Providing relevant non-requested content to a mobile device

• US 8,463,869 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morse, Jason, Grubb, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Osman, Ramy M
• Application Number:
  US12/111,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20080200161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,870 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709/224, 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A system and method are directed towards providing non-requested content to a mobile terminal based on characteristics of, and tracked usage of the mobile terminal to request content through an online portal service, which provides access to content in multiple subject areas. A mobile user profile is created from the characteristics and patterns of the tracked usage. The tracked usage information includes the time, location, frequency at which the content was requested. Based on the mobile user profile information, content related to previously requested content is provided to the mobile terminal upon a trigger that is related to the requested content. The trigger event may include the mobile terminal returning to a location from which certain content was previously requested. The non-requested content may further be based on a related general user profile that indicates usage of an alternate electronic device to access content through the portal.

Claims

1. A method for providing content to a mobile device, comprising:

establishing a mobile user profile based on a user agent profile that defines attributes of the mobile device;

determining a trigger and a content type based on a plurality of detected user actions with the mobile device;

receiving third-party information through an out-of-band communication other than through the mobile device, wherein the third-party information is based on the plurality of detected user actions with the mobile device, including actions between third parties and a user of the mobile device;

modifying the mobile user profile to include the trigger, the content type, and the third-party information;

detecting that the trigger occurred;

selecting non-requested prefetch content based on the modified mobile user profile, including;

the content type associated with the trigger;

the attributes of the mobile device;

the third-party information; and

a current location of the mobile device;

prioritizing the prefetch content based on a user history of content requests; and

transmitting the prefetch content to the mobile device for rendering by the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining indirect information that indicates a condition when at least one of the plurality of user actions occurred, wherein the indirect information is obtained from an indirect source other than the mobile device;

modifying the mobile user profile based on the indirect information; and

modifying the selection of the non-requested prefetch content based on the indirect information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a new mobile device associated with the mobile user profile;

modifying the mobile user profile based on a new user agent profile that defines attributes of the new mobile device; and

modifying the selection of the non-requested prefetch content based on the new user agent profile.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a weight to apply to an element of the mobile user profile based on the plurality of user actions with the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically modifying the mobile user profile to include a link to the prefetch content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises one of the following:

a period prior to a time at which at least one of the plurality of mobile user actions occurred; and

a distance from a location at least one of the plurality of mobile user actions occurred.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the content type comprises:

determining a pattern from the plurality of user actions;

determining a category of user associated with the pattern; and

selecting the content type based on the category of user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party information comprises one of the following:

a service capability provided to the mobile device by a communications carrier; and

an advertisement provided by a merchant.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying an advertiser of the mobile device, wherein the advertiser is related to the trigger and the content type;

receiving a request from the advertiser to include an advertisement in the prefetch content, wherein the request is received prior to transmitting the prefetch content; and

including the advertisement in the prefetch content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the mobile device is associated with an alternate user profile based on a plurality of detected user actions with an alternate electronic device; and

modifying the selection of the prefetch content based on the alternate user profile.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium, store computer executable instructions for causing a computing device to perform actions, including:

establishing a mobile user profile based on a user agent profile that defines attributes of a mobile device;

determining a trigger and a content type based on a plurality of detected user actions with the mobile device;

receiving third-party information through an out-of-band communication other than through the mobile device, wherein the third-party information is based on the plurality of detected user actions with the mobile device, including actions between third parties and a user of the mobile device;

modifying the mobile user profile to include the trigger, the content type, and the third-party information;

detecting that the trigger occurred;

selecting non-requested prefetch content based on the modified mobile user profile, including;

the content type associated with the trigger;

the attributes of the mobile device;

the third-party information; and

a current location of the mobile device;

prioritizing the prefetch content based on a user history of content requests; and

transmitting the prefetch content to the mobile device for rendering by the mobile device.

12. A server for providing content to a mobile device, comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface in communication with the processor and to a network; and

a memory in communication with the processor and storing machine instructions that cause the processor to perform a plurality of operations, including;

establishing a mobile user profile based on a user agent profile that defines attributes of the mobile device;

determining a trigger and a content type based on a plurality of detected user actions with the mobile device received by the communication interface;

receiving third-party information through an out-of-band communication that is received through the communication interface other than from the mobile device, wherein the third-party information is based on the plurality of detected user actions with the mobile device, including actions between third parties and a user of the mobile device;

modifying the mobile user profile to include the trigger, the content type, and the third-party information;

detecting that the trigger occurred;

selecting non-requested prefetch content based on the modified mobile user profile, including;

the content type associated with the trigger;

the attributes of the mobile device;

the third-party information; and

a current location of the mobile device received through the communication interface;

prioritizing the prefetch content based on a user history of content requests; and

transmitting through the communication interface, the prefetch content to the mobile device for rendering by the mobile device.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the mobile user profile further includes indirect information to a mobile user request.

14. The server of claim 12, wherein the machine instructions cause the processor to further perform the operation of automatically modifying the mobile user profile to include a link to the prefetch content.

15. The server of claim 12, wherein the machine instructions cause the processor to determine the mobile user profile by further performing the operations of:

transmitting a message through the communication interface to notify an advertiser of the mobile device, wherein the advertiser is related to the trigger and the content type;

receiving through the communication interface a request from the advertiser to include an advertisement in the prefetch content, wherein the request is received prior to transmitting the prefetch content; and

including the advertisement in the prefetch content.

16. A system for providing content, comprising:

a mobile communication interface in communication with a network and that performs a plurality operations, including;

receiving from a mobile device, communications that indicates a plurality of user actions performed with the mobile device;

receiving third-party information through an out-of-band communication other than through the mobile device, wherein the third-party information is based on the plurality of user actions performed with the mobile device, including actions between third parties and a user of the mobile device; and

receiving location information from the mobile device;

a mobile profiling module in communication with the mobile communication interface and that performs a plurality of operations, including;

establishing a mobile user profile based on a user agent profile that defines attributes of a mobile device;

determining a trigger and a content type based on the plurality of user actions performed with the mobile device; and

modifying the mobile user profile to include the trigger, the content type, and the third-party information; and

a mobile user profile data store in communication with the mobile profiling module and storing the modified mobile user profile;

a content source storing content; and

a prefetching module in communication with the mobile communication interface, with the mobile user profile data store, and with the content source, the prefetching module performing a plurality of operations, including;

detecting that the trigger occurred;

selecting non-requested prefetch content from the content source based on the modified mobile user profile, including;

the content type associated with the trigger;

the attributes of the mobile device;

the third-party information; and

a current location of the mobile device;

prioritizing the prefetch content based on a user history of content requests; and

instructing the mobile communication interface to transmit the prefetch content to the mobile device for rendering by the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a alternate device communication interface in communication with a network and performing a plurality of operations, including receiving communication regarding alternate user actions with an alternate electronic device;

a portal profiling module in communication with the alternate device communication module, and performing a plurality of operations, including establishing an alternate device user profile based on the alternate user actions with an alternate electronic device; and

an alternate profile data store in communication with the alternate device profiling module and in communication with the prefetching module, which modifies the selection of the prefetch content based on the alternate device user profile.

18. A method for rendering content on a mobile device, comprising:

detecting a plurality of user actions with the mobile device that indicate a trigger and a content type;

communicating the plurality to a prefetching module that performs a plurality of operations, including;

managing a mobile user profile that is based on a user agent profile defining attributes of the mobile device;

receiving third-party information through an out-of-band communication other than through the mobile device, wherein the third-party information is based on the plurality of user actions with the mobile device, including actions between third parties and a user of the mobile device;

updating the mobile user profile based on the trigger, the content type, and the third-party information;

detecting that the trigger occurred;

selecting non-requested prefetch content based on the updated mobile user profile, including;

the content type associated with the trigger;

the attributes of the mobile device;

the third-party information; and

a current location of the mobile device;

prioritizing the prefetch content based on a user history of content requests;

receiving the prefetch content; and

rendering the prefetch content.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

transmitting to the prefetching module, a mobile device identifier that is associated with an alternate user profile based on a plurality of detected user actions with an alternate electronic device, the mobile device identifier enabling the prefetching module to modify the selection of the prefetch content based on the alternate user profile.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving an advertisement provided by an advertiser that is associated with the trigger and the content type.