TARGETED ADVERTISING FOR DYNAMIC GROUPS

• US 20100250327A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: ZAVATONE, Alex, ROBERTS, Brian F., RELYEA, Donald H. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 10,108,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method performed by one or more devices within a subscription television network includes defining a micro-group, where the micro-group includes one or more user accounts associated with the subscription television network. The method further includes obtaining a profile for the micro-group and obtaining advertising corresponding to the profile of the micro-group. The method also includes sending the advertising to a device associated with one of the one or more user accounts.

Claims

1. A method performed by one or more devices within a subscription television network, comprising:

defining a micro-group, where the micro-group includes one or more user accounts associated with the subscription television network;

retrieving, from a memory, a profile for the micro-group;

matching the profile for the micro-group with an advertising classification;

retrieving, from a memory, advertising content corresponding to the advertising classification; and

sending the advertising content to a device associated with one of the one or more user accounts.

2. The method of claim 1, where the advertising content is configured to be integrated into a designated time slot within a television program.

3. The method of claim 1, where the advertising content is configured to be displayed simultaneously with a television program.

4. The method of claim 1, where defining the micro-group comprises one or more of:

identifying user accounts associated with a chat group;

determining common tendencies among a user profile for each user account;

monitoring real-time behavior of each user account; and

incorporating data from user surveys.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting feedback from the advertising content sent to the device, and

revising the profile of the micro-group based on the collected feedback.

6. The method of claim 1, where the device associated with one of the one or more user accounts comprises a video client operatively connected to a display.

7. The method of claim 1, where the device associated with one of the one or more user accounts comprises a computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, where the advertising content is included in a digital television signal.

9. The method of claim 1, where the advertising content is provided via Internet Protocol.

10. One or more devices, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

identify a micro-group based on activity of a group of users actively using a subscription television network, where the micro-group includes one or more user accounts,

determine a profile for the micro-group, where the profile is based on user account data,

obtain advertising corresponding to the profile of the micro-group,

send the advertising to a device associated with one of the one or more user accounts, and

recalculate the profile for the micro-group based on a change in the number of active users in the micro-group.

11. The one or more devices of claim 10, where the advertising is configured to be integrated into a designated time slot within a television program.

12. The one or more devices of claim 10, where the advertising is configured to be displayed simultaneously with a television program.

13. The one or more devices of claim 10, where the micro-group is identified based on one or more of:

associating the one or more user accounts with a chat group;

determining common tendencies among user profiles for a group of active user accounts;

monitoring real-time behavior of each user account; and

incorporating data from user surveys.

14. The one or more devices of claim 10, where the device associated with one of the one or more user accounts comprises a video client operatively connected to a display.

15. The one or more devices of claim 10, where the device associated with one of the one or more user accounts comprises a computing device.

16. The one or more devices of claim 10, where the processor is further configured to:

collect, from the device associated with one of the one or more user accounts, user response data regarding the advertising sent to the device.

17. A method, comprising:

defining a micro-group of user accounts based on current participation in a chat group, where the user accounts are associated with a subscription television service;

defining a profile for the micro-group based on individual user account profiles, the profile for the micro-group including common traits among the individual user accounts;

obtaining advertising corresponding to one of the common traits; and

sending the advertising to computing devices associated with each of the user accounts within the micro-group.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending the advertising to video clients associated with each of the user accounts within the micro-group.

19. A system, comprising:

one or more devices comprising;

means for defining a micro-group, where the micro-group includes one or more user accounts associated with a subscription television network;

means for identifying a common trait among the user accounts of the micro-group;

means for obtaining advertising corresponding to the common trait; and

means for sending the advertising to a device associated with one of the one or more user accounts.

20. The system of claim 19, where the advertising is configured to be integrated into a designated time slot within a television program or to be displayed simultaneously with a television program.