Methods, systems, and products for targeting advertisements

• US 8,219,411 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alphonso, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Swix, Scott R., Matz, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ouellette, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US12/508,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20100191601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0257 User requested
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• 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 21/26233 involving content or additional data duration or size, e.g. length of a movie, size of an executable file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for targeting advertisements. Clickstream data is received that describes at least subscriber actions. Content information is received that describes what content is available. A criterion is also received for determining which subscribers should receive a targeted advertisement. The clickstream data is merged with the content information to generate data describing at least one event timeline. When the data describing the at least one event timeline matches the at least one criterion, then at least one subscriber is targeted to receive the advertisement.

Claims

1. A method for targeting an advertisement, comprising:

receiving clickstream data describing commands entered during programming;

receiving content information describing the programming;

receiving a criterion for determining which subscribers should receive a targeted the advertisement;

merging by a processor the clickstream data with the content information to generate data describing an event timeline that describes the commands entered during the programming selected by one of the subscribers over a period of time; and

targeting the subscriber to receive the advertisement when the data describing the event timeline matches the criterion.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising matching the data describing the event timeline with the criterion.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising targeting a group of subscribers to receive the advertisement when the data describing the event timeline matches the criterion.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing purchasing data to the data describing the event timeline.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising merging the clickstream data with the content information and with a subscriber key.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising defining the criterion as an affinity between the content information and the advertisement.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising categorizing the content information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising categorizing the content information prior to the merging.

9. A system for targeting an advertisement, comprising:

a processor;

memory; and

code stored in the memory that causes the processor at least to;

receive clickstream data describing commands entered during programming;

receive content information describing the programming;

receive a criterion for determining which subscribers should receive a targeted the advertisement;

merge the clickstream data with the content information to generate data describing an event timeline that describes the commands entered during the programming selected by one of the subscribers over a period of time; and

target the subscriber to receive the advertisement when the data describing the event timeline matches the criterion.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to match the data describing the event timeline with the criterion.

11. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to target a group of subscribers to receive the advertisement when the data describing the event timeline matches the criterion.

12. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to compare purchasing data to the data describing the event timeline.

13. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to merge the clickstream data with the content information and with a subscriber key.

14. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to define the criterion as an affinity between the content information and the advertisement.

15. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to categorize the content information.

16. The system according to claim 9, further comprising code that causes the processor to categorize the content information prior to the merging.

17. A computer-readable storage medium on which is encoded processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving clickstream data describing commands entered during programming;

receiving content information describing the programming;

receiving a criterion for determining which subscribers should receive the advertisement;

merging the clickstream data with the content information to generate data describing an event timeline that describes the commands entered during the programming selected by one of the subscribers over a period of time; and

targeting the subscriber to receive the advertisement when the data describing the event timeline matches the criterion.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for matching the data describing the event timeline with the criterion.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for targeting a group of subscribers to receive the advertisement when the data describing the event timeline matches the criterion.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions for comparing purchasing data to the data describing the at least one event timeline.