Methods, systems, and products for classifying subscribers

• US 7,945,928 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swix, Scott R., Matz, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US12/642,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20100100435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/34, 725/36, 725/40, 725/46
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products classify subscribers based on viewing habits. An event record is stored that associates a command entered by a subscriber to a time. The event record is merged with data describing media programming to form event timeline data describing the at least one command and the media programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time. Credit card purchasing data is retrieved that describes the subscriber'"'"'s credit card purchases. The event timeline data is compared to the credit card purchasing data. The subscriber is classified in a category associated with a product or service when the event timeline data indicates that the subscriber viewed an advertisement and afterwards purchased the product or service.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing an event record associated with a command;

merging the event record with data describing media programming to form event timeline data describing the command and the media programming selected by a user over a period of time;

retrieving sales data describing purchases;

comparing the event timeline data to the sales data; and

associating the user with a product or service when the event timeline data indicates that an advertisement was viewed and afterwards the product or service was purchased.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the sales data comprises retrieving credit card purchase records.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the sales data comprises retrieving online purchase records.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the product or service to the advertisement.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the user to the advertisement.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending the advertisement to the user.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending the advertisement as a video.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising sending the advertisement as a banner in a web page.

9. A system, comprising:

a processor executing code stored in memory that causes the processor to;

store an event record that associates a command entered by a subscriber to a time;

merge the event record with data describing media programming to form event timeline data describing the command and the media programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time;

retrieve sales data describing purchases of the subscriber;

compare the event timeline data to the sales data; and

associate the subscriber with a product or service when the event timeline data indicates that the subscriber viewed an advertisement and afterwards purchased the product or service.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the code further causes the processor to retrieve credit card purchase records.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the code further causes the processor to retrieve online purchase records.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the code further causes the processor to associate the product or service to the advertisement.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the code further causes the processor to associate the subscriber to the advertisement.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the code further causes the processor to send the advertisement to the subscriber.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the code further causes the processor to send the advertisement as a video to the subscriber.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the code further causes the processor to send the advertisement to the subscriber as a banner in a web page.

17. Computer readable memory storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

storing an event record that associates a command entered by a subscriber to a time;

merging the event record with data describing media programming to form event timeline data describing the command and the media programming selected by the subscriber over a period of time;

retrieving sales data describing purchases of the subscriber;

comparing the event timeline data to the sales data; and

associating the subscriber with a product or service when the event timeline data indicates that the subscriber viewed an advertisement and afterwards purchased the product or service.

18. The computer readable memory according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for at least one of retrieving credit card purchase records and retrieving online purchase records.

19. The computer readable memory according to claim 17, further comprising instructions for at least one of associating the product or service to a targeted advertisement and ii) associating the subscriber to the advertisement.

20. The computer readable memory according to claim 19, further comprising instructions for at least one of sending the advertisement to the subscriber, sending the advertisement as a video to the subscriber, and sending the advertisement to the subscriber as a banner in a web page.

21. A method, comprising:

storing an event record associated with a command;

merging the event record with data describing media programming to form event timeline data describing the command and the media programming selected by a user over a period of time;

retrieving sales data describing purchases;

comparing the event timeline data to the sales data; and

associating the user with a purchase when the event timeline data indicates that an advertisement was viewed and afterwards the purchase occurred.