System and method for targeted Ad delivery

• US 8,131,733 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wang, Yiqing
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, CAM Y T
• Application Number:
  US12/795,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 707/748
• US Class Current: 707/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Systems and associated methods for targeted ad delivery are described. In one aspect, a user profile includes at least one user content category identifier and a user interest score. The user interest score is increased by an amount if the content category identifier of a requested webpage matches the at least one user content category identifier. In a further aspect, the user interest score is indicative of a level of interest of the user in a content category identified by the at least one user content category identifier. In another aspect, the user interest score can be reduced according to a long-term decay rate that slowly reduces the user interest score. In another aspect, the user interest score can also be reduced according to a short-term decay rate that rapidly reduces the user interest score.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

locating a user profile of a user requesting a webpage from a web server, wherein the user profile includes a user interest score and a user content category identifier;

utilizing one of a plurality of decay rates to decay the user interest score over time such that responsive to the user interest score surpassing a threshold, the user interest score is reduced by a first decay rate, and responsive to the user interest score decreasing below another threshold, the user interest score is reduced according to a second decay rate which reduces the user interest score at a greater rate than the first decay rate;

increasing the user interest score by an amount responsive to a content category of the webpage matching the user content category identifier;

selecting an advertisement based on the user interest score;

providing the webpage and the advertisement; and

deleting the user interest score corresponding to a particular content category from the user profile responsive to the user interest score of the particular content category decreasing below a predetermined threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first decay rate is a long term decay rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second decay rate is a short term decay rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interest score is reduced periodically according to one of the plurality of decay rates.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interest score is reduced daily according to one of the plurality of decay rates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user profile includes a plurality of interest scores corresponding to a plurality of user content categories.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

decaying a user interest score of a first content category in the user profile at a different rate from a user interest score of a second content category in the user profile.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein different decay rates are selected from the plurality of decay rates for different interest scores responsive to receiving differing requests for webpages associated with different content categories.

9. A system comprising:

one or more servers including a memory, wherein the one or more serves configured to;

locate a user profile of a user requesting a webpage, wherein the user profile includes a user interest score and a user content category identifier;

utilizing one of a plurality of decay rates to decay the user interest score over time such that responsive to the user interest score surpassing a threshold, the user interest score is reduced by a first decay rate, and responsive to the user interest score decreasing below another threshold, the user interest score is reduced according to a second decay rate which reduces the user interest score at a greater rate than the first decay rate;

increase the user interest score by an amount responsive to a content category of the webpage matching the user content category identifier;

select an advertisement based on the user interest score;

provide the webpage and the advertisement; and

delete the user interest score corresponding to a particular content category from the user profile responsive to the user interest score of the particular content category decreasing below a predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first decay rate is a long term decay rate.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second decay rate is a short term decay rate.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interest score is reduced periodically according to one of the plurality of decay rates.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein the user interest score is reduced daily according to one of the plurality of decay rates.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein the user profile includes a plurality of interest scores corresponding to a plurality of user content categories.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the one or more servers are further configured to:

decay a user interest score of a first content category in the user profile at a different rate from a user interest score of a second content category in the user profile.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein different decay rates are selected from the plurality of decay rates for different interest scores responsive to receiving differing requests for webpages associated with different content categories.

17. A method comprising:

locating a user profile of a user requesting a webpage from a web server, wherein the user profile includes a user interest score and a user content category identifier;

utilizing one of a plurality of decay rates to decay the user interest score over time such that responsive to the user interest score surpassing a threshold, the user interest score is reduced by a long term decay rate, and responsive to the user interest score decreasing below another threshold, the user interest score is reduced according to a short term decay rate which reduces the user interest score at a greater rate than the long term decay rate;

increasing the user interest score by an amount responsive to a content category of the webpage matching the user content category identifier;

selecting an advertisement based on the user interest score;

providing the webpage and the advertisement; and

deleting the user interest score corresponding to a particular content category from the user profile responsive to the user interest score of the particular content category decreasing below a predetermined threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein different decay rates are selected from plurality of decay rates for different interest scores responsive to receiving differing requests for webpages associated with different content categories.