Systems and methods for customized electronic communications

• US 8,612,477 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo AD Tech LLC
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Becker, Marcel, Halvaksz, Seth, Wetherell, Bill, Eyzaguirre, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUNG D
• Application Number:
  US13/242,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20120102064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods customizing electronic communications. A future event associated with a first user may be determined, and a second user that is associated with the first user and the future event may be identified. A plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user may be analyzed. A selection rule may be applied based on the analyzed plurality of communications, the selection rule identifying content from the database. Content from the database may be selected based on the application of the selection rule. An electronic message may be provided to the first user identifying the future event, and the selected content may be provided to the first user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a future event associated with a future date and a first user;

identifying a second user that is associated with the first user;

analyzing, with a processor, a plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user;

acquiring new data associated with the first user;

acquiring new data associated with the second user;

accessing stored data associated with the first user;

accessing stored data associated with the second user;

applying a selection rule based on the analyzed plurality of communications, the new data associated with the first user, the new data associated with the second user, the stored data associated with the first user, and the stored data associated with the second user;

wherein applying the selection rule comprises adjusting default scores for a plurality of content items and identifying a content item based on its adjusted score;

selecting, with a processor, the identified content item; and

providing the identified content item to the first user together with an indication of the future event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the selection rule further comprises comparing a keyword included in the analyzed plurality of communications with content in the database.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the keyword is determined to be unique within the analyzed plurality of communications.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the keyword is determined to be unique with reference to resources other than the analyzed plurality of communications.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising assigning a score to the keyword based at least in part on whether the keyword appears in the body or in a header field of a communication from the analyzed plurality of communications.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, with the processor, an additional communication that is not included in the plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user, wherein the identification is made on the basis of the additional communication being associated with at least one communication in the plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user; and

applying the selection rule based on the additional communication.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting content from the database based on the application of the selection rule comprises selecting content based at least in part on the real time location of the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises social network communications data associated with the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the database comprises social network profile data associated with the first user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting content from the database based on the application of the selection rule comprises comparing a category associated with the future event to categories associated with a plurality of different types of content.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquired new data associated with the first user is also associated with the future event.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the acquired new data associated with the first user comprises weather data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the acquired new data associated with the first user comprises traffic data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the acquired new data associated with the first user comprises a real-time location of the first user and the acquired new data associated with the second user comprises a real-time location of the second user.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor for assigning a score to the keyword based at least in part on whether the keyword appears in the body or in a header field of a communication from the analyzed plurality of communications.

15. A computer-based system comprising one or more processors and one or more storage media storing a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions being executable by at least one processor for:

determining a future event associated with a future date and a first user;

identifying a second user that is associated with the first user;

analyzing, with the at least one processor, a plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user;

acquiring new data associated with the first user;

acquiring new data associated with the second user;

accessing stored data associated with the first user;

accessing stored data associated with the second user;

applying a selection rule based on the analyzed plurality of communications, the new data associated with the first user, the new data associated with the second user, the stored data associated with the first user, and the stored data associated with the second user, the selection rule identifying content from the database;

wherein applying the selection rule comprises adjusting default scores for a plurality of content items and identifying a content item based on its adjusted score;

selecting, with the at least one processor, the identified content item from the database based on the application of the selection rule; and

providing the selected identified content item to the first user together with an indication of the future event.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein applying the selection rule further comprises comparing a keyword included in the analyzed plurality of communications and content in the database.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the keyword is determined to be unique within the analyzed plurality of communications.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the keyword is determined to be unique with reference to resources other than the analyzed plurality of communications.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that are executable by the at least one processor for:

identifying, with the processor, an additional communication that is not included in the plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user, wherein the identification is made on the basis of the additional communication being associated with at least one communication in the plurality of communications involving the first user and the second user; and

applying the selection rule based on the additional communication.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein selecting content from the database based on the application of the selection rule comprises selecting content based at least in part on the real time location of the first user.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the database comprises social network communications data associated with the second user.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the database comprises social network profile data associated with the first user.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein selecting content from the database based on the application of the selection rule comprises comparing a category associated with the future event to categories associated with a plurality of different types of content.