Determining a demographic attribute value of an online document visited by users

• US 8,321,249 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2007
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Law, Ching, Rajaram, Gokul, Ranganath, Rama
• Primary Examiner(s): MANSFIELD, THOMAS L
• Application Number:
  US11/699,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183557A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,128 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0204 Market segmentation

Abstract

A demographic attribute value of a sink online document may be determined by (a) accepting a value(s) of the demographic attribute of a source online document, (b) accepting, for each of the source online documents having an accepted demographic attribute value, a probability that a user will visit or has visited the sink online document if the user visited the source online document, and (c) determining the demographic attribute value of the sink online document using the demographic attribute value of each of the source online documents and the probabilities. A demographic attribute value of the sink online document may also be determined using the above information and using the demographic attribute value of each of the source online documents and the probabilities that a user will visit or has visited the sink online document if the user visited the other online document.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining an estimated demographic attribute value of a first online document, the method comprising:

a) accepting, by a computer system including at least one computer, a set of one or more known values of a demographic attribute, each of the one or more known demographic attribute values being associated with an online document included in a plurality of second online documents, wherein each of the second online documents has a known value for the demographic attribute;

b) accepting, by the computer system, tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of independent users;

c) analyzing, by the computer system and for each of the second online documents, the tracked Internet surfing behavior of the plurality of independent users to determine a probability that a user who has visited the second online document will visit or has visited the first online document, wherein the probability represents a single pair-wise relation between the second online document and the first online document;

d) determining, by the computer system, the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the accepted known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities; and

e) associating, by the computer system, the demographic attribute and its determined estimated demographic attribute value with the first online document,

wherein each of the plurality of second online documents is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is known, and

wherein the first online document is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the estimated demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is determined.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the act of determining the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document includes summing, over the plurality of second online documents, a product of (i) the probability that the particular user who has visited the second online document will visit or has visited the first online document and (ii) the known demographic attribute value of the second online document.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 wherein the act of determining the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document includes multiplying the sum by a predetermined damping factor.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first online document does not initially have a value for the demographic attribute.

5. A computer-implemented method for determining an estimated demographic attribute value of a set of one or more first online documents, the method comprising:

a) accepting, by a computer system including at least one computer, a set of one or more known values of a demographic attribute, each of the one or more known demographic attribute values being associated with an online document included in a plurality of second online documents, wherein each of the second online documents has a known value for the demographic attribute;

b) accepting, by the computer system, tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of Independent users;

c) analyzing, by the computer system and for each of the one or more first online documents, and for each of a plurality of other first and second online documents, the tracked Internet surfing behavior of the plurality of independent users to determine a probability that a user who has visited the other online document, will visit or has visited the first online document;

d) determining, by the computer system, for each of the one or more first online documents, the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the accepted known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities that a particular user who has visited the other online document, will visit or has visited the first online document;

e) for each of the one or more first online documents, determining, by the computer system, an updated estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and the determined demographic attribute value of each of the other first online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities that a user will visit or has visited the first online document and each of the other online documents; and

f) associating, by the computer system, the demographic attribute and its determined estimated demographic attribute value with the first online document,

wherein each of the plurality of second online documents is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is known, and

wherein the first online document is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the estimated demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is determined.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein act (d) is repeated at least once.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein act (e) is repeated until the updated estimated demographic attribute values don'"'"'t change from the previously determined updated estimated demographic attribute values.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein the act of determining, for each of the first online documents, the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document includes summing, over all the second online documents, a product of (i) the determined probabilities that a user who has visited the second online document, will visit or has visited the first online document and (ii) the known demographic attribute value of the second online document.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 wherein the act of determining, for each of the first online documents, the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document includes multiplying the sum by a predetermined damping factor.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein each of the first online documents does not initially have a value for the demographic attribute.

11. Apparatus for determining an estimated demographic attribute value of a first online document, the apparatus comprising:

a) at least one processor;

b) an input device; and

c) at least one storage device storing a computer executable code which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method of

1) accepting a set of one or more known values of a demographic attribute, each of the one or more known demographic attribute values being associated with an online document included in a plurality of second online documents, wherein each of the second online documents has, a known value for the demographic attribute,

2) accepting tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of Independent users,

3) for each of the second online documents having an accepted known demographic attribute value, analyzing the tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of independent users to determine a probability that a user who has visited the second online document will visit or has visited the first online document, wherein the probability represents a single pair-wise relation between the second online document and the first online document,

4) the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the accepted known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities, and

5) associating the demographic attribute and its determined estimated demographic attribute value with the first online document,

wherein each of the plurality of second online documents is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is known, and

wherein the first online document is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the estimated demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is determined.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first online document does not initially have a value for the demographic attribute.

13. Apparatus for determining an estimated demographic attribute value of a set of one or more first online documents, the apparatus comprising:

a) at least one processor;

b) an input device; and

c) at least one storage device storing a computer executable code which, when executed by the at least one processor, performs a method of

1) accepting a set of one or more known values of a demographic attribute, each of the one or more known demographic attribute values being associated with an online document included in a plurality of second online documents, wherein each of the second online documents has a known value for the demographic attribute,

2) accepting tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of Independent users,

3) for each of the one or more first online documents, and for each of a plurality of other first and second online documents, analyzing the tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of independent users to determine a probability that a user who has visited the other online document, will visit or has visited the first online document,

4) determining, by the computer system, for each of the one or more first online documents, the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the accepted known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities that a particular user who has visited the other online document, will visit or has visited the first online document,

5) determining, for each of the one or more first online documents, an updated estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and the determined demographic attribute value of each of the other first online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities that a user will visit or has visited the first online document and each of the other online documents, and

6) associating the demographic attribute and its determined estimated demographic attribute value with the first online document,

wherein each of the plurality of second online documents is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is known, and

wherein the first online document is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the estimated demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is determined.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each of the first online documents does not initially have a value for the demographic attribute.

15. Apparatus for determining an estimated demographic attribute value of a first online document, the apparatus comprising:

a) a network-based server module for accepting demographic attributes for documents on the network to determine document visit probabilities, including;

1) a set of one or more known values of a demographic attribute, each of the one or more known demographic attribute values being associated with an online document included in a plurality of second online documents, wherein each of the second online documents has a known value for the demographic attribute, and

2) tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of Independent users;

b) a network-based server module for analyzing, for each of the second online documents having an accepted known demographic attribute value, the tracked Internet surfing behavior of the plurality of independent users to determine a probability that a user who has visited the second online document will visit or has visited the first online document, wherein the probability represents a single pair-wise relation between the second online document and the first online document;

c) a network-based server module for determining the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the accepted known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities; and

d) a network-based server module for associating the demographic attribute and its determined estimated demographic attribute value with the first online document,

wherein each of the plurality of second online documents is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is known, and

wherein the first online document is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the estimated demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is determined.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the network-based server modules are part of an advertising server network.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the network-based server modules are part of a distributed server network.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second and first online documents are both Web pages.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the second and first online documents are both Websites.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the first online document does not initially have a value for the demographic attribute.

21. Apparatus for determining an estimated demographic attribute value of a set of one or more first online documents, the apparatus comprising:

a) a network-based server module for accepting demographic attributes for documents on the network to determine document visit probabilities, including

1) a set of one or more known values of a demographic attribute, each of the one or more known demographic attribute values being associated with an online document included in a plurality of second online documents, wherein each of the second online documents has a known value for the demographic attribute, and

2) tracked Internet surfing behavior of a plurality of Independent users;

b) a network-based server module for analyzing, for each of the one or more first online documents, and for each of a plurality of other first and second online documents, the tracked Internet surfing behavior of the plurality of independent users to determine a probability that a user who has visited the other online document, will visit or has visited the first online document;

c) a network-based server module for determining, for each of the one or more first online documents, the estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the accepted known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities that a particular user who has visited the other online document, will visit or has visited the first online document;

d) a network-based server module for determining, for each of the one or more first online documents, an updated estimated demographic attribute value of the first online document using (i) the known demographic attribute value of each of the second online documents and the determined demographic attribute value of each of the other first online documents and (ii) the determined probabilities that a user will visit or has visited the first online document and each of the other online documents; and

e) a network-based server module for associating the demographic attribute and its determined estimated demographic attribute value with the first online document,

wherein each of the plurality of second online documents is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is known, and

wherein the first online document is one of (A) a Website, or (B) a Web page for which the estimated demographic attribute value of the demographic attribute is determined.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the network-based server modules are part of an advertising server.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the network-based server modules are part of a distributed server network.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second and first online documents are, both Web pages.

25. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second and first online documents are both Websites.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein each of the first online documents does not initially have a value for the demographic attribute.