Method and system for targeted content placement

• US 8,239,256 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2009
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Segmint Inc.
• Original Assignee: Segmint Inc.
• Inventors: Heiser, Russel Robert II, Shahan, Nathan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastra, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/403,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.1
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system for delivering targeted content to a device includes a database and a processor. The database stores anonymous identifications for a plurality of customers of at least one financial institution. Each anonymous identification is associated with financial information for a respective customer of the at least one financial institution. The processor includes software that is configured to classify consumers, create a targeted list of content viewers, and deliver a targeted advertisement over a network to a device used by a content viewer on the targeted list. The classifications can be based on the financial information associated with each anonymous identification. The target list of content viewers can be based on at least one selected classification. The advertisement can be delivered to a device used by a content viewer on the targeted list after the device has been used to log onto an application offered by the at least one financial institution.

Claims

1. A method for processing a list of customers to receive targeted content, the method comprising:

receiving financial records for customers of at least one financial institution;

associating the received financial records of each customer with an anonymous identification code, each anonymous identification code being representative of a respective customer;

storing the anonymous identification codes and the financial records in a database;

receiving a request for a list of customers who meet at least one criteria;

querying the database to identify customers based on the at least one criteria and the stored financial records;

generating a targeted list of customers based on the customers identified when querying the database, wherein the targeted list of customers identifies each customer using an anonymous identifier that is representative of a customer of the at least one financial institution but does not personally identify the customer;

receiving unique identifiers, each unique identifier representative of a customer of the at least one financial institution;

determining whether the received unique identifiers personally identify the customer associated with the respective unique identifier; and

where the received unique identifiers personally identify the customer;

encrypting the received unique identifiers to create an anonymous unique encrypted identification code, and

releasing the received unique identifiers that personally identify the customer,

wherein associating the received financial records includes associating the received financial records of customers with the respective anonymous unique encrypted identification code for the respective customer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the targeted list of customers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a key to an entity that requested the list of customers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delivering the targeted list of customers to an entity that requested the list of customers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial records include account level transaction data for each respective customer and demographic information for each respective customer, wherein the demographic information is not associated with a name, a bank account number, a street address, an e-mail address, a social security number or a phone number for the respective customer.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

aggregating the account level transaction data for at least one customer;

determining at least one aggregate assumption based on the aggregated account level transaction data for the at least one customer; and

based on having determined at least one aggregate assumption for the at least one customer, classifying the at least one customer into an aggregate assumption classification.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying at least one customer trend for at least one customer, the identifying at least one customer trend comprising (i) determining at least one future collateral transaction based on the received account level transaction data for the at least one customer;

or (ii) determining at least one timed transaction based on the received account level transaction data for the at least one customer; and

based on having determined at least one customer trend for the at least one customer, classifying the at least one customer into a customer trend classification.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying at least one customer trend includes (i) determining at least one future collateral transaction for the at least one customer based on similar purchasing patterns of other customers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving into a database financial records for customers further comprises receiving financial records for a multi-financial institution customer where the multi-financial institution customer is a customer of at least two different financial institutions; and

associating the received financial records further comprises associating the received financial records from a first financial institution for the multi-financial institution customer with a first anonymous identification code representative of the multi-financial institution customer and associating the received financial records from a second financial institution for the multi-financial institution customer with a second anonymous identification code representative of the multi-financial institution customer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tracking financial transactions where the multi-financial institution customer transfers money between the first financial institution and the second financial institution; and

based on having tracked a predetermined number of financial transactions where the multi-financial institution customer transfers money between the first financial institution and the second financial institution, identifying the multi-financial institution customer represented by the first anonymous identification code and the multi-financial institution customer represented by the second anonymous identification code to be the same customer.

11. A system for processing a list of financial institution customers for receiving targeted content, the system comprising:

a database storing anonymous unique identifications for a plurality of customers of at least one financial institution and financial records comprising bank transaction data for the customers, each anonymous unique identification being representative of a customer of the at least one financial institution and associated with the financial records for the respective customer of the at least one financial institution; and

a processor including software configured to;

classify the customers into selected classifications based on the financial records associated with each anonymous unique identification;

create a list of targeted content viewers based on at least one selected classification, wherein the list includes at least one anonymous unique identification associated with the at least one selected classification; and

associate at least two unique identifiers from at least two different financial institutions with a single anonymous identification.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the anonymous unique identification lacks a name of the customer, a social security number for the customer, a bank account number for the customer, a street address for the customer, an e-mail address for the customer, or a phone number for the customer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is connected with a device that is configured to deliver to the at least one financial institution the list of targeted content viewers.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the database stores financial records including demographic information for the plurality of customers, the demographic information for each customer being associated with the respective unique identification for the respective customer and the demographic information lacks a name, a bank account number, a street address, an e-mail address, a social security number and a phone number for the respective customer.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the software is further configured to:

aggregate the received financial records associated with at least one of the unique identifications;

determine at least one aggregate assumption based on the aggregated financial records;

determine at least one aggregate assumption classification based on the at least one aggregate assumption; and

based on having determined at least one aggregate assumption classification, update the classification for the respective customer associated with the at least one of the unique identifications.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the software is further configured to:

identify at least one customer trend comprising;

determining at least one future collateral transaction based on the received financial records associated with at least one unique identification;

or

determining at least one timed transaction based on the received financial records associated with at least one unique identification; and

determine at least one customer trend classification based on the at least one customer trend; and

based on having determined at least one customer trend classification, update the classification for the respective customer associated with the at least one unique identification.