Computer program apparatus for determining behavioral profile of a computer user

• US 5,991,735 A
• Filed: 08/11/1998
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conversant, LLC (Publicis Groupe SA)
• Original Assignee: Be Free Incorporated (Alliance Data Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Gerace, Thomas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Irshadullah, M.
• Application Number:
  US09/132,277
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.33
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Computer network method and apparatus provides targeting of appropriate audience based on psychographic or behavioral profiles of end users. The psychographic profile is formed by recording computer activity and viewing habits of the end user. Content of categories of interest and display format in each category are revealed by the psychographic profile, based on user viewing of agate information. Using the profile (with or without additional user demographics), advertisements are displayed to appropriately selected users. Based on regression analysis of recorded responses of a first set of users viewing the advertisements, the target user profile is refined. Viewing by and regression analysis of recorded responses of subsequent sets of users continually auto-targets and customizes ads for the optimal end user audience.

Claims

1. A computer program embodied on computer-readable medium for creating and defining a psychographic profile of a user to support display of appropriate screen views to the user comprising:

an agate data assembly for providing agate information for display to users;

a user profiling member for recording information regarding each user including indications of user responses and physical activity with respect to screen views during display of said screen views, such that the user profiling member enables creation of a psychographic profile of each user from said recorded information and indications of user responses; and

a program controller responsive to user commands of a user for generating screen views to the user, the program controller (i) obtaining information from the agate data portion and user profiling member, including creating and obtaining the psychographic profile of the user and (ii) generating and displaying appropriate screen views to the user based on the created psychographic profile of the user.

2. A computer program as claimed in claim 1 wherein the agate information provided by the agate data assembly includes at least one of stock and market data, theater and television schedules, sports statistics, weather information, travel information and Directory information.

3. A computer program as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

the user profiling member records format preferences of users with respect to presentation of certain agate information, the format preferences including color schemes, text size and shapes; and

in response, the data assembly provides agate information for display to a user (a) in a manner customized according to the format preferences of the user and (b) having contents corresponding to the psychographic profile of the user.

4. A computer program as claimed in claim 3, wherein the user profiling member further records demographic information of the user such that demographic profiles of users are provided and the data assembly further enables display of agate information to a user according to demographic profile of the user.

5. A computer program as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an advertisement module for storing advertisements and respective indications of target audience profile of each advertisement;

the program controller further obtaining information from the advertisement module to generate and display appropriate screen views to the user based on the psychographic profile created through the user profiling member.

6. A computer program as claimed in claim 5 wherein the user profiling member further provides demographic information about each user;

and

for each advertisement, the program controller transmits the advertisement for display with the agate information to users having a psychographic profile and a demographic profile substantially matching the target profile of the advertisement to provide targeted marketing.

7. A computer program as claimed in claim 6, wherein a plurality of weighted criteria are used to match the advertisement to the demographic profile and the psychographic profile of the user.

8. A computer program as claimed in claim 5 wherein the advertisement module further records history of users viewing the advertisements, including for each advertisement, at least one of (i) number of times viewed by a user, (ii) number of times selected for further information, and (iii) number of times a purchase was obtained through the advertisement.

9. A computer program as claimed in claim 8 further comprising a subroutine coupled to the advertising module for performing a regression analysis on the history of users viewing the advertisements, and therefrom the subroutine refining the advertisement target profiles of desired users to whom to display the advertisements.

10. A computer program as claimed in claim 9 wherein the subroutine automatically updates the advertisement target profiles based upon the regression analysis.

11. A computer program as claimed in claim 5 wherein at least one of the agate data assembly, the user profiling member and the advertisement module are formed by object-oriented programming techniques.

12. A computer program as claimed in claim 5 further comprising:

a messaging and notification module coupled to the program controller for displaying one or a combination of user generated messages and system generated notices.

13. A computer program as claimed in claim 12 wherein the user messaging and notification module further includes the composition and display of an advertisement within one or a combination of the user generated messages and the system generated notices.

14. In a computer network formed of a communication channel and a plurality of digital processors coupled to the communication channel for communication thereon, computer apparatus for initially creating a psychographic profile of a user comprising:

a data assembly for providing and supporting display of agate information to users of the computer network, in response to a user request the data assembly transmitting requested agate information across the communication channel to one of the digital processors for display of the requested agate information and viewing by the user; and

a tracking and profiling member responsive to the data assembly, in response to a user request for agate information, the tracking and profiling member recording indications of physical activity by the user at least during viewing of the displayed requested agate information, said physical activity being with respect to the displayed requested agate information and including user response to the displayed requested agate information, such that said recorded indications of physical activity by the user generates a psychographic profile of the user.

15. A method of generating and displaying screen views comprising the steps of:

(a) providing agate data for displaying to users;

(b) recording indications of user response and physical activity during viewing of the displayed agate data, based on the indications generating a psychographic profile of the user;

(c) using the generated psychographic profile, composing screen views; and

(d) displaying the composed screen views to the user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

said composing includes selecting content and formatting layout of content according to the determined psychographic profile.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the agate data includes at least one of stock and market data, theater and television schedules, sports statistics, weather information, travel information and Directory information.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the screen views contain advertisements.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

(e) using a plurality of weighted criteria, matching advertisements to the demographic profile and the psychographic profile of the user.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of:

(e) creating an advertisement target profile as a function of;

(i) number of times an advertisement is viewed,

(ii) number of times the advertisement is selected, and

(iii) number of times a purchase is made through display of the advertisement.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of:

(f) performing a regression analysis on the history of users viewing an advertisement, and

(g) refining the advertisement target profile based upon the regression analysis.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of refining includes automatically updating the advertisement target profile based upon the regression analysis.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the steps of (a) providing agate data,(b) determining a psychographic profile, (c) using the determined psychographic profile and (d) displaying the screen views are implemented using object oriented programming techniques.