Apparatus and methods for tracking, querying, and visualizing behavior targeting processes

• US 7,933,884 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khoshgozaran, Jaffar, Menezes, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEROUX, ETIENNE PIERRE
• Application Number:
  US12/022,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/5, 707/10, 707/706
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and methods for providing information that is related to user on-line behavior, which was also used at least partly to generate user scores by one or more behavior targeting processes. A query client may select to receive information from a plurality of different data feeds that are retained within a plurality of different databases by a plurality of different behavior targeting processes. The selectable data feeds generally correspond to different types or aggregations of user on-line behavior. In certain embodiments, information from the selected data feeds for a particular user is compiled and presented in a single, interactive user interface that allows the client to easily view various aspects of such information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a query client, a query for a selected user and one or more data feeds selected from a plurality of feeds via a user interface having selection options for such feeds and wherein the different feeds correspond to a plurality of different streams of data for a plurality of different types or aggregations of on-line activities that have been performed by a plurality of users at multiple times and the different data streams of such feeds have been retained in a plurality of different feed databases;

determining a plurality of scores in a plurality of categories for the selected user based on individual on-line activities of the selected user in the individual categories as aggregated from each data stream of the one or more selected feeds from the different feed databases; and

to the query client, sending, for presentation, each score in each category for the selected user and an aggregation of the individual on-line activities in each individual category for the selected user,

wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of advertisement data, and wherein a list of advertisements that were viewed or selected by the selected user are sent to the query client so that each advertisement in the sent list includes a time and date value, an advertisement identifier, and a selection field indicating whether the user has selected the advertisement.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the different types of on-line activities include performing search queries, selecting (or clicking) search results, selecting (or clicking) sponsor type search results, viewing advertisements, selecting (or clicking) advertisements, and selecting (or clicking) web pages.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein at least one of the different feeds aggregates one or more data streams for the different types of on-line activities over a specified period of time.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the query includes a selected time period and the selected one or more data feeds are obtained for the selected time period, and wherein the scores are based on at least a portion of the one or more selected data feeds over the selected time period.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of search queries, and wherein a list of search queries that were performed by the selected user are sent so that each search in the sent list includes a time and date value, a search term value, a search result, a selection field indicating whether the user has selected the search result, and a ranking value for the search result.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of web page selections performed by the selected user as the selected user moves from a source page to a destination page, wherein the source and destination are specified by the received query.

19. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the scores are in a plurality of advertisement categories for the selected user.

7. An apparatus comprising at least a processor and a memory, wherein the processor and/or memory are configured to perform the following operations:

receiving, from a query client, a query for a selected user and one or more data feeds selected from a plurality of feeds via a user interface having selection options for such feeds and wherein the different feeds correspond to a plurality of different streams of data for a plurality of different types or aggregations of on-line activities that have been performed by a plurality of users at multiple times and the different data streams of such feeds have been retained in a plurality of different feed databases;

determining a plurality of scores in a plurality of categories for the selected user based on individual on-line activities of the selected user in the individual categories as aggregated from each data stream of the one or more selected feeds from the different feed databases; and

to the query client, sending, for presentation, each score in each category for the selected user and an aggregation of the individual on-line activities in each individual category for the selected user,

wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of advertisement data, and wherein a list of advertisements that were viewed or selected by the selected user are sent to the query client so that each advertisement in the sent list includes a time and date value, an advertisement identifier, and a selection field indicating whether the user has selected the advertisement.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the different types of on-line activities include performing search queries, selecting (or clicking) search results, selecting (or clicking) sponsor type search results, viewing advertisements, selecting (or clicking) advertisements, and selecting (or clicking) web pages.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein at least one of the different feeds aggregates one or more data streams for the different types of on-line activities over a specified period of time.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the query includes a selected time period and the selected one or more data feeds are obtained for the selected time period, and wherein the scores are based on at least a portion of the one or more selected data feeds over the selected time period.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of search queries, and wherein a list of search queries that were performed by the selected user are sent so that each search in the sent list includes a time and date value, a search term value, a search result, a selection field indicating whether the user has selected the search result, and a ranking value for the search result.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of web page selections performed by the selected user as the selected user moves from a source page to a destination page, wherein the source and destination are specified by the received query.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the scores are in a plurality of advertisement categories for the selected user.

13. At least one computer readable storage medium having computer program instructions stored thereon that are arranged to perform the following operations:

receiving, from a query client, a query for a selected user and one or more data feeds selected from a plurality of feeds via a user interface having selection options for such feeds and wherein the different feeds correspond to a plurality of different streams of data for a plurality of different types or aggregations of on-line activities that have been performed by a plurality of users at multiple times and the different data streams of such feeds have been retained in a plurality of different feed databases;

determining a plurality of scores in a plurality of categories for the selected user based on individual on-line activities of the selected user in the individual categories as aggregated from each data stream of the one or more selected feeds from the different feed databases; and

to the query client, sending, for presentation, each score in each category for the selected user and an aggregation of the individual on-line activities in each individual category for the selected user

wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of advertisement data, and wherein a list of advertisements that were viewed or selected by the selected user are sent to the query client so that each advertisement in the sent list includes a time and date value, an advertisement identifier, and a selection field indicating whether the user has selected the advertisement.

14. An at least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the different types of on-line activities include performing search queries, selecting (or clicking) search results, selecting (or clicking) sponsor type search results, viewing advertisements, selecting (or clicking) advertisements, and selecting (or clicking) web pages.

15. An at least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the different feeds aggregates one or more data streams for the different types of on-line activities over a specified period of time.

16. An at least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the query includes a selected time period and the selected one or more data feeds are obtained for the selected time period, and wherein the scores are based on at least a portion of the one or more selected data feeds over the selected time period.

17. An at least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of search queries, and wherein a list of search queries that were performed by the selected user are sent so that each search in the sent list includes a time and date value, a search term value, a search result, a selection field indicating whether the user has selected the search result, and a ranking value for the search result.

18. An at least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the selected one or more feeds include a feed for a stream of web page selections performed by the selected user as the selected user moves from a source page to a destination page, wherein the source and destination are specified by the received query.

21. An at least one computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the scores are in a plurality of advertisement categories for the selected user.