SYSTEMS AND METHODS RELATING TO AD/CONTENT TARGETING FOR MAP ROUTE OPTIONS BASED ON PERSONALIZATION AND USER DATA

• US 20140195154A1
• Filed: 01/08/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamdar, Gaurav
• Granted Patent: US 10,077,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/527
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3484 Personalized, e.g. from learned user behaviour or user-defined profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for incorporating user information such as a user'"'"'s errands, tasks, and/or online behavior in determining a preferred route between an origin and a destination using a web map planning service. Potential advertisers can use the user information to target particular users who are traveling near a particular route to give users various options to optimize their travel plans.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory storage medium comprising program logic for execution by the one or more processors, the program logic comprising:

a mapping service programming module that provides, to a user, a Web-based mapping service for determining and displaying, to the user, a first travel route from a user-specified origin to a user-specified destination;

a merchant display and selection programming module that;

determines a set of merchants that are geographically proximate to the first travel route and are determined to have relevance to the user;

displays, to the user, in connection with the first travel route, the set of merchants; and

allows selection by the user of one or more merchants of the set of merchants; and

a travel route customization programming module that, based at least in part on the selection, determines, and displays to the user, a second travel route, from the origin to the destination, such that each of the one or more merchants are along the second travel route.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the merchant display and selection programming module determines the set of merchants that are proximate to the first travel route, and are determined to have relevance to the user based on collected information associated with the user, wherein the collected information includes information regarding online behavior of the user.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the merchant display and selection programming module determines the set of merchants that are proximate to the first travel route, and are determined to have relevance to the user based on collected information associated with the user, wherein the collected information includes information on historical Web browsing activity of the user.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the merchant display and selection programming module determines the set of merchants that are proximate to the first travel route, and are determined to have relevance to the user based on collected information associated with the user, wherein the collected information includes information on historical Web browsing activity of the user, and wherein determining the set of merchants comprises:

based at least in part on the Web browsing activity of the user, determining one or more keywords; and

using the one or more keywords in determining the set of merchants.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the collected information includes information on social networking related activity of the user, information on purchases of the user, and information on errands of the user.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the collected information includes information on social networking activity of users in a group of users to which the user belongs.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the collected information includes information on social networking activity including ratings of the user and assessed sentiment of the user.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the collected information includes information on social networking activity including ratings and assessed sentiment of users in a group of users to which the user belongs.

29. The system of claim 23, further comprising a merchant targeting programming module that allows a merchant, of the set of merchants, to target the user with one or more content items or advertisements.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising a merchant targeting programming module that allows a merchant, of the set of merchants, to target the user with one or more content items or advertisements based at least in part on the collected information associated with the user.

31. The system of claim 23, further comprising a merchant targeting programming module that allows a merchant, of the one or more merchants, to target the user with one or more content items or advertisements based at least in part on the collected information associated with the user and on the fact that the merchant is along the second travel route.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the first travel route and the second travel route are provided to the user on a portable electronic device of the user.

33. A method comprising:

providing, to a user, a Web-based mapping service for determining and displaying, to the user, a first travel route from a user-specified origin to a user-specified destination;

determining, and displaying to the user, in connection with the first travel route, a set of merchants that are geographically proximate to the first travel route and are determined to have relevance to the user based at least in part on collected information regarding online behavior of the user;

allowing selection by the user of one or more merchants of the set of merchants;

based at least in part on the selection, determining, and displaying to the user, a second travel route, from the origin to the destination, such that each of the one or more merchants are along the second travel route; and

allowing a merchant, of the one or more merchants, to target the user with one or more content items or advertisements, based at least in part on the collected information associated with the user and on the fact that the merchant is along the second travel route.

34. The method of claim 33, comprising determining the set of merchants that are proximate to the first travel route, and are determined to have relevance to the user based on collected information associated with the user, wherein the collected information includes Web browsing activity of the user.

35. The method of claim 33, comprising determining the set of merchants that are proximate to the first travel route, and are determined to have relevance to the user based on collected information associated with the user, wherein the collected information includes historical Web browsing activity of the user, and wherein determining the set of merchants comprises:

based at least in part on the Web browsing activity of the user, determining one or more keywords; and

using the one or more keywords in determining the set of merchants.

36. The method of claim 34, comprising utilizing the collected information, wherein the collected information includes social networking related activity of the user, information on purchases of the user, and information on errands of the user.

37. The method of claim 34, comprising utilizing the collected information, wherein the collected information includes social networking activity of users in a group of users to which the user belongs.

38. The method of claim 34, comprising utilizing the collected information, wherein the collected information includes social networking activity including ratings and assessed sentiment of users in a group of users to which the user belongs.

39. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media tangibly storing computer program logic capable of being executed by a computer processor, the program logic comprising:

mapping service programming logic that provides, to a user, a Web-based mapping service for determining and displaying, to the user, a first travel route from a user-specified origin to a user-specified destination;

merchant display and selection programming logic that;

determines a set of merchants that are geographically proximate to the first travel route and are determined to have relevance to the user;

displays, to the user, in connection with the first travel route, the set of merchants; and

allows selection by the user of one or more merchants of the set of merchants; and

travel route customization programming logic that, based at least in part on the selection, determines, and displays to the user, a second travel route, from the origin to the destination, such that each of the one or more merchants are along the second travel route.

40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media of claim 39, further comprising:

merchant targeting programming logic that allows a merchant, of the one or more merchants, to target the user with one or more content items or advertisements, based at least in part on the collected information associated with the user and on the fact that the merchant is along the second travel route.