Targeting content to network-enabled television devices

• US 8,060,399 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OmniTrail Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shah Ullah
• Inventors: Ullah, Shah
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett; Jonathan G
• Application Number:
  US13/040,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 256 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29, 705/7.34, 705/14.4
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0276 Advertisement creation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 : Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 : Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 : Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed herein for managing content, including advertising content, delivered to various network-connected devices, including screens, mobile devices, computers, televisions, radios, and the like, based on usage profiles associated with device-specific identifiers for mobile devices, short-distance wireless technologies for transmission of content and detection of proximity, and content targeting and management techniques.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

collecting from a network-enabled device a MAC address of a personal mobile device, data representing user on-line activity related to an advertisement embedded in content presented via the network-enabled device while the personal mobile device is detected via a wireless communication to be in proximity to the network-enabled device, and an identifier of the network-enabled device, the MAC address of the personal mobile device being acquired by the network-enabled device via the wireless communication;

analyzing, with a server, the collected user on-line activity to select an advertisement to suit a profile, wherein the profile is determined based on user activity associated with the MAC address of the personal mobile device;

using the server to identify a stored profile based on the acquired MAC address;

associating the collected data representing the user on-line activity of the network-enabled device and the network-enabled device identifier with the stored profile that was identified by the acquired MAC address, thereby associating the mobile device and the network-enabled device with a user represented by data in the stored profile; and

in response to receiving an indication of the personal mobile device being in proximity to a network-enabled television device, the indication resulting from the network-enabled television device acquiring the MAC address of the personal mobile device via short distance wireless communication between the network-enabled television device and the personal mobile device when the personal mobile device is in short distance wireless communication proximity to the network-enabled television device, making the selected advertisement accessible to the server for presenting on the network enabled television device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal mobile device is one of a mobile phone and a laptop.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication is selected from a list consisting of Bluetooth, WIFI, WiMax, WUSB, and UWB.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-enabled device comprises a set-top box.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-enabled device is an internet-connected gaming console.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-enabled television device includes at least one of a network-enabled television and a network-enabled set top box.

7. A method, comprising:

collecting from a network-enabled device a MAC address of a personal mobile device, data representing user on-line activity via the network-enabled device while the personal mobile device is detected via a wireless communication to be in proximity to the network-enabled device, and an identifier of the network-enabled device, the MAC address of the personal mobile device being acquired by the network-enabled device via the wireless communication;

using a server to identify a stored profile based on the collected MAC address;

associating the data representing the user on-line activity of the network enabled device and the network-enabled device identifier with the stored profile that was identified by the acquired MAC address, thereby associating the mobile device and the network-enabled device with a user represented by data in the stored profile;

analyzing, with the server, the data representing the user on-line activity of the network-enabled device to select an advertisement; and

in response to receiving an indication of the personal mobile device being in proximity to a network-enabled television device, making the selected advertisement accessible to the server for presenting on the network-enabled television device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the indication of the personal mobile device being in proximity to the network-enabled television device results from the network-enabled television device acquiring the MAC address of the personal mobile device via short distance wireless communication between the network-enabled television device and the personal mobile device when the personal mobile device is in short distance wireless communication proximity to the network-enabled television device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the personal mobile device is a laptop.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the network-enabled device comprises a set-top box.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the network-enabled device is an internet-connected gaming console.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the network-enabled television device includes at least one of a network-enabled television and a network-enabled set top box.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication is selected from a list consisting of Bluetooth, WIFI, WiMax, WUSB, and UWB.

14. A method, comprising:

collecting from a network-enabled device a MAC address of a personal mobile device, data representing user on-line activity of the network-enabled device while the personal mobile device is detected via WIFI wireless communication to be in proximity to the network-enabled device, and an identifier of the network-enabled device, the MAC address of the personal mobile device being acquired by the network-enabled device via the WIFI wireless communication;

using a server to identify a stored profile based on the collected MAC address;

associating the data representing the user on-line activity of the network enabled device and the network-enabled device identifier with the stored profile that was identified by the acquired MAC address, thereby associating the mobile device and the network-enabled device with a user represented by data in the stored profile;

analyzing, with the server, the data representing the user on-line activity of the network-enabled device to select an advertisement; and

in response to receiving an indication of the personal mobile device being in proximity to a network-enabled television device, making the selected advertisement accessible to the server for presenting on the personal mobile device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the indication of the personal mobile device being in proximity to the network-enabled television device results from the network-enabled television device acquiring the MAC address of the personal mobile device via short distance wireless communication between the network-enabled television device and the personal mobile device when the personal mobile device is in short distance wireless communication proximity to the network-enabled television device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the network-enabled device comprises a set-top box.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the network-enabled television device includes at least one of a network-enabled television and a network-enabled set top box.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the network-enabled device is a mobile phone.