System and method for providing demographically targeted information

• US 6,604,138 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ClubCom, LLC
• Original Assignee: Clubcom Incorporated
• Inventors: Virine, Lev D., Simpson, Todd G.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/571,071
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224, 709/329, 707/10, 706/46, 706/48, 706/52, 706/55
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/03 Constructional details, e.g. casings, housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/08 Constructional details, e.g. cabinet

Abstract

A system and method for providing demographically targeted information is disclosed. In the preferred embodiment, the system and method of the present invention generates and/or delivers information, such as audio, video and/or the like, to a user, such as a user of an exercise equipment in a gym or club environment, preferably based on the demographics of the user. The information may be provided to the user using one or more of a plurality of channels. A preferred embodiment method for presenting demographically targeted information to the user is disclosed. A preferred embodiment method for automatic generation of a demographic profile of the user in order to provide such demographically targeted information to the user is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for automatic generation of a demographic profile of a user in order to provide information to said user based on said demographic profile of said user, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user event;

determining if said user event exists within a set of configuration data;

determining the nature of said user event if said user event exists within said set of configuration data;

applying linguistic analysis on said user event and converting the result of said linguistic analysis to a first type of information, if said user event does not have a first type of information associated with said user event;

updating statistical data of said user based on said first type of information associated with said user event; and

updating a demographic profile of said user based on said user statistical data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first type of information is countable data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said user event has countable data associated with it.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said user event has text information associated with it.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said text information is selected from the group consisting of name of a website and type of TV channel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said user event comprises an event selected from the group consisting of logon, logoff, request for video-on-demand, request for audio-on-demand, request for a particular website, and change of channel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said user event is a change in the setting of an exercise equipment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of applying linguistic analysis comprises the step of:

analyzing said user event by utilizing keywords.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising;

converting said result of said linguistic analysis to countable data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said user statistical data comprises:

a list of user actions with associated user preferences.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said demographic profile of said user, comprises:

a list of demographic parameters with associated coefficients.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said set of configuration data includes a list of user events, wherein each user event in said list has associated information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said list of user events is updated periodically to generate a more accurate demographic profile of said user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said user event is received from a personal unit attached to an exercise equipment from a user of said exercise equipment.

15. Computer executable software code stored on a computer readable medium for automatic generation of a demographic profile of a user in order to provide information to said user based on said demographic profile of said user, comprising:

code for receiving a user event;

code for determining if said user event exists within a set of configuration data;

code for determining the nature of said user event if said user event exists within said set of configuration data;

code for applying linguistic analysis on said user event and converting the result of said linguistic analysis to a first type of information, if said user event does not have a first type of information associated with said user event;

code for updating statistical data of said user based on said first type of information associated with said user event; and

code for updating a demographic profile of said user based on said user statistical data.

16. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said first type of information is countable data.

17. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said user event has countable data associated with it.

18. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said user event has text information associated with it.

19. The computer executable software code of claim 18, wherein said text information is selected from the group consisting of name of a website and type of TV channel.

20. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said user event comprises an event selected from the group consisting of logon, logoff, request for video-on-demand, request for audio-on-demand, request for a particular website, and change of channel.

21. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said user event is a change in the setting of an exercise equipment.

22. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said code for applying linguistic analysis comprises:

code for analyzing said user event by utilizing keywords.

23. The computer executable software code of claim 22, further comprising;

code for converting said result of said linguistic analysis to countable data.

24. The computer executable software code of claim 22, wherein said user statistical data comprises:

a list of user actions with associated user preferences.

25. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said demographic profile of said user, comprises:

a list of demographic parameters with associated coefficients.

26. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said set of configuration data includes a list of user events, wherein each user event in said list has associated information.

27. The computer executable software code of claim 26, wherein said list of user events is updated periodically to generate a more accurate demographic profile of said user.

28. The computer executable software code of claim 15, wherein said user event is received from a personal unit attached to an exercise equipment from a user of said exercise equipment.