High volume targeting of advertisements to user of online service

• US 6,757,661 B1
• Filed: 04/07/2000
• Issued: 06/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NetZero Incorporated (B. Riley Financial, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blaser, Shane, Agnew, Sean, Kannan, Namakal, Ng, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/544,772
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/10, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

Disclosed is an ad server and local device that interface for selecting advertisements to be viewed by users of an online service based upon user activity. The local device preferably stores a targeted activity list of activity identifiers and associated advertisements in memory, preferably in cache memory. The local device monitors the activity on the local device and compares the activity to the identifiers in the targeted activity list. If the activity matches one of the identifiers, the local device causes one or more advertisements to be played.

Claims

1. A method of configuring advertisements for display to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device, the local device accessing the online service via an online server and providing interaction with the online server, the method comprising:

a) the server maintaining a master activity identifier list comprising at least one match object comprising a targeted activity identifier and plural ad objects, each ad object comprising a resource locator for a given advertisement and a resource locator for a click-through associated with the given advertisement;

b) the server receiving a request from the local device to initiate an online session, wherein the request includes a targeted activity list comprised of one or more activity identifiers and one or more ad objects associated with each activity identifier;

c) the server reviewing the targeted activity list to determine whether any of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list is an invalid activity identifier;

d) the server identifying one or more invalid activity identifiers within the targeted activity list;

e) the server notifying the local device of the invalid activity identifiers in the targeted activity list so that the local device can remove the invalid activity identifiers from the targeted activity list and so that the local device can store modified targeted activity list in cache memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity identifiers comprise uniform resource locators.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity identifiers comprise keywords.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the server determines whether any of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list is an invalid activity identifier by comparing each activity identifier in the targeted activity list to the activity identifiers in the match list and, if an activity identifier in the targeted activity list is not present in the match list, thereby identifying the nonpresent activity identifier as invalid.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server maintains a list of prohibited activity identifiers and wherein the server determines whether any of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list is an invalid activity identifier by determining whether the targeted activity list contains any prohibited activity identifiers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein activity identifiers that relate to pornographic material are considered prohibited activity identifiers.

7. A method of configuring the display of advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device, the local device accessing the online service via an online server coupled to a data network and providing interaction with the online server, the method comprising:

a) the local device sending a request to the server to initiate an online session, wherein the request includes a targeted activity list comprised of at least one match object comprising an activity identifier and an advertisement play list corresponding to the activity identifier;

b) the local device receiving from the server a list of invalid activity identifiers;

c) the local device removing from the targeted activity list any match objects that contain an invalid activity identifier;

d) the local device storing the targeted activity list in a cache memory of the local device;

e) the local device monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the network;

f) the local device accessing the targeted activity list from the cache memory; and

g) if the user'"'"'s interaction with the network matches one of the activity identifiers in the targeted activity list, the local device playing the advertisement play list of the match object corresponding to the matched activity identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a play list comprises one or more ad objects which each include a resource locator of an advertisement to be displayed and a resource locator to be accessed if the user clicks on the advertisement when displayed in the ad pane.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein an activity identifier comprises a uniform resource locator.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein an activity identifier comprises a keyword.

11. The method of claim 7, if the user'"'"'s interaction with the network does not match one of the activity identifiers in the match list, the local device sending a request to the server to determine whether the user'"'"'s interaction with the network matches an activity identifier.

12. The method of claim 7, additionally comprising, prior to the local device sending a request to the server to initiate an online session, the local device receiving from the server a default targeted activity list.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the targeted activity list comprises a list of the uniform resource locators that are most commonly accessed on the local device.

14. A method of configuring the display of advertisements to a user of an online service using a client application on a local device, the local device accessing the online service via an online server coupled to a data network and providing interaction with the online server, the method comprising:

a) the local device monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the data access network;

b) the local device detecting that the user has accessed a uniform resource locator;

c) the local device accessing from cache memory a targeted activity list comprised of a plurality of match objects each comprising uniform resource locator and an advertisement play list corresponding to the uniform resource locator;

d) the local device determining whether the accessed uniform resource locator matches one of the uniform resource locators in the targeted activity list;

e) if the uniform resource locator does not match one of the uniform resource locators in the targeted activity list, the local device sending the accessed uniform resource locator to the server;

f) the local device receiving from the server an advertisement play list associated with the accessed uniform resource locator;

g) the local device revising the targeted activity list to include a new match object comprised of the accessed uniform resource locator and the advertisement play list corresponding to the accessed uniform resource locator.

15. The method of claim 14, additionally comprising the local device receiving from the server a list of invalid uniform resource locators and the local device removing the invalid uniform resource locators from the targeted activity list.

16. The method of claim 14, additionally comprising the local device receiving a default targeted activity list from the server.

17. The method of claim 15, additionally comprising the local device receiving a revised advertisement play list for a uniform resource locator.