Media targeting system and method

• US 8,543,456 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2004
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bulzi LLC
• Original Assignee: Ip Mining Corporation
• Inventors: McKay, Brent Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhre, James W
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOLDMAN, MICHAEL H
• Application Number:
  US11/012,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20050149398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,207 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/14.41, 705/14.45, 705/14.5, 705/14.52, 705/14.57, 705/14.66
• US Class Current: 705/14.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A media targeting system and method uses visual pattern recognition techniques in association with consumer transactions as the basis for building a targeting database, which is then later used for automated consumer identification and targeted advertising purposes. The invention solves the problem of generating a large scale, robust media targeting database without relying on active or passive participation by consumers. Also disclosed are other demographics estimation systems and methods which facilitate less expensive media targeting capabilities which can be used in conjunction with the more robust transaction associated method disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer system estimating a demographic characteristics profile of consumers in the vicinity of a publicly located advertising device, wherein said advertising device is configured to communicate advertising messages to a plurality of consumers within the vicinity of said advertising device, said system comprising:

a memory;

a processor configured to;

identify a physical address of an advertising device;

identify one or more census demographics characteristics associated with a first geographic area, the first geographic area associated with said physical address and store said census demographics characteristics associated with the first geographic area as a first demographics profile in said memory;

identify a second geographic area a predetermined distance from said physical address;

identify one or more census demographics characteristics associated with said second geographic area and store said census demographics characteristics associated with said second geographic area as a second demographics profile in said memory; and

combine said first demographics profile and said second demographics profile into a combined demographics profile;

wherein the combination is a weighted average of the first and the second demographics profiles, wherein the weighting factor is not equal to one.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first demographics profile carries a higher weighting than the second demographics profile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to deliver targeted advertising to said advertising device, said targeted advertising being selected in part based on the said combined demographics profile.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to:

receive retail transaction data relating to transactions occurring in the vicinity of said advertising device, wherein said retail transaction data includes consumer address information;

identify one or more census demographic characteristics associated with said consumer address information and store said census demographic characteristics associated with said consumer address information as a third demographics profile in the memory;

combine said combined demographics profile and said third demographics profile to create a refined demographics profile, wherein said refined demographics profile is a weighted average of the combined and the third demographics profiles.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said weighted average of the combined and third demographic profiles is based in part on an estimate of the number of consumers in the vicinity of the said advertising device at the time of the said transaction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

estimate one or more real-time demographics characteristics of consumers in said vicinity of said advertising device and store said real-time demographics characteristics as a third demographics profile in memory, said estimation system using visual pattern recognition techniques; and

combine said combined demographics profile and said third demographics profile into a refined demographics profile, wherein said refined demographics profile is a weighted average of the combined and the third demographics profiles.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said weighted average of the combined and third demographic profiles is based in part on an estimate of the number of consumers in the vicinity of the said advertising device at the time of the said visual pattern recognition.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

acquire a unique electronic serial number or MAC address of a wireless mobile device in the vicinity of said advertising device;

identify consumer address information associated with said wireless mobile device;

identify one or more census demographic characteristics associated with said consumer address information and store as third demographics profile in memory; and

combine said combined demographics profile and said third demographics profile into a refined demographics profile, wherein said refined demographics profile is a weighted average of the combined and the third demographics profiles.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said weighted average of the combined and third demographic profiles is based in part on an estimate of the number of consumers in the vicinity of the said advertising device at the time of the said MAC address acquisition.

10. A method for estimating, by a processor of a computer system, a demographic characteristics profile of consumers in the vicinity of a publicly located advertising device, wherein said advertising device is configured to communicate advertising messages to a plurality of consumers within the vicinity of said advertising device, said method comprising:

identifying, using a processor of a computer system, a physical address of an advertising device;

identifying, using said processor of said computer system, one or more first census demographics characteristics associated with a first geographic area, the first geographic area associated with said physical address

storing said one or more first census demographics characteristics as a first demographics profile in a memory;

identifying, using said processor of said computer system, a second geographic area a predetermined distance from said physical address;

identifying, using said processor of said computer system, one or more second census demographics characteristics associated with said second geographic area;

storing said one or more second census demographics characteristics as a second demographics profile in said memory; and

combining, using said processor of said computer system, said first demographics profile and said second demographics profile into a combined demographics profile, wherein the combination is a weighted average of the first and the second demographics profiles, wherein the weighting factor is not equal to one.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising delivering targeted advertising to said advertising device, said targeted advertising being selected in part based on the said combined demographics profile.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first demographics profile carries a higher weighting than the second demographics profile.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving retail transaction data from transactions occurring in the vicinity of said advertising device, wherein said retail transaction data includes consumer address information;

identifying one or more third census demographic characteristics that are associated with said consumer address information;

storing said one or more third census demographic characteristics as a third demographics profile in memory, and;

combining said combined demographics profile and said third demographics profile into a refined demographics profile, wherein said refined demographics profile is a weighted average of the combined and the third demographics profiles.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said weighted average of the combined and third demographic profiles is based in part on an estimate of the number of consumers in the vicinity of the said advertising device at the time of the said transaction.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

estimating one or more real-time demographics characteristics of consumers in vicinity of said advertising device, said estimation system using visual pattern recognition techniques;

storing said one or more real-time demographics characteristics as third demographics profile in memory, and;

combining said combined demographics profile and said third demographics profile into a refined demographics profile, wherein said refined demographics profile is a weighted average of the combined and the third demographics profiles.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said weighted average of the combined and third demographic profiles is based in part on an estimate of the number of consumers in the vicinity of the said advertising device at the time of the said visual pattern recognition.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

acquiring a unique Electronic Serial Number or MAC address of a wireless mobile device in the vicinity of said advertising device;

identifying consumer address information associated with said wireless mobile device;

identifying one or more third census demographic characteristics that are associated with said consumer address information;

storing said one or more third census demographic characteristics as a third demographics profile in memory, and;

combining said combined demographics profile and said third demographics profile into a refined demographics profile, wherein said refined demographics profile is a weighted average of the combined and the third demographics profiles.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said weighted average of the combined and third demographic profiles is based in part on an estimate of the number of consumers in the vicinity of the said advertising device at the time of the said MAC address acquisition.