Audience targeting system with segment management

• US 8,150,732 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Tacoda LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beyda, Gil, Locker, Donald J., Balasubramanian, Krishna, McDonald, Kevin M., Wenger, Albert E., Wilson, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US10/981,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125289A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,706 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.49, 705/14.53, 705/14.73
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for delivering content to an audience member over a computer network. A console allows a user to define audience segments that are organized in hierarchical fashion. The segments are then calculated by collecting profile data for audience members and determining whether members have attributes that a defined by the audience segments. The hierarchical definition of segments allows audience segments to be logically combined and facilitates efficient recalculation of audience segments. Profile synchronization provides an authoritative identifier that is used to reconcile the potential issuance of multiple identifiers for a given audience member.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content to a client computer based on client profile data, comprising the steps of:

receiving profile data associated with a first plurality of client computers, said profile data indicating attributes associated with the first plurality of client computers;

defining a hierarchical organization of audience segments based upon the profile data, the hierarchical organization of audience segments including a first audience segment, a second audience segment, and a third audience segment;

determining client computer membership in the first audience segment based on the association of client computers with a first set of attributes;

determining client computer membership in the second audience segment based on the association of client computers with a second set of attributes, wherein the first and second sets of attributes are different from each other;

determining client computer membership in the third audience segment based on the association of client computers with a combination of the first and second sets of attributes;

transmitting segment-targeting cookies having a segment identifier for the third audience segment to a second plurality of client computers based on the determination of client computer membership in the third audience segment;

selecting content to deliver to the second plurality of client computers; and

delivering the selected content to the second plurality of client computers based on the determination of the segment identifier in the segment-targeting cookies.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving incremental profile data following the determination of membership in the third audience segment; and

re-determining membership in the third audience segment based on a determination from the incremental profile data that additional client computers are associated with the first set of attributes.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein re-determining membership in the third audience segment includes a determination that at least one of the first plurality of client computers is no longer associated with the first set of attributes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining a first membership list identifying client computers associated with the first set of attributes;

maintaining a second membership list identifying client computers associated with the second set of attributes; and

applying a Boolean operation to the first and second membership lists in determining membership in the third audience segment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected content is advertising, and the profile data includes a behavioral component.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the computer network includes the Internet, and the behavioral component includes information about Internet browsing activities.

7. A computer implemented method for delivering content to a client computer over a computer network, the method comprising:

accommodating the receipt of input to define a hierarchical organization of audience segments based upon profile data that is attributable to client computers, the hierarchical organization of audience segments including a first audience segment, a second audience segment, and a third audience segment that depends from the first audience segment and the second audience segment;

calculating membership in the third audience segment by receiving profile data and determining that a first plurality of client computers are associated with a combination of attributes associated with the first audience segment and the second audience segment;

transmitting a segment-targeting cookie having a segment identifier for the third audience segment to the first plurality of client computers based on the calculation of membership in the third audience segment; and

accommodating the delivery of content to the first plurality of client computers through the computer network based upon the segment identifier for the third audience segment in the segment-targeting cookie .

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving incremental profile data following the calculation of membership in the third audience segment; and

recalculating membership in the third audience segment based upon a determination from the incremental profile data that additional client computers have attributes associated with the first audience segment.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein recalculating membership in the third audience segment includes a determination that at least one of the first plurality of client computers no longer has the attributes associated with the first audience segment.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

maintaining first and second membership lists respectively identifying client computers having attributes associated with the first and second audience segments; and

applying a Boolean operation to the first and second membership lists in calculating membership in the third audience segment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein maintaining the first and second membership lists comprises:

determining at least one attribute respectively associated with the first and second audience segments; and

receiving the profile data and determining those client computers that have the at least one attribute associated with the first or second audience segments.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the content is advertising, and the profile data includes characteristic and behavioral components.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the computer network includes the Internet, and the behavioral component includes information about Internet browsing activities.