Method and system for content profiling and activation

• US 7,330,824 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2000
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navic Systems, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Copeman, Ian, Hall, Peter, Kanojia, Chaitanya, Kamenstky, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson; Jeffrey D.
• Application Number:
  US09/519,245
• Time in Patent Office: 2,899 Days
• Field of Search: 725 34- 35, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/14.61
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

The present disclosed system is directed toward a communication and management system that dynamically targets network devices for content deployment, such as application programs, device drivers, configuration files, and registry subhives. Moreover, the present system targets users of network devices for promotions, such as advertisements offered by Internet e-commerce sites. Promotions are generally icons or graphic images with links to host web servers overlaying a video display, but also includes audio and video clips or data streams. Network devices and their users are targeted through user profiles. User profiles are created when network devices register with the system server and are continually updated with information provided by user activity and event logs that are periodically uploaded from each device. A scalable messaging system is provided for data transmission between the system server and among the network devices such that it is neutral as to the specific hardware platforms on which it is implemented.

Claims

1. A method for targeting content to network devices over a data network, comprising:

storing user profiles for plural network devices, each user profile including user and device addressing information;

storing a group profile that includes attributes for targeting content;

matching the user profiles to the group profile to target the content to one or more of the plural devices;

generating individual scheduling messages for the targeted network devices from the device addressing information of the matched user profiles, the messages scheduling download and activation of the content, each of the scheduling messages containing data that identifies the content to be downloaded to a targeted network device, each of the scheduling messages further containing data that schedules activation of the downloaded content at a time subsequent to content download in a manner free of user intervention; and

scheduling content download by initiating delivery of the scheduling messages to the targeted network devices in advance of content activation to cause the targeted network devices to download and activate the content according to the scheduling messages;

receiving one of the delivered scheduling messages;

in response to receiving the scheduling message, automatically establishing a connection in order to download the content targeted in the received scheduling message;

requesting the content identified in the scheduling message;

downloading the requested content; and

activating the downloaded content free of user intervention at a time subsequent to content download according to the data that schedules activation of the content in the scheduling message.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a bulk data transfer manager accessing a content store; and

a bulk data transfer agent requesting the content from the bulk data transfer manager.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising providing an interface for an advertiser to identify group profile information to which the content is to be sent.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

gathering user information on the network device; and

storing the user information as user profile information associated with the network device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying the content on a television display device of the targeted network devices based on activation criteria.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying the content on a television display device of the targeted network devices in response to detection of an advertiser specified event.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the individual scheduling messages schedule activation of the downloaded content at a predetermined date and time subsequent to content download free of user intervention.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the individual scheduling messages schedule activation of the downloaded content in response to an event.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the individual scheduling messages schedule activation of the downloaded content in response to a start message.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the scheduling messages are initially delivered at a time when bandwidth utilization is expected to be minimal.

11. A system for targeting content to network devices over a data network, comprising:

a profile store that stores user profiles for plural network devices, each user profile including user and device addressing information;

the profile store storing a group profile that includes attributes for targeting content;

a content store for storing content that is associated with the group profile;

a bulk data transfer manager that has access to the content store;

a system manager matching the user profiles to the group profile to target the content to one or more of the plural network devices;

the system manager generating individual scheduling messages for the targeted network devices from the device addressing information of the matched user profiles, the messages scheduling download and activation of the content, each of the scheduling messages containing data that identifies the content to be downloaded to a targeted network device, each of the scheduling messages further containing data that schedules activation of the downloaded content at a time subsequent to content download in a manner free of user intervention; and

the system manager scheduling content download by initiating delivery of the scheduling messages to the targeted network devices in advance of content activation to cause the targeted network devices to download and activate the content according to the scheduling messages;

at each of the targeted network devices, a system agent and a bulk data transfer agent executing in the targeted network device, the system agent receiving one of the scheduling messages delivered from the system manager;

in response to receiving the scheduling message, the system agent automatically directing the bulk data transfer agent to establish a connection to the bulk data transfer manager and to download the content identified in the scheduling message;

the bulk data transfer agent initiating a connection to the bulk data transfer manager and requesting the content identified in the scheduling message;

the bulk data transfer manager downloading the requested content from the content store to the bulk data transfer agent; and

the system agent activating the downloaded content free of user intervention at a time subsequent to content download according to the data that schedules activation of the content in the scheduling message.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a management console that provides an interface for an advertiser to identify content for deployment on the network devices and group profile information to which the content is to be sent.

13. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

a logging agent executing on the network device for gathering user information, the gathered user information being stored as user profile information associated with the network device.

14. A system as recited in claim 11, wherein the content is displayed on a television display device of the targeted network devices based on activation criteria.

15. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a promotion notification agent executing on the network device;

wherein the downloaded content is activated in response to an event.

16. A system as recited in claim 15, wherein the event is defined in response to a selected channel for a television display device.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the individual scheduling messages schedule activation of the downloaded content at a predetermined date and time subsequent to content download free of user intervention.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the individual scheduling messages schedule activation of the downloaded content in response to an event.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the individual scheduling messages schedule activation of the downloaded content in response to a start message from the system manager.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the scheduling messages are initially delivered at a time when bandwidth utilization is expected to be minimal.