Methods and systems for providing mobile advertising using data networks based on groupings associated with internet-connectable devices

• US 8,521,593 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: Millennial Media Incorporated (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gadhia, Hemang N., Kumar, Rishi, Adolphs, Hellmut, Saunders, Matthew M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Scott C
• Application Number:
  US13/605,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 355 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.58, 705/14.64
• US Class Current: 705/14.58
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Computer systems and methods for providing mobile advertising using data networks based on groupings associated with Internet-connectable devices are disclosed. In some embodiments, the computer systems and methods may comprise receiving and/or retrieving events; grouping the events into an events group; determining an audience value for a user of the Internet-connectable device based on the events group, wherein the audience value represents an audience segment comprising a subgroup of Internet-connectable device users defined based on at least one criterion; and transmitting an advertisement to the Internet-connectable device, wherein the advertisement is determined based on the audience value.

Claims

1. A computer system for providing mobile advertising using data networks based on groupings associated with Internet-connectable devices, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions to cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving from an Internet-connectable device two location events captured by the Internet-connectable device, wherein each of the two location events represents a respective previous geographical location of the Internet-connectable device;

grouping the two location events into a location events group based on a proximity of the two location events;

determining a place of interest of a user of the Internet-connectable device based on the location events group;

determining an audience category associated with the place of interest, wherein the audience category represents a brand or subject matter of a brand associated with the place of interest;

determining an audience segment to which a user of the Internet-connectable device belongs based on the audience category, wherein the audience segment comprises a group of Internet-connectable device users defined based on at least one criterion common among the group of Internet-connectable device users; and

transmitting an advertisement to the Internet-connectable device, wherein the advertisement is determined based on the audience segment.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein grouping the two location events into a location events group based on a proximity of the two location events comprises:

determining an intersection of the first geometric circle associated with one of the two location events and a second geometric circle associated with the other one of the two location events, wherein the first geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the one of the two location events and the second geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the other one of the tow location events;

determining a geometric bounding box around the intersection;

determining a center of the geometric bounding box; and

determining a geometric grouping circle with a center equal to the center of the geometric bounding box and a radius equal to a longest length from the center of the geometric bounding box to an edge of the geometric bounding box.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein grouping the two location events into a location events group based on a proximity of the two location events comprises:

determining a geometric ellipse based on a union of the first geometric circle associated with one of the two location events and a second geometric circle associated with the other one of the two location events, wherein the first geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the one of the two location events and the second geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the other one of the two location events; and

determining a geometric grouping circle with a center equal to a center of the geometric ellipse and a radius equal to a major radius of the geometric ellipse.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further caused to perform the operation of:

determining a time period associated with the location events group based on a difference between a first timestamp associated with one of the two location events and a second timestamp associated with the other one of the two location events; and

comparing the time period against a threshold to determine whether the location events group should be discarded.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein determining the audience segment to which the user of the Internet-connectable device belongs is also based on a determined routine route traveled by the user of the Internet-connectable device.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein determining the audience segment to which the user of the Internet-connectable device belongs is also based on at least one network event.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further caused to perform the operation of:

grouping a third location event into the location events group.

8. A computer system for providing mobile advertising using data networks based on groupings associated with Internet-connectable devices, the computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions to cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

capturing two network events, wherein each of the two network events is associated with a respective advertisement communicated to an Internet-connectable device;

grouping the two network events into a network events group based on a determination that the two network events are associated with an individual network session;

determining an audience category based on network events group, wherein the audience category represents a brand or subject matter of a brand associated with the network events group;

determining an audience segment to which a user of the Internet-connectable device belongs based on the audience category, wherein the audience segment comprises a group of Internet-connectable device users defined based on at least one criterion common among the group of Internet-connectable device users; and

transmitting an additional advertisement to the Internet-connectable device, wherein the advertisement is determined based on the audience segment.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the individual network session is an individual website session.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the individual network session is an individual application session.

11. A computer-implemented method for providing mobile advertising using data networks based on grouping associated with Internet-connectable devices, the method comprising:

receiving from an Internet-connectable device a first set of location events captured by the Internet-connectable device, wherein each location event in the first set of location events represents a respective previous geographical location of the Internet-connectable device;

grouping the first set of location events into a first location events group based on a proximity of the location events in the first set of location events, wherein the first location events group represents a first stop at which the Internet connectable device was located;

receiving from the Internet-connectable device a second set of location events captured by the Internet-connectable device, wherein each location event in the second set of location events represents a respective previous geographical location of the Internet-connectable device;

grouping the second set of location events into a second location events group based on a proximity of the location events in the second set of location events, wherein the second location events group represents a second stop at which the Internet-connectable device was located;

determining, using a processor, a routine place associated with the Internet-connectable device based on a determination that the first stop occurred within a first time window and the second stop occurred within a second time window;

determining a demographic of a user of the Internet-connectable device based on the routine place;

determining an audience segment to which the user of the Internet-connectable device belongs based on the demographic, wherein the audience segment comprising a group of Internet-connectable device users defined based on at least one criterion common among the group of Internet-connectable device users; and

transmitting an advertisement to the Internet-connectable device, wherein the advertisement is determined based on the audience segment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the routine place is further determined based on an amount of time the Internet-connectable device is located at the first stop within the first time window.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the routine place corresponds to a home of the user of the Internet-connectable device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein demographic is affluence.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the routine place corresponds to a work location of the user of the Internet-connectable device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein grouping the first set of location events comprises:

determining an intersection of the first geometric circle associated with a first location event in the first set of location events and a second geometric circle associated with a second location event in the first set of location events, wherein the first geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the first location event in the first set of location events and the second geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the second location event in the first set of location events;

determining a geometric bounded box around the intersection;

determining a center of the geometric bounding box; and

determining a geometric grouping circle with a center equal the center of the geometric bounding box and a radius equal to a longest length from the center of the geometric bounding box to an edge of the geometric bounding box.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein grouping the first of location events comprises:

determining a geometric ellipse based on a union of the first geometric circle associated with a first location event in the first set of location events and a second geometric circle associated with a second location event in the first set of location events, wherein the first geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the first location event in the first set of location events and the second geometric circle has a radius equal to a geographical accuracy of the second location event in the first set of location events; and

determining a geometric grouping circle with a center equal to a center of the geometric ellipse and a radius equal to a major radius of the geometric ellipse.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining an amount of time at which the Internet-connectable device was located at the first stop based on a different a timestamp associated with a first location event in the first set of location events and a timestamp associated with a second location event in the first set of location events; and

comparing the amount of time against a threshold to determine whether the first stop should be discarded.

19. A computer-implemented method for providing mobile advertising using data networks based on groupings associated with Internet-connectable devices, the method comprising:

receiving from an Internet-connectable device a first set of location events captured by the Internet-connectable device, wherein each location event in the first set of location events represents a respective previous geographical location of the Internet-connectable device;

grouping the first set of location events into a first location events group based on a proximity of the location events in the first set of location events, where the first location events group represents a first stop at which the internet-connectable device was located;

receiving from the Internet-connectable device a second set of location events captured by the Internet-connectable device, wherein each location event in the second set of location events represents a respective previous geographical 1ocation of the Internet-connectable device;

grouping the second set of location events into a second location events group based on a proximity of the location events in the second set of location events, where the second location events group represents a second stop at which the Internet-connectable device was located;

determining, using a processor, a routine place corresponding to where a user of the Internet-connectable device lives based on a determination that the first stop occurred within a first time window and the second stop occurred within a second time window, wherein the first time window and the second time window correspond to a previously determined time of day;

determining a home area based on at least the routine place corresponding to the home of the user;

determining a visited area outside of the home area;

determining an audience segment to which the user of the Internet-connectable device belongs based on the visited area, wherein the audience segment comprises a group of Internet-connectable device users defined based on at least one criterion common among the group of Internet-connectable device users; and

transmitting an advertisement to the Internet-connectable device, wherein the advertisement is determined based on the audience segment.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein determining the visited area depends on a continuous period of time the Internet-connectable device is located at the visited area.

21. The Method of claim 19, wherein determining the visited area depends on a frequency of overnight stays in the visited area.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the home area is further determined based on a routine place corresponding to where the user of the Internet-connectable device works.