Service for associating network users with profiles

• US 8,533,322 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions, LLC (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Marketing Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Chamberlain, Simon, Giles, Harley, Lientz, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): SERRAO, RANODHI N
• Application Number:
  US13/427,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 705/7.29, 705/14.49, 707/705
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• 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

Abstract

A system is disclosed that maps user IDs (such as IP addresses) and geographic regions to particular categories or “segments” reflective of user profiles. The mappings may be based on behavioral data reflective of user browsing activities, offline data (e.g., survey data or demographic data), or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the mappings are generated using data collected by a plurality of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) regarding their subscribers. The system also includes a query interface that enables content providers to retrieve segment data associated with particular user IDs.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for enabling content providers to provide targeted content to users, the method comprising:

generating a first mapping that maps specific user IDs to specific segments, said user IDs associated with particular network users, said first mapping generated using user-specific data associated with said users;

generating a second mapping that maps specific geographic regions to specific segments, said second mapping generated using aggregated data associated with residents of said regions; and

providing content providers access to a query interface that provides functionality for retrieving segment data associated with particular user IDs, said query interface configured to receive, from a content provider, a request that specifies a user ID and to respond to the request by a process that comprises;

determining whether the user ID is mapped in the first mapping to at least one segment;

when the user ID is determined to be mapped to at least one segment, returning, via the query interface and in response to the request, an indication of the at least one segment, to thereby enable the content provider to provide to the user targeted content that is based on information specific to a corresponding user; and

when the user ID is determined to not be mapped in the first mapping to at least one segment, determining a geographic region associated with the user ID, looking up in the second mapping one or more segments associated with the geographic region, and returning, via the query interface and in response to the request, an indication of the one or more segments associated with the geographic region, to thereby enable the content provider to provide to the user content that is targeted to the geographic region;

said method performed by a computing system that is programmed to perform the method, said computing system comprising one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the first mapping is generated based on offline data associated with the users.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mapping is generated based on offline data associated with the residents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first mapping comprises using behavioral data reflective of Internet access activities of the users to map user IDs to behavioral segments.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mapping is based at least partly on behavioral data collected by a plurality of ISPs.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating the first mapping comprises:

providing, to at least a first ISP of said plurality of ISPs, access to a behavioral segmentation system that applies a behavioral segmentation process to behavioral data collected by the first ISP; and

receiving over a network, and storing in a database, behavioral segmentation data generated by the behavioral segmentation system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the process comprises, when the user ID is determined to be mapped to at least one segment, looking up and returning both (1) an indication of the at least one segment to which the user ID is mapped, and (2) an indication of the one or more segments associated with said geographic region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the User IDs are IP addresses associated with the users.

9. A system for enabling content providers to provide targeted content to users, the system comprising:

a first mapping that maps user IDs to segments, said first mapping stored in computer storage;

a plurality of ISP-specific segmentation processors, each of which uses behavioral data collected by a respective ISP to map user IDs to segments, wherein the first mapping comprises an aggregation of mappings generated by the plurality of ISP-specific segmentation processors;

a second mapping that maps geographic regions to segments, said second mapping stored in computer storage; and

a server system that provides a query interface that enables content providers to retrieve, over a network, segment information associated with particular user IDs, said server system comprising one or more computing devices and being configured to implement a process that comprises;

receiving over a network, via the query interface, a request that specifies a user ID;

determining whether the user ID is mapped in the first mapping to at least one segment;

when the user ID is determined to be mapped to at least one segment, returning, via the query interface and in response to the request, an indication of the at least one segment; and

when the user ID is determined to not be mapped in the first mapping to at least one segment, determining a geographic region associated with the user ID, looking up in the second mapping one or more segments associated with the geographic region, and returning, via the query interface and in response to the request, an indication of the one or more segments associated with the geographic region.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least the first mapping is based partly on offline data associated with the users corresponding to said user IDs.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second mapping is generated based on offline data associated with residents of said regions.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the second mapping maps particular zip codes to particular segments.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first mapping is based at least partly on behavioral data reflective of Internet access activities of users.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the process comprises, when the user ID is determined to be mapped to at least one segment, looking up and returning both (1) an indication of the at least one segment to which the user ID is mapped, and (2) an indication of the one or more segments associated with said geographic region.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the user IDs include IP addresses.