actions of the second mobile device user further include using a network chat service to communicate with one or more of the second mobile device users.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the advertisements comprise visual advertisements and wherein the mobile devices associated with the first mobile device users display the visual advertisements.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the advertisements comprise audio advertisements and wherein the mobile devices associated with the first mobile device users audibly present the audio advertisements.

20. A system, comprising:

an interface configured to receive data related to actions of a plurality of mobile device users; and

a processing unit configured to;

identify selected mobile device users of the plurality of mobile device users as members of a virtual group based on the actions,

identify attributes, characteristics or actions that a sub-set of members of the virtual group may have in common that may be related to goods and/or services for sale,

wherein the interface is further configured to send advertisements related to the goods or services to mobile devices associated with other members of the group not included in the sub-set of members.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the actions include sending one or more emails between one or more of the plurality of mobile device users.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the actions include sending one or more instant messages between one or more of the plurality of mobile device users.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the actions include bringing a mobile device associated with one of the plurality of mobile device users to a same geographic location as one or more mobile devices associated with other ones of the plurality of mobile device users within a given time period.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the actions include sending short messaging service (SMS) messages or multimedia messaging service (MMS) messages between one or more of the plurality of mobile device users.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the actions user include placing one or more calls between one or more of the plurality of mobile device users.

26. The system of claim 20, wherein the actions include using a network chat service to communicate between one or more of the plurality of mobile device users.

27. A system, comprising:

means for identifying selected device users of a plurality of device users as members of a virtual group;

means for identifying attributes, characteristics or actions that a sub-set of members of the virtual group may have in common that may be related to goods and/or services for sale; and

means for sending advertisements related to the goods or services to devices associated with other members of the group not included in the sub-set of members.