SERVICE FOR MAPPING IP ADDRESSES TO USER SEGMENTS

• US 20090129377A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions, LLC (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Lientz, Andrew, Chamberlain, Simon, Giles, Harley
• Granted Patent: US 7,996,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services

Abstract

A system is disclosed that uses behavioral data collected by ISPs to categorize particular ISP subscribers. The behavioral data may, for example, include the identities of particular web sites and/or web pages accessed by particular subscribers, the search queries used by the subscribers to conduct Internet searches, and/or other types of behavioral information. The ISP subscribers are assigned to particular behavioral categories or “segments” using a behavioral segmentation schema that maps particular subscriber behaviors to particular behavioral segments. The ISP subscribers may also be mapped to other segment types, such as demographic segments derived from off-line data about the subscribers. The subscriber-to-segment mappings are made available to content targeting entities via a query interface that, for example, supports queries of the form “what are the segments associated with IP address X?”

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of supporting targeting of content to users, the method comprising:

receiving, from an entity that provides targeted content to users, a request that identifies an IP address of an ISP subscriber;

in response to the request, determining whether the IP address can be mapped to subscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data that is specific to, and based on Internet access activity of, said ISP subscriber;

when the IP address can be mapped to said subscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data, returning at least the subscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data to said entity in response to the request; and

when the IP address cannot be mapped to said subscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data, identifying a geographic region corresponding to the IP address, and returning region-specific segmentation data to the entity in response to the request, said region-specific segmentation data being specific to the geographic region, and not being specific to the ISP subscriber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data comprises an identifier of at least one category to which the ISP subscriber has been assigned based on Internet access activity of the ISP subscriber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the region-specific segmentation data comprises region-specific behavioral segmentation data derived by performing an aggregated analysis of Internet access activities of a plurality of ISP subscribers located in said region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the region-specific behavioral segmentation data is derived from Internet access activity data collected from a plurality of different ISP that provide service to subscribers in said region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises additionally returning said region-specific segmentation data to the entity when the IP address can be mapped to said subscriber-specific behavioral segmentation data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is performed by an ISP system.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein steps (a) and (c) are performed by an entity distinct from the ISP system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein steps (a) is accomplished without said distinct entity receiving any subscriber identifying information from said ISP system.

6. A computer-implemented method for enabling content providers to provide targeted content to users, the method comprising:

generating a database that maps specific IP addresses to specific behavioral segments, said mapping derived from behavioral data collected from each of a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISP), said behavioral data including information collected by the ISPs regarding Internet access activities of their respective subscribers, said behavioral segments reflecting subscriber interests; and

providing content providers access to the database via a query interface, said query interface configured to receive a request that identifies an IP address, and to look up from the database and return information identifying one or more behavioral segments corresponding to the IP address.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of generating said database comprises:

providing, to at least first ISP of said plurality of ISPs, a behavioral segmentation system that applies a behavioral segmentation processes to behavioral data collected by the first ISP; and

receiving over a network, and storing in said database, behavioral segmentation data generated by the behavioral segmentation system.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving said behavioral data from each of the ISPs, and analyzing the behavioral data in association with information about geographic locations of the corresponding ISP subscribers to generate mappings of particular geographic regions to particular behavioral segments;

providing the content providers access, via said query interface, to said mappings of particular geographic regions to particular behavioral segments.

9. A system, comprising:

a computer data repository that maps specific IP addresses to specific behavioral segments, said mapping derived from behavioral data collected from each of a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISP), said behavioral data including information collected by the ISPs regarding Internet access activities of their respective subscribers, said behavioral segments reflecting subscriber interests; and

a server that provides network-based access to the computer data repository via an interface, said interface configured to receive a request that identifies an IP address, and to look up from the computer data repository, and return information identifying, one or more behavioral segments corresponding to the IP address.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer data repository further includes, and the interface provides access to, a mapping of geographic regions to behavioral segments, said mapping derived from aggregated behavioral data collected from a plurality of ISPs.

11. A computer-implemented method of supplying targeted advertising to Internet users, comprising:

(a) creating a first dataset mapping behavior segments to ISP subscribers, wherein each of said ISP subscribers has an account ID and said behavior segments are based, at least in part, on said ISP subscribers'"'"' web site accesses;

(b) maintaining a second dataset mapping of account IDs to current IP addresses corresponding to said ISP subscribers;

(c) accepting a requesting IP address associated with a request for a web page, wherein the web page includes at least one advertisement position;

(d) using said first and second datasets to retrieve one or more behavior segments corresponding to the ISP subscriber using said requesting IP address; and

(e) selecting at least one advertisement for inclusion in said at least one advertisement position, based, at least in part, on said one or more retrieved behavior segments.

15. A computer-implemented method of enabling the supply of targeted content to Internet users, comprising:

(a) using an ISP'"'"'s subscriber'"'"'s web site accesses to generate one or more behavioral segmentations associated with said ISP subscriber;

(b) supplying an ISP system with a dataset mapping said one or more behavioral segmentations to an account ID associated with said ISP subscriber, wherein said ISP system includes a mapping of said account ID to one or more IP addresses associated with said ISP subscriber;

(c) accepting a requesting IP address from a content targeting entity, wherein said IP address is associated with a web page request;

(d) forwarding said requesting IP address to said ISP system;

(e) receiving said one or more behavioral segmentations associated with the unique ID that maps to said requesting IP address; and

(f) providing said one or more behavioral segmentations to said content targeting entity, wherein said content targeting entity can select content for inclusion in said requested web page, based, at least in part, on said one or more behavioral segmentations.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said web site accesses includes search term data.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said content includes an advertisement.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein step (d) further comprises:

determining which of a plurality of ISP systems controls said IP address; and

wherein said IP address is forwarded to the ISP system that controls said IP address.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein steps (c)-(f) are performed without perceptible lag for a user making said web page request.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein steps (a)-(f) are performed by an entity that is distinct from the ISP.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the entity receives no subscriber identifying information to complete step (a).

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

(g) deriving geographic data from said IP address; and

(h) supplying a location segmentation, based, at least in part, on said geographic data, to said advertiser, wherein said advertisement selection can further be based on said location segmentation.

23. A computer-implemented method of enabling targeted web site content comprising:

(a) accepting an IP address corresponding to an ISP subscriber system that has requested a web page from a requesting party;

(b) determining an ISP system associated with said IP address;

(c) when said ISP system maintains a segmentation dataset, retrieving one or more subscriber segments from said segmentation dataset that are associated with said IP address;

(d) identifying a geographic region corresponding to said IP address;

(e) determining a location segment, based, at least in part, on said geographic region; and

(f) providing at least one of said location segment or said one or more subscriber segments to said requesting party, wherein said requesting party can use said at least one of said location segment and said one or more subscriber segments to help select targeted content for said web page.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said one or more subscriber segments and said location segment are based on demographic data.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein said one or more subscriber segments and said location segment are based on behavioral data.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein step (f) includes communicating at least one of the following levels of segment information:

(1) a location segment based on said geographic data including a modeled partial postal code;

(2) a location segment based on said geographic data including a definite complete postal code;

or

(3) a location segment based on said geographic data including a definite complete postal code and said one or more behavior segments.

27. A system for enabling targeted advertising comprising:

(a) means for accepting an IP address indicative of an ISP subscriber system that has requested a web page from a requesting party;

(b) means for determining an ISP system that controls said IP address;

(c) means for retrieving one or more behavior segments from said segmentation dataset that are associated with said IP address, if said ISP system maintains a segmentation dataset;

(d) means for identifying a geographic region corresponding to said IP address;

(e) means for determining a location segment, based, at least in part, on said geographic region; and

(f) means for providing at least one of said location segment or said one or more behavior segments to said requesting party, wherein said requesting party can use said at least one of said location segment and said one or more behavior segments to help select an advertisement.

28. A system for enabling delivery of targeted content to an Internet user, comprising:

(a) a communications module adapted to communicate with a targeting entity and at least one ISP system;

(b) a processing module; and

(c) a location segmentation module capable of generating a location segment based, at least in part, on geographic data determinable from an IP address;

wherein said communications module accepts a requesting IP address from said targeting entity, said processing module determines an associated ISP system associated with said IP address, said communications module communicates said IP address to said associated ISP system and receives at least one behavior segment associated when said associated ISP system maintains a mapping of behavior segments to its subscribers, and said communications module sends an indication of at least one of said one or more behavior segments or a location segment based on said requesting IP address to said targeting entity, which can use said one or more segments to help determine content for a web page being provided to said IP address.